(Words and Photos by Darr Hawthorne)
While we rode out to the northeastern corner of Fontana, California’s Auto Club Speedway, VP of Operations Ray Wilkings, talked about the construction going on at Auto Club Dragway and how the drag racing community responded to the forced closing a few years back, “Remember the old ‘60s song with the lyrics – you don’t know what you got till it’s gone? Well, that’s what we’ve been dealing with between daily phone calls and racers showing up at the front gate. The interest in our Dragway has been intense, since it closed.”
The dragstrip, that’s been the focus of a court battle over the past four years, sat dormant until conditions were met for limiting the sound levels emitted from the only weekly quarter mile track left in the Los Angeles metro area. A very few local residents and community groups wanted to close the Dragway down for good, but with the help and support of Thomas McKernan, Board Chairman of the Auto Club of Southern California, the strip will return to drag racing action in early 2014.
The Auto Club honcho told me at the Pomona World Finals that before the Auto Club got further involved in cutting a check for construction; he enlisted their vast legal department to review every aspect of the San Bernardino Superior Courts ruling, because he feels this track must reopen, without any surprises or legal issues.
The construction, already started by Rialto’s RC Construction Services is estimated at a mere $1.25 million. The company is building a sound attenuation wall 24-foot high that’s 1,800 feet long, ending past the 1,320-foot finish line. The wall is a big deal, as Wilkings said, “The steel I-beams are on railroad freight cars somewhere between Chicago and Fontana as we speak, but we won’t start drilling until everything is here and in-place for construction.”
To give you an idea of the magnitude of this project, large square panels have already been sawn into existing concrete – twenty feet apart, curving from the staging lanes around the tower heading toward the top end of the track.
Once the individual squares are lifted, the plan calls for MagCo Drilling (who also field ProMod race cars) to drill down into the former Kaiser Steel Plant property.
When dug, formed rebar is placed into the fresh hole; the tall I-beam is positioned in place and then covered with concrete slurry. They’ll repeat the action one-at-a-time, so possible winter rains won’t compromise strength or undermine the integrity of the wall.
If you’ve been in the Fontana area, windy afternoons can abruptly stop drag racing activity, but consideration of those inevitable gusty winds have been engineered into the sound attenuation wall. Once the parallel beams are in place, pre-fabricated concrete panels will be tilted into place all the way down the track between the railroad tracks and the Speedway property.
Ray Wilkings is optimistic about completing this huge project as quickly as possible, “If everything goes according to plan, we hope to hold a AAA-sponsored NHRA Street Legal event here before the end of February (2014). With the wall in place we’ll start racing with street machines, since we always need to be mindful of the sound.” Multiple sound engineering studies were part of the planning for this project, using the Strip at Las Vegas for gathering data during National and Divisional events. However Wilkings was quick to mention, “At this time, we won’t be running blown alcohol cars here, yet. If those cars do run here, we’ll need to work up to them, as part of and within our new sound policy.”
In addition to Auto Club’s generous participation in funding the construction, Wilkings also wanted racers and the public to know, “SEMA, Lucas Oil, K&N Filters and NHRA, under the leadership of track President Gillian Zucker have all been instrumental in getting this facility to re-open.” He’s hoping for better support from both racers and local spectators, even better than before, adding, “We have very few places left to drag race in Southern California and the void left by our temporary closing has helped many of us to appreciate what we have here in Fontana.”
Wilkings also said that he’s been interviewing new dragstrip track managers, but has nothing to report as of this week. Mark Dawson, the most recent Fontana track manager, is now the full-time manager at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield.
Ray Wilkings has a long history in motorsports, with his family having run the now closed Saugus Speedway and he was involved in track operations at Irwindale Speedway as well as a stint as General Manager of NHRA’s Atlanta Dragway.
Although there is no “official” schedule published for the dragstrip, as yet, the NMCA West has two dates on their 2014 Calendar for June 20 – 22 and October 24 – 26 at Auto Club Dragway.
With the changes coming, it is hoped that the track will be feature both NHRA Divisional and the return of JEGS Sports Nationals in addition to the Summit Drag Racing Series and Jr. Drag Racing league.
There is no provision for any permanent lighting to be included in this project and the grandstand at Pomona Raceway that’d been discussed as part of a move to Auto Club Dragway won’t happen anytime soon, moving it is just not in this budget. “The grandstand here holds about 2,500 and we’d like to fill it,” added Wilkings. “We’ve also just finished making a deal with the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School for thirteen dates on our dragstrip in 2014.”
Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, Auto Club Dragway is coming back. Whether the re-opening reduces local street racing or not, SoCal racers had better get their safety equipment re-certed and ready for the return of full quarter mile racing in SoCal.
I’m not sure I’d call Fontana a “Los Angeles Metro Area” but otherwise good news!
Thanks to Ray Wilkings for his forcefulness and fortitude. Well done, Ray. Well done.
Chad Ive been following the story for a while and never really looked at the area. Since I live in NJ the location was never something I thought of but since seeing the pics you posted I Google Mapped the area. To my surprise its truck yards and superfund sites surrounded by houses being foreclosed on (Zillow). They bitched about the noise yet have a major highways 10 & 15 going past their doors. California needs to legalize marijuana so these people mellow out and focus on the real issue they have with the area and not the drag racing noise. Just my thoughts.
