Kern County Raceway Park
The Collins family joined the DeStefani family in planning the new replacement half-mile D-oval. The track, located at the crossroads of Interstate 5 and State Route 43 (Enos Lane) along the Kern River, broke ground in February 2007.
The track will feature considerable differences with the old track; one notable difference will be the track becoming a progressively banked track, similar to its neighbor in the south, Irwindale Speedway, with a progressive banking starting at 12 degrees on the bottom and rising to 14 degrees at the top, with an uphill climb to the backstretch, ten feet higher than the pit straight for spectator visibility. Turns three and four will also be banked 12–14 degrees, and feature a ten-foot descent. A 1/8-mile dragstrip and a 1/4-mile infield oval are slated.
The track is seeking a major sponsor for naming-rights to the facility that lies right next to the southbound lanes of Interstate-5 (Golden State Freeway) and Enos Lane, the major artery of transportation between San Francisco/northern California and Los Angeles/southern California. For now, the track is referred as Kern River Raceway.
During September 2007, the track announced rules for the 2008 season, the 30th season for the Collins family, and the first with the new track. The 29th October Classic was scheduled to return in 2008 with a $30,000 to win Late Model race with NASCAR Late Models, NASCAR Camping World Series West, and SRL Flashco Southwest Tour, and would have had coverage from HDNet (NASCAR Camping World Series West) and Versus (SRL Late Models). The Camping World Series West race would have ended the 2008 season for that tour at this track.
Currently, the track construction has been delayed due to financial difficulties as well as issues with obtaining permits. The original opening date scheduled for June 2008 has been delayed.
The track, to be completed in March 2013, will have its first NASCAR–sanctioned race on October 26, 2013, with the K&N Pro Series West.
Read more about this topic: Mesa Marin Raceway
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