Bill Huth, who owned and ran Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, California, for more than 60 years, died May 4 at the age of 91. Willow Springs opened in 1953, and Huth purchased it in 1962. Under Huth's ownership, the track grew to include the Streets of Willow and Horse Thief Mile road courses, a paved oval track, a dirt oval track, and a karting circuit in addition to the original 2.5-mile, nine-turn "Big Willow" course. Big Willow's long front straightaway helped earn it the nickname "The Fastest Road in the West." We spoke to Chris Huth, Bill's son and Willow Springs' general manager, who told us that the original plan was to turn the track into a drag-strip, but the stretch he wanted to use turned out to be too short.
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