One Of California's Best Speedways Is Closing

Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway will take control of the assets and events for 2025 and beyond, but it's unclear what that entails.

By: Anthony Alaniz

Oct 29, 2024 at 5:15pm ET

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Irwindale Speedway and Dragstrip will close at the end of the 2024 season.
Its final event is scheduled for December 21.
Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway will take control of the assets and events for 2025 and beyond.

The Irwindale Speedway and Dragstrip will close at the end of the 2024 season. On Tuesday, the Irwindale Speedway and Event Center announced the decision alongside plans for the track’s final event—a Farewell Extravaganza set for December 21.

The facility, located in Southern California, opened in 1999 and has faced possible closures in the past, including in late 2017 when the current management took over. It has hosted various automotive events and races over its 25-year history, including NASCAR, Formula Drift—giving the place the title "The House of Drift," demolition derbies, and drag racing.

Events will continue over the next few weeks, including Thursday Night Thunders, giving drivers their last run down the dragstrip on December 5. The Mooneyes Christmas Party is the strip’s final hurrah, set for December 7.

The speedway’s Farewell Extravaganza on December 21 will feature several events for the sendoff, like Figure-8 racing, drifting, and the ARCA Menard Series West. Irwindale will begin selling tickets for the final event on November 8.

Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway will take control of the assets and events for 2025 and beyond. Motor1 has contacted the raceway about its plans for the property, and we’ll update the story if we hear back. We hope it doesn't become one of the other countless abandoned tracks that litter the country.

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