The Auto Club Speedway has been part of the Nascar tour since its inception in 1997, and although it doesn’t, yet, have the hallowed history of Charlotte or Daytona is has held over 30 NASCAR cup series races in its relatively short existence.
It is rumored to soon be reconfigured to a short track oval with elements of Martinsville and Bristol ( see below) but this won’t happen till after the Wise Power 400 in 2022. So read on to find out about this potentially changing early season track! We will update it once the reconstruction is complete.
We will be working through the tracks this season to give you all new and little known information about them. We will update the table on each page.
Where is the Auto Club Speedway?
The track is located in Fontana, California on 9300 Cherry Avenue. It is about 50 kilometers East of Los Angeles.
When was the Auto Club Speedway Built?
The Auto Club Speedway is one of the newer NASCAR speedways in the USA. It started being constructed in 1995 and was completed over a year later in 1996. It has run NASCAR races since its opening, however since 2011 this has dropped to one a year from two.
What type of track is the Auto Club Speedway?
The track is not only a Nascar venue but was also designed to be an all-around motorsports mecca for several forms of racing. It has four configurations (details in the table below) these are Speedway oval, Sports car, Motorcycle course and a interior test circuit.
However there are plans to reconstruct the speedway into a short track somewhere in-between Martinsville and Bristol with the banks of bristol and the straights of Martinsville.
Currently the pit road is 2200 ft long and can hold 44 cars.
Table 1. Auto Club Speedway courses and configurations.
| Track and Features | Speedway D Shaped Oval | Sports car Course | Motorcycle course | Interior Test Cuicuit | Proposed changes |
| Length | 2 miles (3.22km) | 2.8 miles (4.5km) | 2.36 miles (3.79km) | 1.45 miles (2.3km) | |
| Track Surface | Asphalt | Asphalt | Asphalt | Asphalt | |
| Configuration | 14 degree banking in corners, 11-3 degrees in straightaways | 21 turns | 21 Turns | 13 | |
| Lap record | 395 kph in CART – 30.255 seconds | unknown | unknown | 0.47 second lap in F2 |
What Events are held at Auto Club Speedway?
NASCAR holds its events at this 2 miles D shaped oval track, and each year both the Infinity and Cup series pay a visit in February. (usually)
- The Wise Power 400 Cup series race is the highlight of the year, held usually towards the beginning of the season.
- Xfinity Series also comes to town in the same weekend for the Production Alliance 300 race.
- You can also take part in the driving experiences that are held here throughout the year including, Motorcycles, NASCAR, open wheel and Karting.
What are the NASCAR Records At the Auto Club Speedway?
Track records (Nascar Cup Series)
| Qualifying | Kevin Harvick | 38.147 – (188.7 miles an hour) | March 16, 2018 |
| Race 500 miles | Jeff Gordon | 3.13.32 | June 27, 1997 |
| Race 400 Miles | Alex Bowman | 2.37.07 | March 1, 2020 |
| Wins | Jimmie Johnson | 6 | 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016 |
| Highest Average Speed | Tony Stewart | 160.166 Miles an hour | March 25, 2012 |
Who has Won in the Cup Series at Auto Club Speedway
Since the Cup Series began running at the speedway, 28 races have been held at Auto Club Speedway Race at the time of this writing (in 2011 the race number was dropped from 2 a year to one).
Winners at the Auto Club Speedway include Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, Rusty Wallace, Martin Truex Jr, Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler, Jeremy Mayfield and Mark Martin
Kyle Busch has 4 wins here, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth have 3, and Jimmie Johnson leads with 6.
