Race Tracks in California
California has more organized motorsport venues than any other state, from America's oldest permanent road course to the drag strip that hosted the first NHRA Winternationals. Road racing clusters around three hubs: the Central Coast/Bay Area (WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Sonoma Raceway, Thunderhill), the high desert north of Los Angeles (Willow Springs, Buttonwillow, Chuckwalla), and the Inland Empire, home to motocross at Fox Raceway and Glen Helen plus NHRA drag racing at Pomona. A dense belt of quarter-mile and half-mile ovals across the Central Valley and Southern California runs weekly sprint car, modified, and late-model programs, while Long Beach hosts the state's marquee street race every April. Fontana's Auto Club Speedway, once a 2-mile NASCAR oval, sits demolished awaiting a promised short-track rebuild. Karting club racing is concentrated at Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside after Fontana's CalSpeed closed. Whether you want to watch IndyCar on the streets of Long Beach or turn your own laps at a Cal Club track day, California delivers it almost every weekend of the year.
25 venues listed across 8 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in California
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca | Monterey | 2.238 mi | Famous for the Corkscrew; hosts IMSA WeatherTech Championship, MotoAmerica, and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion vintage weekend. |
| Sonoma Raceway | Sonoma | 2.52 mi | Wine Country road course hosting NASCAR Cup and NHRA's Sonoma Nationals on the adjoining drag strip; also runs a year-round grassroots drag racing program. |
| Thunderhill Raceway Park | Willows | 3 mi | Sacramento Valley circuit best known for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race; also runs a 5-mile combined east/west configuration. |
| Willow Springs International Raceway | Rosamond | 2.5 mi | America's oldest continuously operating road course, open since 1953; the complex includes the fast Big Willow circuit, the tight Streets of Willow, and the Horse Thief Mile. |
| Buttonwillow Raceway Park | Buttonwillow | — | Owned by the Cal Club region of the SCCA; a flat, technical circuit with more than 20 configurable layouts used heavily for club racing and HPDE track days. |
| Chuckwalla Valley Raceway | Desert Center | 2.68 mi | Purpose-built 2010 road course in the Colorado Desert used for club racing, HPDE, and testing; the facility was listed for sale in 2026 but remained open and scheduling events. |
Ovals and speedways in California
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Club SpeedwayDormant | Fontana | — | The 2-mile NASCAR oval closed in February 2023 and was demolished for a planned half-mile short track; as of 2026 NASCAR still says it intends to rebuild but has given no construction timeline. |
| Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway (Kern County Raceway Park & Bakersfield Speedway) | Bakersfield | — | Paved short track and adjoining Bakersfield Speedway dirt oval under one ownership group; inherited several events from the closed Irwindale Speedway starting in 2025. |
| Madera Speedway | Madera | 0.5 mi | Half-mile paved oval hosting ARCA Menards Series West and Super Late Model racing in the Central Valley. |
| Stockton 99 Speedway | Stockton | — | Paved oval running a large weekly program of Pro Late Models, Mini Stocks, and Legends plus touring CARS Tour West events. |
| Orange Show Speedway | San Bernardino | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile asphalt oval on the National Orange Show fairgrounds, billed as the longest continually running track on the West Coast (opened 1947). |
Drag strips in California
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip | Pomona | 0.25 mi | NHRA-owned quarter-mile strip that has hosted the season-opening Winternationals since 1961 and the season-closing NHRA Finals since 2021. |
| Famoso Dragstrip | McFarland | 0.25 mi | Historic strip north of Bakersfield that hosted the first March Meet in 1959; now runs the March Meet as a nostalgia/vintage drag racing event. |
Dirt tracks in California
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perris Auto Speedway | Perris | 0.5 mi | Half-mile clay oval on the Lake Perris fairgrounds; a regular USAC/CRA sprint car stop with a full stock car and modified program. |
| Ventura Raceway | Ventura | 0.2 mi | High-banked 1/5-mile clay oval at the Ventura County Fairgrounds; hosts wingless sprints, midgets, and periodic World of Outlaws sprint car shows. |
| Petaluma Speedway | Petaluma | 0.375 mi | 3/8-mile clay oval at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds running winged and wingless sprint cars, modifieds, and stock cars. |
| Antioch Speedway | Antioch | — | Clay oval at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds running IMCA-sanctioned modifieds, sport modifieds, stock cars, and hobby stocks. |
Motocross and off-road in California
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Raceway at Pala | Pala | — | San Diego County motocross track hosting a round of AMA Pro Motocross (Fox Raceway National) every summer. |
| Glen Helen Raceway | San Bernardino | — | 256-acre hillside facility famous for the Talladega first turn and Mt. Saint Helen climb; long-time AMA Pro Motocross opener and former host of the Motocross of Nations. |
Karting in California
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Motorsports Park | Riverside | — | Operating since 1959, the world's longest continuously running kart racing facility; also hosts drifting and time-attack events. Became the region's main club kart track after CalSpeed closed. |
Street circuits and temporary in California
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix of Long BeachSeasonal | Long Beach | 1.968 mi | Downtown street circuit and the longest continuously running street race in North America; headlines with the NTT IndyCar Series every April. |
Closed and historic in California
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside International RacewayClosed | Riverside | — | NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA venue from 1957 to 1989; the site is now the Moreno Valley Mall. |
| Ontario Motor SpeedwayClosed | Ontario | — | "Indianapolis of the West" superspeedway that ran 1970 to 1980 before foreclosure closed it; the site is now Ontario Mills and surrounding development. |
