Irwindale Event Center

Last updated
Irwindale Speedway & Event Center
“House of Drift”, “LA’s 1/2 Mile Super Speedway”
Irwindale Speedway by D Ramey Logan.jpg
Irwindale Speedway in 2016
Location Irwindale, California
Time zone UTC-08:00 (UTC-07:00 DST)
Coordinates 34°6′34″N117°59′17″W / 34.10944°N 117.98806°W / 34.10944; -117.98806
Capacity6,500 without portable seating
OwnerLindom Properties, Arcadia
OperatorTim Huddleston
OpenedMarch 27, 1999;25 years ago (1999-03-27)
ClosedDecember 21, 2024;4 days ago (2024-12-21)
Former namesIrwindale Event Center (2012–2017)
Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (2008–2011)
Irwindale Speedway (1999–2007, 2018–2024)
Major events SRL Southwest Tour
Toyota All-Star Showdown (2006–2010, 2020–2024)
ARCA Menards Series West
West Series races at Irwindale (1999–2011, 2014–2017, 2019–2024)
Global Rallycross (2013)
NASCAR Southwest Series (1999–2006)
ASA National Tour (2001–2002)
Website http://www.irwindalespeedway.com
Oval (1999–2024)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.500 miles (0.804 km)
Turns4
Banking6°, 9°, 12° (progressive)

The Irwindale Speedway & Event Center (a.k.a. Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale Dragstrip, or "The House of Drift") was a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California, United States. It opened on March 27, 1999, under the official name Irwindale Speedway. Toyota purchased the naming rights to the facility in 2008, and from that time until 2011 it was also known as the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. [1]

Contents

The speedway featured banked, paved 1⁄2- and 1⁄3-mile oval tracks and a 1⁄8-mile drag strip. The property was primarily used for NASCAR races such as ARCA Menards Series West and Whelen All-American Series events. In late 2011, NASCAR announced it was dropping Toyota Speedway from its schedule. The company that managed the track, Irwindale Speedway LLC, filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on February 13, 2012. [2]

In January 2013, it was announced that the track would be re-opening as the Irwindale Event Center, and would operate as a Whelen All-American Series venue for the 2013 season. [3] For the past decade, the Formula D Championship Series had featured sold out events at the venue.

In 2015, plans were made to demolish Irwindale Speedway and build an outlet mall on the site of the track. On August 9, 2017, it was officially announced that Jim Cohan, CEO of Team 211 Entertainment, who operated the track under the name of Irwindale Event Center, would cease operation. [4] On December 29, 2017, it was announced that the track would not close in January 2018 as former Irwindale Late Model driver and track champion Tim Huddleston, along with K&N West team owner Bob Bruncatti, took over management of the speedway to have it remain open.

On October 29, 2024, it was announced that the speedway and the drag-strip would officially close on December 21, 2024. [5]

History

1999–2012

Construction began in March 1998 on Irwindale's 6,500-seat grandstand and 1⁄2- and 1⁄3-mile ovals. Irwindale Speedway hoped to fill the void left in the Los Angeles Basin left by the closures of the famed Riverside International Raceway, Ontario Motor Speedway and Saugus Speedway. The $7-million project was completed March 1999 and held its inaugural races on March 27, 1999. However, during the first practice session for a sprint car race, driver Casey Diemert died of head and neck injuries after hitting the wall and flipping his car from turn 3 to turn 4. [6]

Irwindale Speedway as it was prepared for the 2006 Toyota All-Star Showdown IrwindaleSpeedway.JPG
Irwindale Speedway as it was prepared for the 2006 Toyota All-Star Showdown

From 2003 to 2010, the main 1⁄2-mile oval hosted the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown. In this event, the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and the top 40 drivers in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series come from their respective regional tours to compete in a "best-of-the-best" race. The races were televised live on the Speed Channel. It was also the home of the Turkey Night Grand Prix race, a Thanksgiving midget car racing tradition in southern California since 1934, when the race debuted at Gilmore Stadium. Among the 2005 participants were Tony Stewart, Jason Leffler, and J. J. Yeley. It was also seen in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle , titled "Stock Car Races", also used in the opening scene of the pilot episode of Fastlane and in Episode 25 of Fear Factor Season 3.

