Mesa Marin Raceway
Encyclopedia
Mesa Marin Raceway was a NASCAR
affiliated oval racetrack located in Bakersfield, California
from 1977 until 2005. It was leveled in the fall of 2005 after being sold to developers.
A replacement circuit is under construction, with the Collins family co-owing the track. Kern River Raceway is a high banked half mile racetrack in Bakersfield
, California
. On February 7, 2007, the new track in Bakersfield broke ground. Naming rights are currently for sale and the new track, currently referred as "Kern County's New Home for RACING," was scheduled to open in 2008. Construction has stalled in 2008 because of financial issues.
Many of its events were broadcast on television, including the 1995 Craftsman Truck Series
race on ABC
's Wide World of Sports
, and also airing the NCTS on The Nashville Network and later ESPN
, and featuring local races and both the NASCAR West Series and Southwest Tour (sanction of that tour changed to SRL in 2007) on Speed Channel
and HDNet
.
The advent of the 911 racing series "pitted" area firefighters, police, sheriff and other local agencies to race against each other at Mesa Marin and at the same time offer assistance to youth programs in the area.
It ran NASCAR-sanctioned local racing, including the NASCAR Camping World Series West, United States Auto Club open-wheel racing, the NASCAR Southwest Tour, and other notable local racing. Nearly 4 million spectators attended Mesa Marin Raceway over the original track's 29 year lifetime.
Mesa Marin’s High School Racing Series provides the opportunity for area high school students to participate in the auto racing experience. The participating high schools build, race and provide racing pit crews for their cars. The High School Racing Series is an innovative program which is the first of its kind in the U.S.
Mesa Marin is a recipient of the Beautiful Bakersfield Award for bringing national recognition to the City of Bakersfield. Of the 900 short tracks in the nation, Mesa Marin Raceway's October Classic was voted the Premiere Event of the Year by National Speed Sport News. The track was featured in the Truck series Expansion for NASCAR Racing 3
.
Craftsman Truck Series
. Mesa Marin was the site for design, construction and testing of the prototype NASCAR Craftsman Trucks. Track owners son Gary Collins (a former racer) led the team of designers and fabricators who built the first truck.
The track hosted nine NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series
events between 1995 and 2003. The track added 4,500 seats in 1999, and had a capacity of nearly 12,000.
(Enos Lane) along the Kern River
, broke ground in February 2007.
The track will feature considerable differences with the old track; one notable difference will be the track becoming a progressively banked track, similar to its neighbour in the south, Irwindale Speedway
, with a progressive banking starting at 12 degrees on the bottom and rising to 14 degrees at the top, with an uphill climb to the backstretch, ten feet higher than the pit straight for spectator visibility. Turns three and four will also be banked 12-14 degrees, and feature a ten-foot descent. An 1/8 mile drag strip
and a 1/4 mile infield oval are slated.
The track is seeking a major sponsor for naming-rights to the facility that lies right next to the southbound lanes of Interstate-5 (Golden State Freeway) and Enos Lane, the major artery of transportation between San Francisco/northern California and Los Angeles/southern California. For now the track is referred as Kern River Raceweay.
During September 2007, the track announced rules for the 2008 season, the 30th season for the Collins family, and the first with the new track. The 29th October Classic was scheduled to return in 2008 with a $30,000 to win Late Model race with NASCAR Late Models, NASCAR Camping World Series West, and SRL Flashco Southwest Tour, and would have had coverage from HDNet (NASCAR Camping World Series West) and Versus (SRL Late Models). The Camping World Series West race would have ended the 2008 season for that tour at this track.
Currently the track construction has been delayed due to financial difficulties as well as issues with obtaining permits. The original opening date scheduled for June, 2008 has been delayed.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
affiliated oval racetrack located in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
from 1977 until 2005. It was leveled in the fall of 2005 after being sold to developers.
A replacement circuit is under construction, with the Collins family co-owing the track. Kern River Raceway is a high banked half mile racetrack in Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. On February 7, 2007, the new track in Bakersfield broke ground. Naming rights are currently for sale and the new track, currently referred as "Kern County's New Home for RACING," was scheduled to open in 2008. Construction has stalled in 2008 because of financial issues.
History of the original track
The original Mesa Marin Raceway opened in April 1977, owned by Marion Collins since its inception until its demise in 2005.Many of its events were broadcast on television, including the 1995 Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
race on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Wide World of Sports
Wide World of Sports (US TV series)
ABC's Wide World of Sports is a sports anthology series on American television that ran from 1961 to 1998 and was originally hosted by Jim McKay. The title continued to be used for general sports programs until 2006...
, and also airing the NCTS on The Nashville Network and later ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, and featuring local races and both the NASCAR West Series and Southwest Tour (sanction of that tour changed to SRL in 2007) on Speed Channel
SPEED Channel
Speed , is a cable and satellite television network broadcast to various parts of North America, but primarily the United States...
and HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
.
The advent of the 911 racing series "pitted" area firefighters, police, sheriff and other local agencies to race against each other at Mesa Marin and at the same time offer assistance to youth programs in the area.
