About Us

The Madera Speedway was built in 1971 in the current location; prior to 1971 it was located across the street and operated in that location since the 1940’s. The biggest names in the sport have raced at the Madera Speedway, from drivers that were Indy Car legends to future NASCAR stars. But in 2006 the speedway was closed and the future looked very dark for the historic Madera Speedway.

In late 2006 race car driver Kenny Shepherd formulated a plan to save the Madera Speedway. Shepherd was focused on the short track side of auto racing, known to many as the “grass roots” of the sport and was concerned with how this side of auto racing was suffering. In June of 2007 Shepherd retired from the driver’s seat after a successful racing career that began in 1984 to give 100% of his racing efforts back to the grass roots in 2007.

“I raced in an era that produced the likes of Kurt Busch, Ron Hornaday, Jr., Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle to name a few from the West Coast, and by the mid 2000’s those opportunities were drying up around the short tracks and I had several thoughts on how to redirect the sport in a more positive direction. By 2007 I had a pretty good idea of what I felt I needed to do in an effort to help the entire short track racing scene, and being the type of person that has a get it done mindset I decided to make the Madera Speedway the home base for my efforts in the sport.” Kenny Shepherd.

Fast forward to 2019 and the Madera Speedway is one of the most well know short tracks in the nation, the Madera Speedway is home to Madera Racing on MAVTV which is a nationally broadcast television show featuring two of the top racing series in the nation, the 51FIFTY Jr Late Model Series and the Nut Up Pro Late Model Series. For 2019 Kenny Shepherd started a new series called the Challenge Cup Series that will also be on MAVTV, this provides drivers with the next step in the sport allowing them to gain experience in the bigger CUP style cars.

Drivers from all corners of the United States, Canada and Mexico now travel to the popular short track in Madera, California to test their skills and compete against the best drivers in the nation on MAVTV.

“To me the sport is so much more than just fast cars and dare devil drivers pushing the limits, it is a way of life, a culture and it is much more about people finding out what they are made of and chasing their dreams than anything else. We invented the Jr Late Model Series movement to provide a platform for the 10-16 year olds to be more involved, and this is a place that gives our youth a chance to propel themselves into the sport in a high profile manner. 51FIFTY is our title sponsor of the Jr Late Model Series on MAVTV and their slogan is “Live the Madness”, and that really means follow your dreams, take the next step and take a chance no matter who you are.” Kenny Shepherd.

Nut Up Industries is the title sponsor of the Pro Late Model Series on MAVTV and their lineup of snacks include some of the healthiest and most tasty products available. Like 51FIFTY they are also a Central Valley based company which has been a perfect combination for a television production based at the Madera Speedway in Central California.

OUR PASSION IS SHORT TRACK RACING AND OUR MISSION IS BUILDING STARS FROM IT. If you have interest in joining the team at the Madera Speedway in any way from becoming a marketing partner to becoming a race car driver please contact the race office at 209-356-1968.