Buttonwillow Raceway Park
Location
Buttonwillow, California, USA
Current Local Time
Track Info
Buttonwillow Raceway Park - Buttonwillow, California, USA
Highly adaptable Central California motorsport complex - home to the established Classic course and the fast, modern Circuit
When was the track built?
Cal Club began developing Buttonwillow after Southern California lost several important racing venues, including Riverside International Raceway. The organisation purchased farmland near Interstate 5 and created a permanent home for club racing, testing and driver education.
The facility was completed in December 1995. Its original track later became known as the Classic after construction began on a second, completely separate road course.
That new course, called The Circuit, opened for competition in January 2025. It added a modern surface, wide corners, new garages and another control tower to the complex.
When was its first race?
Buttonwillow hosted its first event in late 1995, although surviving public records do not identify one universally recognised inaugural winner. SCCA regional competition was firmly established by early 1996, when numerous class lap records were first recorded.
The Circuit held its inaugural SCCA Majors weekend on 25 and 26 January 2025.
What's the circuit like?
- Many possible layouts: Connecting roads allow organisers to create short, long, fast or technical configurations.
- Race #13 CW: The most popular Classic track-day layout combines slow, medium and high-speed corners.
- Race #25 CW: A faster racing configuration with longer straights and several overtaking opportunities.
- The Circuit: A wide, flowing course with fast sweepers, a smooth surface and tighter corners near the end of the lap.
The Classic is known for named sections including Cotton Corners, the Bus Stop, Riverside, the Esses and Phil Hill. Phil Hill rises over a crest, making the corner exit difficult to see until the vehicle reaches the top.
Lap records and benchmarks
- The Circuit, Sports Prototype: 1:33.972 - Jim Devenport, 2025.
- The Circuit, Formula Atlantic: 1:38.426 - Greg Labadie, 2025.
- The Circuit, GT1: 1:41.719 - Michael Lewis, 2026.
- Classic Race #13 CW, Formula Atlantic: 1:41.075 - Nicole Havrda, 2022.
- Classic Race #13 CW, Time Attack: 1:37.308 - William Au-Yeung, Honda Civic, 2018.
Buttonwillow's layouts have different lengths and corner combinations. Race, qualifying, testing and time-attack laps should therefore be compared only when the exact configuration is known.
Why is it famous?
Buttonwillow is strongly associated with grassroots racing, performance testing and automotive media. Car manufacturers, tyre companies, professional teams and magazines regularly use its many layouts.
Race #13 CW is also the traditional home of the Global Time Attack and Super Lap Battle finals. The event has attracted highly modified production-based cars from the United States and overseas since 2004.
What events are held here?
The calendar includes SCCA and NASA racing, time attack, motorcycle events, endurance competition, driving schools and public track days. Because the Classic and Circuit are independent, two different activities can sometimes operate during the same day.
A separate kart track is used for kart racing, Supermoto and driver development.
Why go?
Buttonwillow provides a close look at American club motorsport without the scale or crowds of a major international race. The variety of configurations means repeat visitors may see a very different circuit from one weekend to the next.
Facilities include garages, tyre and fuel services, cafés, showers and a 70-space RV park with electricity and water connections. The circuit is beside Interstate 5, northwest of Bakersfield.
Where's the best place to watch?
- Phil Hill: Watch vehicles climb toward a blind crest before dropping into the next section.
- Cotton Corners: A useful area for comparing braking, direction changes and different racing lines.
- Main straight: Best for starts, finishes and activity around the garages and pit lane.
- The Circuit's opening corner: Competitors arrive from the wide front straight and may challenge under braking.
Public viewing areas and paddock access vary between races, test days and private bookings. Check the event organiser's information before travelling.
Transportation & Parking
Getting to Buttonwillow Raceway Park (California)
Buttonwillow Raceway Park is beside Interstate 5 in California's Central Valley, around 28 miles northwest of Bakersfield. Driving or hiring a car is by far the easiest way to arrive, with the circuit only about half a mile from the freeway.
Driving & parking (easiest way)
- From Los Angeles: travel north towards the Central Valley and join Interstate 5. Leave I-5 at Lerdo Highway and head west to the circuit.
- From Bakersfield: head towards Interstate 5 and Buttonwillow, then use Lerdo Highway for the final approach.
- From Northern California: follow I-5 south towards Buttonwillow and leave at Lerdo Highway.
- Parking: Buttonwillow has a large paved paddock, but your exact parking or paddock area depends on the event. Follow organiser instructions when you arrive.
Tip: The circuit is extremely close to I-5, so there is normally no reason to drive through the centre of Buttonwillow first.
Airport transfers
- Meadows Field Airport (BFL): the most convenient commercial airport for the circuit and located in Bakersfield.
- Rental car: the simplest onward option. Several major rental companies have counters inside the airport terminal.
- Taxi or rideshare: taxis, Uber and Lyft operate from Meadows Field, but arranging your return from the rural circuit in advance is sensible.
- Los Angeles airports: useful if they offer better flights, but expect a much longer drive north to Buttonwillow.
Train
- Wasco Station: a nearby Amtrak option for visitors travelling through California's Central Valley.
