NASCAR fans in Southern California have waited a long time for a new track. The old Auto Club Speedway is gone, replaced by warehouses and industrial parks. Steve O’Donnell, the head of NASCAR, said building a new short track on the remaining land “will be a real challenge,” according to Motorsport.com NASCAR Cup. He did not give a new date for when the project might start. The uncertainty leaves many wondering if a permanent home for racing will ever return to the area.
NASCAR sold 433 of the 522 acres after the final race in 2023. Kyle Busch won that last event on the two-mile surface. The remaining plot was supposed to hold a half-mile track. He told reporters at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday that the market is vital, but the construction is hard. “Yeah, I think we keep holding on to it because it’s an important market for us,” said O’Donnell, per Motorsport.com NASCAR Cup. He noted there are tons of fans in California who need a place to watch races.
Momentum Meets Reality
Television ratings dipped three percent this year, but the CEO says the sport has a new energy. He spoke about how the industry looks at itself. “I think as an industry, we do a pretty good job of being critical of ourselves, and that’s okay because we always want to get better,” O’Donnell said, according to Motorsport.com NASCAR Cup. He believes NASCAR has momentum that fans have not seen before. The return of Dodge and a new deal with the CW network show that brands still want to invest.
A Market Worth Fighting For
Los Angeles is a huge market for any sport. The league tried racing at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum for three years after the old track closed. That temporary solution is over. O’Donnell wants to make sure NASCAR stays in the region. He said the team has no update on the timeline but confirmed the project remains a focus. “It’s an important market. There’s a ton of NASCAR fans in California, and we’ve got to make sure we’ve got somewhere to race,” he stated.
The Chase for a Title
While the track debate continues, the season finale is set for Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kyle Larson needs a 28th-place finish to win his third title in the Cup Series. Justin Allgaier leads the O’Reilly Series by 22 points with five drivers still in the hunt. The sport has moved past the antitrust lawsuit that hung over last year. O’Donnell called the current state of the sport one where teams and drivers provide terrific competition. “NASCAR has encouraging momentum, but we have work to do,” he said, per Catchfence. The championship race on Sunday will be the final test of the year.
