Track no longer around you wish you could visit 1st time

[weatherman85]

This may have been done on here before but I don’t ever recall answering it. We all have tracks on our bucket lists that we’d like to see and visit at some point.

What track did you never get to visit that you wish you had before it closed and was torn down for whatever reason?

For me it’d be Atomic Speedway that was in Tn. I can’t tell ya how many times I’ll get lost down a YouTube rabbit hole watching old videos from that joint. Lot of people I know that loved that place.

[Late_Model_Mark]

I second that one on Atomic too.



Late Model Mark
TST Announcer

[zyoung25]

I79 speedway in West Virginia.

[DirtyD31]

Clay city in Ky. I remember hearing a lot about it when I was younger

[Rajflyboy]

I77 Chester SC. Word is that it’s presently being torn down.

[lurker]

Branson Mo. I wanted to see Larry Phillips race there.

[BTExpress]

I have two that I regret not being able to see in person. Reading Fairgrounds in Reading, Pa (missed it by a year) and Pennsboro, just based on all the tales you hear about the old joint.

[Mams]

Log Cabin Raceway

[EvelB7]

Log Cabin in Virginia, always read about the place growing up.

[Barbecueboy]

Riverside in upstate SC......Dublin nc in its original form......and metrolina.

[weatherman85]

Athens speedway in Ga would also be on my list. Sugar creek in Union SC would be another.

[MUD MAESTRO]

Hawkeye Downs Cedar Rapids Ia. when it was dirt.

[ZERO25]

North Florida Speedway in Wewatchika!

[Tnewton]

Taylor county and Barren county both in Kentucky..45 minutes from each other. Taylor ran Friday nite, Barren on Saturday

[thexfactor0210]

Ascot always seemed cool and people loved it
. I know it was not known for late models.

[HoosierDirtFan]

I wish I could go back to these two track again. Between those two and Kankakee I met a lot of great people who I’m still friends with.

My old home track Crown Point Speedway (Southlake / Broadway) in Northwest Indiana. Closed in February 2006. Used to get a lot of Wisconsin, Illinois, & Michigan drivers each year for weekly shows.
ALSO Santa Fe Speedway on the Southwest side of Chicago (93rd & Wolf Road) Closed in 1995.

As far as first time I have a few.

Atomic - Tennessee

Ascot Park - California

Manzanita - Arizona

16th Street Speedway - Indianapolis

[Josh Bayko]

Pennsboro. By the time I moved close enough to go there for a show it was closed.

[slmcrewchief99]

I will definitely have to go with Memphis Motorsports Park. Always some great racing there. Not to mention the girls from the strip club walking the pits passing out discount lap dance cards. Good times for sure.....

[B_K]

I would have liked to have gone to Pennsboro just for the history.

I went to Atomic too many times to count, but I’d love to have the chance to go back.

[dirtcrazy4u]

Reading. The place was torn down for a mall. Well guess what ? The mall has since closed the doors and I believe is being demo'd. They would hold the reading reunion in the mall each year and I have always heard the place would get very crowded.

[Action10]

My old home track Crown Point Speedway (Southlake / Broadway) in Northwest Indiana. Closed in February 2006. Used to get a lot of Wisconsin, Illinois, & Michigan drivers each year for weekly shows.ALSO Santa Fe Speedway on the Southwest side of Chicago (93rd & Wolf Road) Closed in 1995Heard those places were cool. Hales Corners was a place I wish I could have seen also.

[oldmodhasbeen]

ZERO 25 you can still see where the track was in Wewahitchka. Drive by there often

[MRM]

Tennessee Motor Speedway in Baxter, TN.

[Switchback29A1]

Cleveland TN

[fastford]

A lot of history was made at the old Anniston Alabama speed way , it was a bit before my time but would have loved to have witnessed a race there , It closed and when i was about 15 years old , they converted the old freemans motocross track down the road at Eastaboga into what is now TST , I knew a lot of the old timers that raced there and heard many , many old stories from them , most have passed now....

[Highside Hustler25]

Hales, Crown Point, Freeport rank right up there with Santa Fe, as far as being missed... but Bureau County Speedway in Princeton, Il. is the one I miss more. Hate to see LaSalle heading down that path...

Ditto on Bureau Co.even tho I've been there. Santa Fey is one I wished I had attended. Just never got there.

[Hoosier_Dirt]

Atomic,Cleveland,and Pennsboro are 3 that come to mind.

[slideiton]

Ascot, Manzy and Midwest Speedway

[Dlmfan123]

Challenger and pennsboro.

[oldmodhasbeen]

I sure miss Rensselaer Raceway in IN

[dirt farmer]

A lot of history was made at the old Anniston Alabama speed way , it was a bit before my time but would have loved to have witnessed a race there , It closed and when i was about 15 years old , they converted the old freemans motocross track down the road at Eastaboga into what is now TST , I knew a lot of the old timers that raced there and heard many , many old stories from them , most have passed now....Went to my first race at tst late 70s early 80s been to all ice bowls but 2, I've never heard about it being a motocross track.

