Nascar racing at Cajon Speedway

Hello My name is Leonard Manos and this is my race page blog. My storie is about about a small home town race track named El Cajon Speedway located in El Cajon Ca just 20 miles east of down town San Diego Ca. Cajon Speedway was a family operated race track for about 50 years. It was owned and promoted by the Brucker Family of El Cajon Ca. The bruckers opened the track back in the 1950's or so and operated it until it closed in 2004. Mr Steve Brucker was the promoter and the judge when it came to final decisions. I personaly participated in the racing events of Cajon Speedway for almost 8 years. Races were held on saturday nights and brought crouds ranging from 2000 people to almost 4000 on a special event night.

Mr Steve Brucker was shot in the doorway of his home after answering a knock at the door. The race track continued to operate for a couple years and then closed down after the 2004 racing season. The race track brought people from all walks of life and from all over the country to race there, you could say it was a meeting event! I can still remember the smell of race fuel in the air and the feel of the horse power from all those cars. Cajon Speedway was a family race track, not just because it was family run but because most of the racers and pit crews were all families. Cajon was not a corporate race track and the big corporate racing world lived outside of Cajon Speedway. Yes Cajon was a family run, raced, and operated track. Even though Nascar sanctioned the track and Nascar race rules applied to the track events the track was still about family. Five years later I can still here the track announcer opening with his famous track announcement " Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Cajon Speedway, I'm your track announcer Tom Mc Grath and I'll be call the action for you tonight on the fastest 3/8 paved oval in the west" That was the opening punch every Saturday and once Tom got started so did the racing. Tom had a way of calling the race and keeping people on the edge of there seats with his quick witt and humor. When the green flag dropped the B.S stoped,and even the best of friends became fierce competitors on the race track. I drove the #48 powder 1, MTS Construction sponsored Ford. Cajon Speedway has now been closed for almost 5 years, The concrete pit slabs have been removed, the spectator bleachers torn down and the track surface has bee hauled away. In fact there is nothing left of Cajon Speedway at all except memories. The county has sprayed grass seed over the entire area to promote grass root growth but take a ride in an airplane and you will see somthing that is like a ghost. The track racing surface impression is still visible from the air. Nothing will grow there still and you can still see where the oval and the figure eight used to be. Cajon speedway is gone and so are the spectators but Cajon will never be forgotten by those who spent time there and who loved the place like it was there Owen. Cajon will go to the grave in the hearts of those who loved it and still remember it till there dieing day.