California man buys land so he can build his very own professional drag racing track
- A man bought some land to create his own drag race track
- The track has already held nine events
- Now the DIY track is turning into a big deal
Published on Jan 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jan 07, 2025 at 8:01 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A racing enthusiast in California has bought some land so he can build his very own professional drag racing track.
Ramon Gonzalez from Mendota is a car racing fanatic – and he’s hoping to put his city on the map with its very own drag strip.
Gonzalez put his hand into his pocket to fork out for the land, which is now being transformed into a professional drag strip.
He’s even caught the attention of the local mayor, who has opinions about it.
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He hopes the drag racing track will be a hit with locals
Drag races are a great way to get a true feel for how cars perform against each other in real life rather than on paper – sometimes with surprising and interesting results, like when a Koenigsegg Agera RST took on a Tesla Model X Plaid.
And while most of us are quite happy with watching the outcome of a drag race online, Ramon Gonzalez set himself the challenge of creating his very own.
He bought the piece of land back in August 2023 and has been slowly but surely transforming it ever since.
Even more impressive, he told KMPH that he’s entirely funded the track himself, with the help of some sponsored donations.
He hopes that the drag strip will become a hit with the locals and put his city on the map.
“That’s my goal to give a name to Mendota,” he said.
So far, Gonzalez has held nine events at the track, which is currently undergoing some construction work so it can host even more events this year.
Even the local mayor is impressed by his efforts
The drag racing track has even managed to catch the eye of the Mayor of Mendota Victor Martinez, who is a huge fan.
He said he’s seen people come from as far away as Texas and Arizona to watch events held at Mendota Raceway Park.
Martinez told KMPH that he shared Gonzalez’s vision of the racing track becoming a great thing for local residents.
“There’s nothing out here in the west side in our communities, all it is… work, go home, work, go home,” he said.
“But by having something like this here, it brings everybody together and gives them an opportunity to come and have some good times.”
You can check out the progress of Mendota Raceway Park on its Facebook page here.
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
