2001 - California Speedway in Fontana (RXSQ)

California Speedway

Opened in 1997, California Speedway in Fontana transformed a portion of the former Kaiser Steel Mill into a world-class racing facility.

However, has the transformation spilled over into the neighboring areas, most of which are blighted industrial sites?

A recent article in the Seattle Times takes a look at the successful impact — or lack thereof — California Speedway has made on this portion of Southwestern San Bernardino County.

(2024 UPDATE: Fontana’s California/Auto Club Speedway held its last major race in February 2023 — at least in its original, 2-mile oval layout. Plans were announced — but have apparently stalled — in using a portion of the former track for a smaller, 1/2-mile, “bullring” style track. Demolition of the original track to make way for an industrial park began in November 2023. However, whether the smaller 1/2-mile track is still to be built as part of the redevelopment plan appears to be up in the air.)

Related

Sources: Seattle Times; NOTE: Published dates for some online versions of newspaper articles cited may not match their archival source date.

2024 PAGE UPDATE: Added 2024 update; removed outdated links to newspaper article.

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