As NASCAR prepares to demolish the Garage Mahal built by Roger Penske at a toxic waste site in Fontana, California, let's acknowledge that Paul Oberjuerge saw this coming a quarter of a century ago.
As the final touches were put on the California Speedway, applause erupted at Penske's $125 million palace of speed. NASCAR's Premier Series hasn't been to Southern California for nearly a decade. After railroad failures in nearby Ontario and Riverside, Fontana would be the least likely location for the best returns.
At the first open test on May 5, 1997, the Cup teams were greeted by an opulent track built to 21st century standards.
Cavernous garage bays and generously designed pits. Sumptuous and luxurious suites with panoramic views of the runway and the San Gabriel Mountains. First class media facilities and even a first class gym for the pilots.
Hallmarks of "Penske Perfect" details were everywhere: track president Greg Penske oversaw his father's vision rising from the ruins of the derelict Kaiser Steel Mill (his WWII-era story).once marked by an iconic water tower), and everyone was ready to announce NASCAR's new tenure in Southern California.
All except Oberjuerge, the sports editor of The San Bernardino County Sun, whose sharp and incisive journalistic columns were daily required reading at the Inland Empire for nearly three decades.
In a May 7, 1997 article entitled: "Speedway: Bigger isn't always better," Oberjürge marveled at the gigantic indoor field that could accommodate practically any large stadium in Southern California ("The grandstands are higher, the distances longer, the logistics pharaoh").
He praised the never-ending ambition of Roger Penske ("A century ago, men of his own kind built the Panama Canal and laid the transatlantic cable. Fifty years ago they organized D-Day. Who's building the Hoover Dam these days? Penske clearly has the hate I haven't got anything yet heard of the Age of Frontiers").
And he asked if, with all the outrage and boldness, there was also a touch of arrogance.
The Ontario Motor Speedway, a palatial replica of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, opened less than 5 miles away in 1970. After Ontario was smothered in debt, it was closed and demolished in 1980.
Many thanks to@nascarman_rrfor help finding source material: This was in 1C of The San Bernardino County Sun on May 7, 1997.
Almost 26 years ago, a columnist asked, "What if this $125 million track isn't here forever?"
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—Nate Ryan (@nateryan)February 22, 2023
"Could it all happen again? No one here seems to think it's far away, the arrogance that seems a bit scary," Oberjürge wrote. “There are still almost six weeks until the opening event. We assume that it will be a complete success. This track is brilliant, great, top notch.
"But so was the Titanic."
That closing line didn't land well on the captain's shiny new ship.
Les Richter, the late former NASCAR executive and NFL Hall of Famer who was the Penske family's right-hand man at California Speedway, called The Sun's auto race reporter to read him the uproar.
Six weeks later, a sold-out crowd of nearly 100,000 watched a superstar name a track as Jeff Gordon won the inaugural California 500 and ushered in a new era of NASCAR in the Golden State.
Until now.
Oberjuerge's words suddenly feel extraordinarily prescient nearly 26 years later as he ponders the bleak future of Fontana's doomed 2-mile oval.blown up, rebuilt and reopened as a short runwayat an indefinite point.
The news was also oddly vague on the proposed design.
Since The Athletic's Jeff Gluck first reported, there have been no official blueprintsWhat would a half mile route be?MixBristol and Martinsville elements. Track President Dave Allen recently said NASCAR is still "trying to figure out what makes the most sense...on and off the track."
All of this has raised serious questions about whether major league stock car racing will repeat its past sins at Southland, which survived an eight-year cup-free winter when Riverside International Raceway closed in 1989.
What previously seemed unthinkable -- a NASCAR Cup schedule without a race at a permanent facility in the country's second-largest market -- will happen next year, it has been confirmed.Fontana will not be there in the 2024 season.
Perhaps most troubling, there is still no timetable for when or if the repurposed short route will open.
This reinvention already seemed like a misstep on the part of NASCAR in the face of Auto Club Speedwayhad emerged as the gold standard for unrestricted freewaysin the last 13 years.
Now the short track projectapparently a financial and logistical waste caught in a tangle of supply chain issues in the country's most regulated state.
It took Penske almost four years and mountains to build the California Speedway on a former Superfund site. Bureaucracy is no less daunting now that the pandemic has smothered every major construction project out there.
The Auto Club Speedway overhaul was already over a year behind schedule and now appears to have no specific start or finish date.
All that is known for certain is thatThe last race takes place on Sunday.over the beloved original asphalt layer laid in January 1997.
