Change has always been part of NASCAR’s DNA. However, lately (since the Next-Gen era), it’s felt more like a full-blown identity makeover. The schedule has turned into a living experiment. New venues are popping up in flashy cityscapes, street circuits are winding through skyscrapers, and fresh audiences are filling grandstands that didn’t exist a few years ago. It’s all part of NASCAR’s mission to modernize, to expand beyond its traditional roots and bring the roar of V8 engines to new corners of America.

Yet, in the process of adding the new, something old (and deeply beloved) has been slipping away. As the sport pushes toward the future, a wave of nostalgia has swept through the fanbase after a recent poll, reigniting emotional debates about what’s being lost in this era of change.

Poll reveals love for abandoned NASCAR race track

It all started with a tweet. A simple chart was shared by veteran journalist Jeff Gluck. “Another cool chart via @Steub_: Four years into the Next Gen car, here’s how every track’s poll average ranks.” What stood out wasn’t the data itself, but what it revealed. Sitting at the very top of the list was Fontana’s Auto Club Speedway, earning a staggering 90.7% positive vote, even though NASCAR no longer races there.

Just below it is Michigan, an active track, with 87.2%. That statistic hit fans hard. How could a demolished track still be rated higher than nearly every modern venue NASCAR still visits? For many, Fontana wasn’t just another stop on the schedule. The two-mile oval carved out its own legacy in Southern California, hosting NASCAR races from 1997 to 2023.

Over those 26 years, it saw the roar of all three national series (the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck), though the Trucks made their final laps back in 2009. The track delivered its share of unforgettable moments, including Jimmie Johnson’s emotional hometown victories and even one of the most dramatic finishes of the Next Gen era in 2023. Remember how Kyle Busch triumphed for his first win for RCR in what would unknowingly become Fontana’s farewell race?

After that final checkered flag, Auto Club Speedway closed its gates for good, slated for a long-discussed transformation into a half-mile short track. But as the years passed, the bulldozers came. But the promises stalled. The iconic two-mile layout is now nothing more than dirt and memory, its future uncertain.

And as Jeff Gluck’s tweet made its rounds, fans couldn’t help but voice what everyone was thinking: NASCAR’s best racing venue might just be the one it tore down.

Fan outcry as Auto Club Speedway steals the spotlight

The fact that Fontana (Auto Club Speedway) is gone but still ranks as the number one fan-favorite track has left many NASCAR enthusiasts feeling appalled. One fan commented, “The fact Fontana is gone and it’s P1 is sickening.” The Next Gen California project sought to transform the site by building a new half-mile short track. However, as 2025 ends, little progress has been made.

Only a few suites, grandstands, and pit road remnants remain. Since its last NASCAR race in February 2023, redevelopment has been slow. This has, naturally, fueled frustration among longtime fans who remember the thrills the 2-mile, D-shaped oval delivered for decades.

One vocal fan lamented, “It’s crazy how the top track here was sold because the offer was ‘too good to pass up,’ and the replacement short track probably will never be built.” Another echoed the sentiment, saying,“Very telling that the best track we had according to the fans Nascar decided to sell.”

Indeed, NASCAR sold 433 of the 522-acre site for around $544 million, paving the way for warehouses and an industrial park now occupying the land. The replacement track was nowhere to be seen. This has fueled fresh anger among the fans. But now, the long straightaways, high banking, and technical corners, remain just a memory.

Some even claim this move violated NASCAR’s rulebook. “Killing Fontana was a violation of NASCAR rulebook Section 12.1,” one fan said. Section 12.1 pertains to actions detrimental to stock car racing. And the fans feel NASCAR did exactly that by abandoning their beloved track. The growing discontent reflects deep feelings about NASCAR prioritizing financial gains over maintaining cherished racing venues, leaving fans to debate what sacrifices modernizing the sport should entail.

Finally, one fan offered a solution. “Solution? Fontana Street Course, who says no?” However, back in April this year, NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps indicated the status of the project (including building the street course) is uncertain, given the cost of the project. “Do I think creating a short track out there would be a cool thing for us? Yes,” Phelps explained. “With that said, it’s $300 million to build that facility. Is that the best use of that money? That is the big question. The cost of capital right now is still really high, so for us to just press pause right now is essentially what we’re doing.”

As 2025 draws to a close, Auto Club Speedway’s ghost still looms large over NASCAR’s “modern” era. The fans’ unwavering nostalgia proves one thing. Progress may bring new venues and opportunities, but it can’t replace history. For now, Fontana remains both a wound and a reminder: sometimes, the heart of racing beats loudest in the past.