It feels like reliving a nightmare all over again. Back in January, former Cup Series driver Garrett Smithley shared a striking photo of what remains of Auto Club Speedway. The image, which quickly spread across social media, hit home for many fans. The once bustling track now looks tired and forgotten.

Smithley wrote, “Dad sent me this. They flew over what’s left of Fontana. What an amazing track that was 😭😭.” That sentiment echoed across the racing world. Fast forward to today, and when the remains of the long-gone Auto Club Speedway surfaced on social media, the NASCAR community couldn’t hold back.

Auto Club Speedway left in ruins as new track images resurface

The 28-year-old track made its last appearance in 2023. A track where Kyle Busch last won a Cup Series race to date. The fast 2-mile D-shaped oval produced some memorable races and pumped millions into the local economy every time NASCAR came to town. Auto Club Speedway’s impact was significant. Fast forward to today, and the land looks barren and empty, and mud and stones are scattered on a once luscious track.

A 2017 study from UC Riverside estimated the track generated over $105 million in economic activity for San Bernardino County and more than $156 million statewide. For over two decades, it was both a motorsports landmark and a financial boost for Southern California. However, recent years have cast doubt on its future. Plans to transform the facility into a short track have stalled, leaving the site in limbo.

In its early years, the track was a major hit, pulling in crowds up to 85,000 for its first NASCAR Cup Series race. But when a second race date was added in 2004, attendance began to slip. By 2014, the grandstands had been scaled back to 68,000 seats. As attendance and revenue continue to drop, the track’s ownership faced a tough crossroad.

Ultimately, they sold 433 of the facilities’ 522 acres after receiving a massive $569 million offer from Hillwood Development Company and CBRE Investment Management, a record-setting industrial land deal that paved the way for the site to be converted into a logistics hub.

Even so, NASCAR has held onto roughly 90 acres of the property with the intention of building a short track. The move fits into the sport-wide push to replace large superspeedways with smaller, half-mile layouts, following trends seen at Bristol, Martinsville, and North Wilkesboro. However, fans are very disappointed with how tracks are being treated lately.

And the Kansas City Chiefs are actively exploring the idea of building a new domed stadium in Kansas on land near Kansas Speedway, after issuing a request for design proposals for a full stadium and entertainment district. Kansas lawmakers have signaled strong support, offering to finance up to 70% of the project through bonds.

However, the speedway area is appealing because it already has major infrastructure, hotels, and entertainment options. Although it’s nowhere close to being abandoned, the fans weren’t happy with it. And now shifting focus back to the Fontana track, fans couldn’t help but get slightly depressed.

NASCAR fans mourn the loss of the Fontana track

The latest images of the Auto Club Speedway have triggered an emotional wave across NASCAR Reddit fandom, with many struggling to process what has become of one of Southern California’s most iconic tracks. One fan captured the eerie mood perfectly, saying, “I don’t know why but this feels like a scene in a post apocalyptic movie where the main character is walking past remains of a popular monument and/or building just give these pictures a yellow tint and it fits perfectly.” Another couldn’t hide the emotional weight of the moment, simply adding, “This just makes me sad.”

Together, their reactions reflected a shared grief for a place that was once abuzz with engines and energy but now resembles a hollowed-out relic. For longtime viewers, the heartbreak comes not just from the visuals but from what they believe has been lost through mismanagement and unnecessary change. One fan pointed out, “Some of the best racing the Nextgen Car saw and that couldn’t prevent them from ruining this track. Such a shame. There are plenty of short tracks around the country.here’s no reason they needed to destroy this track.”

As more photos of the trading facility continued to surface, the mood has only grown heavier. One user, clearly fed up with NASCAR’s ongoing battles, remarked, “They are going to have to sell the rest of this land off to pay their legal fees.” Another summed up what many felt while scrolling through each new angle of their abandoned grandstands and cracked asphalt: “These pictures just keep getting more and more depressing.” These reactions painted a collective portrait of loss, disappointment, and nostalgia as fans confronted the slow decline of a track that once meant so much.