Lancaster, California

(Wikipedia) Willow Springs is about an hour north of Los Angeles in the Mohave Desert and just south of the Tehachapi Mountain Range. There are 7 track layouts and the surrounding scenery is just breathtaking.  It is the oldest permanent road course in the United States. Construction began in 1952, with the inaugural race held on November 23, 1953 resulting in California declaring is “A Historical Place of Interest.” Willow Springs hosted the first NASCAR events west of the Mississippi. The main track is a 2.5-mile (4.0 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 and it’s close proximity to Los Angeles has made it a regular in racing movies and high speed chases such as The Love Bug, Top Gear and The Need For Speed as well as a number of segments of Jay Leno’s Garage.

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