It ran NASCAR-sanctioned local racing, including the NASCAR Camping World Series West, United States Auto Club open-wheel racing, the NASCAR Southwest Tour, and other notable local racing. Nearly 4 million spectators attended Mesa Marin Raceway over the original track's 29 year lifetime.
Awards
In 1996, Mesa Marin’s ACE Awards (recognition for exceptional performance for academic effort and positive lifestyle recognition) for Bakersfield elementary school students, received top honors by ESPN, for the best program in the nation incorporating children and sports.Mesa Marin’s High School Racing Series provides the opportunity for area high school students to participate in the auto racing experience. The participating high schools build, race and provide racing pit crews for their cars. The High School Racing Series is an innovative program which is the first of its kind in the U.S.
Mesa Marin is a recipient of the Beautiful Bakersfield Award for bringing national recognition to the City of Bakersfield. Of the 900 short tracks in the nation, Mesa Marin Raceway's October Classic was voted the Premiere Event of the Year by National Speed Sport News. The track was featured in the Truck series Expansion for NASCAR Racing 3
NASCAR Racing 3
NASCAR Racing 3 is a racing simulator produced by Papyrus Design Group in 1999. Players can compete in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series with cars from the 1999 season....
.
Role in Craftsman Truck Series formation
Mesa Marin was critical to the formation of the NASCARNASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
. Mesa Marin was the site for design, construction and testing of the prototype NASCAR Craftsman Trucks. Track owners son Gary Collins (a former racer) led the team of designers and fabricators who built the first truck.
The track hosted nine NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
events between 1995 and 2003. The track added 4,500 seats in 1999, and had a capacity of nearly 12,000.
The New Track
The Collins family joined the DeStefani family in planning the new replacement half-mile D-oval. The track, located at the crossroads of Interstate 5 and State Route 43California State Route 43
State Route 43 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. State of California, routed along the southern San Joaquin Valley connecting the towns of Shafter, Wasco, Hanford, and Selma, running roughly parallel to SR 99...
(Enos Lane) along the Kern River
Kern River
The Kern River is a river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfield. Fed by snowmelt near Mount Whitney, the river passes through scenic canyons in the mountains and is a popular destination for...
, broke ground in February 2007.
The track will feature considerable differences with the old track; one notable difference will be the track becoming a progressively banked track, similar to its neighbour in the south, Irwindale Speedway
Irwindale Speedway
Toyota Speedway at Irwindale is a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California, United States. It features banked, paved 1/2- and 1/3-mile oval tracks and a 1/8-mile drag strip. It opened on March 27, 1999, as Irwindale Speedway and held that name until Toyota purchased the naming rights...
, with a progressive banking starting at 12 degrees on the bottom and rising to 14 degrees at the top, with an uphill climb to the backstretch, ten feet higher than the pit straight for spectator visibility. Turns three and four will also be banked 12-14 degrees, and feature a ten-foot descent. An 1/8 mile drag strip
Drag strip
Drag strip may refer to:*Dragstrip, track used for drag racing*Drag Strip , Transformer character who is one of the Stunticons*Videocart-9: Drag Strip, drag racing videogame released in 1976-See also:*Dover Drag Strip...
and a 1/4 mile infield oval are slated.
The track is seeking a major sponsor for naming-rights to the facility that lies right next to the southbound lanes of Interstate-5 (Golden State Freeway) and Enos Lane, the major artery of transportation between San Francisco/northern California and Los Angeles/southern California. For now the track is referred as Kern River Raceweay.
During September 2007, the track announced rules for the 2008 season, the 30th season for the Collins family, and the first with the new track. The 29th October Classic was scheduled to return in 2008 with a $30,000 to win Late Model race with NASCAR Late Models, NASCAR Camping World Series West, and SRL Flashco Southwest Tour, and would have had coverage from HDNet (NASCAR Camping World Series West) and Versus (SRL Late Models). The Camping World Series West race would have ended the 2008 season for that tour at this track.
Currently the track construction has been delayed due to financial difficulties as well as issues with obtaining permits. The original opening date scheduled for June, 2008 has been delayed.
Notable drivers
- Ron HornadayRon HornadayRonald Hornaday, Jr. is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver. He is the father of former NASCAR driver Ronnie Hornaday, and son of the late Ron Hornaday, Sr., a two-time Winston West Champion. Adding on to the family legacy, Ron is a four-time champion in the Truck Series, his most recent...
- Kevin HarvickKevin HarvickKevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
- Mike Chase
- Bill Vukovich III
- Rick CarelliRick CarelliRick Carelli is an American race car driver from Arvada, Colorado. He was nicknamed the "High Plains Drifter". He won multiple times in the #6 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series truck.-Racing career:...
- Doug McCounDoug McCounDoug McCoun is an American racing driver who won the NASCAR Weekly Series national championship in 1985 and 1985-86 Pacific Coast Regional Championshihps....
- Frank Adamo
- Gene Fife
- Dick Shepherd
- Nick JoanidesNick JoanidesNick Joanides is a driver competing in various NASCAR divisions around the country since 1992. Divisions include the Camping World Grand National West & East Series and the now defunct Autozone Elite Division Southwest & Midwest Series....
- Greg Voigt
- Sean Woodside