"At this point, this will be our last race on the 2-mile course," said NASCAR President Steve Phelps.SiriusXM told NASCAR Radio last week. “Right now it will take a couple of years to build the new track. It's something we're interested in right now. What that timeline looks like, we're not sure."
The articulate Phelps is known for being measured and precise with his words.
Three phrases in 20 seconds "now" is less than reassuring about Fontana's prospects, even if NASCAR's priority is to stay on top of things.
Along with NASCAR Superintendent Steve O'Donnell,similar uncertainty in a recent interviewAt Sports Business Journal's Adam Stern, the clear warning signs are that the permanent closure of Auto Club Speedway is on the table.
NASCAR has worked withHillwood PropertiesIn"Reconstruction of parts of the Auto Club Speedway site."Parts of the grandstands of turns 1 and 4have already been removed.
Obviously, it's plausible that material and labor shortages could propel the short-track project well beyond 2025, despite the inevitable cost overruns.
Some of that will be paid for by auctioning off part of the track land, but this step-by-step approach certainly opens the door to selling the entire property as well.
At what point is the temptation too great to ignore offers that would certainly be at least eight figures?for 568 hectaresSitting near several major interstates and freeways?
NASCAR doesn't need to work with a commercial real estate company to understand the value of potential warehouse space in the age of Amazon.
All of these mitigating factors, along with fan demands for shorter tracks, seem to be why sticking with the status quo with the current design isn't an option.
Eventually, even if the 2-mile oval were retained, it would require a multi-million dollar resurfacing followed by at least a few years of less lustrous racing.
For many years, when it opened, Fontana was one of NASCAR's most despised tracks. It was given away and then banned from a second annual race because its crowds were falling so much.
But as the tarmac aged, the choppy surface became popular with drivers and fans alike.who regularly experienced lead changes in the last lap between 2011 and 2014at a track whose fastballs are faster than Daytona's.
"The race went really well there,"AJ AllmendingerSaying. “As drivers we all love it because it wears down the tires, you slide and slide, it has multiple grooves. They walk there on the platform. He's just doing great runs. I think we all enjoyed it very much. Most of all, I really feel like it's changed in the last 10 years as we've had such good results there.
"It's one of those circuits where you understand that something has to change because the surface is so old and you end up repaving it and the big race is over, or you rebuild it and try something new."
Some still long for a third option.
"I wish they would leave him (in peace)",Ryan Blaneyhe said when asked about the disappearance of the 2-mile oval last week. “I think you talk to every driver and they will tell you the same thing. This place is one of the funniest and coolest circuits we visit. I hate seeing this place go away.
sayingBriscoe hunt: “I think it's going to be bittersweet for all the drivers because it's kind of the last real track we have. Auto Club is so much fun from a driver's point of view because it's so skillful. It's worn. It's hard, you just jump. You literally race everywhere on the track, especially with the next-gen car. I thought it was just a really well organized track for these cars.
"So I'm devastated."
So should every NASCAR fan, especially those of the 25 million or so who live just hours from Fontana.
Aside from having highly fickle fans, Southern California is known for skyrocketing real estate values. It is noteworthy that Fontana was born to Roger Penske, who has long advocated the importance of permanent installations in major league auto racing.
Temporary tracks like street races are great for bringing the action closer to people, but they can also be fleeting. For every Long Beach and St. Petersburg in IndyCar, there's Baltimore, Houston, Vancouver, Cleveland, Miami, an endless list of flops.
If NASCAR decides to drop Fontana, it could face points races in Southern California across stadiums (although problems arose in The Clash at the Coliseum) or street racing.
But then it would be hard to see a route back with a new oval.
Another California Speedway could cost ten times what it cost to build now than it did in the mid-1990s.
Penske built Fontana out of sheer willpower. He's a billionaire who loves motorsports (and who also owns the world's largest Toyota dealership nearby). The chances that such fortunate circumstances will ever occur again are slim.
Still, it certainly wouldn't be possible to leave NASCAR without a permanent home in Southern California (for the second time in 35 years).
Nobody would have seen it coming.
Unless someone already has.
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FAQs
How much does it cost to run a NASCAR Xfinity team? ›
Owning a NASCAR team can be expected to be a very hefty investment. It involves many expenses, all of which cost a large amount of money. The expected total for owning a NASCAR team is nearly $400,000 per week, which over the 38-week season, is on average more than $15 million in annual expenses.
