When Zucker left the speedway in late 2014 to take on the top business development role with the L.A. Clippers, Dave Allen was elevated to president of Auto Club Speedway and he has continued to focus on improving attendance and guest's experience.
This weekend, Allen and his able and hard-working team at Auto Club Speedway will celebrate an amazing 20-year run that saw some of greatest highs and lows in the history of our sport. From Jeff Gordon's home state win in the inaugural California 500 in June of 1997, to Greg Moore's tragic death during the CART Champ Car event on Halloween Day in 1999, to Gil de Ferran's still-unbeaten world closed course record lap in his Marlboro Team Penske Reynard-Honda of 241.428 mph set in October 2000, to Southern California native Jimmie Johnson's unrivaled tally of six NASCAR Cup victories at the track as he continues his relentless quest to become the greatest NASCAR racer in history.
Auto Club Speedway truly represents hallowed ground to race fans but after numerous attempts to make something other than a single NASCAR Cup race viable, Auto Club Speedway is now a massive stage with only a single major event each year. Yet I can't imagine that will be the case forever and thankfully, the track remains busy with rentals, club level events and a 1/4 mile drag strip, so the future still looks bright because those who own it and operate it have been able to continually adapt to changing times.
The world's fastest racetrack has a legacy that very few tracks can claim. It is one of the wonders of the racing world and it has greatness in its DNA that carries forward the brave spirit of the remarkable people who built it and preserved it for generations to come. I for one will never take it for granted. Auto Club Speedway is forever part of
RACER's story and will always be in my heart. All of us at
RACER look forward to its continued success and evolution for decades to come.
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1997 NASCAR California 500:
1997 CART Marlboro 500:
2000 Gil de Ferran world record qualifying run, CART Marlboro 500: