Tracks you saw racing at but are now gone

sprntr · 6/8/09, 9:39 PM

Stillwater Speedway (Oval Track)- Stillwater, MN
Minnesota State Fairgrounds (Oval Track)- Falcon Heights, MN
Minnesota Dragways (Drag Strip)- Coon Rapids, MN
Twin City Speedway (Drag Strip) - Blaine, MN
Twin City Speedway (Oval Track) aka: North Star Speedway, North Starr Speedway - Blaine, MN
Grove Creek Raceway (Oval Track)- Grove City, MN
Fox Ridge Speedway (Oval Track) - Arcadia, WI

VaDirt · 6/8/09, 9:42 PM

So many of the tracks are now gone, and these are ones that I'll always remember:

Vallejo (Calif.) Speedway. Little 1/4 mile heavy clay track. Saw Outlaws there before there was a World of Outlaws. Ferkel, Gary Patterson, Bobby Allen and others flew around that track the one time they visited (the track closed within a year after that.)

Baylands Raceway Park in Fremont, California. Great track, but short lived. I know it's not open wheel, but I first saw late model driver Scott Bloomquist race there as a teenager.

The Legendary Ascot Park. Saw a few CRA races there, and the first winged WoO show there. What a great place.

West Capital Speedway near Sacramento. Only went once (for what may have been the final race) and saw the debut of Work'n Woody there. Same as Vallejo, a really small 1/4 heavy clay track.

In Virginia, Southampton Motor Speedway, which started as a D shaped dirt track, got paved, and now sits empty since about 2003.

sideways304 · 6/8/09, 9:55 PM

penn national raceway next to the penn national horse race track . pennsylvania

SpfldMile · 6/8/09, 9:58 PM

Not a sprint car track, but in the early 80's I saw a mud bog race in Greenville, IL. Wow, was that fun. My older sister really took care of me(had lots of cold beer). We sat way up on this hill and watched the races. They were like match races, two at a time. Anyone remember that place? Shaheen's, Godfrey, and the 1/2 at Granite City are also on my list.

6/8/09, 10:00 PM

I know this one was mentioned... Flemington Speedway in NJ.. Originally was dirt then they paved it... Now, it is a Walmart!! I was very sad last time I drove by! When we ran there a carnival was across the street. I would always do one of those sand art things, one year I dropped it in the women's bathroom at the speedway. All of the colorful sand spilled everywhere! From what I remember, the bathroom's weren't nice anyway! I at least made it colorful!

Mud Packer · 6/8/09, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpfldMile

Not a sprint car track, but in the early 80's I saw a mud bog race in Greenville, IL. Wow, was that fun. My older sister really took care of me(had lots of cold beer). We sat way up on this hill and watched the races. They were like match races, two at a time. Anyone remember that place? Shaheen's, Godfrey, and the 1/2 at Granite City are also on my list.

They had a track in Greenville, IL around 2003-2005 called Bond County Speedway. It was located on the fairgrounds on the south side of Greenville. If memory serves me correctly, it was a 1/4 dirt track and they raced late models and modifields. I believe they had some legal issues that forced the track to cease operations.

SpfldMile · 6/8/09, 10:33 PM

Mike the track that I'm thinking of was actually flooded with water when we got there and it was drained off, leaving about a two foot deep mud bog. It was kind of tear drop shaped, and way down a hill. I don't even remember any grandstands, but there were a lot of people there sitting on the hills.

fish · 6/8/09, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tntbusco

Avilla. I agree what a great little track. Even with terrible management once Howard Bice passed away. I also wonder why no dirt tracks have opened after Warsaw,Avilla and Bryan closed. It seems only asphalt tracks are open and none of them do too well. Where can we get someone to open a dirt track and get rich???? Hey Tony why not Northeast Indiana??? Oh well a guy can dream can't he??:headbang:
Northern Indiana deserves to see guys like this :foxcostanbrough: also without driving for hours

I'm with you on all of the above. Avilla, Warsaw & Bryan, Ohio were tracks I once visited a bunch and are gone. It does leave a big hole in the northeast corner of the state for dirt tracks. Angola Speedway (a paved track) is running a part-time schedule this season and would make a great dirt track!!!!

Jim Fisher
www.fscpictorial.com

IndyBound · 6/8/09, 10:51 PM

Langhorn
Nazareth
Trenton
Flemington
Jennerstown

Niagara Falls Convention Center where CAN-AM TQ midgets ran 3 or 4 times a winter until they turned the convention center into an Indian Casino. Up until the recent closing of Manzy this is probably the racing venue I have missed the most. It was a great place to gather with your racing friends, have alot of fun, see some great winter racing action and forget it was usually snowing like crazy outside. Andy Mackereth, Joey Payne, Joe Gosek, Bob & Lou Cicconi, Nokie Fornoro, Dave McKnight and Gary Morton were just some of the stars that would grace this racing series.

This year Casa Grande announcing they weren't going to run and Manzy being sold and closed down on Easter weekend left my last month in Az. raceless before heading east. Manzy had become my home track for the past eight years, loosing Manzy is like loosing your best friend.

