Buttonwillow Raceway 13CCW
Buttonwillow Raceway 13CCW is 4.8 km, 21 turns, counter-clockwise. Fastest recorded lap: 1:48.307 (BMW E36 M3 1999 (w/A7)).
Buttonwillow Raceway Park is a multipurpose Motorsport facility, home to the California Region of the Sports Car Club of America. It's been in operation since 1996 at the town of Buttonwillow, a 30-min drive away from Bakersfield, CA. The club members use the complex to develop their high-performance racing skills on track days open for aspiring racecar drivers. Buttonwillow Raceway Park also hosts regular go-kart competitions and serves as a road testing ground for car manufacturers. The raceway's location in the arid San Joaquin Valley offers good climate conditions year-round, although it may get quite hot in summer. You can bet on the track surface to remain dry, as it rains very little in Buttonwillow, usually in wintertime.
There are three track layouts in Buttonwillow Raceway Park: the 1.86-mile West Loop, the 1.06-mile East loop, and the 3.1-mile combined configuration. These are customizable in 40+ different ways for hosting varied competitions simultaneously. There is also a separate kart track of 0.69 miles and a 250′ x 255′ skidpad. The main straightaway has 3,800 feet and serves as a test drag strip when it's not a part of a race layout. Some turns have negative banking, and others have up to 10% positive banking, and many of them are blind corners because of the frequent elevation changes through the whole race track.
The 13CCW configuration at Buttonwillow Raceway represents a counterclockwise variant utilizing turn combination 13 in the facility's modular naming system at California's technical Kern County road course. Running counterclockwise through the 13 configuration reverses the standard flow, creating different corner approaches and braking references. This variant serves Buttonwillow's reputation as California's most configurable circuit where dozens of combinations create nearly unlimited layout possibilities.
Operating the 13CCW showcases Buttonwillow's exceptional flexibility where turn designations and direction combine to create varied experiences serving the facility's year-round track day calendar. Central Valley's extreme seasonal temperatures create challenging summer conditions with track surfaces exceeding 60C while winter sessions can operate in near-freezing morning conditions. The 13CCW variant provides fresh mental challenges for Buttonwillow regulars through reversed direction, allowing the facility to offer new experiences even to drivers with hundreds of laps across the property's numerous configuration options.
Buttonwillow bakes in summer heat (40°C peaks July–August) with mild winters (5–6°C lows); spring season (April–May) offers the sweet spot of 27–31°C highs and minimal rain for optimal track days.
10-yr monthly averages Rain days Driving season
