The Irwindle Speedway & Event Center, which has been the home to NASCAR races, demolition derbies, festivals, and is the go-to place for Southern California’s street-legal racing scene, will close before the end of the year.
“Irwindale has been more than just a track — it’s been a home and gathering place for racing enthusiasts worldwide,” Tim Huddleston, president of the Irwindale Speedway & Event Center, or ISEC, said in a statement. “We’re grateful for every moment and memory we’ve shared as a community.”
For 25 years, the speedway has been a gathering spot for car enthusiasts. And when illegal car events, like street takeovers and street races have been a concern, city and police officials have encouraged car enthusiasts to visit the ISEC to legally get their fix for speed.
Six-month-old Ralph Jr., in the arms of dad Ralph Macias, wears ear protection during a race at Irwindale Speedway.
(Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)
On Tuesday, Huddleston announced that Irwindale Speedway & Dragstrip would hold its last event Dec. 21.
Huddleston did not specify in the announcement why the speedway was set to close after a quarter of a century of racing. Officials at the ISEC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The Irwindale Speedway has been more than just a racetrack; it has been a part of our community’s identity,” said Irwindale Mayor Albert F. Ambriz in a statement. “We are grateful for the memories created here and the passion the fans and racers have shown over the years.”
The center has for years faced the threat of being shut down.
In 2017, the Irwindale City Council approved plans to demolish the racetrack. A 700,000-square-foot outlet mall was set to take its place.
That plan was put on hold without public notice, and the races continued.
Then, in 2022, the city again proposed demolishing the racetrack and building industrial and commercial facilities on the land, a proposal meant to boost employment in the city.
In September of that year, after the industrial complex proposal was approved by the city, the racetrack was bought by IDS Real Estate Group, a commercial real estate firm with offices in California and Washington. City officials said IDS Real Estate Group planned to move forward with demolishing the racetrack and building the industrial area, but Huddleston had said there was “no imminent threat” to the racetrack.
A spokesperson for the city of Irwindale did not immediately respond to inquiries about the industrial complex proposal, or if the city was reviewing plans for the racetrack land.
“The city remains committed to ensuring future uses of the land are community-oriented projects that benefit the residents of Irwindale,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
According to the city’s website, the city still has an active project to turn the racetrack area into an industrial and commercial park.
For now, the Irwindale Speedway & Dragstrip still has a roster of activities and events scheduled before it closes, including events such as Thursday Night Thunders, Night of Destruction on Nov. 2, and Nitro Revival on Nov. 8 and 9.
Audience members watch on during car racing at Irwindale Speedway.
(Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times)
The racetrack’s last Thursday Night Thunder — where enthusiasts can bring their own cars to race on the drag strip or burn rubber in the burnout box — is set for Dec. 5.
The last event will be the Irwindale Speedway’s Farewell Extravaganza on Dec. 21, with NASCAR short-track races, the Drift Invitational, and the ARCA Menards Series West race.
Tickets for the Farewell Extravaganza are expected to go on sale Nov. 8.