Is Kyle Busch racing Xfinity? ›Kyle Busch returns to Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing for five races in 2023. Kaulig Racing announced Friday that Kyle Busch will drive the No. 10 Chevrolet in five NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season, marking his return to the circuit.
Who owns the 99 car in xfinity? ›...
B. J. McLeod Motorsports.
| Owner(s) | B. J. McLeod Jessica Smith-McLeod |
| Base | Mooresville, North Carolina |
| Series | NASCAR Xfinity Series |
| Race drivers | Xfinity Series: 78. Anthony Alfredo 99. Garrett Smithley |
| Career | |
|---|---|
Cost to drive at Carl Long Motorsports
They are looking for a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, at the cost of $650,000 to the driver. “We need 1 more full time driver in Xfinity to complete our line up. You will be going to all Xfinity races. So here is the bargain price of $650,000,” the release opened.
3 a historic agreement that will make Comcast's XFINITY brand the title sponsor of what is now known as the NASCAR Nationwide Series through 2024.
How much does it cost to sponsor a Nascar Xfinity car for one race? ›The costs for Primary sponsorship range from $10,000 to $300,000.
Do the Busch brothers get along? ›Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch
In fact, the two brothers don't even seem that close. The Busch brothers have had their fair share of dust-ups over the years, most notably a fight after they crashed at the 2007 All-Star Race that kept them from speaking for a lengthy period of time.
Originally fielding Toyota Tundras since its inception, the team switched to Chevrolet Silverados beginning in 2023. The team currently fields two full-time Chevrolet Silverados: the No. 4 for Chase Purdy and the No.
Who drives for Kyle Busch Motorsports in Xfinity? ›Kyle Busch Motorsports Racing Team
The team competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with two full-time entries driven by John Hunter Nemechek (No. 4), Chandler Smith (No. 18), and an occasional third team (No. 51) driven by Kyle for select races and other drivers for the remaining.
As of 2022, the team fields four full-time entries in the Xfinity Series: the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro SS full-time for Sam Mayer, the No. 7 Camaro full-time for Justin Allgaier, the No. 8 Camaro full-time for Josh Berry, and the No. 9 Camaro full-time for Brandon Jones.
How many cars can an Xfinity team have? ›
The teams below all compete in NASCAR at various levels, from the NASCAR Cup Series to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Organizations are limited to a maximum of four cars in the NASCAR Cup Series.
What is the difference between Xfinity cars and Cup cars? ›At first glance they may look the same but there is one important difference. To put it bluntly, Xfinity is basically minor leagues and Sprint Cup is the majors. Xfinity races on Saturdays, and Cup on Sundays.
How much do Xfinity racers make? ›NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series drivers can expect to get anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 as a main salary based on their seniority and marketability, on top of around $200,000 or so of additional prize money. There are other bonuses and prizes up for grabs in these racing series, too.
What is the gas mileage for NASCAR cars? ›At race speeds, Cup Series cars get 2 to 5 miles per gallon. Consumption under caution can be estimated at 14-18 mpg, based on comparable engines generally available to the public.
How much does a Nascar Xfinity engine cost? ›Engines are the most expensive aspect of the car at around $100,000, trucks and Xfinity Race cars, while cheaper are still $100-$200,000 before costs.
What is next gen Nascar Xfinity? ›The Next Gen car, originally known as the Gen-7 car, is the common name for the racecar that is currently in use in the NASCAR Cup Series; its use starting in 2022. A further evolution of the Generation 6 car, the Next Gen features improved aero and downforce packages while introducing new technologies on the track.
How much does FedEx pay for NASCAR? ›FedEx is tapping its estimated $12 million sponsorship of Joe Gibbs Racing for employee incentives, from free and discounted tickets to FedEx Racing merchandise and staff-only content on its Web site, Fedexracing.com. It's the only sponsorship in FedEx's wide portfolio that carries a large employee-incentive component.
How much does a NASCAR car hauler make a year? ›How much does a Nascar Hauler make in Soda Bay, California? As of Feb 6, 2023, the average annual pay for the Nascar Hauler jobs category in Soda Bay is $56,879 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $27.35 an hour.
How much does a NASCAR car hauler make? ›$37k-$97k Nascar Hauler Jobs (NOW HIRING) ZipRecruiter.
How much does Lowe's pay for NASCAR sponsorship? ›Reportedly, Lowe's recently paid at least $20 million for its full season as primary sponsor of Johnson's car.
Which Busch brother is divorcing? ›
Kurt Busch and Wife Ashley Divorcing: 'I Am Heartbroken,' NASCAR Driver Says.
