Mesa Marin Raceway

Kern River Raceway

Location	Bakersfield, California
Owner	Gary Collins
Operator	Collins Family (old and new), Destefani Family (new)
Broke ground	February 7, 2007 (new track)
Opened	1977 (old track)
Closed	2005 (old track)
Oval
Length	0.8 km (0.5 (both old and new) mi)
Banking	17 degrees (old) Progressive, 12-14 degrees (new)

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.^[1]

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.^{[2][dead link]} 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 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. ^[1]

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.^[1] The track was featured in the Truck series Expansion for NASCAR Racing 3.

Role in Craftsman Truck Series formation

Mesa Marin was critical to the formation of the NASCAR 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. ^[3] The track added 4,500 seats in 1999, and had a capacity of nearly 12,000. ^[1]

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 43 (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.

Notable drivers

• Ron Hornaday
• Kevin Harvick
• Mike Chase
• Bill Vukovich III
• Rick Carelli
• Doug McCoun
• Frank Adamo
• Gene Fife
• Dick Shepherd
• Nick Joanides
• Greg Voigt
• Sean Woodside

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Track History
2. ^ Gentlemen start your bulldozers: Kern County's new home to NASCAR breaks ground, Dave Grayson, Retrieved September 27, 2007
3. ^ Craftsman Truck Series track history at racing-reference.info

Coordinates: 35°23′40″N 118°53′13″W / 35.39444°N 118.88694°W / 35.39444; -118.88694