(Photos by Cole Reynolds) Here’s our second round of photos from the NMCA West AutoX Series at Fontana’s Auto Club Speeway, aka California Speedway. This facility is HUGE and we’re spoiled to have it in our backyard. With Auto Club Dragway, the kart track, RC car racing facilities, multiple road course configurations, Exotic Car racing, and so much more, this place is a mecca for car people. And we were there racing cars all weekend and having a great time so we figured we would share photos with you!
CLICK HERE IF YOU MISSED OUR FIRST GALLERY
The NMCA West AutoX series, presented by the Racing Byrds, is an event we love attending. We only wish there were more of them each year, as the 4 weekends just don’t seem to be enough! Luckily each weekend is run as two events, so you get to do a reset, and run a different course, each day of the weekend. One of the coolest things about these tracks is the size. You have enough room to have some fun going fast, in fact some competitors cars require a shift into third gear on this particular course, and all the courses are laid out to mimic a famous road course. This weekend it was Laguna Seca, and if you squinted you could almost see it. With elevation changes and both low and high speed technical sections, this is an event you don’t want to miss. And everyone is welcome! Fast, slow, old, new, there are no restrictions as long as your car has the required street and safety gear and you have a helmet. Nothing fancy, just the normal stuff. You don’t need a roll cage, or roll bar, or harnesses.
In fact, we drove a stone stock 2018 Saleen S302 White Label, or Mustang for those of you who speak Ford, and didn’t do anything but throw our helmet on and go have some fun. There are ultra hard core racers on hand, rookies, and everyone in between, but the way the run groups work has you having too much fun to much care what anyone else does. You get at minimum of three sessions per day and the course is run one direction one day and the other the next. You can show up on Saturday morning and run both days, or just choose to run one. Whichever is best for you. And if you have a motorhome and want to come out with it you can park in the pits and stay overnight!
Big thanks to Jane Thurmond, in her bitchin Baer Brakes, Centerforce Clutches, Corvette for letting me wheel that thing for a few laps too. It hauls ass and is a riot to drive. I’ve never driven a C2 Corvette that is setup like Scarlet. Now I’m in trouble, cause that was fun!
What might be the best thing about the NMCA West AutoX is the awards and the fun. Every day is a new set of winners, and every day has special recognition awards being given out too! This weekend it was young people getting the recognition with my son Cole Reynolds, who shot all these photos by the way, getting recognized for his dedication each and every event. He runs his lowered, but otherwise stock, 2005 GMC Sierra pickup and has a good time learning how to drive on an autocross course. And that’s what it is all about. I can’t say enough about how well this event is run, how much fun it is, or what kind of value you are getting for a great weekend. Come on out and enjoy the September race at Fontana’s California Speedway and have some fun with us!
