Willow Springs International Motorsports Park (commonly referred to as Willow Springs) is located in Willow Springs near Rosamond, California, about an hour north of Los Angeles. It is the oldest permanent road course in the United States. Construction began in 1952, with the inaugural race held on November 23, 1953. Willow Springs hosted the first NASCAR events west of the Mississippi. The main track is a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) long road course that is unchanged from its original 1953 configuration. The elevation changes and high average speeds make it a favorite of many road racing drivers.

There are a total of seven tracks at Willow Springs. The largest and most well known track is Willow Springs International Raceway (commonly referred to as Big Willow). There are other racing facilities such as The Streets of Willow (1.8 mile road course), The Horsethief Mile (road course), The Speedway at Willow Springs (1/4 mile paved oval), Willow Springs Kart Track (a .625-mile, 9-turn paved sprint track), The Playpen (a 1/4-mile paved training track), and the Walt James Stadium (Clay Oval and Paved Oval).

Efforts by fans resulted in the State of California declaring Willow Springs International Raceway as a California Point of Historical Interest in 1996.

Tracks

Willow Springs Raceway (commonly called Big Willow or sometimes The Big Track) is a 2.5 mile paved road course consisting of 9 turns.

• Turn 1: “Castrol corner” is a 90-degree high-speed left-handed turn.
• Turn 2: “The Rabbits Ear” is a double apex sweeping turn
• Turn 3/4: “The Omega” is an uphill and downhill section with a camber change.
• Turn 5: A quick left-handed turn that sets up for the fastest sections of the track.
• Turn 6: Monroe Ridge
• Turn 7: Repass Pass
• Turn 8: Sometimes called, “The Sweeper,” turn 8 is a high speed right hand corner. The lead-in to this turn is the fastest section of the racetrack.
• Turn 9: A right-handed turn with a big dip before the apex. This is the final turn before the front straightway to the finish line.

Opened in 2003, the Horse Thief Mile (sometimes called The Mile) is a 1.0 mile paved roadcourse featuring 11 turns as well as numerous elevation changes. It was designed to simulate a winding mountain road.