Willow Springs International Motorsports Park (iRacing)
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Information
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| Location | California |
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| Country |  United States
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Configurations
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Big Willow
2.500 mi
4.023 km | |
Information
Willow Springs International Motorsports Park (commonly referred to as Willow Springs) is located in Willow Springs near Rosamond, California, about 80 mi (130 km) north of Los Angeles. It is the oldest permanent road course in the United States.[1] Construction began in 1952, with the inaugural race held on November 23, 1953. The main track is a 2.500 mi (4.023 km) long road course that is unchanged from its original 1953 configuration. The elevation changes and high average speeds make it a favorite of many road racing drivers.
Willow Springs hosted two NASCAR Grand National races in 1956 and 1957 on the original road course (then known simply as Willow Springs Speedway), won by Chuck Stevenson and Marvin Panch respectively. The track also hosted five NASCAR Winston West Series events, the first two in 1955 and 1956 and the other three between 1984 and 1986. Willow Springs also hosted one NASCAR Southwest Series race in 1986.
There are a total of seven tracks at Willow Springs. The largest and most well known track is Willow Springs International Raceway (commonly referred to as Big Willow). There are other racing facilities such as The Streets of Willow (1.800 mile road course), The Horse Thief Mile (road course), The Speedway at Willow Springs (1/4 mile paved oval), Willow Springs Kart Track (a .625-mile, nine-turn paved sprint track), The Playpen (a 1/4-mile paved training track), and the Walt James Stadium (Clay Oval and Paved Oval).
Effor ts by fans resulted in the State of California declaring Willow Springs International Raceway as a California Point of Historical Interest in 1996.
Tracks
Willow Springs Raceway
Willow Springs Raceway (commonly called Big Willow or sometimes The Big Track) is a 2.500 mi (4.023 km) paved road course consisting of 9 turns.
- Turn 1: "Castrol corner" is a 90-degree high-speed left-handed turn.
- Turn 2: "The Rabbits Ear" is a double apex sweeping turn
- Turn 3/4: "The Omega" is an uphill and downhill section with a camber change.
- Turn 5: A quick left-handed turn that sets up for the fastest sections of the track.
- Turn 6: Monroe Ridge
- Turn 7: Repass Pass
- Turn 8: Sometimes called, "The Sweeper," turn 8 is a high speed right hand corner. The lead-in to this turn is the fastest section of the racetrack.
- Turn 9: A right-handed turn with a big dip before the apex. This is the final turn before the front straightway to the finish line.