Patti

Supermod · 6/8/09, 10:55 PM

there have been a bunch, but here are the highlights:

Capitol Beach Speedway, Lincoln NE (1st track I ever attended)
Sunset speedway, Omaha NE
Playland Park, Council Bluffs IA
Midwest Speedway, Lincoln NE
Mid-America Fairgrounds, Topeka KS
Shawnee Speedway, Topeka KS
Sioux Empire Fairgrounds, Sioux Falls SD
Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa FL
Tulsa Speedway, Tulsa OK
American Royal Arena, Kansas City MO
Lemoore Speed Bowl, Lemoore CA
16th Street Speedway, Indianapolis IN
Capitol Speedway, Holts Summit MO
Tulsa Fairgrounds Motorplex, Tulsa OK
Red Hill Raceway, Sumner IL
Manzanita Speedway, Phoenix AZ

later,

Bob Mays

6/8/09, 9:39 PM	#51 Re: Tracks you saw racing at but are now gone
sprntr Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,044	Stillwater Speedway (Oval Track)- Stillwater, MN Minnesota State Fairgrounds (Oval Track)- Falcon Heights, MN Minnesota Dragways (Drag Strip)- Coon Rapids, MN Twin City Speedway (Drag Strip) - Blaine, MN Twin City Speedway (Oval Track) aka: North Star Speedway, North Starr Speedway - Blaine, MN Grove Creek Raceway (Oval Track)- Grove City, MN Fox Ridge Speedway (Oval Track) - Arcadia, WI

6/8/09, 9:42 PM	#52 Re: Tracks you saw racing at but are now gone
VaDirt Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 145	So many of the tracks are now gone, and these are ones that I'll always remember: Vallejo (Calif.) Speedway. Little 1/4 mile heavy clay track. Saw Outlaws there before there was a World of Outlaws. Ferkel, Gary Patterson, Bobby Allen and others flew around that track the one time they visited (the track closed within a year after that.) Baylands Raceway Park in Fremont, California. Great track, but short lived. I know it's not open wheel, but I first saw late model driver Scott Bloomquist race there as a teenager. The Legendary Ascot Park. Saw a few CRA races there, and the first winged WoO show there. What a great place. West Capital Speedway near Sacramento. Only went once (for what may have been the final race) and saw the debut of Work'n Woody there. Same as Vallejo, a really small 1/4 heavy clay track. In Virginia, Southampton Motor Speedway, which started as a D shaped dirt track, got paved, and now sits empty since about 2003.

6/8/09, 9:55 PM	#53 Re: Tracks you saw racing at but are now gone
sideways304 Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 9	penn national raceway next to the penn national horse race track . pennsylvania

6/8/09, 9:58 PM	#54 Re: Tracks you saw racing at but are now gone
SpfldMile Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,349	Not a sprint car track, but in the early 80's I saw a mud bog race in Greenville, IL. Wow, was that fun. My older sister really took care of me(had lots of cold beer). We sat way up on this hill and watched the races. They were like match races, two at a time. Anyone remember that place? Shaheen's, Godfrey, and the 1/2 at Granite City are also on my list.

6/8/09, 10:00 PM	#55 Re: Tracks you saw racing at but are now gone
ked Posts: n/a	I know this one was mentioned... Flemington Speedway in NJ.. Originally was dirt then they paved it... Now, it is a Walmart!! I was very sad last time I drove by! When we ran there a carnival was across the street. I would always do one of those sand art things, one year I dropped it in the women's bathroom at the speedway. All of the colorful sand spilled everywhere! From what I remember, the bathroom's weren't nice anyway! I at least made it colorful!

6/8/09, 10:33 PM	#57 Re: Tracks you saw racing at but are now gone
SpfldMile Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,349	Mike the track that I'm thinking of was actually flooded with water when we got there and it was drained off, leaving about a two foot deep mud bog. It was kind of tear drop shaped, and way down a hill. I don't even remember any grandstands, but there were a lot of people there sitting on the hills.

6/8/09, 10:51 PM	#59 Re: Tracks you saw racing at but are now gone
IndyBound Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,626	Langhorn Nazareth Trenton Flemington Jennerstown Niagara Falls Convention Center where CAN-AM TQ midgets ran 3 or 4 times a winter until they turned the convention center into an Indian Casino. Up until the recent closing of Manzy this is probably the racing venue I have missed the most. It was a great place to gather with your racing friends, have alot of fun, see some great winter racing action and forget it was usually snowing like crazy outside. Andy Mackereth, Joey Payne, Joe Gosek, Bob & Lou Cicconi, Nokie Fornoro, Dave McKnight and Gary Morton were just some of the stars that would grace this racing series. This year Casa Grande announcing they weren't going to run and Manzy being sold and closed down on Easter weekend left my last month in Az. raceless before heading east. Manzy had become my home track for the past eight years, loosing Manzy is like loosing your best friend. Patti

6/8/09, 10:55 PM	#60 Re: Tracks you saw racing at but are now gone
Supermod Inactive Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 86	there have been a bunch, but here are the highlights: Capitol Beach Speedway, Lincoln NE (1st track I ever attended) Sunset speedway, Omaha NE Playland Park, Council Bluffs IA Midwest Speedway, Lincoln NE Mid-America Fairgrounds, Topeka KS Shawnee Speedway, Topeka KS Sioux Empire Fairgrounds, Sioux Falls SD Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa FL Tulsa Speedway, Tulsa OK American Royal Arena, Kansas City MO Lemoore Speed Bowl, Lemoore CA 16th Street Speedway, Indianapolis IN Capitol Speedway, Holts Summit MO Tulsa Fairgrounds Motorplex, Tulsa OK Red Hill Raceway, Sumner IL Manzanita Speedway, Phoenix AZ later, Bob Mays