The People Behind KC Race

STAFF:

Brian Olsen - Vice President

Larry Collins - President

Tim Elrod - Chief Financial Officer

Alan Destefani - Chairman

Marion Collins - Head Coach

Office Location:

9520 Taft Highway

Bakersfield, CA 93311

Mailing:

P.O. Box 20968

Bakersfield, CA 93390-0968

Phone: 661-39-SPEED (397-7333)

RACEWAY MANAGEMENT HISTORY

Mesa Marin Raceway (1977 – 2005), a high-banked paved half-mile oval, was owned and operated by the Collins Family since its opening in April of 1977. As a local businessman and race car competitor, Marion Collins designed his raceway to be an accommodating environment for families to enjoy auto racing as spectators, and the competitor to enjoy a challenging, fast and safe raceway.
For 29 years Mesa Marin hosted NASCAR sanctioned racing events. Many of those events have received national and international coverage through live television broadcasts by ABC’s Wide World of Sports, TNN, Fox Sports, Speed, HDNet and ESPN.

In 1994, the Collins Family played a critical role in the development of the
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Mesa Marin was the sight for design, construction and testing of the prototype NASCAR Craftsman Truck. Gary Collins led the team of designers and fabricators who built the first truck which has now become one of NASCAR’s hottest national circuits.

Mesa Marin hosted an annual schedule of over 25 racing events, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series from 1994 to 2003. The track also promoted non-racing events such as freestyle motocross, monster trucks, career days, and concerts featuring artist such as; Garth Brooks, Reba McIntyre, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, George Strait and more.

Mesa Marin was the sight of many national and international advertising campaigns, for such companies as Chrysler, Jaguar, Miller Beer, IKEA Furniture, Donna Karen, Uniroyal Tire, Nestle, Coors Light, Sears DieHard and many more.

Mesa Marin Raceway's fan friendly entertainment environment offered great
family entertainment at an affordable price. To accommodate the ever-
growing fan participation of NASCAR racing, Mesa Marin Raceway added 4,500 more permanent seats to their facility in 1999, to grow its seating capacity to nearly 12,000. A children’s playground and go-kart facility were important elements to the family entertainment environment.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

In 1996, Mesa Marin’s ACE Awards (recognition for exceptional performance for academic effort and positive lifestyle recognition) for Bakersfield elementary school students, received top honors by ESPN, for the best program in the nation incorporating children and sports.
Mesa Marin’s High School Racing Series provides the opportunity for area high school students to participate in the auto racing experience. The participating high schools build, race and provide racing pit crews for their cars. The High School Racing Series is an innovative program which is the first of its kind in the U.S.

The advent of the 911 racing series "pitted" area firefighters, police, sheriff and other local agencies to race against each other at Mesa Marin and at the same time offer assistance to youth programs in our area.

Mesa Marin is a recipient of the Beautiful Bakersfield Award for bringing national recognition to the City of Bakersfield.

FACTS

Mesa Marin Raceway generated over $55 million dollars into the Bakersfield/Kern County economy each year through the motorsports industry and tourist revenues generate by the out of town visitors who come to Mesa Marin.
Of 900 short tracks in that nation, Mesa Marin Raceway's October Classic was voted the Premiere Event of the Year by National Speed Sport News.
Mesa Marin Raceway events have been televised on ABC, ESPN, TNN, Speed, HDNet, Bright House Networks and Fox Sports Net. Nearly 4 million spectators attended Mesa Marin Raceway over its 29 year lifetime.

Mesa Marin Raceway closed its gates for the final time on Saturday night October 15^th, 2005 as the property was sold for new housing development.