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Track Timeline
Nov 1, 1993
Initial discussions in Detroit between Kaiser Ventures Inc., and Penske Speedways, Inc., Kaiser agrees to remediate proposed site in accordance with state environmental regulations.
Apr 20, 1994
Official announcement of Penske/Kaiser joint venture to construct a permanent superspeedway in Southern California.
Apr 21, 1994
CART announces multi-year sanction agreement for PPG CART World Series race events to be held at Auto Club Speedway.
Jul 18, 1994
NASCAR President William C. France announces unprecedented agreement to sanction Winston Cup Series events at Auto Club Speedway upon completion of the facility.
Jul 19, 1994
Les Richter, NASCAR's Senior Vice President of Operations, appointed as Executive Vice President of Auto Club Speedway.
Apr 26, 1995
San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors unanimously approves Auto Club Speedway project.
Sep 26, 1995
California EPA Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) issues Environmental Graduation Certificate to Kaiser Ventures for site environmental remediation.
Nov 22, 1995
Initiated construction of Auto Club Speedway.
Mar 5, 1996
Penske Motorsports, Inc., announces commencement offering of Common Stock.
Apr 1, 1996
Kaiser Steel Mill demolition completed.
May 30, 1996
ABC Sports and ESPN announce multiyear agreement to televise the California 500 race.
Oct 3, 1996
Auto Club Speedway Club Seats overlooking the start/finish line offered for sale.
Nov 1, 1996
Penske Motorsports, Inc., expands Auto Club Speedway from 475 acres to 529 acres with acquisition of Speedway Business Park prime frontage adjacent to existing property.
Jan 10, 1997
Marlboro Team Penske driver, Paul Tracy, becomes first driver to run on Auto Club Speedway's new 2-mile oval race track.
Jan 23, 1997
Gregory W. Penske named as President and CEO of Auto Club Speedway.
Mar 24, 1997
IROC cars, driven by Dave Marcis and Jay Sauter, test for the first time at Auto Club Speedway.
May 5-7, 1997
First NASCAR Winston Cup and Winston West Series Open Test Session at Auto Club Speedway.
Jun 20, 1997
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony commemorating official opening of Auto Club Speedway.
Jun 21, 1997
Inaugural Auto Club 200 NASCAR Winston West Series race event - Winner Ken Schrader.
Inaugural International Race of Champions (IROC) Series race event-Winner Mark Martin.
Jun 22, 1997
Inaugural California 500 Presented by NAPA NASCAR Winston Cup Series race event-Winner Jeff Gordon.
Sep 27, 1997
Inaugural PPG-Firestone Indy Lights Championship race event- Winner Clint Mears.
Mauricio Gugelmin set CART qualifying world record of 240.942 mph.
Sep 28, 1997
Inaugural Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota PPG CART World Series Finale race event - Winner Mark Blundell.
Oct 18, 1997
Inaugural The No Fear Challenge NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race event- Winner Mike Bliss.
Oct 19, 1997
Inaugural Kenwood Home and Car Audio 300 NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division race event- Winner Todd Bodine.
Dec 8, 1997
Expansion begins of reserved grandstand seating along front stretch. An additional 15,777 seats are added to bring the total to 86,439 reserved seats.
May 3, 1999
Construction on an additional 28 skyboxes begins the day after the California 500 presented by NAPA. The skyboxes are constructed on top of the main grandstand area and are connected to an original structure that housed Race Control and a Press Box.
July 1999
Auto Club Speedway becomes part of International Speedway Corporation when Penske Motorsports Inc. is merged with ISC.
Sept. 6, 2000
William Miller named third president of Auto Club Speedway.
Oct 28, 2000
Gil de Ferran sets closed course qualifying record with average lap of 241.428, topping Mauricio Gugelmin's mark set at Auto Club Speedway in 1997.
Nov 1, 2000
Expansion begins on an additional 5,875 grandstand seats located near turn four. An additional elevator tower is also constructed. Permanent seat capacity now stands at 92,000.
Feb 9, 2001
Proposal submitted to San Bernardino County seeking approval to build a quarter-mile Street Legal Drag Strip to be used by the NHRA's Street Legal Drag Racing Program.
Jun 19, 2001
Speedway President Bill Miller, along with NHRA Founder Wally Parks and NHRA President Tom Compton announce plans to construct a quarter-mile Street Legal Drag Strip in parking Lot 1 at the speedway to house the NHRA's Street Legal Racing Program. The strip is called California Dragway.
Speedway President Bill Miller unveils plans to construct a permanent road course at the speedway. The plans call for an auto competition course and a motorcycle competition course that will both utilize the speedway's existing oval. An interior test circuit will also be part of the construction.
Sep 8, 2001
The first weekend of the Street Legal Racing Program at California Dragway is held.
Oct 4, 2001
Auto Club Speedway and the Grand American Road Racing Association announce an event slated for March 22-24, on the speedway's new road course, featuring the Rolex Sports Car Series.