Fontana Speedway is located in one of the noiseiest areas I’ve EVER been too….it’s also special to me as thats the first place I face to face met Chad and DF with the crusher Camaro. Can’t wait for my son to make passes there in the near future as well.
Great job to all those involved !!!!
They did a decibel sound test and the train yard there exceeded the sound “limits” substantially on a very regular basis.
Wow what a cool thing, bringing back this Drag Strip..
Couldn’t be happier..!
this is awesome,bringing it back to so.cal ! lot’s of good times & memories! my kids grew up racing jr’s there. i also won my 1st s/c race there! good for the local business around the area. now getting another car will be on my xmas wish list. 🙁
It’s about time a drag strip won in court. Too many drag strips and race tracks have been forced to close for good.
I don’t understand it. Folks but houses knowing the track or strip is there then complain about the noise. If they don’t like it they need to buy somewhere else.
The houses were there an easy 20 years before the track on this one. The track was build in the 90’s and the dragstrip wasn’t until 2000 or 2001.
Great news!!
Thanx!!
All I can Say is BITCHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like to say THANK YOU to EVERYONE who made this all happen It is great that we get this race track back . There is a lot of racing on the streets again after fontana closed up . I agree with the comment above , If you buy a home in the area of the race track you should know there will be a lot of action and a lot of things you are going to hear . LIONS was shut down for the same thing . It was built out there in nowhere land at the time and some dumie wanted to build homes around the track . People knew the track was there and still bought a home . If you don’t like the area GET OUT go somewhere fare away from the track . All the Big cars like TOP fuel and Funny car didn’t run after 10:00 pm anyway 95% of the time . We need a track with LIONS type of hours today to get all the racers back where they all belong ,ON THE TRACK . Wed . night geruge night racing for all the guys with street Chevy’s and fords that think they can whip a VW at half track. AND YET the little VW may beat their backside all the way down . I have been there and done that . Sat. night Bracket racing run what you brung . Sunday mornings back again at 7:00 am to do it all again . Do all the testing you want to go faster on Sat. and Sunday’s . This is how we built a fast VW was at LIONS and OCIR . I would also like to know if there are any JOB OPENINGS at the track . I would fit right in at this track .
Thank you again for EVERYONES HELP to get this track back . E Mail
[email protected]
Actually the Navy wanted Lions…Kept that a secret for years….
There is nothing but JUNK YARD after JUNK YARD in the area . There is what maybe 4 homes in the area ?Before you know it they will want the train tracks moved to another place . If it comes down to being able to have a NHRA meet there think how much money this will bring into the area and how much it could clean up the area on top of more nice Hotels and food places . If all the people around LA County Fairgrounds can do it why can’t Fontana do it All the business around the Fairgrounds love the MONEY it brings . SO get on the boat and Enjoy it .
Sounds like good news for all us racers! Been a long wait.
How about Bernie Longjohn formerly of LACR (and also Speedworld) for the new dragstrip manager!
Funny thing about that new wall…. I think the home owners will find out how much noise trains make.
That wall may bounce the track noise away but it will also reflect sound back on the other side.
Who cares? This is the process that the Courts dictated.
Sounds great, and plan to support it by racing, and attending!
Stan,
Let’s match race there.
TEXAS GOLD
Yes!
Glad to hear, we’ve been to them all! From big willy’s to Lions to old san Gabe, Thanks to Auto Club and thanks to Tom McKerman. for helping us all, for giving us a place to race! Mike Thermos @ Nitrous Supply
Fontanas closing forced L A County racers to drive 100’s of miles to/from Barona or Famoso. The drive was bad enough but the main problem, as I saw it, was the was the large number of X Fontana racers forced to go to those two facilities resulting in long, long waiting in the staging lanes. I mean like out of control long where I for one finally sold my race car out of frustration which I still would not be able to run at the new Fontana as it was Blown Acohol. However, my car was in the minority and I’m more than excited about the efforts being made for “Fontanas Rebirth”.. Thanx to all involved.
There is a God after all!!
The Re-Opening of Auto Club Dragway is the best news we have heard in a long time.
The Construction of this sound Wall should have been done along time ago.
Lets keep this awesome sport of Drag Racing alive & support our sponsers that helped out in the construction of this soundwall & the re opening of this awesome Track !
Thank you AAA , Sema , K&N Filters & the NHRA !!
I will be supporting all of these Top Organizations.
It’s cool that Fontana is coming back. My bet was that it would never happen. I thought is was dead forever, glad to say I was wrong.
Now let’s either fix Irwindale or get rid of it , that place is dangerous. If you want a fun low key place, try Willow Springs for 1000 ft. If you can make your car hook there your doin good. You get a lot of passes for cheap. I’ve had the most fun at Willow and don’t get me wrong I love Famoso. May the drag gods continue to be with us.
been racing at barona last 2 years. Great 1/8 mile track. Its well staffed. Looking forward to 1/4 mile .I like both tracks.