| Fontana | ||
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| Location | 9300 Cherry Avenue, Fontana, California 92335 | |
| Capacity | 91,200 (NASCAR) | |
| Owner | International Speedway Corporation | |
| Operator | International Speedway Corporation | |
| Broke ground | 1995 | |
| Opened | 1997 | |
| Construction Cost | $100 million USD | |
| Architect | Paxton Waters Architecture Penske Motorsports, Inc. |
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| Former Names | None | |
| Major events | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500, Sharp AQUOS 500 NASCAR Nationwide Series |
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| D-shaped oval | ||
| Surface | asphalt | |
| Circuit Length | 2 mi (3.23 km) | |
| Banking | Turns - 14 degrees Frontstretch - 11 degrees Backstretch - 3 degrees |
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| Lap Record | 241.426 miles per hour (Gil de Ferran, Penske Racing, October 28, 2000, CART) | |
| Infield Road Course | ||
| Surface | asphalt | |
| Drag strip 1/4 mile Surface3 = | ||
The California Speedway is a two-mile, low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California, similar to that of "sister track" Michigan International Speedway.
Contents |
History
The track is located on the site of the former Kaiser Steel mill. It is a relatively new race track, opening in early 1997, and has additional configurations and facilities to accommodate "road" races, motorcycle races, vehicle testing, and drag races (Auto Club Dragway). The racetrack is a stone's throw from the old Ontario Motor Speedway and the old Riverside International Raceway. After Riverside's closure in 1988, Southern California did not host a NASCAR race until California Speedway was opened. In addition to NASCAR, the raceway has also hosted open-wheel events from both CART and the Indy Racing League. Like many modern oval tracks, California Speedway also features an infield road-course, which has been used by the Grand American Road Racing Association (GARRA) and by the Japanese Grand Touring Car Championship, with the JGTC race being unique as a night race. The GARRA Rolex Sports Car Series no longer races at California Speedway. The NASCAR West Series held its first race on the infield course, won by Jason Bowles.
During the 1999 CART race, Canadian driver Greg Moore was killed in a crash along the backstretch of the track. It was determined that after sliding along the infield grass, Moore's car hit the edge of oncoming pavement, which caused the car to flip into a concrete retaining wall. This incident resulted in a major overhaul of the track, including the paving of the infield grass on the backstretch in time for the 2000 NASCAR event. On October 28, 2000 during CART qualifying, Gil de Ferran set the track record for fastest lap at 241.426 mph (388.537 km/h). On September 21, 2003 during an IRL race, Sam Hornish, Jr. set the track record for fastest average speed during a race at 207.151 mph (333.377 km/h). In 2005, 20 year old Kyle Busch earned his first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at California Speedway. He is to date the youngest driver to win a race in the Sprint Cup Series. The facility is often used for television shows and commercials, and for major films. In 2000, portions of Charlie's Angels were filmed at the speedway and in 2004, portions of Herbie: Fully Loaded were filmed there. See also: List of NASCAR race tracks
Track timeline
- November 1, 1993: Initial discussions among Penske Speedways Inc. and Kaiser Ventures Inc. begin about making a speedway in California. The California Speedway is approximately 45 miles (72 km) east of Los Angeles, CA.
- April 20, 1994: Official announcement is made to the public about making a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) NASCAR track in California.
- July 18, 1994: CART signs on to officially run races at California Speedway in a multi-year deal.
- April 26, 1995: San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approves for construction of the track.
- November 22, 1995: Initial construction for the 2.0-mile (3.2 km) speedway begins.
- May 30, 1996: NASCAR, ABC, and ESPN team up to sign a multi-year deal to televise the California race live.
- January 10, 1997: CART Team Penske driver Paul Tracy is the first person to drive on California Speedway.
- March 24, 1997: Jay Sauter and Dave Marcis are the first to drive stock cars on the pavement of California Speedway, testing for IROC.
- May 5, 1997: First Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) Test session for California Speedway.
- June 20, 1997: Official opening of California Speedway.
- June 21, 1997: The very first race at California Speedway, the Auto Club 200, a Winston West series race, is won by Ken Schrader. The first IROC race is also ran and won by Mark Martin.
- June 22, 1997: The first Winston Cup series race at California Speedway, the California 500, is won by Jeff Gordon.