Table 3. Auto Club Speedway Race Winners NASCAR Cup Series
| Year | Race | Driver | Make |
| 2022 | Wise Power 400 | ||
| 2020* | Auto Club 400 | Alex Bowman | Chevrolet |
| 2019 | Auto Club 400 | Kyle Busch | Toyota |
| 2018 | Auto Club 400 | Martin Truex Jr | Toyota |
| 2017 | Auto Club 400 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet |
| 2016 | Auto Club 400 | jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet |
| 2015 | Auto Club 400 | Brad Keselowski | Ford |
| 2014 | Auto Club 400 | Kyle Busch | Toyota |
| 2013 | Auto Club 400 | kyle Busch | Toyota |
| 2012 | Auto Club 400 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet |
| 2011* | Auto Club 400 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet |
| 2010 | Pepsi Max 400 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet |
| 2010 | Auto Club 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet |
| 2009 | Pepsi 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet |
| 2009 | Auto Club 500 | Matt Kenseth | Ford |
| 2008 | Pepsi 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet |
| 2008 | Auto Club 500 | Carl Edwards | Ford |
| 2007 | Sharp AQUOS 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet |
| 2007 | Auto Club 500 | Matt Kenseth | Ford |
| 2006 | Sony HD 500 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge |
| 2006 | Auto Club 500 | Matt Kenseth | Ford |
| 2005 | Sony HD 500 | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet |
| 2005 | Auto Club 500 | Greg Biffle | Ford |
| 2004 | Pop Secret 500 | Elliott Sadler | Ford |
| 2004 | Auto Club 500 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet |
| 2003 | Auto Club 500 | Kurt Busch | Ford |
| 2002 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet |
| 2001 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 | Rusty Wallace | Ford |
| 2000 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 | Jeremy Mayfield | Ford |
| 1999 | California 500 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet |
| 1998 | California 500 | Mark Martin | Ford |
| 1997 | California 500 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet |
- *after 2011 is moved to a single race a season
- ** 2021 race was cancelled because of the pandemic
Which Manufacturer Has the Most Wins at Auto Club Speedway?
- Chevrolet has seen the most success at the track by a significant margin, with 15 race victories.
- Ford has won at the track 11 times
- Toyota has 4 Auto Club Speedway wins
- Dodge scored 1 victory at the track before leaving the series at the end of the 2012 season.
Can you drive on the Auto Club Speedway?
There are a few options for driving on the Auto Club Speedway at their racing school. You can try your hand at NASCAR
, Open Wheel, Motorcycle, Karting and driving performance training.
Great as a gift fo that once in a lifetime driving experience.
Have there been any Fatalities at the Auto Club Speedway?
There have been six fatal incidents at the Auto Club Speedway track. None have involved NASCAR races.
- 1999 Greg Moore crashed into the retaining wall during a CART race.
- Ricky Lundgren Was killed qualifying for a motorcycle competition.
- John Barr died when he came of his motorbike an Open track event
- There were two fatalities during a Ferrari Club of America event
- A woman was killed while taking part in a driving school event at the track.
How Many Spectators can Auto Club Speedway Hold?
Currently, there are plans for a remodel of the speedway, the track can hold 122,000 fans and spectators when all the fan zones and grandstand capacities are included.
Who owns Auto Club Speedway?
NACAR it’s owns the Auto Club Speedway.
Can you take a Cooler into Auto Club Speedway.?
Soft Sided Coolers are allowed in the grandstands at Auto Club Speedway., however you can not bring your own alcohol.
The coolers must be 14x14x14 inches and food must be pre packed and sealed. Also no glass, weapons, selfie sticks are allowed to be brought inside.
They do have concessions at the Auto Club Speedway. so you can buy refreshments inside, including beer!
Full list of what is and isn’t allowed can be found here
Can you Camp and Do they have RV Parking at Auto Club Speedway
They have approximately 1800 reserved infield! parking spots for RVs at the speedway. Camping is also possible and they have washrooms and bathrooms to accommodate campers.
What is the NASCAR Experience at Auto Club Speedway?
There is the opportunity to drive a NASCAR Stock car by yourself around the track at Auto Club Speedway. You will even have a Spotter guiding you around the track. If you ever wanted to try to be a NASCAR driver this may be your chance!
When is the NASCAR Cup Series Race at the Auto Club Speedway?
In 2022 the NASCAR Wise Power 400 will be held at the Auto Club Speedway on Sunday February the 27th at 3.30pm ET.
Final Lap
Hopefully something you didn’t know there about the Auto Club Speedway, or at least a few links to help you find out what you needed to know. We have a series of these being written so feel free to check out the other NASCAR Track pages if you need more information .
Recent Posts
When you watch NASCAR on TV, it may look as though the whole thing just happens with ease, but what you don’t typically see is the huge logistical and mechanical operation that goes on behind the...
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com How many NASCAR fans can deny that at least once in their lives they have fantasized about becoming a professional race car driver? Whether it was NASCAR, IndyCar,...