The first NASCAR Open Practice at Irwindale Speedway in over a year was not only well-attended by competitors and fans, but the lap times were only a few tenths off the fastest times ever recorded on both the third and half-mile championship ovals. “We were very pleased with both the turn-out and with the quality of driving we saw yesterday,” said Competition Director Mike Atkinson.
Drivers and teams made their way to Irwindale yesterday for a pre-season tune-up from as far away as Phoenix and from as close as Irwindale’s neighbor city to the north, Duarte. Everyone was very pleased to get back to getting ready for NASCAR racing at Irwindale, and the cobwebs (if there were any) were gone only minutes after the first racers put rubber to asphalt. Old friends and new recruits all talked about how great it was to finally be back at Irwindale.
“We’re getting our staff in tune, just like the racing teams,” said GM/COO Bob Klein. “We’ve got one more open practice session on March 30 before our re-opening night on April 6. It was great to see all the fans come out to watch today too; in truth, they’re who we do it all for.”
On Saturday, March 30 Irwindale will open the fan gates at 11am and the second and final open practice for the 2013 NASCAR season will run until 4pm. As this past weekend, fans are invited to get a look at the teams testing at no admission or parking charges. The track’s snackbar will be open for food and refreshments.
Legends, Bandoleros, Figure 8 Cars, Super Stocks, Super Late Models, Irwindale Race Trucks, Southwest Tour Trucks, Late Models, the SRL S2 Tour Seies cars, and more will all be there and ALL fans are invited!
For more information and to purchase tickets for opening night (or for any of the fifteen great NASCAR nights on schedule for 2013) fans are directed to www.irwindaleeventcenter.com.
Irwindale Speedway is the oval track “department” at Irwindale Event Center which also features the NHRA Street Legal Irwindale Dragstrip*, the Advanced Driving Dynamics street safety driving school, the LA Racing Experience stock car racing school, and the LA Karting Experience, the facility’s new fun karting center. (Photo courtesy of Marv Keller)
