Ontario Motor Speedway
The Big O
Facility statistics
Location	Ontario, California
Broke ground
Opened	September 1970
Owner
Operator
Construction cost	$25.5 million
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 Los Angeles Times 500 (1974-1980) Ontario Motor Speedway Logo File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ... ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCARs top racing series. ... The Los Angeles Times 500 was an annual NASCAR Winston Cup race held at Ontario Motor Speedway in November from 1974 to 1980. ...
Seating capacity
Current dimensions
Track shape	Oval
Track length	2.5 miles
Track banking	Turns - 9 degrees°

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. 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. Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... The Wing and Wheel, respresentative symbol of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1909 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana (a separate town completely surrounded by Indianapolis) in the United States, is the second-oldest surviving automobile racing track in the world (after the Milwaukee Mile), having existed since 1909... This article is about the year 2000. ...

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 this new event, However, it never lived up to the success of the inaugural event, and the track started a downhill slide soon afterward. Lack of promotion and an inability to capitalize on the inaugural race's success 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 Nextel) Cup Series, the Los Angeles Times 500, there until the 1980 racing season. The facility also featured a dragstrip which hosted NHRA events. September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Indy 500 redirects here. ... Relatives and others traditionally place flags near veterans headstones on Memorial Day Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (most recently observed May 29, 2006). ... Labour Day (or Labor Day) is an annual holiday that resulted from efforts of the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. ... The term IndyCar has multiple uses: Indycar (sometimes spelled Indy car) is a generic name used in the United States for a type of open wheel race car. ... Indy 500 redirects here. ... Pocono Raceway is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond; it is the site of two annual NASCAR Nextel Cup races held just a few weeks apart in June and July. ... California Jam was a rock music festival concert held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California on April 6, 1974. ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCARs top racing series. ... The Los Angeles Times 500 was an annual NASCAR Winston Cup race held at Ontario Motor Speedway in November from 1974 to 1980. ... It has been suggested that Quarter mile be merged into this article or section. ... The National Hot Rod Association, known as the NHRA, was founded by Wally Parks in 1951 in the State of California to provide a governing body to organize and promote the sport of drag racing. ...

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. 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. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ... ChevronTexaco Corporation ( NYSE: CVX) is one of the worlds largest global energy companies. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... The Hilton Hotel chain is owned by Hilton Hotels Corporation and is based in Beverly Hills, California. ...

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. This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Interstate 10 (abbreviated I-10) is the southernmost east-west, coast-to-coast interstate highway in the United States. ...

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 also was sold and demolished, in favor of development. With the exception of the Long Beach Grand Prix, all motorsports in southern California was gone until California Speedway in Fontana, California opened in 1997, just five miles from the former site of OMS. The term IndyCar has multiple uses: Indycar (sometimes spelled Indy car) is a generic name used in the United States for a type of open wheel race car. ... Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile (3. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Riverside International Raceway (Sometimes known as RIR or Riverside Raceway) was a racing track or road course in Riverside, California. ... Current city logo Riverside is the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States and is also a focus city of the Greater Los Angeles Area. ... Nickname: The International City (on flag), Friendly City (in Latin on citys seal), or the LBC Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: Country United States State California County Los Angeles County Mayor Bob Foster Area    - City 170. ... Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ... The California Speedway is a two-mile, low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California, approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles on the site of the former Kaiser Steel mill. ... Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

OMS architect Walter Ted Tyler later designed the Olympic Velodrome for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles where many world bicycling records were broken.

Past winners

A topo view of what the Ontario Motor Speedway looked like

Image File history File links Ontario_Motor_Speedway. ... Image File history File links Ontario_Motor_Speedway. ...

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

September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Jim McElreath (born February 18, 1928, Arlington, Texas), is a former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. ... The Coyote was a racing chassis designed and built for the use of A.J. Foyts race team in USAC Gold Crown big car racing and the Indianapolis 500. ... Ford may mean a number of things: A ford is a river crossing. ... September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Joe Leonard (born August 4, 1932, San Diego, California), is a retired American racecar driver and motorcycle racer. ... Ford may mean a number of things: A ford is a river crossing. ... September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Roger McCluskey (b. ... McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937–1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ... Hot Rod magazine cover, featuring supercharged Offenhauser engine Offenhauser was a racing engines manufacturer from that operated from 1933 to 1983. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Wally Dallenbach Sr. ... Anglo American Racers (Eagle) was a Formula One constructor from the USA. They participated in 25 Grands Prix, entering a total of 34 cars. ... Hot Rod magazine cover, featuring supercharged Offenhauser engine Offenhauser was a racing engines manufacturer from that operated from 1933 to 1983. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in leap years). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Robert William Bobby Unser (born February 20, 1934 in Colorado Springs, Colorado) was a U.S. automobile racer. ... Anglo American Racers (Eagle) was a Formula One constructor from the USA. They participated in 25 Grands Prix, entering a total of 34 cars. ... Hot Rod magazine cover, featuring supercharged Offenhauser engine Offenhauser was a racing engines manufacturer from that operated from 1933 to 1983. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... A. J. Foyt (born January 16, 1935) is considered by many as the greatest race car driver of all time. ... The Coyote was a racing chassis designed and built for the use of A.J. Foyts race team in USAC Gold Crown big car racing and the Indianapolis 500. ... A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the Indy Racing League that can trace its lineage to cars owned, driven, and sometimes built by A.J. Foyt himself in the 1960s. ... September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Robert William Bobby Unser (born February 20, 1934 in Colorado Springs, Colorado) was a U.S. automobile racer. ... Anglo American Racers (Eagle) was a Formula One constructor from the USA. They participated in 25 Grands Prix, entering a total of 34 cars. ... Hot Rod magazine cover, featuring supercharged Offenhauser engine Offenhauser was a racing engines manufacturer from that operated from 1933 to 1983. ... September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Alfred Unser (born May 29, 1939 in Albuquerque, New Mexico) is a former U.S. automobile racer. ... Parnelli was a Formula One constructor from USA. They participated in 16 grands prix, entering a total of 16 cars. ... Cosworth Logo Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing. ... September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Alfred Unser (born May 29, 1939 in Albuquerque, New Mexico) is a former U.S. automobile racer. ... Chaparral Cars was a United States automotive company which built cars in the 1960s. ... Cosworth Logo Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Robert William Bobby Unser (born February 20, 1934 in Colorado Springs, Colorado) was a U.S. automobile racer. ... Team Penske (also known as Penske Racing) is a racing team that currently owns cars running in the Indy Racing League and NASCAR; it formerly competed in CART. The team is named after its founder and principal owner, Roger Penske, and is a part of his conglomerate, Penske Corporation. ... Cosworth Logo Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Robert William Bobby Unser (born February 20, 1934 in Colorado Springs, Colorado) was a U.S. automobile racer. ... Team Penske (also known as Penske Racing) is a racing team that currently owns cars running in the Indy Racing League and NASCAR; it formerly competed in CART. The team is named after its founder and principal owner, Roger Penske, and is a part of his conglomerate, Penske Corporation. ... Cosworth Logo Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing. ...

NASCAR Winston Cup history

See main article: Los Angeles Times 500 The Los Angeles Times 500 was an annual NASCAR Winston Cup race held at Ontario Motor Speedway in November from 1974 to 1980. ...

External links

• Current view of Ontario Motor Speedway on Google
• A view of OMS on Wikimapia