Ontario Motor Speedway
Ontario, CA, USA
Track History
Ontario Motor Speedway in Southern California was a 2.5-mile superspeedway that was built as an exact replica of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and opened in 1970 with ambitions of becoming the premier racing venue on the West Coast. The Cup Series raced at Ontario during its brief existence, and the massive facility — complete with 31-degree banking and a perfectly rectangular layout — produced speeds and racing that rivaled anything happening at Indy. But the economics never worked. Built on expensive Southern California real estate during a period of rising land values, Ontario Motor Speedway was demolished in 1980, just a decade after it opened, to make way for housing development. The track's brief life produced memorable racing and demonstrated that California could support superspeedway competition, but the financial realities of operating a facility that size in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world proved insurmountable. Ontario remains the great what-if of American motorsport.
Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference
Top Drivers at Ontario Motor Speedway
A.J. Foyt leads all drivers at Ontario Motor Speedway with 2 wins across 5 starts.
All-time stats across Cup, O'Reilly & Trucks (min 3 starts)
| Driver | Races | Wins | Avg Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. Foyt | 5 | 2 | 6.2 |
| Bobby Allison | 9 | 2 | 10.4 |
| Benny Parsons | 9 | 2 | 13 |
| Buddy Baker | 8 | 1 | 7.8 |
| David Pearson | 5 | 1 | 9.6 |
Race Winners (1971-1980)
Ontario Motor Speedway has crowned 6 different Cup Series winners since 1971.
| Year | Race | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Los Angeles Times 500 | Benny Parsons |
| 1979 | Los Angeles Times 500 | Benny Parsons |
| 1978 | Los Angeles Times 500 | Bobby Allison |
| 1977 | Los Angeles Times 500 | Neil Bonnett |
| 1976 | Los Angeles Times 500 | David Pearson |
| 1975 | L.A.Times 500 | Buddy Baker |
| 1974 | Los Angeles Times 500 | Bobby Allison |
| 1972 | Miller High Life 500 | A.J. Foyt |
| 1971 | Miller High Life 500 | A.J. Foyt |
Race Dynamics
Superspeedways produce pack racing with restrictor plates. Unpredictable finishes are common. Drafting ability and manufacturer alliances are key factors. Wrecks can take out top contenders — drivers with strong superspeedway records and crash-avoidance skills tend to perform best.
Top Rated Drivers at Ontario Motor Speedway
No NR-Rating driver data available for this track yet.
Similar Tracks
Track similarity data not yet available.
Nearby Tracks
Tracks in the same region as Ontario Motor Speedway, sorted by total Cup Series races hosted.