For car racing buffs, the best place in the Los Angeles area to watch the sport is at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. This racetrack by the 605 and 10 freeways opened in 1999 as the Irwindale Speedway, but in 2008, Toyota purchased the rights and renamed it. For seven years straight, the main half-mile oval has been ground zero for the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, a two-night rivalry in late January. It has proudly been called "the Daytona 500 of short-track racing".
The speedway is also known as the "House of Drift", a nickname it earned after hosting a drifting event in 2003 to a sell-out crowd of 10,000. For the uninitiated, "drifting" is a driving technique that originated in Japan 15 or so years ago. In this motorsport, the driver intentionally oversteers, causing the car to slide sideways at high speed, and is judged on execution and style rather than being the first to finish. Formula Drift Pro Drift Championship has since become an annual contest here.
Separate competitions and split schedules divide the speedway and 1/8 mile drag strip; most are held on the former. Along with the well-known events, various family and school night specials grant children 12 and under free admission, and feature super trucks and a demolition derby to entertain these young fans. Even radio-controlled cars have raced at Toyota Speedway. The world record for speed was set in 2003, at 111 mph—fast even by full-size car standards. So for an engine-revving, tire-screeching, smoke-bellowing good time, make a day (or two) of it, and on most weekends, bring the kids at no extra cost.
Attraction Information
- Contact:
- Location: 500 Speedway Drive Irwindale, CA
- Phone: 626-358-1100
- Website: www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com
