Talk about surprise news on a Tuesday in September. A new report from The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi details that NASCAR has submitted initial plans to convert the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway into a short track.
According to a blueprint of the plans revealed by The Athletic, the track would be shaped much like Martinsville Speedway but would have high banking similar to Bristol Motor Speedway in the turns.
While the entire industry has been clamoring for more short tracks in recent years, the potential conversion of Auto Club Speedway is a huge surprise. The main rumors of adding more short tracks to the schedule in the future have surrounded around adding new tracks — such as the Nashville Fairgrounds — to the mix.
That being said, this is an intriguing report.
The story states that the speedway would not have to close down during the overhaul and that the short track could potentially be ready by the 2023 season if plans are approved.
