History

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1970–1977

After two short-lived drag strips off Littlejohn Street and Rivergrade Road, the San Gabriel Valley Speedway, also known as Irwindale Raceway, opened in 1970 at the intersection of Rivergrade Road and Commerce Drive in Irwindale, California. This marked the beginning of a longstanding motorsport tradition in the region. The speedway operated until 1977, establishing Irwindale as a hub for motorsports enthusiasts during that era.

speedwayandroadracehistory.com

1997

Construction begins on the new Irwindale Speedway & Events Center at 500 Speedway Drive, laying the groundwork for what would become a state-of-the-art motorsports facility.²

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speedwayandroadracehistory.com

1999

The Irwindale Speedway & Events Center officially opens at its existing location, offering both a ½ mile and ⅓ mile oval track and ⅛ mile dragstrip that attracts racing fans and events from across the country.²

speedwayandroadracehistory.com

2003

Formula Drift selects Irwindale Speedway & Events Center as the host venue for its inaugural drifting competitions, earning the nickname “House of Drift.”³

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2009

The speedway becomes a prominent filming location, featured in the Fast & Furious franchise, American Gladiators, and numerous commercials.⁴

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2022

The annual Fuel Fest, inspired by Paul Walker, is hosted at the speedway, blending motorsports, music, and charity.⁶

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2024

Irwindale Speedway hosts its final racing season, featuring mainstay events such as the Pick your Part Pro Late Models, Demo Derby, CARS Tour West, Legends, Enduro, and Tucker Tire Figure 8’s. The Speedway’s run concluded with the Mooneye’s Christmas Party and a final community-focused Farewell Extravaganza featuring 15 classes of racing, including drift and classic events like Figure-8, Trailer faces, Jet Car burndown and one final Fireworks Spectacular.²

Sources

San Gabriel Valley Speedway and Irwindale Raceway history
Wikipedia - Irwindale Event Center
Formula Drift Official Website
IMDB - Irwindale Speedway
Fuel Fest Official Website