Oldest Active Tracks ln Indiana?

10/9/07, 10:03 PM

Not counting IMS. Stopped into a store in Bloomington before a race this summer and saw pictures on the walls of Bloomington Speedway a long time ago....Marsh I think. It looked like it was pre 1950's also the track looked bigger. Were Paragon, Kokomo Lawranceburg all built around the sametime? That must have been a great time to be a race fan. Can you amage that happening now.

Dwight Clock · 10/9/07, 10:23 PM

Listing just the dirt speedways that hold either weekly or special events for sprint cars; Lawrenceburg 1946, Terre Haute 1952, Paragon 1956, Tri-State 1957, Bloomington 1963, Twin Cities 1963, Lincoln Park 1969, and Gas City 1987.

itsanonwingthing · 10/9/07, 10:26 PM

Heres a few that have been around a while
Indy Fairgrounds - 1903
Winchester - 1914
Bloomington - 1923

Dwight Clock · 10/9/07, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itsanonwingthing

Heres a few that have been around a while
Indy Fairgrounds - 1903
Winchester - 1914
Bloomington - 1923

Keith, the Bloomington Speedway that opened in 1923 was a 5/8 mile that closed in 1946. The 1/4 mile opened in 1963.

Dwight Clock · 10/9/07, 10:49 PM

Paved tracks that hold traditional open wheel racing; Winchester 1914, Mt. Lawn 1934, Salem 1947, Anderson 1948, ORP 1961. All except Anderson opened as dirt tracks and were converted to pavement later on.

10/9/07, 10:52 PM

Looks like about 4 new dirt tracks in about a 10 year period. How can this be explained? Was it something to do with people coming home from the war or did the whole state go race crazy. How about tracks that were built but are no longer around.

Dwight Clock · 10/9/07, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOR4

Looks like about 4 new dirt tracks in about a 10 year period. How can this be explained? Was it something to do with people coming home from the war or did the whole state go race crazy. How about tracks that were built but are no longer around.

The answer to your first question is both. It would require a very lengthy list to answer your second question.

itsanonwingthing · 10/9/07, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwight Clock

Keith, the Bloomington Speedway that opened in 1923 was a 5/8 mile that closed in 1946. The 1/4 mile opened in 1963.

Dwight, I've always heard that the 5/8th mile track was at the current location. The B'ton tee shirts and website always had "Racing Since 1923".

Jerry Shaw · 10/9/07, 11:38 PM

http://bloomingtonspeedway.com/history.htm

Says that a 1/4 mile was cut from the old big track, in 1946.

Jerry

10/9/07, 11:47 PM

Somebody told me the old track was a mile and they used to run horses and cars on it (not at the same time:emote20:} but that could be all wrong.

10/9/07, 10:26 PM	#3 Re: Oldest Active Tracks ln Indiana?
itsanonwingthing Senior Member Race Count This Year: 4 Race Count Last Year: 51 Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 651	Heres a few that have been around a while Indy Fairgrounds - 1903 Winchester - 1914 Bloomington - 1923 __________________ Keith Wendel It's a Non Wing thing,.......you wouldn't understand!

10/9/07, 11:38 PM	#9 Re: Oldest Active Tracks ln Indiana?
Jerry Shaw Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 4,694	http://bloomingtonspeedway.com/history.htm Says that a 1/4 mile was cut from the old big track, in 1946. Jerry __________________ A man is about as big as the things that make him angry. Winston Churchill

10/9/07, 10:03 PM	#1 Oldest Active Tracks ln Indiana?
FOR4 Posts: n/a	Not counting IMS. Stopped into a store in Bloomington before a race this summer and saw pictures on the walls of Bloomington Speedway a long time ago....Marsh I think. It looked like it was pre 1950's also the track looked bigger. Were Paragon, Kokomo Lawranceburg all built around the sametime? That must have been a great time to be a race fan. Can you amage that happening now.

10/9/07, 10:23 PM	#2 Re: Oldest Active Tracks ln Indiana?
Dwight Clock Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,233	Listing just the dirt speedways that hold either weekly or special events for sprint cars; Lawrenceburg 1946, Terre Haute 1952, Paragon 1956, Tri-State 1957, Bloomington 1963, Twin Cities 1963, Lincoln Park 1969, and Gas City 1987.

10/9/07, 10:49 PM	#5 Re: Oldest Active Tracks ln Indiana?
Dwight Clock Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,233	Paved tracks that hold traditional open wheel racing; Winchester 1914, Mt. Lawn 1934, Salem 1947, Anderson 1948, ORP 1961. All except Anderson opened as dirt tracks and were converted to pavement later on.

10/9/07, 10:52 PM	#6 Re: Oldest Active Tracks ln Indiana?
FOR4 Posts: n/a	Looks like about 4 new dirt tracks in about a 10 year period. How can this be explained? Was it something to do with people coming home from the war or did the whole state go race crazy. How about tracks that were built but are no longer around.

10/9/07, 11:47 PM	#10 Re: Oldest Active Tracks ln Indiana?
FOR4 Posts: n/a	Somebody told me the old track was a mile and they used to run horses and cars on it (not at the same time:emote20:} but that could be all wrong.