- Wasco → circuit: there is no rail connection directly to Buttonwillow Raceway Park, so arrange a rental car, taxi or private pickup.
- Bakersfield Station: another useful option if you plan to rent a car or stay in Bakersfield before travelling to the circuit.
For most race weekends, driving directly is considerably easier than combining rail and local transport.
Bus & local transport
Public transport around Buttonwillow is very limited and is not designed around circuit events.
- Buttonwillow: Kern Transit's connections information lists a limited local service operated from the Pioneer Senior Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- To the circuit: do not assume local transport will take you directly to the raceway entrance.
- Best option without a car: arrange a lift, taxi or private transfer before travelling.
RV camping & facilities
- RV park: Buttonwillow has 70 spaces with water and 30/50-amp electrical hookups.
- Showers: men's and women's showers are available at both the Classic and Circuit track areas.
- Food and fuel: the venue has concessions plus an on-site fuel and tire centre whenever there is track activity.
- Reserve early: the circuit recommends booking RV spaces in advance for busy weekends.
Accessibility
- Travelling by car: this is usually the easiest option because the circuit is rural and public transport is limited.
- Before travelling: contact Buttonwillow Raceway Park or your event organiser to confirm accessible parking, entrances and spectator arrangements.
- Flying: Meadows Field advises travellers who require specially equipped rental vehicles to reserve them in advance.
Quick guide
- Driving? Take Interstate 5 to Lerdo Highway; the circuit is about half a mile west of the freeway.
- Flying? Meadows Field in Bakersfield is the most convenient commercial airport; hire a car for the onward journey.
- Coming by train? Wasco is a nearby Amtrak stop, but arrange road transport for the final section.
Check Buttonwillow Raceway Park and your event organiser shortly before travelling, as gate times, paddock access and parking arrangements can vary between events.
Nearby Activities
Things to do around Buttonwillow Raceway Park (Buttonwillow, California)
Whether you’re here for a car or motorcycle track day, racing, testing or karting, Buttonwillow Raceway Park sits in California’s southern San Joaquin Valley - with wildlife, museums, hiking and Bakersfield’s distinctive food scene within easy reach.
Family-friendly highlights nearby
- Tule Elk State Natural Reserve: See a protected herd of tule elk, a subspecies found only in California. Bring binoculars for the best views and stop at the interpretive displays.
- California Living Museum: This Bakersfield zoo and garden focuses on animals and plants native to California, making it an easy family introduction to the region's wildlife.
- Kern County Museum: Explore historic buildings, old vehicles and exhibits covering agriculture, oil, local communities and everyday life in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
- Buena Vista Museum: Dinosaur displays, fossils and a major collection of prehistoric finds from nearby Sharktooth Hill make this a good option for younger visitors.
Culture hits & rainy-day winners
- Kern County Museum: The museum gives useful context to the oil, farming and transportation industries you will see while driving around the region.
- Buena Vista Museum of Natural History: See fossils from a time when parts of today's Central Valley were covered by the sea, along with geology and natural-history displays.
- Downtown Bakersfield: Combine museums with cafés, shops and the city's arts district if extreme heat or rain makes outdoor sightseeing less appealing.
Eat & drink after the racing
- Buttonwillow: The Interstate 5 area has straightforward restaurants and fuel stops when convenience matters more than sightseeing.
- Bakersfield: Head into the city for a much larger range of Mexican, American and international restaurants.
- Basque restaurants: Bakersfield has an unusually strong Basque food tradition, with restaurants serving generous family-style meals built around soup, beans, salad and meat dishes.
If you have never tried Basque food, Bakersfield is one of the easiest places in the United States to start.
Active outdoors away from the track
- Kern River Parkway Trail: Bakersfield has a roughly 30-mile paved path beside the Kern River, suitable for cycling, jogging or an easy walk through preserved riverside habitat.
- Wind Wolves Preserve: Explore grassland, foothills and oak woodland on free hiking and biking trails in a huge nature preserve south of Bakersfield.
Easy day trips if you’re extending your stay
- Bakersfield: Combine the Kern County Museum, Buena Vista Museum and local Basque food for an easy full day away from the circuit.
- Wind Wolves Preserve: Spend several hours hiking through a landscape that supports tule elk, kit foxes, condors and other native wildlife.
- Tehachapi Loop: Railway fans can watch long freight trains climb through a remarkable spiral section of track in the mountains east of Bakersfield.
- Carrizo Plain: For a longer outing, head towards this remote national monument for huge open landscapes, wildlife and spectacular wildflowers in good spring seasons.
Good to know when visiting Buttonwillow
- Check which course you need: Buttonwillow now has separate Classic and Circuit road courses plus kart facilities, so confirm the paddock and track being used for your event.
- Facilities are extensive: The raceway has garages, RV hookups, fuel, tire services, restrooms, showers and food concessions, although individual services can vary by event.
- Prepare for serious heat: Summer conditions in the San Joaquin Valley can be extremely hot and dry. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, a hat and shade if your event allows it.
- A car is essential: The raceway is beside Interstate 5 in a rural agricultural area, and almost every major attraction requires driving.
Circuit access, track configurations, event schedules, concessions, wildlife viewing and attraction opening hours can change - check live information before travelling.