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CUP: ISC Has No Plans To Change So. Cal. Track
Written by: Tom Jensen   
02/27/2008 - 01:54 PM
Harrisburg, N.C.
 
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars blur by at the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California in Fontana, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) ยป More Photos

A senior spokesman for track operator International Speedway Corp. said Wednesday that there are no plans to turn Auto Club Speedway into a restrictor-plate configuration or otherwise modify the layout of the 2.0-mile facility that hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually.

ISC owns the track and ultimately would be the entity approving and paying for any track changes. But none are forthcoming, an ISC official confirmed to SPEEDTV.com.

Track President Gillian Zucker told ESPN.com on Tuesday that Michael Waltrip suggested tearing up the track and converting it into a facility where cars would be forced to run horsepower-robbing restrictor plates at the track. “I love it,” Zucker told the website. “ … It could be a very dramatic thing for us.”



But Wes Harris, ISC’s senior director, corporate and investor communications, said Wednesday there are no plans for such an extreme and costly makeover. In fact, Harris said, it isn’t even in the discussion phase, nor is it likely to be.


“We have got some really sweet things and strong momentum out there in California with having our new race partner, Auto Club, as well as Pepsi taking a very substantial position in the fall race,” Harris said. “There are no plans to make any changes at this point. The racing was very good out there, the new car ran well.”

So, Harris said, don’t look for the track to be reconfigured soon. “We always want to look at ways to improve the fan experience, so we talk about a lot of different things, but I’m not aware of any discussions like that going on,” said Harris.

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDTV.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association.
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