Toyota Speedway
Irwindale Speedway as it was prepared for the 2006 Toyota All-Star Showdown
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| Location | Irwindale, California |
|---|---|
| Time zone | GMT-8 |
| Capacity | 6,500 without portable seating |
| Opened | 1999 |
| Former names | Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (2008 - 2011), Irwindale Speedway (1999 - 2007, 2012 - 2013) |
| Major events |
NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown NASCAR Camping World West Series Whelen All-American Series |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | .5 mi (.804 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | 6°, 9°, 12° (progressive) |
| Website | www |
The Irwindale Event Center (a.k.a. Irwindale Speedway and Irwindale Dragstrip) is a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California, United States. It opened on March 27, 1999 under the official name Irwindale Speedway. Toyota purchased the naming rights to the facility in 2008, and from that time until 2011 it was also known as the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.
The speedway features banked, paved 1/2- and 1/3-mile oval tracks and a 1/8-mile drag strip. From its opening until 2011 it was primarily used for NASCAR races such as NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and Whelen All-American Series events. In late 2011, NASCAR announced it was dropping Toyota Speedway from its schedule. The company that manages the track, Irwindale Speedway LLC, filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on February 13, 2012.
In January 2013, it was announced that the track would be re-opening as the Irwindale Event Center, and would operate as a Whelen All-American Series venue for the 2013 season. For the past decade, the Formula D Championship Series has featured sold out events at the venue.
In 2015, plans were made to demolish Irwindale Speedway and build an outlet mall on the site of the track. As of 2016, the track is still open for business. On August 9, 2017 it was officially announced that as of January 31, 2018, Jim Cohan, CEO of Team 211 Entertainment, who operates the track under the name of Irwindale Event Center, would cease operation. The report however does not state what the future of the track is.
From 2003 to 2010, the main 1/2-mile oval hosted the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown. In this event, the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and the top 40 drivers in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series come from their respective regional tours to compete in a "best-of-the-best" race. The races were televised live on the Speed Channel. It was also the home of the Turkey Night Grand Prix race, a Thanksgiving midget car racing tradition in southern California since 1934, when the race debuted at Gilmore Stadium. Among the 2005 participants were Tony Stewart, Jason Leffler, and J. J. Yeley. It was also seen in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle, titled "Stock Car Races" and also used in the opening scene of the pilot episode of Fastlane.
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