What slur did Busch say? ›“It's frickin' r——-, man, so stupid,” Busch said. “I don't understand these guys. I should beat the s— out of [Keselowski] right now, is what I should do, but that doesn't do me any good either.” “I should beat the **** out of him right now.”
Is Jimmy Johnson coming back to NASCAR? ›Johnson, who stepped away from full-time NASCAR racing following the 2020 season and full-time racing in general in September 2022, also returns to the driver's seat of a stock car for a part-time schedule in 2023.
What team will Kyle Busch drive for in 2023? ›After 15 years at Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch moves to Richard Childress Racing as the new driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet. Busch replaces Tyler Reddick, who left the team to join 23XI Racing. Chase Elliott will enter the 2023 season seeking to complete a job left unfinished in 2022: winning his second Cup championship.
Who will sponsor Kyle Busch in 2023? ›8 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series. WELCOME, N.C. (January 16, 2023) – Netspend, a leading provider of payments and financial solutions for consumers and businesses, will sponsor Kyle Busch and the No. 8 team beginning in 2023, Richard Childress Racing announced today.
Is Kyle Busch Motorsports switching to Chevy? ›AVONDALE, Ariz. — Kyle Busch Motorsports announced Friday it will field two full-time trucks in the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season as it transitions to Chevrolet. Chase Purdy will pilot the No. 4 Chevrolet as part of a multi-year deal.
Who does Brett Moffitt drive for in Xfinity Series? ›Former NASCAR Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt will drive for AM Racing in the Xfinity Series in 2023. Moffitt will drive the team's No. 25 Mustangs as AM switches from Chevrolets to Fords and adds a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing and the Ford Performance program.
Who will drive for kbm in 2023? ›Kyle Busch to run five Truck races for KBM in 2023 - NBC Sports.
Who will John Hunter Nemechek drive for in 2023? ›CONCORD, N.C. – Joe Gibbs Racing supplemented its driver lineup for the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Thursday, moving John Hunter Nemechek into a full-time role in 2023. Nemechek is set to drive the No. 20 Toyota next season, with Ben Beshore serving as the team's crew chief.
Who is the new driver for JR Motorsports? ›Coming off his first full-time season, Josh Berry will pair back up with Taylor Moyer for 2023. The duo won together for the first time at Martinsville Speedway in 2021.
Who owns jr3 racing? ›
Get To Know Our Owner, Billy Glavin.
Will JR Motorsports move to Cup? ›The organization will not compete in the Cup Series during the 2023 season, even as a part-time team in select events, such as the Chicago Street Course.
How much horsepower is in an Xfinity NASCAR? ›NASCAR Xfinity Series
Also, Xfinity Series cars have a shorter wheelbase than Cup cars at 105”. The cars have a less powerful engine, that produces 850 horsepower. Therefore, they top out at speeds of 180 miles per hour. There are 33 races in the Xfinity Series season.
Dodge has had multiple stints in NASCAR, most recently from 2001-12, but it left after winning a championship with Team Penske and Brad Keselowski. Penske was switching to Ford, and Dodge said it could not find another top-tier team to partner.
How much horsepower does a 358 engine have? ›All said and done, this 358 Chevy can crank out around 600 to 615 horsepower and runs at 8,000 rpm!
Who owns the 3 cars in Nascar Xfinity? ›An Earnhardt will be back behind the wheel of the most famous number in Richard Childress Racing and one of the most famous numbers in all of NASCAR when Jeffrey Earnhardt drives the No. 3 car in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The race will be April 23.
Who will drive 18 car in 2023? ›Now Joe Gibbs Racing have confirmed the first driver in their NASCAR Xfinity Series lineup for the 2023 season. Sammy Smith, who competed for the team behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota, also known as the “star car”, in nine races during the 33-race 2022 season is set to drive the No. 18 Toyota full-time in 2023.
Who will drive the 42 car in 2023? ›Petty GMS Motorsports features two full-time cars in the Cup Series: the No. 42, which will switch drivers from Ty Dillon to Noah Gragson in 2023, and the No. 43 driven by Erik Jones.
How much does a NASCAR Xfinity team cost? ›Owning a NASCAR team can be expected to be a very hefty investment. It involves many expenses, all of which cost a large amount of money. The expected total for owning a NASCAR team is nearly $400,000 per week, which over the 38-week season, is on average more than $15 million in annual expenses.
How many races can a Cup driver run in Xfinity? ›Limited to participating in five Xfinity races.
