Sports
Future of rebuilt race track in Fontana remains up in the air
The history of the auto racing track located some 50 miles east of Los Angeles, known colloquially as just Fontana, is rich with the biggest names in stock car racing having competed there. And some may remember its frequent appearances in movies, most recently it pretended to be the Daytona International Speedway in the 2019 film “Ford v Ferrari.”
But now, the history of the track is on hold with no restart date. After the conclusion of last year’s NASCAR race in February, demolition of the 2-mile oval began. All that remains are a few grandstands and suites. Race fans in Southern California are eager to return to a track that will be rebuilt at a half-mile and bring a style of racing that is a mix of Martinsville and Bristol.
However, eager has turned to anxious for race fans as NASCAR still has no final plan or date when racing will return to the area where ground was broken in 1995 on the site of the former Kaiser Steel Mill.
“We’ve got some internal approvals to work through, but the hope is to have something to go out with sometime in the near future,” said Dave Allen, track president of the NASCAR-owned property. “Right now we just don’t have anything to discuss until we have some approvals done.”
The final race at the track was on Feb. 26. Why NASCAR, a company built on speed, has been so slow to make a decision remains hidden behind closed doors. Allen speaks in generalities about the delay but is candid about not knowing a date.
“You’ve got to look at everything we’ve gone through,” Allen said. “We’ve gone through COVID, we’ve gone through a lot of different things. Everything has not played into our favor. We’re looking to do things right and not rush it. If the timeframe moves then the timeframe moves. We’re just not in a position to commit to a timeframe right now.”
With a build time of 12 to 18 months, Allen doesn’t see this project as just a one-year absence from racing.
“Yeah, most likely it wouldn’t be ready next year,” he said.
NASCAR’s top executives seem committed to keeping racing alive in Southern California after this year.
“I would say that we are still planning on building a short track in Fontana,” Steve Phelps, NASCAR president, said in a news conference in November in Phoenix. “What the timing of that is, I don’t know. This isn’t the best time to be building based on inflation, the cost of capital, etc. But our intention is to continue to be in the Southern California market. For 2024, we will be at the Coliseum. It is our intention to build a short track in the Inland Empire.”
Kyle Larson leads the field under caution during a race at Auto Club Speedway in 2022 in Fontana.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
The Busch Lite Clash at the Coliseum will be held Sunday. It’s an exhibition of a series of heat races, concluding with a championship race. This year there is also the King Taco La Batalla en El Coliseo, a part of the Mexico series and the only race on the circuit in the United States.
This is the third of a three-year contract during which the Coliseum is transformed from a mostly football facility to a squeezed-in race track. NASCAR has not announced its plans for next year, and it could depend on how well the event does this year, if the race will return or move elsewhere. If it doesn’t come back, it would leave NASCAR with no presence in the coveted Southern California market.
The list of winners at Fontana is who’s who of NASCAR since the sport went national. Jimmie Johnson won a race there six times, Kyle Busch has five wins. Add in Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth and the list of winners goes on.
“I hate to see it go, I think it was great race track,” said Chase Elliott, who was voted most popular driver for the sixth year in a row. “I enjoyed the race track, it’s a long ways out there, though. It always seemed to have a good crowd, too. … Who knows what’s next? I think it was a good facility but I understand the logistics behind the property, the way that Roger [Penske] bought into that property and NASCAR acquiring it. I get it. I understand the business moves behind it. We’ll see what they do with it.”
Christopher Bell makes a pit stop during a NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana in 2023.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
The original footprint of the property was 560 acres before 40 acres on the outskirts were sold. But after the final race last February, it was reported that 433 acres of the property were sold to Hillwood Investment Properties, owned by Ross Perot Jr., and CBRE Investment Management for $569 million. That leaves about 90 acres for NASCAR to build its new track and possibly an entertainment complex.
Allen says deciding what entertainment options will be offered is one of the things still being decided.
“There are so many other things that go into it,” Allen said. “We need to find the white space in the market, what the needs are. Do we build a restaurant on top of the suites that’s open throughout the year? Will we have the ability to have concerts and do other things at the track throughout the year. There are a lot of things that factor in as to how we build the facility.”
Regardless of which options are chosen some will always have memories of Fontana the way it used to be.
Kyle Busch, starting his 20th year in Cup racing, has a memory of Fontana that goes beyond his highly successful career.
“I remember going there in 2000 and I was supposed to start my first Truck series race, it was actually my sixth start in the series,” Busch said. “It was Marlboro 500 weekend for the Indy cars and there was signage painted on the grass with the Marlboro sponsorship. The state attorney general read a news article that said 16-year-old Kyle Busch is competing in the Marlboro 500 weekend and immediately canceled my participation on the weekend because of the cigarette sponsorship. That was my first memory of California Speedway. Not too fond of that one.”
Busch’s good memories of the track far exceed that negative one.
“The first time I was there in a Cup series car, I sat on the pole, got my first pole award,” Busch said. “The following race that same year [when there were two NASCAR races a year] I won my first Cup series race. That was pretty awesome. In 2009 they had a doubleheader with the Truck series and the Xfinity series. I won both those races and it was the first time a NASCAR driver won two races on the same day.
