Insiders question whether NASCAR will build short track at Fontana

After the 2023 Cup Series weekend at Fontana, what was Auto Club Speedway began to be torn down to the ground. Plans for a short track were announced after the sale of land around the NASCAR property, but no construction on a new facility has begun.

So, what’s the deal? Southern California is a very important TV and sports market. Without a race in that area like Fontana, NASCAR is missing out on opportunities.

Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic went back and forth on The Teardown about the proposed short track. It comes down to one thing – money.

“My thing is, when you look at the southern California problem and the limited options they have. The simplest thing, they have a property that they can build a race track on,” Gluck said when asked by Bianchi about the project. “And they sold the rest of that property for $559 million? Right? I don’t know how much it costs to build whatever they wanted to build … Okay, a lot. And I’m sure they needed to use that $559 million for other things too, but I mean, can you not just give us something there?

“Okay, maybe it’s not going to be the highest caliber or something, you know, with all the luxury suites and all the fanzine amenities, I don’t know. But can you get us a race track there so we can see some racing in southern California? It just seems like the most logical, easiest path. I mean, I say easiest, I know you’d have to build something. But, why not? What am I missing here?”

Bianchi then chimed in with a bit of a reality check for his cohost.

“You’re missing the money factor,” Bianchi said frankly. “I will say this, from the conversations I’ve had with people in the very high levels of NASCAR; they want to be in southern California, they want the Fontana project to happen. Like, they want that to come to fruition. But it is so expensive. Not only do you – normal operating costs to build a race track, it’s expensive, right? But in California alone, it’s more expensive. The cost to do business out there is so high right now and many people will tell you this, in NASCAR and outside of NASCAR, unreasonably high. To such a degree that it handcuffs you.

“So, you almost have to overspend to do what you want to do, and it comes down to money. It’s not a matter of desire or want-to or anything like that. They want that project to happen. There’s a reason why they still have that sliver of land there, earmarked, for a short track. There’s a reason why they haven’t sold it off yet. They want to do it, but it costs money.”

NASCAR wants to build this Fontana short track. I’m sure it would be a very modern facility. That means a very expensive facility. But is the cost of business ever going to get better in California? Hard to tell.

I do sympathize with Gluck. It doesn’t feel like Fontana is as high on the priority list as it should be. If that changes remains to be seen.