Plans to transform the 2-mile asphalt oval observe right into a 1/2-mile brief observe have been first introduced within the fall of 2020 with a tentative completion date for spring 2022 however the begin of the work has been postponed a number of occasions.
In a media availability Saturday on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Dave Allen, the speedway’s president, confirmed this month’s NASCAR races on the observe could be the ultimate ones on the present configuration.
Allen, nonetheless, mentioned the timetable for completion of the renovation challenge was “nonetheless but to be decided” and there could be no NASCAR occasions held on the facility in 2024 and even perhaps 2025.
The redesigned Auto Membership Speedway
Allen mentioned the unique plans for the redesigned facility may additionally change.
“What you’ve seen are very rudimentary, baseline stuff and thru the method of what we have now to work via with (San Bernardino) County, typically that stuff comes out,” he mentioned.
“There are a whole lot of issues we’ve engaged on from a fan factor that we’re engaged on, like golf equipment, the fan interaction-type areas, garages, the observe itself, attempting to determine what makes probably the most sense the way in which we’re constructing the grandstands.
“There’s a whole lot of items that issue into the general expertise and truthfully getting enter from different folks and events. We’re not doing this in a vacuum. I’m positively not the skilled, the are different specialists within the room which have so much to say about it.
“I feel we simply need to make sure that we get it proper.”
Auto Membership Speedway, positioned in Fontana, Calif., and about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, has hosted NASCAR occasions because it opened in 1997 and has additionally hosted IndyCar Collection occasions on a number of events.
The unique renovation plans confirmed the 2-mile oval being changed by a Martinsville Speedway lookalike with lengthy straightaways and slender corners. Nevertheless, the corners have been to be banked much like Bristol Motor Speedway, which vary from 26 to 30 levels.
After not internet hosting races in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Auto Membership Speedway was the second cease on the 36-race NASCAR Cup Collection schedule final season and is once more this yr.
Corey LaJoie, Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro Normal Formulations/Mutoh
Picture by: Jasen Vinlove / NKP / Motorsport Images
The observe, beneath its present configuration, has hosted 32 Cup races, 32 Xfinity races and 13 Truck collection occasions.
There are presently 4 brief tracks on the Cup Collection schedule – Martinsville, Richmond, Bristol and North Wilkesboro (which can host the All-Star Race this yr).
“As we work via it this yr hopefully we’ll have a whole lot of cool bulletins and milestones,” Allen mentioned. “It’ll simply take a while right here to ensure we get it proper and construct the very best state-of-the-art brief observe that’s ever been constructed.”
