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After the 2023 season, the sanctioning association announced NASCAR's fan-favorite track, the Auto Club Speedway, to be reconstructed. A fan took to his X account to share the latest update on the track's construction, and fans expressed their thoughts about the iconic D-shaped oval track.
The two-mile track was built by Roger Penske's Speedway Corporation at an abandoned Kaiser Steel Mill at 9300 Cherry Avenue, Fontana, California. However, in 2023, NASCAR decided to turn the D-shaped superspeedway into a half-mile banked oval track. The track was opened in 1997 and has hosted several iconic races, becoming one of the most beloved tracks in California.
The track hosted the NASCAR Cup Series race for over two decades. The first race was the California 500, held on June 22, 1997, and Jeff Gordon claimed the victory. The Pala Casino 400 was the last race held on the two-mile track.
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A fan recently shared an aerial photograph of the track during its construction and wrote:
"Dad sent me this. They flew over what’s left of Fontana. What an amazing track that was 😭😭"
The racing community expressed criticism in the comments, with a fan writing:
"It makes me sick."
Another joined him and expressed his disappointment:
"Sad to see for sure. Unfortunately many tracks in the LA market have all seemed to meet the same fate."
A fan hilariously shared a GIF and captioned it:
"The front stretch rn"
Here are some more comments:
"there are currently ZERO @NASCAR ovel track races on the entire west coast of this country the fans deserve better," a fan commented.
"Unreal, had a great drag strip too! Hope they hold true to the promise of a short track replacement. Even more so now with Irwindale being torn up too….." stated a motorsports enthusiast.
"We are never getting that short track no matter how many people defend, beg, plead, or cry," said an X user.
Besides reconstructing the track from scratch, the governing body wants to build a logistics facility and industrial park with 6.6 million square feet of warehousing space.
A look back at the NASCAR Cup Series final race at the Auto Club Speedway
The Pala Casino 400 was the last race held at the Auto Club Speedway on February 26, 2023. It was the second race of the regular season and contested over 200 laps covering 400 miles at the D-shaped oval track. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell won the pole position while JTG Daughterty Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. claimed a seat behind Bell.
The 200-lap race had a nail-biting ending with 28 lead changes among 13 drivers with eight yellow flags. #1 Chevy Camaro ZL1 Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain dominated both stages of the race, maintaining the lead. However, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch won the last race at the Auto Club Speedway, followed by Chase Elliott in second place and Chastain in third.
Meanwhile, NASCAR will return to the historic Bowman Gray Stadium for the 2025 season on February 2 at 8 PM ET.
