FONTANA, Calif. – As confirmed by Sports Business Journal on Friday (Feb. 24), NASCAR has officially completed a sale for the majority of Auto Club Speedway’s land. 433 of the site’s 522 acres were sold for $544 million, which leaves NASCAR just 89 acres to construct a new short track.
With the last chapter of Auto Club’s two-mile configuration concluding on Sunday (Feb. 26), Michigan International Speedway will be the last remaining two-mile oval on the Cup Series schedule.
The news was a somber occasion for many drivers involved in the industry, as Auto Club had gradually developed into a driver and fan favorite for its worn-out pavement and multiple grooves.
With a mix of rain and snow slicking the pavement in Southern California on Saturday (Feb. 25), the traditional Cup Series media availability was replaced by Zoom calls with the top 10 in series points.
Of the numerous drivers asked about their favorite memories on the two-mile oval, Martin Truex Jr. gave the shortest and simplest answer.
“Winning here in 2018,” Truex said. “These are the ones you remember the most.”
Unlike Truex, Ross Chastain has yet to record a win at Auto Club in the Cup Series. But that didn’t stop him from enjoying the track and the racing it provided.
“It’s been just a fun place to race at from the first time I came here in the red No. 4 [JD Motorsports] car to all the way through all the different vehicles I’ve driven,” Chastain said. “It’s a humbling place for me, it’s not been kind to me, but I love it just from racing.”
Chris Buescher praised the worn-out pavement for the racing that it provided, and he also expressed motivation in winning the final race with the configuration that has been around for 26 years.
“This speedway has been one of my favorite large racetracks that we go to, and I’m definitely on the side of being very bummed that this surface is going away because I do enjoy it,” Buescher said. “I like the opportunities it gives us to move around. I like the character that it has.
“… It would be neat to say that you get the last [win] on this current configuration here.”
AJ Allmendinger, who will be running his first Cup race at Auto Club since 2018 this weekend, lauded the track for the great finishes that it provided through the years.
“I’ve always enjoyed it here the last few years that I ran Cup, really enjoyed this racetrack,” Allmendinger said….
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