Chapter Five · Ontario, California · Early 1970s
Ontario Motor Speedway
Monty later became involved with Ontario Motor Speedway in California — one of the most ambitious motorsports venues ever constructed.
When Ontario Motor Speedway opened in 1970, it was hailed as the most modern racing facility on earth — a 2.5-mile superspeedway east of Los Angeles, built to host Indy cars, NASCAR stock cars, drag racing, and Formula One-caliber events at a single venue.
The project exposed Monty to large-scale event promotion, sponsorship strategy, fan engagement, national television, and race marketing at a scale few people in the industry had ever attempted.
The laboratory for what came next
Ontario was more than a racetrack; it was an experiment in what a motorsports event could be — celebrity involvement, entertainment programming, corporate hospitality, and broadcast partnerships woven into the racing itself.
Many of the concepts Monty later introduced into NASCAR can be traced to lessons learned during this period: that a race is a show, that fans reward brands who respect them, and that the right event format can become a tradition.
A race is a show. Fans reward brands who respect them. The right event format can become a tradition.