NASCAR/INDYCAR: California Speedway update

• Jack Durbin
• MNI - Motorsport News International
• Mon Aug 19 22:48:34 EDT 1996

The NASCAR Winston Cup Series will return to Southern California in June 
of 1997. Les Richter,executive vice president of Penske Motorsports
announced the new, two mile Califorina Speedway will host its first
NASCAR Winston Cup Series race on June 22, 1997. 

"The outside barrier walls will go up next week," he said . "That will 
be followed by the interior walls then we will prepare the grade for the 
banking. We should be paving the track by the last part of November or 
early December with the first tests around the first of the year." 

The track is scheduled to open with 69,000 spectator seats for the 
inaugural NASCAR Winston Cup Series race next June. 

TV deals havve been set with ESPN and ABC.  In additions to NASCAR 
Winston Cup, the track will also haost an CART/IndyCar race in 
September.

The California Speedway is built on the same design as Michigan
International Speedway but will only be banked 14 degrees in the turns, 
unlike Michigan's 18 degrees. 

The track has permits for 6 major events each year.  According tle Les 
Richter they will use all of them.  

The track is scheduled to open in April 1997 


Jack Durbin                                   indy500@freenet.tlh.fl.us
Motorsport News International                      jackd@motorsport.com
(Moderators for "rec.autos.sport.info")
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