- September 27, 1997: Mauricio Gugelmin sets CART world speed record at California, with a speed of 240.942 mph (387.759 km/h).
- September 28, 1997: Mark Blundell wins the first CART race at California Speedway.
- October 18, 1997: The first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at California Speedway is won by Mike Bliss.
- October 19, 1997: The first NASCAR Busch Series (now Nationwide Series) event at California is won by Todd Bodine.
- October 28, 2000: Gil de Ferran, during a closed track session, tops Mauricio Gugelmin's track record with a blazing 241.428 mph (388.541 km/h).
- February 9, 2001: A proposal is sent to San Bernardino County to build a quarter-mile drag strip at California Speedway for the NHRA to use.
- June 19, 2001: An official announcement is made that the California Dragway will be made, along with the plans of a road course integrated into the 2.0-mile (3.2 km) speedway.
- September 8, 2001: The first weekend for the street legal Friday night at California Dragway is run.
- October 4, 2001: An announcement with the Rolex Sports Car Series is made for a several year agreement to race at the new road course integrated into California Speedway.
- November 21, 2001: An announcement is made to let the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S Superbike Championship to run the road course at California Speedway for rounds 2 and 3.
- February 6, 2002: IRL runs a pre-season test session on the road course section of the track.
- March 23, 2002: Didier Theys and Fredy Leinhard Jr. win the first Rolex Sports Car Series event at California Speedway.
- March 24, 2002: Sam Hornish Jr. wins the first IRL race at California Speedway by 0.0281 seconds over Jaques Lazier.
- April 6, 2002: Anthony Gobert wins the first AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship at California Speedway.
- November 3, 2002: Last CART race at California Speedway is won by Jimmy Vasser.
- April 24, 2003: An announcement is made that lights will be installed in the raceway sometime during 2004.
- September 5, 2004: The first race under the lights is run at California Speedway, a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series (now Sprint Cup Series) race won by Elliott Sadler.
- October 16, 2005: Dario Franchitti wins last IRL race held at California Speedway.
Current races
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - Auto Club 500
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - Sharp AQUOS 500
- NASCAR Nationwide Series - Stater Bros. 300
- NASCAR Nationwide Series - Camping World 300
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - San Bernardino County 200
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Stats
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Records
As of 11/17/07
- Most Wins - (3) - Jeff Gordon
- Most Top 5's - (7) - Jeff Gordon
- Most Top 10's - (8) - Matt Kenseth
- Starts - (15) - 5 Drivers
- Poles - (3) - Kurt Busch
- Laps Led - (457) - Jeff Gordon
- Avg Start (Minimum 5 starts) - (7.1) - Kasey Kahne
- Avg Finish (Minimum 5 starts) - (6.8) - Jimmie Johnson
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Winners
- - Race extended due to Green-White-Checker Finish
| Season | Date | Winning Driver | Car # | Sponsor | Make | Distance | Avg Speed | Margin of Victory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | June 22 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | DuPont | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 500 mi | 155.012 mph (249.468 km/h) | 1.074 sec |
| 1998 | May 3 | Mark Martin | 6 | Valvoline | Ford Taurus | 500 mi | 140.22 mph (225.662 km/h) | 1.287 sec |
| 1999 | May 2 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | DuPont | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 500 mi | 150.276 mph (241.846 km/h) | 4.492 sec |
| 2000 | April 30 | Jeremy Mayfield | 12 | Mobil 1 | Ford Taurus | 500 mi | 149.378 mph (240.401 km/h) | 0.300 sec |
| 2001 | April 29 | Rusty Wallace | 2 | Miller Lite | Ford Taurus | 500 mi | 143.118 mph (230.326 km/h) | 0.27 sec |
| 2002 | April 28 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Lowes | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 500 mi | 150.088 mph (241.543 km/h) | 0.620 sec |
| 2003 | April 27 | Kurt Busch | 97 | Rubbermaid | Ford Taurus | 500 mi | 140.111 mph (225.487 km/h) | 2.294 sec |
