[flagboy55]

I was thinking about the great Terre Haute Action Track yesterday. I got to wondering if there are any other half mile dirt tracks in the state? Or were there some that no longer operate? I couldn’t think of any, but maybe some of you fine folks have some history for me

[Charles Nungester]

Both Lawrenceburg and Bloomington at one time were halfs or bigger. You can still see the cuttout of four in bloomingtons hillside. IRP was dirt it's first year.

[flagboy55]

Thanks Charles. I don’t remember ever hearing about Bloomington being a half. Kinda remember maybe something about the Burg but don’t remember any details. I know Illiana was a dirt half at one time, but don’t know what time frame

[erich45]

I think Illiana was dirt through 1961. Paved before '62 season.

[DJlives]

Bloomington was once 5/8. The fairgrounds track at Boonville was a half and hosted AAA sprint cars in 50s, Brownstown was a half through 1962, Old Columbus Fairgrounds was a half, Converse In was a half, Crown Point, Ft Wayne Speedway a part of the time, Franklin In Fairgrounds, Hammond 5/8, Huttons Park in Scottsburg, one of the Mitchell Speedways and Winchester and Salem started as dirt and Jungle Park oiled dirt. There are actually many others than ran even further back including mile tracks

[Vookie]

Hoosier Motor Speedway at 38th and Pendleton Pike in Indianapolis, 1922-1924,
Rensselaer Raceway at the fairgrounds, early 1950's.

http://triplettracehistory.blogspot....-speedway.html

http://www.speedwayandroadracehistor...-speedway.html

[TQ29m]

Originally Posted by DJlives Bloomington was once 5/8. The fairgrounds track at Boonville was a half and hosted AAA sprint cars in 50s, Brownstown was a half through 1962, Old Columbus Fairgrounds was a half, Converse In was a half, Crown Point, Ft Wayne Speedway a part of the time, Franklin In Fairgrounds, Hammond 5/8, Huttons Park in Scottsburg, one of the Mitchell Speedways and Winchester and Salem started as dirt and Jungle Park oiled dirt. There are actually many others than ran even further back including mile tracks

You beat me to it, and I do agree.

[Pancho Stapp]

Very neat post and educational to me. I didn’t realize there was so many at one time. Thanks for sharing.

[TQ29m]

I have to admit attending several of them as a young lad,then returning years later to get the feel of their dirt for myself, but by then they were smaller.

[bart]

According to Allan Brown's great book The History of America's Speedways Past & Present, there have been many as mentioned above. This listing is from the 1994 edition of the book. There may be some tracks left out, and discrepancies with his information.

Bedford (Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1928-1938
Bloomington (aka: Mitchell's Motor Speedway) 5/8 1923-1941
Boonville (Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1951-1954 1985
Brownstown (Jackson Fairgrounds) 1/2 1952-c1962
Burlington (Fairgrounds) 1/2 1916
Carey Ranch Indianapolis 1/2 1939-1941
Cayuga (Vermilion Fairgrounds) 1/2 1946
Centlivre Speedway Fort Wayne 1/2 1914-1926 1928 1941 1948
Clark Speedway Vincennes (aka: George Rogers Clark Speedway) 1/2 c.1927-1932
Clintonville 1/2 c.1930s
Columbus Speedway 1/2 c.1937-1941 1946-1973
Converse (Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1922-1941 1946-1950
Covington (Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1920s
Crawfordsville (Montgomery Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1928-1930s
Crown Point Fair Raceway (Lake County Fairgrounds) 1/2 1919-1930 1934-1941 1946-1953
Dixie Speedway Sullivan (aka: Hal Richarts Speedway) 1/2 1928
Evansville (Vanderburgh Fairgrounds) 1917-1919
Fairmount Park ½ 1910 c.1934-1936
Fort Wayne Speedway 5/8 1930-1936 (Paved 1937) 1/2 inside paved oval 1946-1964
Frankfort Speedway (Clinton Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1932-1937
Franklin Speedway (Johnson Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1938-1941 1946-1950s
Greenfield (Fairgrounds) 1/2 1922 1940-1941
Greenfield Superbowl 1/2 1947-1949
Hammond Raceway 5/8 1937-1942 1946-1947
Hobart 3/4 1921-1922
Hoosier Motor Speedway Indianapolis 1/2 1922-1924
Huntington (Fairgrounds) 1/2 1915-1918
Huntington Motor Speedway 5/8 1928-1938
Illana Motor Speedway 1/2 Schereville 1945-1961
Indianapolis State Fairgrounds 1 1903-1916 1928-1941 1946-??
Indianapolis Raceway Park 5/8 1961
Jungle Park Rockville 1/2 1926-1942 1945-1957 1960
Kokomo Driving Park 1/2 1903
Kokomo Speedway 1/2 1925
Lafayette (Tippecano Fairgrounds) 1/2 1916-1922
Lafayette Speedway 1/2 1945-1948
Mount Lawn Speedway 1/2 1935-1942 1946-1949
New Harmon (Posey Fairgrounds) 1/2 1931 1939
North Manchester (Wabash Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1919-1926
Parkersburg 1/2 c.1970s
Playland Park Mishawaka 1/2 1919-1942 1945-1956
Porter Speedway 1 1920-1937
Portland (Jay Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1924-1927 1930 c.1950s
Pride Speedway Evansville 1/2 c1920s-1932
Princeton (Gibson Fairgrounds) 1/2 1941 1946-1977
Rensselaer Raceway (Jasper Fairgrounds) 1/2 1952-1956
Richmond (Wayne Fairgrounds) 1 c.1905
Richmond Centerville 1/2 1928-1932
Roby Speedway Indianapolis (aka: New Roby Speedway) 1 1920-1936
Rochester (Fulton Fairgrounds) 1/2 1922
Rochester Speedway 1/2 1927-1934
Rockford 1/2 1926
Rushville Motor Speedway 1/2 c.1927-1933
Saint Joe Race Track 1/2 1939-1941 1946-1953
Salem (American Legion) 1/2 1921-1931
Salem Super Speedway 1/2 1947
Scottsburg (Scott Fairgrounds) (aka: Hutton’s Park) 1/2 c.1930s 1947-1948 1951
Seely Speedway (aka: Sunflower Speedway) 1/2 c1924-1931
Skyview Track Chesterfield 1/2 1948
South Bend (Fairgrounds) 1/2 1921
Spencer Park (Logansport Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1916-1929
Sullivan Speedway 1/2 1927-1928
Terra Haute Action Track (Vigo Fairgrounds) 1/2 1952-1987 1990-present
Terra Haute (Fairgrounds) 1 1911 c.1914-1828
Thunder Valley Raceway (Washington Fairgrounds) 1/2 1915-1920 c.1940-1941 c.1946
Tipton (Fairgrounds) 1/2 1934-1937
Vincennes (Knox Fairgrounds) 1/2 1914-1918
Vincennes Speedway 1/2 1928
Wabash (Fairgrounds) 1/2 c.1927-1929
Walnut Garden Speedway Indianapolis 1/2 1929-1934
Warren (Fairgrounds) 1/2 1914-1930
Winamac (Pulaski Fairgrounds) 1/2 c. 1946-1950s
Winchester Speedway (aka: Funk’s Lake & Funk’s Motor Speedway) 1/2 1914-1921 1922-1942 1945-1950

Bart