this is from jayski.com

Mesa Marin sold, closes at end of year: Mesa Marin Raceway has been sold and will close at the end of this season, track Vice President Larry Collins announced Wednesday. The famed racetrack -- which opened in 1977 -- sits off of Highway 178 in northeast Bakersfield, an area experiencing rapid housing development. Track President Marion Collins said after the news conference that he believes the buyers are planning a residential development on the land. The sales price and identity of the buyer were not immediately known. The deal involves 40 of the 56 acres the Collins' family owns in and around the track. Marion Collins said his family would retain 16 acres, including the property that houses race shops adjacent to the track. Wednesday's announcement came as a complete shock to most people attending the news conference, including a NASCAR official on hand for the confirmation that Nextel Cup star and Bakersfield native Kevin Harvick will drive in a Late Model race at Mesa Marin on June 23. The race will be Harvick's last at the Mesa Marin, where he won a track championship in 1993.(bakersfield.com)(6-9-2005