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NASCAR’s Los Angeles Problem

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Sunday will be the final race on the 2-mile version of Auto Club Speedway. What will NASCAR do in Los Angeles the next couple of years? Will Auto Club Speedway EVER become a short track?

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67 comments

Ben Myatt February 24, 2023 at 6:46 pm

After last years Race and probably this year I can’t believe they’re still going through with this

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Captain Nebulous February 24, 2023 at 6:52 pm

That’s because of all the braindead restrictor plate fans still calling it “boring.” And these days NASCAR only listens to those casual goons. Sadly casuals spend more money when they go to the races than the diehards do. Most of the diehards go with a “make this as cheap as possible” mindset….. this all concluded via numerous fan votes via the fan counsel. Another interesting stat is that 71% of NASCAR fans outside of California live in poor states with high welfare percentages… such as Mississippi and Alabama… so they’ve essentially be priced out by the middle and upper class fans from better states.

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BALA_JJ_45 February 24, 2023 at 7:07 pm

​@Captain Nebulous sounds like F1

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larry scott February 24, 2023 at 7:11 pm

Well they just sold the land for 100 million so probably a no brainer for nascar

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Momentum Racing February 24, 2023 at 7:11 pm

Well the fans wanted it in the first place. I never wanted it to happen because Auto club was unique. It had bumps in the track on the backstretch, you could go 5, 6 wide, and it had great passing and a great multigrove race.

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larry scott February 24, 2023 at 7:18 pm

@Momentum Racing i wasnt one of those fans, i love autoclub and it was the last intermediate standing with an old surface they could run all over, its sad whats happening to all the good tracks like autoclub atlanta and texas

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Rainbow Warrior February 24, 2023 at 6:46 pm

I live 80 minutes away from Auto Club and turning it into a short track is a stupid idea

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NeverwascooL February 25, 2023 at 2:00 am

I think they want short tracks outside of the area they are at currently. They are all located pretty close together and with money being short for the average person those 6 races are starting to suffer in attendance. I’d love to see short tracks in other locations

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Namlat February 25, 2023 at 6:45 am

May i ask something? only one thing has been consistent over the last 20 years and thats fans wanting more short tracks… why do yall think this is stupid? Because a decent track is being converted to one? im excited for the new layout looks interesting if it comes to fruition. Yall also hate Bristol Dirt randomly?… maybe a top 10 race this past year? yall confuse me.

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Existing in a space February 25, 2023 at 11:42 am

​@NamlatWell some of us hated bristol dirt from the start, I am one of them.

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shayne jenkins February 25, 2023 at 5:35 pm

Its time for a short track to be in the west. Auto club hasn’t had good racing in years. Its just a cookie cutter

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Race Grubb February 25, 2023 at 10:16 pm

Lol yeah 3 years ago, if it hasn’t happened by now it won’t, I bet this track will be gone completely

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Isaac “CHAOStain” February 24, 2023 at 6:47 pm

This is an outside the box theory for replacing Auto Club in 2024: what if the cup series went to Portland? They got a footing with Xfinity with a large turnout. If Xfinity can get a big turnout, surely the cup series can do the same if not more.

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Gamer's Holy Army February 24, 2023 at 8:45 pm

If they replace it with a road course I’d like Willow Springs more, especially since it’s closer to the LA area.

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Brandyn Henry February 28, 2023 at 3:09 am

They need to simplify the west end of Portland’s track for nascar(the east section is ideal though). Cars are way too bulky and cumbersome for 145° turns. There’s a reason Watkins Glen is the golden standard, everything is relatively fast and sweeping, and it’s ideal for glorified physical speed tanks to roar around

I do like the more road courses idea but they need to be more custom to nascar sensibilities not the ones they are going to. Portland was not built with nascar in mind whatsoever

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Eric Estepp February 24, 2023 at 7:01 pm

Do you think the Auto Club Short Track conversion will still happen?

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Austin Fletcher February 24, 2023 at 7:08 pm

Uhhhhh … somehow, uh. Don’t think so!!

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Champa Bay Beast February 24, 2023 at 7:17 pm

Really hope not. Bring those plans down to Texas Motor Speedway!

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Champa Bay Beast February 24, 2023 at 7:20 pm

The new investment wouldn’t be worth it for that extremely watered down sports market just like you pointed out. Plus, the racing is great!

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Patrick Shumar February 24, 2023 at 7:24 pm

I fear it goes the way of Ontario and Riverside

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AIWF Ringside Wrestling February 24, 2023 at 7:28 pm

No. I think Fontana is destined for the dumpster unfortunately. Thanks for the promo code for the magazine! Ordered mine today!

