BUTTONWILLOW RENEWED: THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW

When I went to the ground-breaking of the SCCA’s California Sports Club Region’s new race track—300 plus acres in a dusty field not near anywhere—I had my doubts. 

We were still suffering from the loss of Riverside Raceway, and any place would be a tough act to follow. 

Then at the grand opening at the end of the year, I was surprised. This was a driver’s course with infinite possibilities, run clockwise, run counter clockwise or use a shorter portion of the circuit. 

I brought one of my racecars out to a track day, set a few records and came away thinking Cal Club did the right thing. 

Now named “The Classic”, it’s been home to movies (e.g., Ford vs Ferrari), new car introductions and numerous vehicle testing projects in addition to regular races and track days for cars and motorcycles.

Thirty years later, a few years in the making, a new addition, a 2.5-mile track, dubbed “The Circuit”, is making Buttonwillow the center of racing in California. 

Built on 185 acres adjacent to the existing Buttonwillow Raceway Park complex, the 10-turn track, built to FIA Grade 4 standards, has three hills and a 50 foot wide front straight with the rest of the track being 40 feet wide. 

This is a standalone track, not connected to the current facility.

The facility includes a tower building and restaurant / event center / museum, which includes a racecar display, restrooms with showers, garages, and thousands of square feet of shaded cover for racecar parking. 

Tesla has installed a dozen supercharger stations, awaiting the next Tesla track day and the Fast Lane Driving School is located there

Buttonwillow Raceway Park, in addition to all the different configurations, contains a .7-mile kart track and skid pad. An all-season facility (note it doesn’t snow or get windy), it’s booked every day of the year. 

Some of the track-day groups jump at the rare rainy day saying, “our competitors like the opportunity to drive in the rain.” 

More information is available on their website at buttonwillowraceway.com.

For those who haven't been there, the track is located at the intersection of Interstate 5 and Lerdo Highway—a central location for racers from both the Bay Area and Southern California, and a short drive for anyone in the Central Valley.

Note: Dave Wolin, the author, veteran racer, automotive historian and long time Buttonwillow hanger on says, “This is a challenging and fun drive. Bring or borrow something and try it out."