NASCAR still planning for Southern California short track as Auto Club demolition begins

With demolition of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, underway, NASCAR president Steve Phelps has reiterated the organization’s plans to build a short track to replace it, although the specifics remain to be determined.

“What the timing of that is, I don’t know,” Phelps said at Phoenix Raceway. “This isn’t the best time to be building based on inflation, the cost of capital, etc. But our intention is to continue to be in the Southern California market.

“For 2024, we will be at the (L.A.) Coliseum. It is our intention to build a short track in the Inland Empire.”

Auto Club Speedway, originally known as California Speedway, hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series race in 1997, also hosting a round of the CART IndyCar series that year. The two-mile oval became a favorite of NASCAR drivers for its high speed and characteristics such as the bumps down the backstretch and the ability to use multiple lanes for passing.