In 2012, Irwindale Speedway LLC, the management group that ran the track, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on the same day track management canceled the 2012 racing season.

In the paperwork filed at the United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District, it shows that Irwindale Speedway LLC owed creditors $331,773.11. The largest amount is $150,000 owed on a personal-injury claim.

Irwindale Speedway LLC owed Nu-Way Industries Inc., the company that owns the property where the track and offices are built, $55,000 in rent.

Irwindale Speedway LLC has two more outstanding personal injury claims with unknown values. There is also a debt of $8,093.51 owed to the city of Irwindale Police Department, $16,379.58 owed to the Golden State Water Company and $1,437.50 owed to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for advertising.

2013–2017

In late 2012, Jim Cohan, who ran the LA Driving Experience at the track was able to secure funding to re-open the speedway under his management. In September 2013, the property housing the Irwindale Event Center was purchased by Irwindale Outlet Partners, LLC for $22 million. The lease for the Irwindale Event Center continued on a year-by-year basis. In March 2015, plans were made to demolish Irwindale Speedway and replace it with Irwindale Outlet Center, an outlet mall, but the closure has been delayed. The track is currently running the 2017 season. [7] On August 9, 2017, Cohan made an announcement in an e-mailed statement saying that the track was closing down officially in January 2018. [8]

2018–2024

Jake Drew's No. 6 Irwindale Speedway sponsored car. Jake Drew Roseville 2022.jpg
Jake Drew's No. 6 Irwindale Speedway sponsored car.

On December 29, 2017, it was announced that the track would not close in January 2018 as former Irwindale Late Model racer and track champion Tim Huddleston took over management of the speedway to have it remain open. [9] [10] In February 2020 Irwindale's famous All-Star Showdown returned to the track following a ten-year hiatus. The track remained open without spectators during the COVID-19 pandemic founding its own streaming service IrwindaleSpeedway.tv operated by Low Budget TV. In June 2021 fans returned to the track. At the 2024 West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame 150, a post-race incident happened when Sean Hingorani was caught on the hot mic swearing at owner Tim Huddleston. [11]

Closing

On October 29, 2024, Huddleston officially announced that the both speedway and the drag-strip track will permanently close on December 21, 2024. [12]

Drag strip

The 1/8-mile drag racing strip opened on September 29, 2001. In 2003, in cooperation with local law enforcement, Irwindale Speedway opened its own dragstrip and hosts legal drag races for street-legal cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The dragstrip is proud to extinguish the "nowhere else to go" excuse used by illegal street racers, and local police often hand out flyers to offenders for free entry into drag races at the dragstrip to promote safe racing and has re-opened. The drag strip closed on December 21, 2024. [12]

The House of Drift

The venue was also known for drifting events; when it hosted D1 Grand Prix's first overseas event in 2003, with a sell-out crowd attendance of 10,000, it had surpassed all other events Irwindale hosted in the past, the previous being 8,700. Since then, it had become the series regular opening round in February and a non championship event in December and has also hosted a round of the domestic series, Formula D. The venue had been expanded to accommodate 15,000 spectators. The circuit was regarded as one of the most popular courses for crowds and drivers despite the unforgiving concrete wall which drivers usually brush through with their rear bumpers. Because of its popularity, the circuit was nicknamed the House of Drift.

Record

The 2003 Guinness Book of World Records lists the fastest-ever top speed of a radio-controlled car as 111 mph (178.63 km/h) set by Cliff Lett of Associated Electrics. Lett, a Team Associated professional driver and one of the designers and developers of the aforementioned RC10, set the record with a heavily modified Associated RC10L3 touring car at Irwindale Speedway on January 13, 2001.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway</span> Racetrack

Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway is a 0.500 mi (0.805 km) oval speedway located on CA 43 just off Interstate 5 in Bakersfield, Kern County, California, United States. Opened in 2013, it was built as a replacement for Mesa Marin Raceway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I-70 Motorsports Park</span> Racetrack

I-70 Motorsports Park, also known as I-70 Speedway, is a multi-purpose motorsports facility near Interstate 70 east of Odessa, Missouri, USA. The track, first opened in 1969, and has since been completely rebuilt and renovated in 2021 under new ownership.

