SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Santa Maria Raceway has ceased operations.
Citing the ongoing legal battle with San Luis Obispo County officials, track owner Nick Duggan posted a lengthy statement on the track’s Facebook page on Monday.
“It is with deep regret that we are forced to announce the indefinite suspension of operations at Stadium805 and the Santa Maria Raceway. The ongoing efforts of the County of San Luis Obispo and the Costa Pacifica Estates Homeowners Ass’n 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. This is extremely frustrating as from the beginning we have made every effort to operate under the direct guidance from the County of San Luis Obispo,” the statement began.
The announcement also states that there are two contracted events that will be run at the facility in August. Those events are non-racing related. All upcoming races at Santa Maria Raceway have been canceled, including events for the AMSOIL USAC-CRA Sprint Car Series and the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series.
Duggan said officials no longer had the means to continue to fight to keep the track open.
“Unfortunately, as a local family operation we no longer have the means to continue the fight to keep this iconic facility open. The effect this had on our personal health and mental well-being due to the constant legal battles and uncertainty of the future has led us to this distressing decision,” the statement said.
“As of today, we are officially closing down the operations of Stadium805 and Santa Maria raceway to stop the financial bleeding. Apart from one or two remaining contractual arrangements through August 2021 all other events will be canceled. All outstanding invoices and staff arrangements will be paid in full from personal funds. We sincerely and unreservedly apologize to our community of devoted fans and racers.”