Santa Maria Speedway is a one-third mile clay surfaced oval, located 12 miles inland from the Pacific coast, three miles north of the city of Santa Maria, and adjacent to the U.S. 101 and State 166 interchange. The facility is one hundred seventy miles north of Los Angeles and 260 miles south of San Francisco.

The Speedway is nestled in a semi amphitheater of natural terrain, sheltered by dense eucalyptus trees at the top and to the back of the bleacher area, which affords excellent protection from the prevailing northerly winds.

A three foot high concrete crash wall encircles the twelve degree banked racing surface. Clay for the track is *quarried on site.

Races are run every Saturday night, commencing the first weekend in May and continuing through the last weekend in September. About three quarters of the season is devoted to a championship racing series involving Late Model Stocks Cars, Non-Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Factory Stocks and Modifieds. Also on tap during the season are: The Western Dirt Late Model Tour, CRA Non-Winged 410 Sprint Cars, Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) Midgets, National Midget Racing Association (NMRA) TQ Midgets, the 2nd Annual East vs. West Shootout pitting Bakersfield's Street Stocks against Santa Maria's, and the annual Don Roberts Street Stock Grand Prix.

One lap track records are:

• LATE MODEL TOUR: 13.720, Bobby Hogge IV - 4/10/04
• LATE MODEL OPEN COMP: 14.558, Steve Drake - 10/1/04
• LATE MODEL STOCKS: 13.911, Steve Drake - 4/12/03
• BANDIT SPRINT CARS ( NO WINGS): 13.354, Danny Sheridan - 9/11/04
• STREET STOCK OPEN COMP: 16.130, Tim Randolph - 10/1/04
• CALIFORNIA STREET STOCK CHAMPIONSHIP: 16.225, Rick Wilkinson - 4/24/03
• FACTORY STOCK OPEN COMP: 19.380, Chris Garris - 10/21/00
• GSC SPRINT CARS (WINGS): 11.272, Brent Kaeding - 7/10/04
• REBEL CUP SPRINT CARS (WINGS): 12.027, Tommy Tarlton - 9/30/00
• CRA (NO WINGS): 13.323, Ron Shuman - 5/14/94
• CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINTS (WINGS): 13.280, San Corso - 10/4/03
• MIDGETS (NO WINGS): 13.465, Danny Stratton - 8/7/04
• MIDGETS (WINGS): 13.711, Johnny Cofer - 6/13/92
• TQ MIDGETS (NO WINGS): 14.820, Jimmy May - 4/10/04
• MODIFIEDS: 15.642, Bobby Hogge III - 9/5/04

Amenities at the Speedway include free parking, handicapped parking, free transportation and assistance to bleachers and return for the handicapped, senior citizens rates, a designated "Family Section" in the bleachers with no smoking or drinking allowed, reserved terrace seating at both the north and south ends of the bleachers designed for lawn chairs, excellent P.A. system, stadium quality track lighting, clean restrooms, digital scoreboard, infield pits to afford spectators maximum entertainment and reasonably priced refreshments.

The Speedway, built in 1964 by owner/promoter Doug Fort who passed away in April of 1999, is currently in its 43rd season of continuous operation. The track is now being run by Doug's wife Nettie and step-son Promoter Larry Ulam. About the only thing that hasn't changed over the years is the intensity of the racers the fervor of the fans and the quality of competition.

Santa Maria Speedway has been named "Best Short Track Operation West of the Mississippi" on two separate occasions.