It's very sad to note that the 2005 racing season at the Cajon Speedway is not likely to happen at all. The speedway, operated by the Bruckner family since 1961, is a three-eighths of a mile NASCAR sanctioned paved oval located in El Cajon, California near the city of San Diego. However during the off period, at the end of the 2004 season, the Bruckner family became aware that there were going to be problems getting their land lease renewed with San Diego County. Efforts to sub lease the facility to two businessmen and race drivers, to create some sort of season this year as well as a long term renewal with the county, has apparently hit snags that cannot be fixed anytime soon.
For years the Cajon Speedway has been a southern California pinnacle for stock car racing featuring NASCAR Super Late Models among many other divisions. It has been traditionally the second stop of the season for the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southwest Series for well over a decade now.
However the Bruckner's lease with San Diego County is going to expire on August 15th and it does not appear that a lease renewal is going to happen. The racetrack is located in an industrial complex and the county has the area targeted for some massive commercial redevelopment. That includes the proposed expansion of the Gillespie Field Airport as well as facility renovations that will hopefully entice the aerospace industry to locate there.
The sad news, regarding the 2005 Cajon Speedway season, was confirmed on March 1st through a statement on the speedway's official website that read: "there's no possibility there will be a full season of racing at the Cajon Speedway in 2005. There's a very slight chance there will be some special events before the lease expires August 15th. In any case, the season will not start at the beginning of April like it usually does. The NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southwest Series race that everyone hoped would be on April 2nd has been cancelled. The track is available to rent for practice sessions. The go kart events scheduled for the track will take place and the motocross track is still open."
Last January there was a possible ray of light to avert this situation. It came from businessmen, and race drivers, Bo Lemler and Mark Norris who expressed an interest in leasing the track from the Bruckners through the end of their lease on August 15th while, at the same time, negotiating a new lease with San Diego County.
But, according to a March 2nd article published by "The San Diego Tribune", negotiations for the sub lease hit some major, time consuming, snags and they are virtually over. Lemler was quoted as saying: "we can't put anything together solid enough to run. They want me to come up with $100,000 up front to open the gates. We are out of it and I'm probably better off. Maybe we can look at doing something directly with the county after the present lease expires." up front money wasn't the only time consuming snag in the process. There were apparently going to be major delays in the process of transferring the track's liquor license to the new operators and there were also snags in negotiating a new contract with the concession stand owners.
Kevin Bruckner expressed disappointment in the breakdown of the negotiations and was quoted as saying: "we wanted to see this proposal because we wanted to have racing for our drivers and fans. In January, I was very optimistic but it took a lot longer than expected. A lot of things that had to be done were way behind schedule and when we added everything up it was cost prohibitive. Right now it's a dead issue. We've talked about the possibility of holding one or two races but not a whole season. We needed to let the racers know."
One of those special races this year might turn out to be the Cajon Speedway's annual Fourth of July special weekend that features the Factory Stock Enduro race and fireworks.
In the meantime Lemler and Norris are reported to be considering a plan to seek a lease from San Diego County that would allow a three month short racing season between August 15th and November 15th. They have also reportedly talked with County officials about operating the track until the County needs the land for the proposed expansion of the adjacent airport.
In all fairness to San Diego County, you cannot blame them for wanting to expand the airport and revitalize the facilities in the industrial area where the track is located. That type of redevelopment, to expand the area's economic base, is part of their commitment to the constituents they serve. But you've also got to wonder if there's a way for the Cajon Speedway to continue to operate in the middle of this industrial complex. The parties involved are simply asking for a lease that covers a very small portion of the complex: the acreage occupied by the track and the adjacent parking lot.
Lemler restated a warning he issued in January when he said "once the track is dark, it's going to be harder to get the lights back on and the people back." He's one hundred percent correct. Any closure of the Cajon Speedway, even on a short term basis, would likely be the death knell of a motorsports facility that has served its community and fans well all these years. Here's hoping some type of lease arrangement can be worked out soon.
