After twenty-five years, Irwindale Speedway & Occasion Middle will shut its doorways for good. A last occasion, known as the Farewell Extravaganza, will likely be held on 21 December.
Though in style, the monitor’s destiny had been murky since its earlier homeowners filed for chapter in 2012. It resumed operations a yr later earlier than rumours about demolition happened in 2015. One other possession change finally saved it open beneath the management of Irwindale monitor champion Tim Huddleston and NASCAR staff proprietor Bob Bruncati.
“Irwindale has been greater than only a monitor—it’s been a house and gathering place for racing fans worldwide,” mentioned Huddleston. “On behalf of my spouse Lisa and our companions Bob and Maureen Bruncati, we lengthen heartfelt due to our followers, racers, sponsors, and the Metropolis of Irwindale for his or her unwavering help over the previous 25 years. We’re grateful for each second and reminiscence we’ve shared as a group.”
Positioned in Irwindale, California, the monitor opened in 1999 as a half-mile oval with progressive banking within the turns. It additionally includes a third-mile oval inside and a drag strip.
From 2003 to 2010, the oval was used for NASCAR’s Toyota All-Star Showdown that introduced collectively the highest drivers from NASCAR’s regional divisions (at present the ARCA Menards Collection East and West and the NASCAR Advance Auto Elements Weekly Collection). Notable victors embody driver-turned-team proprietor David Gilliland, former ARCA title contender Michael Self, and two-time winner and eventual twice NASCAR Cup Collection champion Joey Logano.
The ARCA West Collection has run a factors race on the monitor since 1999 when it was Winston West; Sean Hingorani is the ultimate NASCAR/ARCA factors winner after sweeping the 2024 weekend in July. Factors-paying inventory automotive occasions have been additionally held for the now-defunct NASCAR Southwest Collection and the ASA Nationwide Tour.
The monitor can also be thought of one of many prime venues for drifting. D1 Grand Prix held its inaugural spherical exterior of Japan at Irwindale in 2003 in entrance of a sold-out crowd. A yr later, it was on Method DRIFT‘s inaugural schedule, the place it had remained since. Its recognition has earned it the moniker “The Home of Drift”.
Irwindale’s location close to Los Angeles has additionally made the premises a standard filming location for commercials and tv collection. The sitcom Malcolm within the Center used footage from the 1999 Winston West Collection race there for one in all its episodes. The Titan Video games, a short-lived sports activities competitors hosted by Dwayne Johnson, carried out its first season at Irwindale.
Its closure leaves the already struggling Southern California racing market in a extra precarious place. Auto Membership Speedway, the area’s main NASCAR hub, was closed and demolished in 2023 as a part of a reconfiguration venture to show it into a brief monitor, although progress has been sluggish. The contract to run the Busch Mild Conflict on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum additionally expired after 2024, shifting it to Bowman Grey Stadium for 2025. Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in Bakersfield will inherit most of Irwindale’s remaining belongings.
The drag strip’s last race will likely be on 5 December. The Farewell Extravaganza will embody figure-8 races, drifting, and an ARCA West exhibition race.