| Irwindale SpeedwayClosed | Irwindale | 0.5 mi | Half-mile paved oval that closed for good in December 2024 after the property was sold for industrial redevelopment; its NASCAR-affiliated events moved to Kern Raceway in 2025. |
| CalSpeed Karting CenterClosed | Fontana | — | Southern California's premier club karting track, run on part of the Auto Club Speedway infield; closed in December 2022 when the speedway land was sold for redevelopment. |
Race tracks near the big cities in California
Near Los Angeles / Inland Empire
- In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip · about 35 min
- Grand Prix of Long Beach · about 30 min
- Glen Helen Raceway · about 55 min
- Orange Show Speedway · about 60 min
- Auto Club Speedway · about 45 min
- Adams Motorsports Park · about 55 min
- Perris Auto Speedway · about 75 min
- Willow Springs International Raceway · about 90 min
Near San Diego
- Fox Raceway at Pala · about 60 min
- Chuckwalla Valley Raceway · about 120 min
- Perris Auto Speedway · about 90 min
Near San Francisco Bay Area
- Sonoma Raceway · about 45 min
- Petaluma Speedway · about 40 min
- Antioch Speedway · about 50 min
- Thunderhill Raceway Park · about 120 min
Near Sacramento
- Thunderhill Raceway Park · about 90 min
- Stockton 99 Speedway · about 45 min
- Madera Speedway · about 110 min
Near Bakersfield
- Famoso Dragstrip · about 20 min
- Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway (Kern County Raceway Park & Bakersfield Speedway) · about 15 min
- Buttonwillow Raceway Park · about 30 min
- Willow Springs International Raceway · about 90 min
Major race weekends in California
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | Sonoma Raceway | June | NASCAR Cup |
| DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals | Sonoma Raceway | July | NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series |
| Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach | Grand Prix of Long Beach | April | NTT IndyCar Series |
| Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals | In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip | February | NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series |
| In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals | In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip | November | NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series |
| Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion | WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca | August | Vintage/IMSA |
| Good Vibrations March Meet | Famoso Dragstrip | March | Nostalgia drag racing |
| Fox Raceway National | Fox Raceway at Pala | June | AMA Pro Motocross |
| Glen Helen National | Glen Helen Raceway | May | AMA Pro Motocross |
Track days and driving experiences in California
Open track days and HPDE run almost every weekend at Buttonwillow, Chuckwalla, Willow Springs, Thunderhill, and Sonoma. The SCCA's Cal Club and San Diego regions and NASA's SoCal and Norcal chapters organize the bulk of the club racing and time-trial calendar, alongside commercial operators like Speed Ventures, TrackXperience, and Hooked on Driving. A novice HPDE day typically runs $300-$600 depending on track and car classification, with instruction included for first-timers; SCCA and NASA membership adds annual club-racing licensing on top. Motorcycle track days at Buttonwillow, Willow Springs, and Chuckwalla are run by groups such as Trackdaz and Zoom Zoom.
Frequently asked questions
Does this guide cover horse racing tracks like Santa Anita or Del Mar?+
No. This guide is limited to motorsport venues — cars, motorcycles, and karts. Horse racing tracks are a separate category and aren't included here.
What happened to Auto Club Speedway?+
The 2-mile NASCAR oval in Fontana closed in February 2023 and was demolished. NASCAR still says it plans to build a half-mile short track on part of the site, but as of 2026 no construction date has been set.
Is Irwindale Speedway still open?+
No. Irwindale Speedway closed for good in December 2024 after the 63-acre site was sold for industrial redevelopment. Several of its NASCAR-affiliated late-model and modified events moved to Kern Raceway in Bakersfield starting in 2025.
Where can I watch NHRA drag racing in California?+
The two marquee strips are In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, which hosts the NHRA Winternationals and NHRA Finals, and Sonoma Raceway's drag strip, which hosts the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals in July. Famoso Dragstrip near Bakersfield hosts nostalgia drag racing rather than current NHRA national events.
What's the best road course for a first track day in California?+
Buttonwillow and Willow Springs (Streets of Willow configuration) are the most commonly used beginner-friendly HPDE tracks in Southern California; Thunderhill and Sonoma are the equivalents in Northern California.
Where can I see professional motocross racing in California?+
Fox Raceway at Pala (San Diego County) and Glen Helen Raceway (San Bernardino) both host rounds of AMA Pro Motocross; Glen Helen has also hosted the Motocross of Nations.
Venue list checked against 37 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.
California track guides on RaceTrackWorld
Auto Club Speedway
Address: 9300 Cherry Avenue, Fontana CA 92335 USA Website: http://www.autoclubspeedway.com Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1) 909 429-5000 ...
Fox Raceway at Pala
Address: 12799 CA-76 Pala, CA 92059 USA Website: http://raceway.palatribe.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (760) 891-3570 Hotels Near Fo...
Long Beach Grand Prix
Address: W Shoreline Dr, Long Beach CA 90802 USA Website: https://gplb.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (888) 827-7333 Hotels Near Long ...
Sonoma Raceway
Address: 29355 Arnold Dr Sonoma CA 95476 USA Website: https://www.sonomaraceway.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1) 800-870-7223 Hotel...
Thunderhill Raceway Park
Address: 5250 Hwy 162, Willows California 95988 USA Website: http://www.thunderhill.com Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1) 530 934 5588 Ho...
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Address: 1021 Monterey Salinas Hwy Salinas, CA 93908 USA Website: https://www.weathertechraceway.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (831) 2...
Willow Springs International Raceway
Address: 3500 75th Street West Rosamond, CA 93560 USA Website: http://www.willowspringsraceway.com Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+)1 661 2...