Mesa Marin Raceway
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 Bakersfield , California
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| Route type: | permanent race track | ||
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| Opening: | 1977 | ||
| Decommissioned: | 2005 | ||
| Track layout | |||
| oval | |||
| Route data | |||
| Route length: | 0.8 km (0.5 mi ) | ||
| Curve superelevation: | Curves 17 ° - straights 7 ° | ||
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Coordinates: 35 ° 23 '40 " N , 118 ° 53' 13" W.
The Mesa Marin Raceway was a short track oval east of Bakersfield , California . The track existed from 1977 to 2005. It was used for NASCAR races , among other things .
history
The Mesa Marin Raceway was (also known as "the fastest half-mile in the West" German the fastest half-mile to the west ) known as the track had a high bends. The first race on the oval took place on April 16, 1977 in front of more than 6,000 spectators. The owner was racing driver Marion Collins, who played an important role in founding the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 1995. This also drove from 1995 to 2003 on the Mesa Marin Raceway. In addition to local racing series, the Winston West Series and the SRL Southwest Tour were guests on the track.
A member of a pit crew was killed in an accident in the pit lane in 1978. On November 25, 1990, Champ Car driver Billy Vukovich III had a fatal accident while training for a sprint car race after he hit the wall at Turn 3. The main race of the weekend was won by Jeff Gordon . On October 17, 1992, Tom Naylor had a fatal accident in a supermodified vehicle in an accident at Turn 3.
In 1993, the later Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick won the track championship.
On June 8, 2005, Marion Collins announced that he would sell the line. The last race took place on October 16, 2005. After the route was sold, the area was built over. In the 28 years in which the route was in operation, around four million spectators have visited the oval. In 2011 the "Mesa Marin Sports Complex" was opened on the former site of the racetrack. This comprised four softball fields.
NASCAR Truck Series
Before the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series had its first season in 1995, the prototypes of the vehicles were tested at the Mesa Marin Raceway. Gary Collins, former racing driver and son of the owner Marion Collins, led the development team that built the first truck. The Camping World Truck Series drove a total of nine races on the course.
Results
| year | driver | Manufacturer | Race distance (in miles ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 22, 1995 |
Ron Hornaday junior
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Chevrolet | 63 |
| October 15, 1995 |
Mike Skinner
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Chevrolet | 100 |
| October 14, 1996 |
Mike Skinner
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Maserati | 150 |
| October 12, 1997 |
Randy Tolsma
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Chevrolet | 150 |
| October 18, 1998 |
Dennis Setzer
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Dodge | 150 |
| October 10, 1999 |
Rick Carelli
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Chevrolet | 151 |
| March 26, 2000 |
Mike Wallace
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ford | 125 |
| March 17, 2001 |
Ted Musgrave
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Dodge | 125 |
| March 23, 2003 |
Dennis Setzer
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Chevrolet | 128 |