[dirt farmer]

I'd love to see another race at winchester in tn .

[Seck]

I77 Chester SC. Word is that it’s presently being torn down. Ken Schrader had a Chevy Dealership in Whitmire SC. He stopped by I77 and tried to buy it, they wouldn't sell

[Barbecueboy]

That place produced great racing....sad to hear.

[EvelB7]

The old Dublin NC before it was made smaller...

[One Man Gang]

Green Valley

[AllenK]

I've read about the track at Hoke's Bluff,Alabama and looked at it on Google Maps. It had to be a bad fast place especially in the original configuration.

It only lasted a couple of years,but the Memphis-Arkansas Speedway in Lehi,Arkansas would be on my list. 1.5 mile dirt track that hosted Nascar races in the 1950's. The track is easily viewable on Google Maps,and you can see the banking from I-40. The last few times we've gone by I've noticed that large no trespassing signs with video surveillance warnings have been added around the track. Also,the El Paso and Wynn Stadium 1/2 mile tracks in Arkansas.

Pennsboro for the atmosphere.

[d-glenn]

Atomic is the one I missed most, went there 2 times and was rained out both times, on the good side. that is where I met Leebo and Miss Bea and went to a 4M breakfast with them at The Dinner Bell.
Also years and years ago, Decatur Speedway, Decatur, AL, only there a couple of years, I-65 got it. It was in the Southeast corner of I-65 and I-565.

[Billy_the_kid]

I sure miss Rensselaer Raceway in INa rare "D" shaped track. enjoyed many nights of racing there, along with crown point. may they rest in peace

[ZERO25]

ZERO 25 you can still see where the track was in Wewahitchka. Drive by there often

Thx for the heads up.

Ill make it a point to swing by on one of my annual hunting trips to the panhandle!

fwiw......Epj ran there in a mod a few times!

[AllenK]

Anybody know of a track in Arkansas in the Ravenden, Imboden area along 412? It was there back in the late 70's early 80's maybe it still is? Don't remember what it was called...

I remember a story about or an interview with Mooney Starr that said he got his start racing at the Imboden Speedway. I can't find a record of the track online anywhere,and I even tried playing around with old aerial views to find it. My wife's cousin actually married a girl from there,and is a doctor in the area. My wife's aunt and uncle actually moved up there also. They couldn't care less about racing however. My wife's cousin also worked as a pharmacist in Tazewell,Tn at one time also!

[TOPSIDE TIMMY 39FAN]

AllenK, somehow the name Spring River Speedway comes to mind. I want there once. Years latter when back in that area it was gone and I could never find anything on it... Is there a "spring river" that runs through there by chance that you know of?

Went there. Years later. fixed it for ya.
Try hooked on phonics 😁😉

[racingfool32]

Just found this. Bobby B. Clementshttps://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ar/100048581

See if this works.

(36.2400759, -91.2651571)

[T0PSIDE TIMMY 39FAN]

Went there. Years later. fixed it for ya. Try hooked on phonics You get that slut mother of yours to bed yet bich?HAHAHAHAHAHA

[racingfool32]

Always heard it was right outside town in a curve.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Challenger, as one I’ve been to that was great.

Pennsboro, been there, racing was not good, but that atmosphere, you can’t make that sh!t up. Would definitely go back.

Atomic in TN as one I never got to, and definitely regret.

Kentucky Lake as one that just should have made it, but bad management, and then the highway, doomed it.

[Pennsboro32]

Challenger for me.

[EvelB7]

How about one that 'almost was', the Eldora Mile!!!

[Tony27]

Pennsboro or Challenger. Heard so many great and interesting stories about both places.

[weatherman85]

I assume you guys are meaning Challenger Raceway that was in Jacksonville PA? Found this interesting post on FB from a guy that visited the owners.

"The Challenger Raceway
Located 6.4 miles southwest of US 422 on SR 286, then one mile north of McIntyre road was the Challenger Raceway.
This 4/10 mile clay oval opened in 1992 by track owners Donna and Jack Lentz. The Challenger Raceway roared to life and become more and more popular with every passing year.

In 1995, Ken Schaltenbrand, from Sarver, Pa., was fatally injured when his car rolled over in turn 1.

In 2001 they raced weekly on Saturdays but included five special event shows on Sundays.

One visit noted was from the World of Outlaws Late Model series event on July 5, 2004 where a field of 56 cars were present. Davey Johnson picked up the $10,000 victory.

Their most popular event at the Speedway was Fall Fest in October. This multiple day show brought in large car counts and the grandstands were generally full.

