Trióvalo Internacional de Cajititlán

Trióvalo Internacional de Cajititlán at a glance

Location

Cajititlán, Jalisco

Type

oval

Length

1.35 km (0.84 mi)

Turns

3

Banking

Relatively shallow banking through the tri-oval's three corners

Surface

asphalt (fully resurfaced circa 2016)

Opened

1986

Owner

revived and operated since 2016 by a group of local businessmen

Address

Balcones de la Calera, near Laguna de Cajititlán, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

Track map and layout

A compact tri-oval south of Guadalajara near the Laguna de Cajititlán, the Trióvalo Internacional de Cajititlán runs just 1.35 km with shallow banking through its three corners and an optional chicane that can be added at Turn 1 for road-course-style events. Its short lap and modest banking have made it notorious among NASCAR Mexico Series drivers as a tyre eater, punishing cars that are not set up precisely, while the pit lane doubles as an eighth-mile drag strip for separate events. The compact footprint gives spectators clear sightlines across most of the circuit from a single vantage point.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

The circuit's NASCAR history has been intermittent: it hosted the NASCAR Corona/Mexico Series from 2004 to 2010, sat dormant and deteriorated after track and grandstand damage from late 2010, then reopened in 2017 following a 2016 resurfacing and hosted NASCAR Mexico Series rounds again in 2017-2019 and 2021-2022, alongside Copa Occidente events. No NASCAR Mexico Series or other confirmed national-series dates at Cajititlán have been identified for 2023 onward, so its current place on the national calendar is unclear and should be verified before planning a visit.

Getting there and parking

The circuit is in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, in the Guadalajara metropolitan area, roughly 16 minutes' drive from Guadalajara International Airport via Route 44. Most visitors drive or take a taxi/rideshare, since there is no light-rail or BRT connection directly to the venue.

• Guadalajara International Airport (Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla) (GDL) · about 16 min drive

Confirm whether an event is actually scheduled before travelling, since the circuit's recent (post-2022) race calendar is not well documented and it has gone dormant before.

Hotels and camping near Trióvalo Internacional de Cajititlán

Visitors would typically stay in central Guadalajara or Zapopan, both within easy reach of the airport and a short drive from Cajititlán, rather than in the small lakeside town itself, which has limited hotel stock. There is no camping or trackside accommodation at the venue.

Where to look

Central Guadalajara or Zapopan offer the widest choice of hotels, both roughly 20-30 minutes from the circuit by car.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

There is no confirmed commercial track-day programme at Cajititlán; the venue's history of running national NASCAR Mexico Series and Copa Occidente race weekends, interspersed with long dormant periods, means public access is tied to whatever organised events are currently scheduled rather than a standing calendar.

Spectator guide

The tri-oval's small size means most seating areas give a view of a large share of the lap, a contrast to the longer road courses elsewhere in Mexico. Facilities were substantially rebuilt in the 2016 revival after grandstands had become unsafe during the track's dormant years, but current condition and ticketing depend on whether events are actively scheduled.

Seating

Grandstands overlooking the tri-oval, rebuilt as part of the 2016 revival after the earlier facility fell into disrepair.

Best places to watch

Any grandstand position gives a view across most of the compact tri-oval given its small size.

Weather

• Nov-Feb: dry and mild, highs around 24-27°C (75-81°F)
• Jun-Sep: rainy season with warm, humid afternoons

History of Trióvalo Internacional de Cajititlán

An oval by the lake

The circuit opened on 31 August 1986 near the Laguna de Cajititlán, south of Guadalajara, originally as the Autódromo Internacional de Guadalajara. In 1999 it was renamed Trióvalo Bernardo Obregón in memory of Bernardo Obregón Tamaríz, a Mexican driver who died competing in that year's Carrera Panamericana road race.

NASCAR arrives, then departs

From 2004 the tri-oval became a regular stop on the NASCAR Corona Series (later NASCAR Mexico Series) calendar, hosting races each season through 2010. Damage to the track surface and grandstands then forced its exclusion from the 2011 NASCAR schedule, and by 2013 the facility had fallen into serious disrepair, its asphalt unusable for racing and its stands considered unsafe, having sat unmaintained since late 2010.

Revival and uncertain present

A group of local businessmen revived the venue in 2016, resurfacing the track and rebuilding facilities; it reopened under its original Cajititlán name in March 2017 and again hosted NASCAR Mexico Series races that year and in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022, alongside Copa Occidente events. No confirmed race dates at the circuit have surfaced since 2022, leaving its current status uncertain: it has neither been formally closed nor demolished, but, echoing its earlier dormant period after 2010, it appears to be inactive or little-used on the national racing calendar as of the mid-2020s. Anyone interested in visiting should verify its current operating status directly rather than assume it is either open or closed.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Autódromo Guadalajara · 8 km · road course
• Super Óvalo Potosino (Autódromo Potosino) · 329 km · oval
• Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez · 464 km · road course
• Autódromo Miguel E. Abed · 587 km · road course & oval
• Fundidora Park Circuit (Parque Fundidora, Monterrey) · 660 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• Autódromo Monterrey · 681 km · road course & oval