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Few tracks in NASCAR history built a reputation quite like Auto Club Speedway. Worn-out asphalt, brutal tire wear, and unpredictable racing made it a fan favorite in its final years! Now, with Chicagoland Speedway returning to the schedule, NASCAR may be quietly chasing that same magic and hoping to recreate racing that turned Fontana into a late-era classic.
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Worn Chicagoland surface sparks Auto Club comparisons
NASCAR already has a lot to be happy about and maybe even nostalgic about with the resumption of on-track action at Chicagoland Speedway. During a Goodyear tire test, cars hit the surface for the first time since 2019, giving spectators a sneak peek at what to expect when racing formally resumes later in the year.
Speaking after the test, NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director Brad Moran revealed that the track’s condition might be its biggest asset. Significant tire wear could be from the surface’s age and wear from years without racing, which has become less common in the Next Gen era.
“We’re almost expecting like an Auto Club-type race on a worn-out surface,” Moran said. “And if we get anything close to that, Auto Club, towards its end, put out some great racing. So we really believe it could look similar to that.”
That comparison to Auto Club Speedway is big. NASCAR has been keen to emulate the Fontana oval’s steep tire fall-off, racing grooves, and thrilling late-race fights in recent years. The test itself also provided encouraging visuals. Despite concerns from fans after images of the facility circulated in 2025, Chicagoland appeared to be in better shape than expected.
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Although some antiquated signage from the Monster Energy era remains, the infield and surrounding areas have clearly improved. On track, both Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series cars shared the circuit, giving teams valuable data while also hinting at how the surface reacts to different machines. Now, we wait for the 4th of July to see how the surface behaves, and hopefully, it delivers the action it currently promises.
Auto Club’s uncertain future still lingers over NASCAR
While Chicagoland Speedway gears up for a return, the track it’s being compared to, Auto Club Speedway, remains stuck in a distinct reality.
Late last year, images shared by Ryan Vargas painted a stark picture of what Fontana had become. Crews stripped down the grandstands, garages left exposed, and the once-iconic infield looked abandoned under the California sun. It was a far cry from the high-speed, multi-groove battles that defined the track’s final years before its closure in 2023.
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The original plan had been ambitious! The original plan had been ambitious: transform the two-mile oval into a short track as part of NASCAR’s “Next Gen California” vision. Demolition began quickly, and for a while, it seemed like the project was on track. But by 2025, things had slowed drastically. NASCAR leadership, including Steve Phelps, confirmed it had put the rebuild on hold because of rising costs and shifting priorities. It had already sold a large part of the land for industrial development.
Still, the story didn’t end there. Those December images reignited hope among fans. The track’s footprint wasn’t entirely gone. In a sport that has recently revived venues like North Wilkesboro and Rockingham, many wondered if Fontana could eventually follow the same path.
For now, Auto Club Speedway remains in limbo. It’s part relic, part possibility. As NASCAR chases Fontana’s ghost at Chicagoland, the original track’s fate hangs in the balance—a reminder that recreating magic is far harder than letting it go.
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