What ultimately lead to their downfall was that the flagger nearly died after being struck by a race car going in the opposite direction and the track underwent some lawsuits.

In 2004, the parents of a 16-year old boy who got severely burned when an auto racing fan (who was drunk) threw gasoline on a campfire sued the racetrack. They sought unspecified damages and payment of medical bills from the track owners. They claimed that the track owners were careless and negligent by permitting race fans to drink alcoholic beverages in the raceways camping area “to a degree that renders them intoxicated” and failing to properly supervise the campers. (http://www.archive.triblive.com/.../parents-of-burned.../)

The article does not speak of the outcome, however, I was able to speak to the current owner myself during our visit. He said that the burnt boy’s family won the lawsuit. Shortly after the parents sued, the drunk fan did as well. This put the Challenger Raceway down severely. So bad that the owners nearly lost their farm and home. After the 2008 season, the gates were permanently closed. They were devastated.
He said that during all of 2009 he refused to go up to the track and see it.

It’s clear to me that this family took pride and loved their Speedway, but after everything that had happened, they could no longer continue. The track is NOT for sale as the family has a deep emotional connection to it. The flagger getting hit was not the reason for closing as it was a family decision.

Location: Jacksonville, PA
Ran: 1992-2008
Size: 4/10 mile dirt oval "

[AllenK]

Was it called Spring River Speedway? I see on Google maps there is a spring river that runs through near there.

I was looking more towards the Imboden side,but I believe that might be the track. However, just up the road at 36.24491461613858, -91.27049797119315 there appears to be what looks like a track also. It's on the site of the Rone Auto Salvage? As I said my wife's uncle,her Dad's brother,just up and moved up there to Ravenden to be near his son a few years ago. He's even buried up there. His wife and my wife's Dad's sister had a spat that caused them to be estranged from the rest of the family for the last 50 years or so. My wife's cousin who lives in Imboden is actually a Dr. in Pocahontas,Arkansas just up the road. There was also a track there for many years,but I never went there either.

[Josh Bayko]

The straw that broke the camel’s back was when a street stock racer pissed off at a call decided to hit an official with his race car. The track closed for good the following year.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

He found things I never knew.(weatherman)

Knew the street stock guy being a moron was a huge reason. Had no idea a kid got burned. I understand them suing for medical bills etc, the drunk guy, fuk him. I never put gas on a fire, just so stupid.

Also didn’t know Schalterbrand died in 95 there. Is there a son racing by chance?

I know the Lentz’s took great pride in their track. He would help prepare it. I swear he had a smooth drum roller he used. Fantastic place. I totally understand why they quit running it. They were older then, they certainly didn’t need all the headaches and that when they were just trying to have pride in their track. I know they cared. It showed.

Hopefully they will let family run it again someday if that is their wish, though I get it if they don’t. Darn shame, but I get it.

I didn’t realize it was open till 08’.

[weatherman85]

@Josh Bayko

I think the article mentioned the incident of the flag man getting hit. That’s crazy for sure. Looked like an awesome joint from the videos I found on YouTube of it.

[Morgs153]

Growing up in Wisconsin and not making it to Hales Corners ever. That's a regret.

There's a great YouTube video of a night when Ken Schrader came up from the Brickyard to race a LM. He got there late, maybe just in time for the feature and had to start in the back. Watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrStgrfUHBE

[Dlmfan123]

Cnb, that's his son Kenny that races lernerville. Kenny's nephew just started racing supers last year right out of go karts.

[DLC]

Thunder Ridge in east Ky. Went 1 time cause had to work all the time. Wish I had got to go more,it was a nice place.

[Stefan2k20]

The big G, Gaffney before it was shortened. Actually, I visited there many times. So, technically, I broke the rules, but I still miss it.

[Krooser]

I watched a few races at Atomic from the westbound I40 on ramp....cop made me move once.

I made Metrolina once along with I-77 and Rennsalear, IN.

Was a regular at Hales, Cedarburg and Slinger when it was dirt.

[EvelB7]

Metrolina is probably the closest track to me but I don't miss it much (went end over end, out of the park there)....But it is a shame that it is now officially gone....

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Cnb, that's his son Kenny that races lernerville. Kenny's nephew just started racing supers last year right out of go karts.Thanks man, I knew there was a Schalterbrand driving still, had no idea about the circumstances.

[dirtcrazy4u]

Jack Lentz was a good man, along with his wife. 2 of the nicest people you would ever meet. You ever hear that story of being to nice because eventually you'll get burned. I was there the drunk was a a**hole, some things got settled just as they did in old times. The guy that drove the water truck thought he was superman and wanted to throw punches to settle things. A friend of mine grabbed him out of that truck and he got some decent flight time. Jack and Donna are to old now. The track is still there. I doubt if it ever gets reopened. A shame.

