Irwindale Speedway and Events Center set for December 2024 Closure
Irwindale Speedway opened in March of 1999 and was immediately successful. With its 15,000-seat grandstand and state of the art lighting system (with Bose sound effects),Irwindale Speedway became the Home of Drift, where Formula Drift annually held its season finale, as it did just a few weeks ago. The half-mile oval track, and the third-mile oval inside of that have hosted any number of NASCAR, USAC and specialty events over the years, including the famous Turkey Night Midget Grand Prix, a USAC open-wheel staple.
An eighth-mile dragstrip abutting the parking lot has seen plenty of action, as well, and became the site of Steve Gibbs’ Nitro Revival, an event that will make its final return to Irwindale the second weekend of November this year. Street-legal drag racing have allowed local residents to test-and-tune their drag racing cars in anticipation of various events. This closure comes after a similar track at Auto Club Speedway closed, along with that circuit’s 2-mile oval, after its final, 2023 NASCAR event.
In addition to its regularly scheduled races, Irwindale Speedway has been the site of many movie shoots and is where many actors learned to wheel a race car prior to playing roles. There have been a multitude of driving schools that anticipate a graduate’s ability to race on the track once receiving their racing licenses.
Irwindale Speedway is actually the second track using the name. The first track, located nearby the area where the current circuit exists – next to the 605 Freeway and among quarries in the area southeast of Pasadena, had a single 1970 season before it closed. There was much cheering when the current track opened, taking over the short-track needs vacated by Ascot Raceway Park’s oval in Gardena when that track closed in 1990.
The current circuit was sold in 2022 and expected to close to make way for a variety of industrial uses. At the time, Tim Huddleston, track president, said that activities would be “normal for the foreseeable future.” That future is now and a final farewell is scheduled for December 21. “Irwindale has been more than just a track – it’s been a home and gathering for racing enthusiasts worldwide,” Huddleston noted. “We’re grateful for every moment and memory we’re shared as a community.”
Through the remainder of this calendar year, scheduled events will take place, including Thursday Night Thunders, a Night of Destruction on November 2nd, Nitro Revival 7 on November 8-9 and SevenStock 26, scheduled November 16th. The last month of events begins with a final opportunity to race down the dragstrip and, perhaps, challenge the water box on December 5th’s last Thursday Night Thunder, followed by the legendary Mooneyes Christmas Party December 7th, an event that features drag racing, a classic car show and live entertainment.
The track’s Farewell Extravaganza on December 21st will offer a full day of NASCAR short-track races, wild Night of Destruction events – Figure-8s and Trailer Races – a high-octane Drift Invitational, and the prestigious ARCA Menards Series West race. This full day of events will be a fitting tribute to the legacy of a track that has defined racing in Southern California for the past 25 seasons.
All assets and regular events will transition to former NASCAR star Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway near Bakersfield for 2025. That track is near the confluence of two major roadways: I-5 and CA Route 99. This transition ensures continuation of the area’s racing spirit, the track declared.
Tickets for Irwindale Speedway & Events Center Farewell Extravaganza will be available for purchase starting Friday, November 8, 2024.