“I won my 200th Cup series race there in 2019. There are a lot of good memories there. I won my first RCR (Richard Childress Racing) race there, which is the last race that we will all ever have on that speedway [at 2-miles]. I get to go out of there with the last trophy ever given out.”
The last trophy until the question to which everyone has is answered.
Sports
Orioles’ Craig Albernaz says he must eat baby food for weeks after foul ball to face leads to 7 fractures
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz has seven fractures in his orbital area as well as a broken jaw after taking a foul ball to the face, but he remains in the dugout with his squad.
However, Albernaz has one big change to his daily routine over the next month or so. He needs to eat baby food.
The injury occurred on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the foul ball came whipping toward the Orioles’ dugout and hit Albernaz square on the right side of his face. But he was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after suffering his multiple facial injuries.
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz looks on before an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on April 8, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
Reports from Baltimore state that he has a visible bruise on the right side of his face, and that he will need to consume baby food for the next six weeks as his face heals.
“This is what we’re here for,” Albernaz said to reporters, per the Baltimore Banner. “We’re here for the players. We have a game. I’m physically able to be here, so let’s go.… If my jaw was wired shut, I’d still be here.”
ORIOLES MANAGER CRAIG ALBERNAZ TAKES LINE DRIVE TO FACE IN TERRIFYING SCENE
Albernaz said he felt “pretty good” considering the circumstances from Monday night’s foul ball off the bat of one of his own, Jeremiah Jackson.
“Ball hit me pretty flush in the cheek, but I feel good,” he added. “Luckily, no surgery. I think all in all, it was at least seven fractures in my cheek area, orbital, and then a broken jaw. But luckily, it doesn’t have to be wired. No surgery. I just have to eat baby food for six weeks.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
Albernaz, like many managers, was standing at the top of the dugout steps when Jackson was late to a pitch that shot immediately toward his teammates and coaches. It’s an unfortunate situation for Albernaz, but the first-time MLB manager is clearly showing his grit and resilience for his squad.
They also showed it for him on Monday night, as they were trailing at that point in the game. However, the Orioles rallied to win the game 9-7.
A lot of that had to do with Jackson, who bashed two home runs, including a grand slam in the victory.
“I hit, and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face,” Jackson told reporters. “My heart kind of dropped. I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.… Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better. I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
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The Orioles’ win keeps them tied with the New York Yankees atop the AL East standings at 9-7.
Albernaz will continue to lead the way in the dugout moving forward, even if his diet does have to change.
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Sports
NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns after photos published of her and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel
NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic days after the New York Post’s Page Six published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel interacting at an Arizona resort.
The photos appear to show Russini and Vrabel holding hands, hugging and sitting a hot tub and a swimming pool. In the April 7 article that accompanied the photos in the Post’s Page Six, Russini and Vrabel — both of whom are married to other people — gave statements denying anything inappropriate was happening between them.
The article also included a statement from Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, who expressed full support of Russini and said the photos “are misleading and lack essential context.” The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, reported days later that the digital sports outlet would conduct an investigation into the matter.
Russini submitted her letter of resignation to Ginsberg on Tuesday, then posted it on X. In it, Russini states she has “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini wrote. “When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.
“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks. … Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
The New York Times confirmed Russini’s resignation but declined to comment further for this article.
Page Six wrote Tuesday that it received a statement from Ginsberg following Russini’s resignation.
“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter.”
But as “additional information emerged,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.” Ginsberg’s statement did not elaborate on the “new questions.”
The investigation is ongoing, according to Page Six.
Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where her roles included “SportsCenter” anchor and NFL analyst and insider. Vrabel was a three-time Super Bowl champion as a Patriots linebacker and was head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023 before returning to New England as head coach last season.
In Page Six’s initial article last week, Russini said the photos of her and Vrabel “don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day.” Vrabel said in the same article: “Those photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz takes line drive to face in terrifying scene
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was involved in a terrifying moment during the team’s victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Albernaz was struck by a line drive off the bat of Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson in the fifth inning. The ball hit the manager’s left cheek and he left to be looked at by the team’s medical staff.
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
Albernaz briefly returned to the game after Jackson hit a grand slam to help the Orioles to the 9-7 win.
“He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned,” Orioles bench coach Donnie Ecker said.
Jackson said he had a sunken feeling when he saw Albernaz in pain after the errant liner.
“I hit and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped,” Jackson said. “I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.”
AVALANCHE COACH TAKES PUCK TO THE FACE, WILL MISS FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
“Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better,” Jackson added. “I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Albernaz and Jackson embraced after the infielder hit the big home run in the sixth inning.
“That was awesome,” Jackson said of the impromptu embrace from his manager. “You never want to hurt anybody, and Alby’s awesome. It sucked. But he wore it well and he’s in good spirits so it made me feel better.”
Albernaz is in his first year as Baltimore’s manager. He served as a bench coach and assistant manager for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and 2025.
Baltimore Orioles’ Jeremiah Jackson rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore on April 13, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)
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Baltimore improved to 9-7 with the win and are tied with the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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