Irwindale Speedway, the home of drag and NASCAR races, is set to close

The Irwindle Speedway & Event Center, which has been the home to NASCAR races, demolition derbies, festivals, and is the go-to place for Southern California’s street-legal racing scene, will close before the end of the year.

“Irwindale has been more than just a track—it’s been a home and gathering place for racing enthusiasts worldwide,” Tim Huddleston, president of the Irwindale Speedway & Event Center, or ISEC, said in a statement. “We’re grateful for every moment and memory we’ve shared as a community.”

For 25 years the speedway has been a gathering spot for car enthusiasts. And when illegal car events, like street takeovers and street races have been a concern, city and police officials have encourage car enthusiasts to visit the ISEC to legally get their fix for speed.

Six-month-old Ralph Macias Jr. wears earmuffs while being held by his father, Ralph Macias Sr., during a race at Irwindale Speedway.

(Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times)

On Tuesday, Huddleston announced the Irwindale Speedway & Dragstrip will hold its last event Dec. 21.

Huddleston did not specify in the announcement why the speedway is set to close after a quarter-century of racing. Officials at the ISEC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The center has for years faced the threat of being shut down.

In 2017, the Irwindale City Council had approved plans to demolish the racetrack. A 700,000-square-foot outlet mall was set to take its place.

That plan was put on hold without public notice and the races continued.

Then in 2022 the city again proposed demolishing the racetrack and building industrial and commercial facilities on the land, a proposal meant to boost employment in the city.

In Sept. 2022, after the industrial complex proposal was approved by the city, the racetrack was bought by IDS Real Estate Group, a commercial real estate firm with offices in California and Washington. City officials said IDS Real Estate Group planned to move forward with demolishing the racetrack and building the industrial area, but Huddleston had said there was “no imminent threat” to the racetrack.

A spokesperson for the city of Irwindale did not immediately respond to inquiries about the industrial complex proposal, or if the city was reviewing plans for the racetrack land.

For now, the Irwindale Speedway & Drasgstrip still has a roster of activities and events scheduled before it closes, including events such as Thursday Night Thunders, Night of Destruction on Nov. 2, and Nitro Revival on Nov. 8 and 9.

Audience members watch on during car racing at Irwindale Speedway.

(Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times)

The racetrack’s last Thursday Night Thunder — where enthusiasts can bring their own cars to race on the drag strip or burn rubber in the burnout box — is set for Dec. 5.

The last event will be the Irwindale Speedway’s Farewell Extravaganza Dec. 21, with NASCAR short-track races, the Drift Invitational, and the ARCA Menards Series West race.

Tickets for the Farewell Extravaganza are expected to go on sale Nov. 8.