Buttonwillow World

Tired of endless, nauseating traffic? Looking for a chance to open up that fancy sports car of yours? Hop on over to Buttonwillow World, where a grass roots effort to create some world-class race tracks has resulted in the sexiest driving this side of the Mississippi.

Parallel History

Dario Resta returned to San Francisco in 1915 a champion of the United States Grand Prix. The next year, he won the Indianapolis 500.

Inspired by a continued passion for driving and a boredom of the race tracks peppered up and down the coast, Resta moved his family to Bakersfield and established a small race center in the Buttonwillow neighborhood. Resta’s fame, coupled with the upswing in America’s obsession with the automobile, propelled the Buttonwillow into the limelight.

Resta used his popularity and endorsements to expand his business. The low, relatively flat terrain provided ample room and possibilities for racing. Over the years, the car culture of California continued to flock to central California, bypassing Santa Cruz and other coastal hotspots.

The result? A surprisingly different California. Gone is the surf culture that permeated Southern California, replaced instead by a love for the fastest, sleekest car on the road. The land speed record was achieved not in the Arizona desert, but 10 miles out of Lebec.

Speed limits have adjusted accordingly, as have the auto engine and the highway. Ultra-fast and lightweight, cars on Buttonwillow World rely not on gasoline but another form of fuel that burns completely clean. Finally, a Los Angeles with clean air.

If you’re a fan of the race, this world is a must-visit.

The Zimmerman Telegraph

Sewn into the checkered flag at the inaugural Resta 1000.