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Ross Crashtain February 24, 2023 at 7:07 pm

I get the feeling that this is going to be the last race at all and their going to sell/close completely

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Bobb Bobb February 25, 2023 at 1:43 am

Given the recent history of losing Riverside and Ontario to developers, you are probably right.

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Blake Harper February 26, 2023 at 11:48 pm

One could hope.

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I'm in your closet February 24, 2023 at 7:07 pm

I don’t want to think about Autoclub disappearing

At all

Autoclub speedway is my home track. I’m only 30 minutes away and I’ve been there a lot last year, hell, i got to race on it and it was so much fun. With what we saw last year, a short track does not seem like a good idea with this next gen, that made tracks like Autoclub thrive. I don’t mind trying to make it maybe like a 1 1/2 high speed track almost like Charlotte or Atlanta, but making it a short track feels like a suicide run

Also note: my hate towards real estate from wanting to destroy tracks for their land is now personal

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Patrick Kennedy February 24, 2023 at 11:32 pm

As slapshoes said: it’s a “booming real estate market”

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I'm in your closet February 24, 2023 at 11:40 pm

@Patrick Kennedy thats the unfortunate truth especially in Gayifornia

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Easy E Network February 26, 2023 at 5:51 pm

Well, tracks sort of can be a waste of good real estate too.

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Derek Brummett February 24, 2023 at 7:11 pm

As long time fans of Auto Club Speedway we are so disappointed in the possible change to yet another short track. There won’t be any big tracks like this ever built again and we can’t believe the shortsightedness of NASCAR to get rid of this one. Having experience in dealing with the State and local governments in the LA region, it is safe to say that Auto Club will never reopen. Remember, this is a State that will prohibit the sale of gas powered vehicles by 2030.

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Joshua Powers February 24, 2023 at 9:49 pm

Yea but you realize that doesn’t mean gas powered cars stop existing in 2031 right? They’re doing that because they understand most of those cars will be in use until 2050 at least.

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Blake Andrews February 25, 2023 at 3:19 am

not to mention if it will need to be repaved in a few years anyways, why don’t we at least wait until then to do this

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Brian Murray February 25, 2023 at 5:19 am

​@Blake Andrews the repave was needed last year… We’re at an ATL style crossroads with Auto Club right now. The track is coming apart.

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Momentum Racing February 24, 2023 at 7:12 pm

I never want Auto Club to be changed into a short track. I never wanted it to happen because Auto club was unique. It had bumps in the track on the backstretch, you could go 5, 6 wide, and it had great passing and a great multigrove race. And with last years race at an all time high with great racing, i was hoping the 2 mile would live another day. I’m still gonna push the new auto club short track to be pushed back to the 2 mile oval.

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joshawott331 February 24, 2023 at 7:40 pm

Unique as Michigan maybe

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Trackside Views February 24, 2023 at 7:55 pm

Well you’d have to wait 10 years for it to be decent again and any bumps would be paved out and smoothed over.

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Gamer's Holy Army February 24, 2023 at 8:44 pm

@Trackside Views More like 20 probably.

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Existing in a space February 25, 2023 at 11:39 am

Pretty sure they already sold the land

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Gamer's Holy Army February 25, 2023 at 12:47 pm

@Existing in a space Yeah, selling the land is pretty final

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Mr Bad Guy February 24, 2023 at 7:27 pm

I remember when Darlington was close to getting axed from the schedule, but a great finish saved it in 2003. Maybe the same could happen..?

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Cole Murray February 24, 2023 at 7:37 pm

We’ll find out this Sunday…

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Daniel Moorefield February 24, 2023 at 8:13 pm

History rhymes I hope.
Irony considering Darlington lost a date to here and Texas lost All Star Race to Wilkesboro.
History might rhyme.

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Rails and Racing February 24, 2023 at 8:21 pm

​@Daniel Moorefield I was just thinking the same thing. Darlington got its second date (400 miler) back. Wilksboro got its date back from Texas. Atlanta got its second date back. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Kentucky take Atlanta’s second date in 2011? We all know how Kentucky’s doing right now.

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Daniel Moorefield February 24, 2023 at 8:51 pm

@Rails and Racing

Yep.

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Bailey Canterbury February 24, 2023 at 9:31 pm

We need a great race and a 6-wide finish at end for the win

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David Cenci February 24, 2023 at 8:08 pm

As I have said other places..ironic that Auto Clubs final race, in it’s current configuration, will also be Harvick’s final race at his home track in his final season. Fitting.

