Why hasn’t NASCAR started building new short track at Fontana despite $559 million land sale?
Senior NASCAR journalists have revealed the major reason behind the hesitance from the owners to build the new short track at Fontana.
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Auto Club Speedway at Fontana under reconstruction (Via IMAGO and X)
The 2023 Cup season marked the final race at the iconic Auto Club Speedway at Fontana. NASCAR closed the track and torned it down to the ground, with the plans of building a short track. Before that they also sold a significant chunk of land around the track’s campus for $559 million, with goals of using it build a new car.
But despite having the capital, they haven’t started building a new track and senior NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi has shared the reason why this is in the latest episode of his podcast. He pointed out that it is so expensive to build a new business at California and NASCAR can take too much fund from the $559 million, as they have other expenses to take care of.
I will say this, from the conversations I’ve had with people in the very high levels of NASCAR; they want to be in southern California, they want the Fontana project to happen. Like, they want that to come to fruition. But it is so expensive. Not only do you – normal operating costs to build a race track, it’s expensive, right? But in California alone, it’s more expensive.
Jordan Bianchi said via The Teardown podcast.
He pointed out that NASCAR has to overspend to build the new track and asserted that the future of racing at the track would all comes down to money. NASCAR wants the project to happen and has earmarked part of land to build the short track. That’s why they haven’t sold that part of land yet, but is concerned to start the project over the potential finical burden that will be on their shoulders.
So, you almost have to overspend to do what you want to do, and it comes down to money. It’s not a matter of desire or want-to or anything like that. They want that project to happen. There’s a reason why they still have that sliver of land there, earmarked, for a short track. There’s a reason why they haven’t sold it off yet. They want to do it, but it costs money.
Jordan Bianchi added.
Jeff Gluck feels building a short track is the easiest path
In the same podcast Bianchi’s co-host Jeff Gluck earlier shared his verdict on the future of the track at California, which is significant market for the sport. He pointed out that having a good enough facility there is good for the sport and the easiest thing to do for NASCAR. Gluck admitted to being surprised why NASCAR hasn’t yet made a final call on it.
Okay, maybe it’s not going to be the highest caliber or something, you know, with all the luxury suites and all the fanzine amenities, I don’t know. But can you get us a race track there so we can see some racing in southern California? It just seems like the most logical, easiest path. I mean, I say easiest, I know you’d have to build something. But, why not?
Jeff Gluck said.
The comments from The Athletic suggest that NASCAR has found themselves in a tough sport regarding the future of the sport at California over money. It is worth to take the financial risk to build a short track at the track and it would be interesting to see if NASCAR would ever consider doing it.
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Justin P Joy
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