racewriter's Blog

So now we switch gears and move from the historically filled track of the Daytona International Speedway (DIS) to the adolescent California Speedway…a young track, with nearly eleven years under its belt. In fact, the winner of the first NASCAR Cup (Winston) race held there on June 22, 1997 was none other than our very own Jeff Gordon.

Just one day before, the speedway held two races, the Auto Club 200 NASCAR Winston West Series race event, won by Ken Schrader, and the International Race of Champions (IROC) Series race event, won by Mark Martin. Sadly, the modern day woe of securing sponsorships has sucked the IROC series into the history books, perhaps forever. But that win will always be one that Martin and the California Speedway will share in their books of memories.

While some may think the history of DIS overshadows the newer tracks, they each have their own spot in the world of NASCAR. Having DIS practically in my backyard does tend to make me partial to the old gal.  With her stories and pictures and trophies galore, she willingly shares her memories with anyone that takes the time to prowl through and pause to soak them in. 

California Speedway, where our fellows will find themselves in just a few days, is a track that is full of recent accomplishments and horizons full of many more that will continue to shape the story of the track.  There is 300,000 tons of asphalt that year after year are storing the memories of who has ridden around on the two mile D-shaped oval.  Seventeen miles of fencing keep folks protected, keeps party crashers out, and reminds the rest of the world exactly where she has control.

There are 750 TV monitors scattered within her boundaries, and all will be fired up and spewing various bits of information out at the thousands that may be searching for answers. There are 28 sky boxes for the pampered and loved, and a little over 92,000 seats in the grandstands for the rest of us. 

And if by chance we’re all gathered at the start/finish line to celebrate the next win for the history books and a deluge comes our way, the line sits at 1121.27 ft above sea level, so we’ll be just fine.

I’d be willing to bet we’ll find clones of the bleach blond hair flipping “look at me” ladies that we just saw at DIS, as they seem to come with the territory.  We’ll see folks that say they’ve been to every NASCAR race that’s been held at the California Speedway as they make their own history for themselves.  And if we look carefully, we’ll see some of our very own men from the world of NASCAR pause and reminisce of the recent times they’ve had while they were there. 

On Thursday, our fellows will start to get their minds back in racing mode, they’ll get packed, check their schedules and head on out to tackle the track that sits in beautiful California.  The fans will scurry to get the best place at the fence or the best seat by pit road. The music will crank up and the beer will flow. And before you know it, we’ll be racing again. 

Meanwhile, DIS has gathered up her broken pieces, swept up her trash and settled into a short, almost eerie calm before the motorcycles grace her track next month.  When they arrive, she’ll greet them just as she did our NASCAR fans, with banners and music, good food and suds, photo opportunities and autograph sessions and all the stuff that goes with a great time at the track. 

The tracks that hold speed inside their oddly shaped tracks have become near and dear to the folks that love racing. While we can’t all be at every race, we sure can imagine what it’s like and let ourselves drift off to our imaginary grandstand seat as the green flag flies.  So I’ll meet you up top when we get to California, I’ll save you a seat and I’ll grab you a hot dog, and together, no matter where you really are, we’ll cheer on our favorite men as they prove once again that they are worth following anywhere.