The SRL All-Star Showdown is a Super Late Model championship event at Irwindale Speedway, originally held from the 2006-2010 seasons as a non-championship NASCAR event for lower-level series, and since the 2020 motorsport season, revived by the circuit was a Super Late Model event for the SRL Southwest Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Joanides</span> American racing driver

Nicholas Joanides is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series West, driving the No. 71 Ford for Jan's Towing Racing. He has also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and the now-defunct AutoZone Elite Division Southwest & Midwest Series in the past.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASCAR Euro Series</span> European auto racing series

The NASCAR Euro Series is an official NASCAR stock-car racing series based in Europe. It is one of NASCAR's four international-sanctioned series, alongside the NASCAR Canada Series, the NASCAR Mexico Series and the NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, and is the only one based in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UNOH Battle at the Beach</span> NASCAR race

The University of Northwestern Ohio Battle at the Beach was a nonpoints, all-star race that brought together the top drivers in NASCAR's lower-level series and club racing. A successor to the Toyota All-Star Showdown, held from 2003 to 2011 at Irwindale Speedway in California, the inaugural event was held at a newly built short track that was located on the backstretch of Daytona International Speedway on February 18–19, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Huddleston (racing driver)</span> American racing driver

Trevor Huddleston is an American stock car racing driver who competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series West, driving the No. 50 Ford for his family-owned team High Point Racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West</span> NASCAR sanctioned auto racing series

The 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West was the sixty-sixth season of the K&N Pro Series West, a regional stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR. It began with the Star Nursery 100 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway dirt track on February 28, 2019, and concluded with the Arizona Lottery 100 at ISM Raceway on November 9, 2019. Derek Kraus was crowned the champion, ahead of Jagger Jones, Hailie Deegan, and Trevor Huddleston. Derek Thorn entered the season as the defending drivers' champion, but did not defend his championship, deciding instead to focus on super late model racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunrise Ford Racing</span> NASCAR team

Sunrise Ford Racing (SFR), sometimes referred to as Bob Bruncati Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that last competed full-time in the ARCA Menards Series West. It was a Sunrise Ford dealership network subsidiary based in North Hollywood and Fontana, California. The team last fielded the No. 6 Ford Fusion for Jake Drew and the No. 9 Ford for Tanner Reif in 2022.

Dylan Garner is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, driving the No. 50 Toyota Camry for Bill McAnally Racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 ARCA Menards Series West</span> 67th season of the ARCA Menards Series West

The 2020 ARCA Menards Series West was the sixty-seventh season of the ARCA Menards Series West, a regional stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR. It began on February 20 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring with the Star Nursery 150, and ended on November 6 at Phoenix Raceway with the Arizona Lottery 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaine Perkins</span> American racing driver (born 2000)

Blaine M. Perkins is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro for Jordan Anderson Racing. He has also previously competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gracie Trotter</span> American racing driver

Gracie Elizabeth Trotter is an American stock car racing driver. She last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the Nos. 15 and 25 Toyota Camrys for Venturini Motorsports. Trotter also competes for Rev Racing in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series as part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. She is best known for becoming the first female driver to win an ARCA-sanctioned race, doing so in the ARCA Menards Series West for Bill McAnally Racing in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 ARCA Menards Series West</span> 69th season of the ARCA Menards Series West

The 2022 ARCA Menards Series West was the 69th season of the ARCA Menards Series West, a regional stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. The season began on March 11 at Phoenix Raceway with the General Tire 150 and ended with the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100, also at Phoenix Raceway, on November 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 ARCA Menards Series West</span> 70th season of the ARCA Menards Series West

The 2023 ARCA Menards Series West was the 70th season of the ARCA Menards Series West, a regional stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. The season began on March 10 at Phoenix Raceway with the General Tire 150 and ended with the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100, also at Phoenix Raceway, on November 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amber Balcaen</span> Canadian racing driver

Amber Balcaen is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver. She competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 22 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports. She is most known for being the first Canadian woman to win in a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 ARCA Menards Series West</span> 71st season of the ARCA Menards Series West

The 2024 ARCA Menards Series West was the 71st season of the ARCA Menards Series West, a regional stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. The season began on March 8 at Phoenix Raceway with the General Tire 150 and ended with the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100, also at Phoenix Raceway, on November 8.

