California Speedway.

"California Speedway gets confirmed date for 1997-- The NASCAR Winston Cup Series will return to Southern California in June of 1997. Officials of the California Speedway announced the new, 2-mile superspeedway will host its first NASCAR Winston Cup Series race on June 22, 1997. "The outside barrier walls will go up next week," said Les Richter, executive vice president of Penske Motorsports. "That will be followed by the interior walls then we will prepare the grade for the banking. We should be paving the track by the last part of November or early December with the first tests around the first of the year." The track, which has been promised a NASCAR race since its inception, is scheduled to open with 69,000 spectator seats for the inaugural NASCAR Winston Cup Series race next June. For ticket information, call (517) 592-6666. This is the number for Michigan International Speedway and they are fielding all requests."

June 22 1997. Race Info:

Marketing Department The California Speedway 9300 Cherry Avenue Fontana, CA 92335 Phone: (909) 428-3929 FAX: (909) 428-3920

Penske Motorsports.

Update:

California Speedway races toward its day in the sun.

It seems only fitting that one of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series' newest destinations is a track in a place where a simple trip down Interstate 5 can turn into a superspeedway experience. The love affair between Southern Californians and the automobile is well documented. The image of a sleek car and an open road to the beach helped define the the West Coast lifestyle. The passion for hot cars and sunny days hasn't waned one bit, but it's about to take a different course. Once, all roads led to the surf and the sand. But now, there's a new direction: Victory Lane at the California Speedway. Modeled after the highly regarded Michigan International Speedway, the California Speedway features many of the same amenities: outstanding views of the entire track, high-banked turns, and a host of modern luxury features that today's racing fans have come to expect. California Speedway will offer 71 corporate suites behind pit row, 46 corporate chalets behind the main grandstand, a variety of corporate tents and seating that will ultimately accommodate 118,000 fans inside the 2-mile oval. Penske Motorsports, Inc. and Kaiser Resources, Inc. broke ground on the speedway in December 1995. The site was once a 512-acre Kaiser Steel Mill, 40 miles east of L.A., tucked under the towering San Bernadino Mountains. Construction is proceeding at a feverish pace for the track's debut event. Currently, some grandstands are in place, and infield track structures are moving ahead as planned. The outer retaining wall for the track is complete, and the inner wall is expected to be finished shortly. And the grading for the track -- which will be 14 degrees in the turns, 11 degrees in the tri-oval eight degrees on the front straight and three degrees on the back straight -- awaits just a few more turns of dirt to be ready for paving. The track is also involved in some civic improvements to the surrounding neighborhood and roads that will further incorporate it into the local community with the goal of hosting many as six major events a year. The estimated economic impact to the region is $125 million annually. But it is not economic impact that drives NASCAR fans and drivers. It is the thrill of the fastest-growing sport in America, and the No. 1 form of motorsports in the world. And on June 22, it all comes to Southern California and the California Speedway.

California Speedway.

The grand opening of the California Speedway in 1997 will mark the long-awaited, thrilling return of professional oval-track Indy and stock car racing to Southern California. The California Speedway succeeds Riverside Raceway as Southern California’s most prestigious track. Motorsports, Inc. and Kaiser Resources, Inc. initiated construction of the California Speedway in December 1995 at the historic 512-acre Kaiser Steel Mill site, located just 40 mils east of Los Angeles near the base of the San Bernardino mountains. A concrete water tower - the lone remaining landmark from the old steel mill - rises a majestic 128 feet from the center of the infield as both a reminder of the site’s rich heritage and a harbinger of its towering future. California Speedway will initially accommodate 80,000 race fans, with an ultimate capacity of 118,000 - and not a bad seat in the house. Since the inception of the project, the local community has been an invaluable supporter of the California Speedway will have an economic impact that exceeds $125 million annually to the area. California Speedway plans to eventually host as many as six major events. which will be 14 degrees in the turns, 11 degrees in the tri-oval eight

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