Ontario Motor Speedway
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| The Big O Indianapolis of the West |
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| Location | Ontario, California | |
| Capacity | 140,000[1] | |
| Opened | September 3, 1970 | |
| Closed | December 17, 1980 | |
| Construction Cost | $25.5 million[1] | |
| Architect | Kite & Overpeck A.I.A. Architects/John Hugenholtz of Zandvoort, Holland and Michael Parker of Portland, Oregon. | |
| Former Names | None | |
| Major Events | USAC Championship Car California 500 (1970-1980) NASCAR Winston Cup |
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| Oval | ||
| Circuit Length | 4.0 km (2.5 mi) | |
| Banking | Turns - 9 degrees° | |
| Infield Road Course | ||
| Circuit Length | 6.74 km (4.19 mi) | |
The Ontario Motor Speedway (located in Ontario, California) was a 2.5-mile race track built similar to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Designed by California born architect Walter Ted Tyler, the track opened in 1970, and was considered state of the art at the time.
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[edit] History
Track management planned to make OMS as a replica of Indianapolis with only a few exceptions. The racing surface was one lane wider and the shortchutes were banked unlike Indianapolis, which made OMS slightly faster. In addition, OMS was built with an infield road course, making it a multi-purpose facility. At the time, Indianapolis did not have an infield road course, and one was not built there until 2000. OMS also included a special gift from Indy: a circle of bricks unearthed from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were laid in OMS's victory lane.
The first race, The California 500, (held on September 6, 1970), was a success. The Indianapolis 500 was traditionally held Memorial Day weekend, so track officials figured Labor Day weekend was a perfect choice for the California 500 event. A successful Formula Libre event was held at the track in March 1971 called the Questor Grand Prix. The event featured a head-to-head battle between drivers using Formula One and Formula 5000 racecars. The event was an attempt at attracting Formula One to the track.[1] The Grand Prix was won by Mario Andretti. However, neither event built up momentum, and the track started a downhill slide soon afterward. Lack of promotion and an inability to capitalize on the inaugural race's successes contributed. It was planned to be part of the IndyCar series triple crown along with the Indianapolis 500, and Pocono 500, however, only the Indy 500 remained a household name. OMS held the California Jam concert in order to promote the track more. The California Jam featured numerous rock music bands, and was profitable for the track. NASCAR was running at OMS for a few years and would hold the last race of the NASCAR Winston (now Sprint) Cup Series, the Los Angeles Times 500, there until the 1980 racing season. The facility also featured a dragstrip which hosted NHRA events.
Track management went bankrupt and the speedway was deemed a financial failure. 1980 would be its last year of operation and the City of Ontario sold the track for $10 million to Chevron Land Management. The track was demolished in 1981 at a cost of $3 million and left as an empty lot.
[edit] Subsequent development
The property remained vacant for several years until the mid-1980s when a Hilton Hotel was built on turn 4 of the old speedway site. It was the first multiple story building of its kind in the City of Ontario.
As of the mid 2000s, development on the property has increased. Over half of the old speedway property, adjacent to Interstate 10, has been developed commercially. However, a minor tribute to the racing heritage of the property can be seen in the street names of the developed area (ex: Duesenburg Drive, Ferrari Lane, and others), in much the same way that the developed area that was formerly Riverside reflects the same heritage, with roads named after famous drivers.
In 2007, much of the remainder of the property became Piemonte, a mixed-use development with condominiums, business offices, and some retail stores, including the Mathis Brothers furniture store. In the fall of 2008, the centerpiece of Piemonte will open: the Citizens Business Bank Arena, a 11,000-seat sports and entertainment venue. Minor-league basketball and hockey teams have committed to play in the new building, which is built in the general area of turn 3 of the old Ontario track.
[edit] Subsequent racing events
After the failure of the California 500, the IndyCar series replaced the race with the Michigan 500 at Michigan International Speedway. Eight years later in 1988, Riverside International Raceway (in nearby Riverside, California) was also sold and demolished in favor of development.
In 1997, the California Speedway opened in Fontana, less than 2 miles from the former site of the OMS, and the two names were sometimes confused. (The California track is now called the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California under a naming rights deal signed in February 2008.)
OMS architect Walter Ted Tyler later designed the Olympic Velodrome for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles where many world bicycling records were broken.
[edit] Past winners
[edit] USAC Championship Car history
| Season | Date | Winning Driver | Chassis | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | September 6 |  Jim McElreath |
Coyote | Ford |
| 1971 | September 5 | Joe Leonard |
Colt | Ford |
| 1972 | September 3 | Roger McCluskey |
McLaren | Offy |
| 1973 | September 2 | Wally Dallenbach Sr. |
Eagle | Offy |
| 1974 | March 10 | Bobby Unser |
Eagle | Offy |
| 1975 | March 9 | A.J. Foyt |
Coyote | Foyt |
| 1976 | September 5 | Bobby Unser |
Eagle | Offy |
| 1977 | September 4 | Al Unser |
Parnelli | Cosworth |
| 1978 | September 3 | Al Unser |
Chaparral | Cosworth |
| 1979 | September 2 | Bobby Unser |
Penske | Cosworth |
| 1980 | August 31 | Bobby Unser |
Penske | Cosworth |
[edit] Formula Libre
| Date | Winning Driver |
|---|---|
| March 1971 | Mario Andretti |
[edit] NASCAR Winston Cup history
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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