| 2004 | May 2 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | DuPont | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 500 mi | 137.268 mph (220.911 km/h) | 12.871 sec |
| 2004 | September 5 | Elliott Sadler | 38 | M&Ms | Ford Taurus | 500 mi | 128.324 mph (206.517 km/h) | 0.263 sec |
| 2005 | February 27 | Greg Biffle | 16 | Post-It/National Guard | Ford Taurus | 500 mi | 139.697 mph (224.821 km/h) | 0.231 sec |
| 2005 | September 4 | Kyle Busch | 5 | Kelloggs | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 508 mi * | 136.356 mph (219.444 km/h) | 0.554 sec |
| 2006 | February 26 | Matt Kenseth | 17 | DeWalt | Ford Taurus | 502 mi * | 147.852 mph (237.945 km/h) | 0.338 sec |
| 2006 | September 3 | Kasey Kahne | 9 | Dodge Dealers/UAW | Dodge Charger | 500 mi | 144.462 mph (232.489 km/h) | 3.427 sec |
| 2007 | February 25 | Matt Kenseth | 17 | DeWalt/Carhartt | Ford Taurus | 500 mi | 138.451 mph (222.815 km/h) | 0.679 sec |
| 2007 | September 2 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Lowes | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS | 500 mi | 131.502 mph (211.632 km/h) | 1.868 sec |
Records
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying: Kyle Busch, 38.248 sec. (188.245 mph), 2005
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race (500 miles): Jeff Gordon, 3 hrs. 13 min. 32 sec. (155.012 mph), June 22, 1997
- Most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories: Jeff Gordon (3) and Matt Kenseth (2).
- NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying: Tony Stewart, 38.722 sec. (185.941 mph), 2005
- NASCAR Nationwide Series Race (300 miles): Hank Parker, Jr., 1 hr. 55 min. 25 sec. (155.957 mph), April 28, 2001
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying: David Reutimann, 40.228 sec. (178.980 mph), 2006
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race (200 miles): Ted Musgrave, 1 hr. 22 min. 14 sec. (145.926 mph), September 20, 2003
- CART Qualifying (one lap): Gil de Ferran, 241.426 mph (388.537 km/h), October 28, 2000.
- CART Race (500 miles): Jimmy Vasser, 197.995 mph (318.642 km/h), November 3, 2002.
- Indy Racing League Qualifying (one lap): Helio Castroneves, 226.757 mph (364.930 km/h), September 20, 2003.
- IRL Race (400 miles): Sam Hornish, Jr., 207.151 mph (333.377 km/h), September 21, 2003.
External links
- California Speedway Official Site
- California Speedway Page on NASCAR.com
- GNEXTINC.com: California Speedway Page - Local area information, track specs, mapping, news and more.
- Jayski's California Speedway Page - Current and Past California Speedway News
- Trackpedia guide to driving this track
- Caliifornia Speedway Page on Ballparks by Munsey & Suppes
- Super High Resolution image from Windows Live Local
- California Speedway is at coordinates Coordinates:
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ISC Tracks |
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| Atlanta, Bristol, Brooklyn, Michigan, Charlotte, Darlington, Daytona, Dover, Fontana, California, Fort Worth, Indianapolis (ORP), Joliet, Illinois, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Loudon, Madison, Illinois, Memphis, Mexico City, Miami, Milwaukee, Montreal, Nashville, Phoenix, Richmond, Sparta, Kentucky, Talladega, Watkins Glen |
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| Atlanta, Bristol, Brooklyn, Michigan, Charlotte, Daytona, Dover, Fontana, California, Fort Worth, Indianapolis (ORP), Kansas City, Las Vegas, Loudon, Madison, Illinois, Mansfield, Martinsville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Phoenix, Talladega, Sparta, Kentucky |
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Ovals Road Courses |
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Current Circuits (2007) |
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Current Tracks (2007) Former Tracks (Ovals) Former Tracks (Road Courses) Former Tracks (International) Future Tracks |
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| Ovals | Indianapolis Motor Speedway · Chicagoland · Homestead · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Milwaukee · Motegi · Nashville · Richmond · Texas |
| Road/Street Courses | Detroit · Mid-Ohio · Sonoma · St. Pete · Watkins Glen |
| Former Tracks | Atlanta · California · Charlotte · Dover · Gateway · Las Vegas · Loudon · Michigan · Nazareth · Phoenix · Pikes Peak · Walt Disney World |
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