 TRACK SPECSLand Total Site 568 acres Speedway Interior 130.7 acres Landscaping 136 acres Track Information Track Size Two-mile D-shaped oval Track Width 75 feet wide with 15-foot apron Turns 1-2; 3-4 14-degree banking Front Stretch 11-degree banking; 3100 feet in length Back Straightaway 3-degree banking; 2500 feet in length Road Course (All three Road Courses are 45 feet wide) -Interior Test Circuit 13 turns, 1.45 miles -Auto Competition Course 21 turns, 2.8 miles -Motorcycle Competition Course 21 turns, 2.36 miles Garages 3 garages with 100 spaces Composition Asphalt track, pit lane and parking areas; concrete pit stalls Pit Road 2200 feet in length with 44 individual pit areas Structures Buildings 230,000 concrete blocks Fence 17 miles Concrete 51,000 cubic yards Steel and Rebar 370 tons Grandstand Foundations 1,600 ea. (enough concrete to cover 10 football TRACK TIMELINECourtesy of www.autoclubspeedway.comNov 1, 1993 Initial discussions in Detroit between Kaiser Ventures Inc., and Penske Speedways, Inc., Kaiser agrees to remediate proposed site in accordance with state environmental regulations. Apr 20, 1994 Official announcement of Penske/Kaiser joint venture to construct a permanent superspeedway in Southern California. Apr 21, 1994 CART announces multi-year sanction agreement for PPG CART World Series race events to be held at California Speedway. Jul 18, 1994 NASCAR President William C. France announces unprecedented agreement to sanction Winston Cup Series events at California Speedway upon completion of the facility. Jul 19, 1994 Les Richter, NASCAR's Senior Vice President of Operations, appointed as Executive Vice President of California Speedway. Apr 26, 1995 San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors unanimously approves California Speedway project. Sep 26, 1995 California EPA Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) issues Environmental Graduation Certificate to Kaiser Ventures for site environmental remediation. Nov 22, 1995 Initiated construction of California Speedway. Mar 5, 1996 Penske Motorsports, Inc., announces commencement offering of Common Stock. Apr 1, 1996 Kaiser Steel Mill demolition completed. May 30, 1996 ABC Sports and ESPN announce multiyear agreement to televise the California 500 race. Oct 3, 1996 California Speedway Club Seats overlooking the start/finish line offered for sale. Nov 1, 1996 Penske Motorsports, Inc., expands California Speedway from 475 acres to 529 acres with acquisition of Speedway Business Park prime frontage adjacent to existing property. Jan 10, 1997 Marlboro Team Penske driver, Paul Tracy, becomes first driver to run on California Speedway's new 2-mile oval race track. Jan 23, 1997 Gregory W. Penske named as President and CEO of California Speedway. Mar 24, 1997 IROC cars, driven by Dave Marcis and Jay Sauter, test for the first time at California Speedway. May 5-7, 1997 First NASCAR Winston Cup and Winston West Series Open Test Session at California Speedway. Jun 20, 1997 Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony commemorating official opening of California Speedway. Jun 21, 1997 Inaugural Auto Club 200 NASCAR Winston West Series race event - Winner Ken Schrader. Inaugural International Race of Champions (IROC) Series race event-Winner Mark Martin. Jun 22, 1997 Inaugural California 500 Presented by NAPA NASCAR Winston Cup Series race event-Winner Jeff Gordon. Sep 27, 1997 Inaugural PPG-Firestone Indy Lights Championship race event- Winner Clint Mears. Mauricio Gugelmin set CART qualifying world record of 240.942 mph. Sep 28, 1997 Inaugural Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota PPG CART World Series Finale race event - Winner Mark Blundell. Oct 18, 1997 Inaugural The No Fear Challenge NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race event- Winner Mike Bliss. Oct 19, 1997 Inaugural Kenwood Home and Car Audio 300 NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division race event- Winner Todd Bodine. Dec 8, 1997 Expansion begins of reserved grandstand seating along front stretch. An additional 15,777 seats are added to bring the total to 86,439 reserved seats. May 3, 1999 Construction on an additional 28 skyboxes begins the day after the California 500 presented by NAPA. The skyboxes are constructed on top of the main grandstand area and are connected to an original structure that housed Race Control and a Press Box. July 1999 California Speedway becomes part of International Speedway Corporation when Penske Motorsports Inc. is merged with ISC. Sept. 6, 2000 William Miller named third president of California Speedway. Oct 28, 2000 Gil de Ferran sets closed course qualifying record with average lap of 241.428, topping Mauricio Gugelmin's mark set at California Speedway in 1997. Nov 1, 2000 Expansion begins on an additional 5,875 grandstand seats located near turn four. An additional elevator tower is also constructed. Permanent seat capacity now stands at 92,000. Feb 9, 2001 Proposal submitted to San Bernardino County seeking approval to build a quarter-mile Street Legal Drag Strip to be used by the NHRA's Street Legal Drag Racing Program. Jun 19, 2001 Speedway President Bill Miller, along with NHRA Founder Wally Parks and NHRA President Tom Compton announce plans to construct a quarter-mile Street Legal Drag Strip in parking Lot 1 at the speedway to house the NHRA's Street Legal Racing Program. The strip is called California Dragway. Speedway President Bill Miller unveils plans to construct a permanent road course at the speedway. The plans call for an auto competition course and a motorcycle competition course that will both utilize the speedway's existing oval. An interior test circuit will also be part of the construction. Sep 8, 2001 The first weekend of the Street Legal Racing Program at California Dragway is held. Oct 4, 2001 California Speedway and the Grand American Road Racing Association