The 2024 West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame 150 was the 2nd stock car race of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series West season, and the 22nd running of the event. The race was held on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, California, a 0.50 mile (0.80 km) permanent asphalt oval shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 150 laps to complete. In an action-packed race, Sean Hingorani, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would hold off a challenging Landen Lewis throughout the entire race, and led the final 16 laps of the race to earn his first career ARCA Menards Series West win. Pole-sitter Trevor Huddleston dominated the early portions of the race, leading the first 72 laps, before falling back in the final stage and finishing 4th. Hingorani led 61 laps and had a hard-fought battle with Landen Lewis throughout the remainder of the event. To fill out the podium, Tyler Reif, driving for Lowden Jackson Motorsports, would finish in 3rd, respectively.

The 2024 NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame was the 5th stock car race of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series West season, and the 23rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, California, a 0.50 mile permanent asphalt oval shaped short track. The race contested the over 150 laps to complete. Sean Hingorani, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would dominate the race, leading all 150 laps. To fill out the podium, Isabella Robusto, driving for Venturini Motorsports, and Jake Finch, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, place respectively.

The 2024 West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame 150 presented by NAPA Auto Parts was the 6th stock car race of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series West season, and the 23rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 6, 2024, at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, California, a 0.50 mile (0.80 km) permanent asphalt oval shaped short track. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 150 laps, but was extended to 152 laps due to an overtime finish. In an action-packed race with post-race controversy, Sean Hingorani, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would take advantage of late teammate troubles from Isabella Robusto, and take the lead with 29 laps to go. After surviving numerous restarts, Hingorani held off Jack Wood in a one-lap shootout to earn his sixth career ARCA Menards Series West win, his second of the season, and his second consecutive win, sweeping both doubleheader races. Robusto and Trevor Huddleston were the most dominant drivers of the race, Robusto led 58 laps while Huddleston led a race-high 62 laps. After hitting the wall with 29 laps to go, Robusto lost the lead and retired from the race with a flat tire, credited with a 17th place finish. To fill out the podium, Tyler Reif, driving for Central Coast Racing, would finish in 3rd, respectively.

References

  1. ↑ Lair, Keith (March 17, 2008). "An optimistic outlook". San Gabrial Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  2. ↑ Haddock, Tim (February 14, 2012). "Irwindale group files for bankruptcy". ESPNLosAngeles.com. ESPN . Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  3. ↑ Peltz, Jim (January 4, 2012). "Irwindale Speedway to again host minor-league NASCAR racing". Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved 2013-01-05.
  4. ↑ "Irwindale Speedway Announces Final Date of Operation".
  5. ↑ "Farewell to Irwindale Speedway: The Final Chapter for SoCal's Racing Icon". Motociclismo. 2024-12-22. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  6. ↑ Garardot, Frank C. (April 3, 1999). "Auto Club closes probe into Irwindale Speedway death of sprint car driver". San Gabriel Valley Tribune . Retrieved October 31, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ October 26, 2016 Jim Cohan, CEO of the Irwindale Event Center has announced they will be scheduling events for the 2017 season.
  8. ↑ "Irwindale Speedway to close". 10 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "Irwindale Event Center not closing after all, will continue with new operators". 29 December 2017.
  10. ↑ "Irwindale Speedway avoids shutdown again, will have a 2018 season". 29 December 2017.
  11. ↑ Branscum, Benjamine (July 7, 2024). "'Hey, F*** You Buddy' Conflict And Confusion At Irwindale". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Irwindale Speedway to Close Following 2024 Season, Announces Farewell…". Racing America. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.