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Patrick Kennedy February 24, 2023 at 8:09 pm

The question is what’s going to prevent the people who move into the real estate that will be built when they turn Auto Club into a short track to eventually want the short track gone

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Nick Smyth February 24, 2023 at 11:24 pm

That’s what happened at Pomona drag strip. They built homes across the street from the end of the track and now there’s a curfew for the races because people complained of noise coming from a track that stood 25 years before the homes were even built.

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Micheal Hock February 25, 2023 at 12:39 am

The building plan has industrial buildings going up not houses thankfully.

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shayne jenkins February 25, 2023 at 5:33 pm

Its already in an industrial area. No homes are goin in around it

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Easy E Network February 26, 2023 at 5:49 pm

@Micheal HockThat would be good. Think it should be turned into a tourist areas with casino and shopping center like they did with Kansas City.

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Dana Chappell February 24, 2023 at 8:43 pm

Auto Club might be the biggest “be careful what you wish for” scenario in NASCAR right now

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Gamer's Holy Army February 24, 2023 at 8:51 pm

Eh, as a viewer I’d rather have the chance to have something great than be guaranteed another twenty years of mediocre to bad 2 miler racing to maybe get another 2-3 years of actually good racing.

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JayDee February 24, 2023 at 10:42 pm

The Playoffs exist. Fans wanted to see wins matter more than consistency, and we got the terrible points system we have today.

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Daniel Moorefield February 25, 2023 at 10:12 pm

@JayDee

Not wrong even though I am insane I like the Win and Your In format.
Yeah I’m insane.

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Race Grubb February 25, 2023 at 10:13 pm

​@JayDee exactly and those same fans still complain

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Young Sinatra February 24, 2023 at 8:51 pm

Auto club has been my favourite track since I watched Kasey kahne win in the fall of 2006. Hopefully they just keep the track as is.

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E60 foamer February 24, 2023 at 9:28 pm

The short track config is definitely going to befall the same fate as literally every other short track that’s in a populated area.
People will build houses next to it then complain about the noise until the city shuts it down.

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Kyle Colletti February 25, 2023 at 4:30 am

There is too many pollutants in the ground around the speedway for that. That’s why they were able to acquire the land and build the track for cheap in the 90s

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Casey smith February 25, 2023 at 8:54 am

@Kyle Colletti Then whatever company will complain about this noise or the vibrations until the track is shut down.

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Easy E Network February 26, 2023 at 6:01 pm

@Kyle Collettiit is on the site of an old steel mill, right?

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Munchmah Quchi February 25, 2023 at 12:04 am

Irwindale would be a dream come true as a local track fan, that track is all my memories of races with my dad and where I met Joey Logano there and chase elliott. I’d love to see a test run of Irwindale for the 3 top series

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John Haas February 25, 2023 at 12:49 pm

The owners of that track sold it to developers

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rob baxter February 25, 2023 at 3:14 am

I gotta say, it hurts to hear this track is going and might not be replaced because of an hour long drive….I have a three hour drive just to get to my nearest short track (now that Western Speedway is gone) and a 4 hour ish flight to get to my nearest nascar track (vegas). I know it is what it is, and this is a me problem, just saying I’d kill to be able to drive an hour to see a local shirt track race, let alone a nascar race.

Keep up the great work

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qwirkynet February 25, 2023 at 3:21 am

While I will miss this track, it is very true it will suck once paved. I am all for more short tracks so ultimately in the long term I believe this will be great event on the calendar

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shayne jenkins February 25, 2023 at 5:40 pm

it wasn’t a dirt track to begin with.

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Dawg’s View February 25, 2023 at 3:39 am

Worked for SHR 7 years at Fontucky and lobbied NASCAR for the Seattle track back in the day. Fontucky has enough hotel rooms, it’s has an airport super close. Ultimately it’s close enough for NASCAR and team owners to enjoy LA after the race. I am all in for another short track and if they can get the new configuration write we might have ourselves a new favorite racetrack

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Jaron Welch February 25, 2023 at 10:56 pm

As a long time fan, I wish they would keep the old layout. Being a 2 mile oval makes the track unique in itself. I live in a big market( chicago) and Chicagoland is similar to fontana. A hour away from the big city, hasn’t always had the most entertaining races, but has had its good moments and good finishes. Auto club kinda put its foot in its mouth, a few years by saying they was going to convert the track. That was probably just a thought the owners could’ve kept to themselves until the actually had a game plan. Plus a few years ago was when alot of fans was complaining about they wanted more short tracks on the schedule.

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