Pasadena Star-News

Jet dryers attempt to dry up water in the pits at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday. The Xfinity Series race was postponed by rain and will be run today after the Cup Series race, the final one on the 2-mile configuration at Fontana. WILL LESTER — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Xfinity Series driver Austin Dillon, left, stands next to his race car after returning to the pits and climbing out after just two pace laps due to rain at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday. The race will be run today following the Cup Series Pala 400. WILL LESTER — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Plans to replace the 27-year-old facility, built in 1997, with a smaller short-track are on hold while NASCAR determines its place in the Southern California market.

“You have to put yourself in their shoes and ask youself, ‘What would you do?’” Logano said. “It makes it a pretty simple decision from their standpoint.

“And here’s the part that makes me feel a little better about it: Yes, the racing here is spectacular. It’s probably one of the best tracks we have, period. But the facts are, it’s getting old. The asphalt is coming apart, and if we were to repave it and just leave it the same (configuration), the racing would be awful. It’s just the end of an era.”

The news of the sale also has put a sudden significance on winning what may be the last Cup Series race in Southern California for the foreseeable future.

“Knowing that it is going away, this speedway has been one of my favorite large race tracks that we go to and I’m definitely on the side of being very bummed that this surface is going away,” Chris Buescher said.

The NASCAR Cup Series has a long history in Southern Calfornia, starting in 1970 at Riverside International Raceway, but has not said what its plans are for Southern California for 2024 and beyond.

“The last few years that I’ve run here I’ve really enjoyed (Fontana),” A.J. Allmendinger said. “It’s put on great racing but the biggest thing that stands out to me are some of the finishes this track has had.”

Perhaps the most famous finish to Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway came in 2011 when Kevin Harvick passed Jimmie Johnson in Turn 4 of the last lap to win.

“It’s always tough to see a race track that’s in this phase go away,” Harvick said. “This track has been one of the driver’s favorties because of the surface and the cracks and the bumps and the seams, and being able to race all over the race track.”

For last year’s race winner, Kyle Larson, Fontana is fun because it’s so wide.

“I like the track a lot. It really suits my style quite a bit (and) I’m sad to see it go,” Larson said.

Martin Truex Jr., the 2018 Auto Club 400 winner, best summed up the feelings in the garage.

“I’m going to miss the track in general,” said Truex Jr., who won The Clash at The Coliseum to start the season. “(Fontana) is very unique. It’s very fun (and) a big challenge to do all the things it takes here to be successful. I typically like the older tracks, and this is certainly one of those.

“I’m going to miss everything about this track. Hopefully we can go out on a high note last time around,” Truex Jr. said.