Is Xfinity racing next gen cars? ›
Furthermore, with the Cup Series' switch to Next Gen car in 2022, Xfinity cars (as well as Truck Series vehicles) continues to use traditional five-lug steel wheels and centered door numbers, as opposed to an aluminum center lock wheel and numbers being placed behind the front wheel on the Next Gen Cup car.
What is Chase Elliott's annual salary? ›| Year | Age | Total Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 25 | $9,000,000 |
| 2019 | 27 | $9,000,000 |
| 2020 | 28 | $9,000,000 |
Verstappen is F1's highest-paid driver for 2022 with a pretax total of $60 million from his salary and bonuses, according to Forbes estimates. Hamilton, who has been the series' top-earning driver in Forbes' athlete rankings every year since 2013, sinks to second with an estimated $55 million.
How much gas will I need to drive 500 miles? ›For instance, if you plan to drive 500 miles (804.6 kilometers) in a car that gets 25 mpg (10.6 km/l), you'll need about 20 gallons (76 liters) of gasoline.
How many gallons of gas does a NASCAR use in a race? ›A stock car will use 100 gallons in a typical 500-mile race, according to motorsportsracing.com. Sunday's South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 400-mile event. So, for that distance, figure each car using about 80 gallons.
How many miles does a NASCAR engine last? ›Most production car engines are designed to last over 100,000 miles. NASCAR race car engines are designed to last one race (500 miles, in the case of the Daytona 500). While the same version of an engine is typically used for an entire season, it is rebuilt after each race.
How much does it cost to operate a NASCAR team? ›The total outlay for owning a NASCAR team is upwards of $500,000 per week, which equates to more than $15-20 million in annual expenses over the 38-week season. Owning a NASCAR team is a significant financial investment. Expenses include salaries, cars, transport which, in the short term at least, are likely to rise.
How much does it cost to run a NASCAR team per race? ›The cars are crucial to a driver's success, and many of the people employed on a NASCAR team are there specifically to perform maintenance on the car and improve its performance. For a NASCAR Cup Series vehicle, it is estimated that it will cost a team between $50,000 and $150,000 per race to maintain.
How much does it cost to start a NASCAR team? ›The first step toward starting a NASCAR team is to find a wealthy benefactor who is willing to invest a lot of money in getting something profitable off the ground. RookieRoad estimates that the current upfront cost to get a NASCAR Cup Series team started is around $18 million.
How much does it cost to make a NASCAR team? ›
The cost of a NASCAR team through the season appears to be in the eight-digit range. An older Florida Times-Union report suggested that the costs approach $400,000 per week — if true, for a 38-week season, that is over $15 million in annual expenses.
How much money does a NASCAR mechanic make a year? ›While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $79,500 and as low as $19,000, the majority of Nascar Technician salaries currently range between $33,000 (25th percentile) to $53,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $66,000 annually across the United States.
Who is the highest paid NASCAR driver? ›Ironically, he was speaking in reference to the sport's highest paid driver: Kyle Busch. Busch, whose longtime partnership with M&M's came to an end at the end of the 2022 season, has the highest salary among all Cup Series drivers, according to Salary Sport.
How much does a Nascar Cup engine cost? ›On average, a typical NASCAR engine costs around $100,000.
However, during some racing events, teams use more than one engine. For example, a car competing in the Daytona 500 may use up to three engines throughout the event.
First and foremost, NASCAR drivers are paid a base salary from their teams that can vary anywhere from $50,000 for developmental drivers to $10 million for acclaimed drivers like Brad Keselowski or Kasey Kahne.
Do NASCAR drivers pay for their own cars? ›Corporate sponsors not only pay for the car, but help cover all of the research and development and maintenance costs associated with a big-budget racing team.
Do NASCAR drivers keep prize money? ›Drivers keep anywhere from 40% to 45% of their purse while the rest is distributed throughout the team.
How much does a NASCAR Jack cost? ›An NASCAR-grade impact wrench can cost upwards of $4,500. The sockets they use to pull off the tires so quickly can run up to $1,500 a piece.
What do Nascar Xfinity drivers make? ›NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series drivers can expect to get anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 as a main salary based on their seniority and marketability, on top of around $200,000 or so of additional prize money. There are other bonuses and prizes up for grabs in these racing series, too.
How much does a modified car cost in NASCAR? ›When buying new, complete Modifieds end up in the $35,000 to $38,000 range without an engine. Unlike Late Models, though, Modified racing offers a Crate Engine package that costs between $5,000 and $7,000, depending one where it's purchased.