Since winning the Daytona 500 five days ago, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has been going crazy.
He started with celebrations on the beach in Florida. Then, he traveled to NASCAR Cup Series events at Disney World and Chicago on Monday and Tuesday. The next day he checked in at work, JTG Daugherty Racing, in North Carolina. Next, he traveled to New York on Thursday and finally to California.
After the hectic week Stenhouse endured, Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway could prove to be a nice change of pace.
The upcoming Cup race at the two-mile track will be the last at the site. Gone will be the driver-favorite 1,600-foot back straightaway. Noted for the drivers’ ability to drive five-wide, the D-shaped oval reportedly will be replaced by a half-mile short track by 2025.
The Cup Series will stage its qualifying session Saturday at 2:50 p.m. ET and will be followed by the Xfinity Series’ Production Alliance Group 300.
Time to head to the West Coast. 😎 pic.twitter.com/3ZBgtalMLn
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 22, 2023
NASCAR Sells Land Around Auto Club Speedway
NASCAR officials have agreed to sell approximately 80 percent of the 522-acre track property in Fontana, California, according to the Sports Business Journal.
Financial figures were not disclosed, but SBJ reported the deal could reach the nine figures for the proposed 433 acres.
NASCAR previously released plans to construct a half-mile short track in the superspeedway’s sted. Those plans could now be questioned if the land deal becomes finalized.
NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell told the DOJ in February the circuit is evaluating the Southern California market after hitting a television ratings bonanza with the preseason Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles the past two seasons.
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