Del Mar Fairgrounds
The Del Mar Fairgrounds is a 370-acre (1.5 km2) property that is the site of the annual San Diego County Fair (called the Del Mar Fair from 1984 to 2001). Its Del Mar racetrack was built by the Thoroughbred Club in 1937 by founding members Bing Crosby and Pat O'Brien with Paramount Studios as corporate sponsor.
The fairgrounds is owned by the State of California and is managed by 22nd District Agricultural Association, a state agency that hosts more than 300 annual events. Its staff organizes four major annual events, including the annual San Diego County Fair, and runs Surfside Race Place, the year-round satellite horse racing facility. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club leases the facilities for their live meets each year.
The Del Mar Fairgrounds and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club all share just one address for the entire complex 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar CA 92014.
The length of the race track is exactly one mile (1.64 km), and races are run counter-clockwise. A 100-mile AAA championship (Indianapolis-type car) race was held at Del Mar in November 1949, but the death of popular local driver Rex Mays in that event caused "big car" racing to disappear from Southern California circuits for another 18 years. (In addition, the horse racing community was deeply resentful of oil-dripping cars being run on the horse-oriented dirt racing surface.)
There was a temporary auto racing circuit held in its parking lot during the mid-1960s and between 1987 and 1992. The latter hosted an IMSA Camel GT race. Both circuits were 1.6-mile (2.6 km) long with layouts that were different from each other.
The Del Mar racetrack runs live racing July through early September and beginning 2014 a second live meet runs in November. The other months of the year the satellite wagering facility is operating.
Del Mar Arena is a 3,500-seat arena in the fairgrounds complex, used for sporting events, concerts and other special events. It was built in 1991. In 2009 it was remodeled and a roof was added.
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