Photo courtesy of Santa Maria Raceway, Facebook

Santa Maria Raceway—the 1/3-mile clay oval in San Luis Obispo County, California—has suspended operations indefinitely. The accompanying Stadium805 concert and event center will also suspend operations.

Current owner Nick Duggan, who purchased the facility in 2018, cited an ongoing legal conflict with county officials stemming from a new residential community near the track. 

“The ongoing efforts of the County of San Luis Obispo and the Costa Pacifica Estates Homeowners Association to shut down our facility, and the legal fees defending the actions, has made it financially impossible to continue operating this facility in the way it has operated for decades,” Duggan stated on the track’s social media page.

“County fines between June and August will have reached over $37k and must be paid upfront. Adding to over $150k of lawyers/consultants fees and studies, this has drained us of all remaining operating funds. This is now affecting the quality and safety of our shows.

“Unfortunately, as a local family operation, we no longer have the means to continue the fight to keep this iconic facility open,” Duggan concluded.  

All racing events through the 2021 season, including the AMSOIL USAC-CRA Sprint Car Series and the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series, have been canceled. 

Read the post in its entirety here. For more information, visit santamariaraceway.com.