Planning continues for new short track on current site as NASCAR prepares for one final celebration on the current racing configuration
FONTANA, Calif. (Sept. 14, 2022) – NASCAR and Auto Club Speedway announced today that the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series race on Feb. 26 will be the final race on Auto Club Speedway’s classic 2-mile oval. Planning continues for a new short track located on the current site, but details will be announced at a later date.
Concurrently, NASCAR and Auto Club Speedway are continuing to work with Hillwood Properties on redeveloping portions of Auto Club Speedway’s property. To accommodate this process, the Speedway has removed portions of the Turn 1 and Turn 4 grandstands in anticipation for the future short track development pending approval.
Yet the focus right now is racing on the 2-mile oval, and Auto Club Speedway is gearing up for an incredible grand finale on its current configuration. It’s a track that has produced exciting races won by legendary winners for more than a quarter century. And on Feb. 26, 2023, the best drivers in the world will vie for the bragging rights of winning the last race on this D-shaped oval located in the heart of the Inland Empire.
“This is going to be a can’t-miss event,” said Auto Club Speedway President Dave Allen. “This 2-mile oval has produced so many incredible memories during the past 25 years, and we know the final race on this surface will produce more memories that will last a lifetime.
“Moreover, the continued redevelopment of this property will inject more fuel into the local economy, and we’re excited what the future holds for our racetrack and the Inland Empire as a whole.”
Auto Club Speedway’s 2-mile oval opened as California Speedway in 1997. It quickly became the region’s premier motorsports destination featuring breathtaking NASCAR and IndyCar races. Some of racing’s greatest drivers have won races on the high-speed track, including NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon and reining NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who won the WISE Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 27.
The complete NASCAR Cup Series schedule was unveiled today, and it revealed that the final race on Auto Club Speedway’s 2-mile oval will hold a premium spot on the premier series’ schedule. Once again, it will be the much-anticipated follow-up to the DAYTONA 500 and set the tone for what promises to be a NASCAR Cup Series season to remember.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will also compete one final time on the 2-mile layout on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Tickets for the final NASCAR Cup Series weekend on Auto Club Speedway’s 2-mile oval are on sale now. Fans are encouraged to visit www.autoclubspeedway.com for the latest ticket information.
About Auto Club Speedway
Located 50 miles east of Los Angeles in Fontana, Auto Club Speedway is California’s premier motorsports facility, hosting over 320 days of track activity each year including a NASCAR Cup Series weekend. The two-mile D-shaped oval is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit. The Speedway is also home to numerous movie, television and commercial productions, photo shoots, new car testing, club racing and a variety of racing schools. For more information on events at Auto Club Speedway, call 1-800-944-RACE (7223), visit www.AutoClubSpeedway.com or download the new NASCAR Tracks App at www.autoclubspeedway.com/nascar-tracks-app/
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