announce an event slated for March 22-24, on the speedway's new road course, featuring the Rolex Sports Car Series. California Speedway and the Indy Racing League announce the addition of a 400-mile Indy Racing League event to the 2002 schedule slated for March 24, 2002. Nov 4, 2001 The True Value IROC Series announces its return to California Speedway as part of the April 26-28, 2002, NASCAR Weekend. The IROC Series competed at California Speedway in 1997 and 1998. Nov 21, 2001 Announcement of first-ever motorcycle event to be held at the speedway April 5-7, 2002. The event will feature the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship Rounds Two and Three. Nov 27, 2001 Southern California Historic Sports Car Festival added to speedway's 2002 schedule of events. The event, scheduled for June 21-23, 2002, is sanctioned by Historic SportsCar Racing - West. Feb 6, 2002 Indy Racing League conducts Test in the West at California Speedway. Mar 23, 2002 Didier Theys and Fredy Leinhard Jr. team up to win the Inaugural Grand American Rolex California 400 sports car race. Mar 24, 2002 Inaugural Indy Racing League Event - Winner Sam Hornish Jr. by 0.0281 seconds over Jaques Lazier. Apr 6, 2002 Inaugural Yamaha Superbike Challenge AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship - Winner Anthony Gobert. Apr 7, 2002 Round Three of AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship - Winner Nicky Hayden. Apr 24, 2003 San Bernardino County Planning Commission approves change in speedway's conditional use permit allowing installation of lights. Timeline for construction of lights to be determined. Jun 13, 2003 NASCAR President Mike Helton announces the sanctioning of two Winston Cup Series events at California Speedway for 2004, the May 2nd Auto Club 500 and the September 5th Pop Secret 500, which will be the first race at the speedway scheduled to finish "Under the Lights." Jun 24, 2003 California Dragway receives a face lift when the quarter-mile strip undergoes improvements, which included the lengthening of the concrete launch pad from 100-ft. to 330-ft., resurfacing the racing portion of the strip with new asphalt and the launch pad was "shot blasted" with concrete. Sep 21, 2003 Sam Hornish Jr. leads the IRL IndyCar Series field to the checkered flag on his way to winning the fastest closed course race ever, setting the race record of an average speed of 207.151 mph. Oct 13, 2003 Construction of the Musco Lighting System was initiated along the exterior of the two-mile oval along the backstretch with the placement of concrete foundations that will be bases of lighting structures. Oct 19, 2003 The first professional competition took place at California Dragway when NDRA (NOPI Drag Racing Association) held its season finale, the Mopar NOPI L.A. Race Wars, at the quarter-mile strip. Paul Efantis broke the NDRA BFGoodrich Street Tire class speed record by running a 175.6 mph (8.32 sec.) down the strip. March 13, 2004 First car hits 200 mph at California Dragway when name (speed) took his car down the quarter mile strip during the NHRA Sport Compact season opener. June 18, 2004 Phil Stratford pilots his Tyrell Formula 1 around the Auto Competition Course during the Southern California Historic Sports Car Festival to set a course record. He sped through the 2.88-mile 21-turn course with a lap speed of one minute 27.605 seconds (118.349mph). September 5, 2004 Elliott Sadler leads the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series field to the checkered flag to win the Inaugural “Finish Under the Lights” Labor Day race. July 31, 2004 Auto Club Speedway's Automobile Club of Southern California Jr. Dragster team wins overall championship at the Western Conference Finals in their first season of competition. In the individual’s category, AJ Fernandez took home top honors in 8-9 year olds class. October 31, 2004 During the Lexus Grand American Champions Weekend, Max Papis and Scott Pruett led the Daytona Prototypes class to a pole position and race win here, which culminated in their crowning as series champions in the speedway’s Gatorade Victory Lane. November 22, 2004 An exhibition “All-Star” race featuring Japanese Grand Touring Championship drivers, and road racers from around the world took place on the road course “Under the Lights.” June 23, 2005 Gillian Zucker named fourth president of Auto Club Speedway. September 4, 2005 Kyle Busch becomes the youngest NASCAR driver ever to win in the top series when he claims the SONY HD 500. He also set a NASCAR record for being the youngest to win the pole in the top series, a feat he accomplished in the Auto Club 500. January 14, 2005 Speedway President Gillian Zucker, NEXTEL Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck announce plans to nearly double the Midway complete with shade features, new logo, symbolic of the So Cal culture is also announced, as well as the naming of the Auto Club Dragway at California Speedway and its move to the north end of the facility. September 1, 2006 With the grand opening of the all new Opportunity, California FanZone, race fans can really get a true essence of what makes Southern California unique. Opportunity, California FanZone is a multi-million dollar enhancement including delicious food at Apex by California’s most famous chef, Wolfgang Puck the Speedway’s official retail store called Impulse, sounds of live bands at the entertainment stage and double the amount of shade and leisure areas. SPRINT CUP AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY WINNERS 1997-2010
TRACK RECORDSJeff Gordon 155.012 06|22|97 Busch Race Record Hank Parker, Jr 155.957 04|28|01 Truck Race Record Ted Musgrave 145.926 09|20|03 Nextel Cup Qualifying Record Kyle Busch 188.245 2005 Busch Qualifying Record Tony Stewart 185.941 2005 Truck Qualifying Record David Reutimann 178.980 2006
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