The Santa Maria Speedway is preparing to reopen.
It's been a special place for many people for decades, but for Carol Paquet, it's more than just a racetrack, it's a treasure trove of memories.
“A neighbor of ours raced... and he used to bring his daughters and my sister and I, and we used to sit on the bench and he'd say, 'Wait here till after the race!"... And, [I] just enjoyed it since I was a little girl,” Paquet said.
Her memories only continued to grow as her late husband, John Paquet, added to its legacy as a photographer.
“We have so many memories there. I was pregnant for our son out there. Our son is now 33,” Paquet added.
“Josh Paquette was a part of this track for so many years and supplied the raceway with so many quality pictures, not just of racing action, but of people around the track," David Castaneda said.
Castaneda has been working for the speedway for many years and as general manager, is gearing up for the reopening, but he tells me there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“We're doing repairs up in the grandstands, getting the bathrooms redone, certain plumbing and electrical issues. We're redoing some of the lighting, so there's a bit of work to be done here,“ Castaneda said.
He says costs associated with lawsuits from homeowner's associations unhappy with live music events led to the previous owner’s decision to close the speedway in 2021. In conversations with the new owners, Castaneda says they discovered that as long as they stick to racing events, the property's permits remain valid.
“Our plans for, for this year, is to stick primarily with motorsports between our sprint car racing and monster trucks and maybe even bring back motorcycles again," Castaneda said.
The Speeway will also be using the original name and similar logo to clear up any confusion.
“With longtime fans, you know, a lot of people don't like change,” Castaneda said.
On May 11, the Pro Stock race signals the Speedway's grand reopening and sprint cars rev their engines in June.
“It'll just be such a blessing to have it back and see old friends again and remember my husband's wonderful photos," Paquet said.