Auto Club Speedway and the Indy Racing League announce the addition of a 400-mile Indy Racing League event to the 2002 schedule slated for March 24, 2002.
Nov 4, 2001
The True Value IROC Series announces its return to Auto Club Speedway as part of the April 26-28, 2002, NASCAR Weekend. The IROC Series competed at Auto Club Speedway in 1997 and 1998.
Nov 21, 2001
Announcement of first-ever motorcycle event to be held at the speedway April 5-7, 2002. The event will feature the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship Rounds Two and Three.
Nov 27, 2001
Southern California Historic Sports Car Festival added to speedway's 2002 schedule of events. The event, scheduled for June 21-23, 2002, is sanctioned by Historic SportsCar Racing - West.
Feb 6, 2002
Indy Racing League conducts Test in the West at Auto Club Speedway.
Mar 23, 2002
Didier Theys and Fredy Leinhard Jr. team up to win the Inaugural Grand American Rolex California 400 sports car race.
Mar 24, 2002
Inaugural Indy Racing League Event - Winner Sam Hornish Jr. by 0.0281 seconds over Jaques Lazier.
Apr 6, 2002
Inaugural Yamaha Superbike Challenge AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship - Winner Anthony Gobert.
Apr 7, 2002
Round Three of AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship - Winner Nicky Hayden.
Apr 24, 2003
San Bernardino County Planning Commission approves change in speedway's conditional use permit allowing installation of lights. Timeline for construction of lights to be determined.
Jun 13, 2003
NASCAR President Mike Helton announces the sanctioning of two Winston Cup Series events at Auto Club Speedway for 2004, the May 2nd Auto Club 500 and the September 5th Pop Secret 500, which will be the first race at the speedway scheduled to finish "Under the Lights."
Jun 24, 2003
California Dragway receives a face lift when the quarter-mile
strip undergoes improvements, which included the lengthening of the concrete
launch pad from 100-ft. to 330-ft., resurfacing the racing portion of the strip
with new asphalt and the launch pad was "shot blasted" with concrete.
Sep 21, 2003
Sam Hornish Jr. leads the IRL IndyCar Series field to the
checkered flag on his way to winning the fastest closed course race ever,
setting the race record of an average speed of 207.151 mph.
Oct 13, 2003
Construction of the Musco Lighting System was initiated along
the exterior of the two-mile oval along the backstretch with the placement of
concrete foundations that will be bases of lighting structures.
Oct 19, 2003
The first professional competition took place at California
Dragway when NDRA (NOPI Drag Racing Association) held its season finale, the
Mopar NOPI L.A. Race Wars, at the quarter-mile strip.
Paul Efantis broke the NDRA BFGoodrich Street Tire class speed record by
running a 175.6 mph (8.32 sec.) down the strip.
March 13, 2004
First car hits 200 mph at California Dragway when name (speed)
took his car down the quarter mile strip during the NHRA Sport Compact season
opener.
June 18, 2004
Phil Stratford pilots his Tyrell Formula 1 around the Auto
Competition Course during the Southern California Historic Sports Car Festival
to set a course record. He sped
through the 2.88-mile 21-turn course with a lap speed of one minute 27.605
seconds (118.349mph).
September 5, 2004
Elliott Sadler leads the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series field to the
checkered flag to win the Inaugural “Finish Under the Lights” Labor Day race.
July 31, 2004
Auto Club Speedway's Automobile Club of Southern California
Jr. Dragster team wins overall championship at the Western Conference Finals in
their first season of competition.
In the individual’s category, AJ Fernandez took home top honors in 8-9 year olds
class.
October 31, 2004
During the Lexus Grand American Champions Weekend, Max Papis
and Scott Pruett led the Daytona Prototypes class to a pole position and race
win here, which culminated in their crowning as series champions in the
speedway’s Gatorade Victory Lane.
November 22, 2004
An exhibition “All-Star” race featuring Japanese Grand Touring
Championship drivers, and road racers from around the world took place on the
road course “Under the Lights.”
June 23, 2005
Gillian Zucker named fourth president of Auto Club Speedway.
September 4, 2005
Kyle Busch becomes the youngest NASCAR driver ever to win in
the top series when he claims the SONY HD 500.
He also set a NASCAR record for being the youngest to win the pole in the
top series, a feat he accomplished in the Auto Club 500.
January 14, 2005
Speedway President Gillian Zucker, NEXTEL Cup Series driver
Jeff Gordon and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck announce plans to nearly double the
Midway complete with shade features, new logo, symbolic of the So Cal culture is
also announced, as well as the naming of the Auto Club Dragway at California
Speedway and its move to the north end of the facility.
September 1, 2006
With the grand opening of the all new Opportunity, California
FanZone, race fans can really get a true essence of what makes
Southern California unique.
Opportunity, California FanZone is a multi-million dollar enhancement
including delicious food at Apex by California’s most famous chef, Wolfgang Puck the Speedway’s official retail
store called Impulse, sounds of live bands at the entertainment stage and double
the amount of shade and leisure areas.
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