Speedrome getting a make over?????

E.P. · 10/9/10, 9:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nowingsjeff

Now if they'd put about a couple of feet of clay on top of the pavement & run midgets there weekly, they might be on to something!

A couple feet of clay and a couple hundred feet of additional straightaway.
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Bad Dad 54 · 10/9/10, 11:15 PM

I can remember seeing Midgets on ESPN racing there on the pavement. It's on my bucket list.

treecitytornado · 10/10/10, 4:45 PM

I loved racing at the Speedrome in a Midget in the late 90s and in 2000. I was also a big fan of seeing Rich Vogler, John Andretti, and many others gas it up on Thursday nights in the 80s when I was a kid.

THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT NEEDED ABOVE ALL OTHERS IS A REPAVING JOB TO THE RACE TRACK!!!

It has gotten bad since I last ran there from what I here.

VSneader2 · 11/21/10, 5:23 PM

Well it appears that the speedrome is getting a new scoreboard, new bleachers, new restrooms, track resurfacing, new buildings and a kid play area. www.speedrome.com

hoosierhillbilly · 11/21/10, 5:33 PM

THere is a great picture in the John Mahoney "Full Tilt" book of the guard rail at the Speedrome from 1972. The wall looks likey very wavey boiler plate. He mentions in the caption that Larry Fritz got a concussion after hitting the boiler plate during a CORA race at the 'Drome.

racefanindy · 11/22/10, 7:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treecitytornado

I loved racing at the Speedrome in a Midget in the late 90s and in 2000. I was also a big fan of seeing Rich Vogler, John Andretti, and many others gas it up on Thursday nights in the 80s when I was a kid.

THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT NEEDED ABOVE ALL OTHERS IS A REPAVING JOB TO THE RACE TRACK!!!

It has gotten bad since I last ran there from what I here.

Those was a fun series. Only five bucks admission. Averaged about 25 cars a night. No quals, just heats & a last chance to make the feature which was lined up in inverse order of the points each week. Kevin O'Neal was one of the best track announcers I've ever heard. Some great wheel to wheel midget racing. Too bad only 45 to 50 spectators were there each week.

John Andretti, Warren Mockler, Rich Vogler, Mel Kenyon, Michael Lang, Mack McClellan, Sam Isenhower, Mel Kenyon....

hoosierhillbilly · 11/22/10, 7:50 PM

THe famous video from the speedrome featuring Kenneth Nichols

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmsSJDeY3KE

jontheturboguy · 11/23/10, 12:48 AM

I hope they don't replace the score board. That old thing up there was great.

Coming out of 4 you could look up and see lap times and who was behind you.....

767 · 11/23/10, 4:52 PM

something is not right with this picture. I mean why fix it now? I guess the question is, is this a quick fix up to sell, or is someone really putting money into the place? The track needs asphault bad, but something just does not add up here. Look at the last project. The patched a few holes and brought a grinder in. Time will tell.

ThePurple73 · 11/23/10, 7:29 PM

I have always had a lot of respect for the Speedrome.
For years coming to Indy for the time leading up to 500 Qaulifying
there would be times you would think a race should be held somewhere in the area, and there wouldn't be. It seemed the Speedrome would have something going on, wheather it was Midgets, School Bus Figure 8, you name it they probably had it. They provided some exciting racing. I remember the good crowds during the Midget events. To me it will always be a classic place.
I can't count how many times I had been lost trying to find it, I saw a good bit of South East Indy looking for it, but I always managed to get there.

10/9/10, 11:15 PM	#12 Re: Speedrome getting a make over?????
Bad Dad 54 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 717	I can remember seeing Midgets on ESPN racing there on the pavement. It's on my bucket list.

11/21/10, 5:33 PM	#15 Re: Speedrome getting a make over?????
hoosierhillbilly Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 604	THere is a great picture in the John Mahoney "Full Tilt" book of the guard rail at the Speedrome from 1972. The wall looks likey very wavey boiler plate. He mentions in the caption that Larry Fritz got a concussion after hitting the boiler plate during a CORA race at the 'Drome.

11/22/10, 7:50 PM	#17 Re: Speedrome getting a make over?????
hoosierhillbilly Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 604	THe famous video from the speedrome featuring Kenneth Nichols http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmsSJDeY3KE

11/23/10, 12:48 AM	#18 Re: Speedrome getting a make over?????
jontheturboguy Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 276	I hope they don't replace the score board. That old thing up there was great. Coming out of 4 you could look up and see lap times and who was behind you.....

11/23/10, 4:52 PM	#19 Re: Speedrome getting a make over?????
767 Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,147	something is not right with this picture. I mean why fix it now? I guess the question is, is this a quick fix up to sell, or is someone really putting money into the place? The track needs asphault bad, but something just does not add up here. Look at the last project. The patched a few holes and brought a grinder in. Time will tell.

11/23/10, 7:29 PM	#20 Re: Speedrome getting a make over?????
ThePurple73 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 493	I have always had a lot of respect for the Speedrome. For years coming to Indy for the time leading up to 500 Qaulifying there would be times you would think a race should be held somewhere in the area, and there wouldn't be. It seemed the Speedrome would have something going on, wheather it was Midgets, School Bus Figure 8, you name it they probably had it. They provided some exciting racing. I remember the good crowds during the Midget events. To me it will always be a classic place. I can't count how many times I had been lost trying to find it, I saw a good bit of South East Indy looking for it, but I always managed to get there.