[langham13]

Drive by it every year heading to the DTWC. Pennsboro

[zyoung25]

Ditto on Bureau Co.even tho I've been there. Santa Fey is one I wished I had attended. Just never got there.

What's the scoop on bureau county? I see on Google earth the track is still there, it just looks like it's used for a demo derbys now. Why didn't it survive?

[Rajflyboy]

Metrolina. Very good pick for me. What year did that place close?

[EvelB7]

Metrolina. Very good pick for me. What year did that place close?Late 90's, I don't remember there being any races after 2000....

[Rajflyboy]

Thanks. I came to Charlotte from Fayettnam in 2001.

[pap]

A lot of history was made at the old Anniston Alabama speed way , it was a bit before my time but would have loved to have witnessed a race there , It closed and when i was about 15 years old , they converted the old freemans motocross track down the road at Eastaboga into what is now TST , I knew a lot of the old timers that raced there and heard many , many old stories from them , most have passed now....

Same here Fastford, before my time. I can still remember the old timers talking about "Fletcher Ford", Don't know who he is and never seen him race, but he impressed the heck out of some old time racers. Also I did go to Granny's speedway in White Plains one time, but don't remember much about it other than Roscoe Smith won in "A-car" and a 15 year old Clint Smith running in B-car. Would love to go back.

[pap]

I've read about the track at Hoke's Bluff,Alabama and looked at it on Google Maps. It had to be a bad fast place especially in the original configuration.

It only lasted a couple of years,but the Memphis-Arkansas Speedway in Lehi,Arkansas would be on my list. 1.5 mile dirt track that hosted Nascar races in the 1950's. The track is easily viewable on Google Maps,and you can see the banking from I-40. The last few times we've gone by I've noticed that large no trespassing signs with video surveillance warnings have been added around the track. Also,the El Paso and Wynn Stadium 1/2 mile tracks in Arkansas.

Pennsboro for the atmosphere.
I wish I could have seen one on the 5/8's configuration myself. Went once after the Gibb's shortened it, and the race sucked. Micky Gibbs half tracked the 6 or 7 cars that were there until he broke. Can't remember who won.

[LeafMaster41]

Riverside Speedway in South Carolina.
West Minister Speedway in South Carolina.
7 Flags Speedway(West Atlanta Speedway) in Douglasville Georgia.
Golden Isles Speedway(The big layout) in Brunswick, Ga.
Atomic Speedway in Knoxville, TN.
Lakewood Speedway(Smokey and the Bandit) Atlanta GA.
Athens Speedway in Athens GA
Cherokee Speedway(Big Layout) Gaffney SC

[racerx99]

never saw it, pops told me about it Glen Este Speedway...east side of Cincy. Track I miss is Tri-county Speedway, north side of Cincy...(B4 it got paved Queen City). Saw some great ARCA 300 lappers there...where 2 or 3 racers still be fighting for the win after all them laps!!! Clay City that was a nice track too! Loved them old Chargers with the hi-rise manifold & dual carbs on them!!!

[babybird1972]

Cleveland Speedway. My husband and I met there 11 1/2 years ago. Our little boy is 9 1/2 now and loves racing. We wished we could take him to where Mom and Dad first met.

[LeafMaster41]

Cleveland Speedway. My husband and I met there 11 1/2 years ago. Our little boy is 9 1/2 now and loves racing. We wished we could take him to where Mom and Dad first met.

Yep, I forgot about Cleveland Speedway, it was a good'un and shouldn't be gone. Even raced in kart race there once against Riley Hickman.

[LeafMaster41]

Just remembered another one I loved, Green Valley Speedway Alabama.

[samgood]

Google maps are really one of the most advanced navigation services today, thanks for reminding about this service. For future, if you don't know how to use a google product, just use these contacts https://google.pissedconsumer.com/customer-service.html for the quickest solution.

[AllenK]

You have to be a member to see the pics,but someone got permission to go inside the track at Lehi,Arkansas and take pictures. Just a couple of pictures of the banking,but they were some of the first pictures of the inside of the track I had ever seen. It was definitely banked like a superspeedway!

[over4T]

Santa Fe in Illinois is one I'm sorry I never got to see. Between the stories from my late friend who grew up just down the street in Hinsdale and many other sources it was the place to be back in the day. Some legendary drivers came out of the joint.

[EvelB7]

The Delta Bowl down in Mississippi. We had a race scheduled there, however it was canceled a few weeks beforehand-always hated we didn't get to run.

[Shawmotorsports]

Crandon speedway crandon wi

[t3r3e3]

Yep, Atomic in Tennessee or Barren County in Kentucky for me.

[One Man Gang]

Queen City Speedway in Meridian, Ms

[Barbecueboy]

I would like to see the old Dublin NC track before it was reconfigured to the awesome new Dublin track…..and then closed again.