Top 5 Illinois tracks

[kazual]

Haven’t been to all but of the ones I’ve watched more than one race at and in order; Fairbury, Spoon, Farmer City, Belleville, Jacksonville. Honorable mention to East Moline (may catch flack for that one) and Peoria (inconsistent though). Number of years since been to F.C., seeing some rain being thrown on its parade. Like Highland, but sometimes the best show was in the stands.

[chathamracefan]

Illinois goes probably 8 deep before you hit a track that is not at least pretty good most of the time. I've seen good to great racing at all the below on a pretty consistent basis:
FALS, Macon, Lincoln, Jacksonville, Spoon River, Tri City, Belle Clair, Farmer City. FALS is the best, but others in no particular order. Only been to LaSalle a couple times. It was pretty good as well. Same for Peoria.

Also, special mention for the indoor venue at DuQuoin for the USAC midgets. It is a thrill show twice a year.

[CIRF]

I regret having Little Belleville slip my mind. First rate facility, very well managed and organized and the racing is superb. Little Belleville could easily be in anyone's top 5.

If I was to come up with a pick of my personal opinion as to the best racetrack in Illinois, when quality of promoter and organization, facility, track prep and quality of racing are the deciding factors, the place that first comes to mind is Jacksonville.

Have attended late model events at both Highland and East Moline but only a couple times each so I really can't rate those places with any accuracy of experience. We enjoyed our visits to both but it's tough to see the big picture having attended a track that sparingly.

[Pennsboro32]

If a man were to move to Illinois to hunt trophy white tail deer and watch racing, which track or tracks would he live near? I know Fairbury did not look like good white tail deer country.

[CIRF]

Also, special mention for the indoor venue at DuQuoin for the USAC midgets. It is a thrill show twice a year.

Anyone who's ever attended a show at the Mini Magic Mile in the Southern Illinois Center will agree with you, crf! Some of the best racing you'll see all year!

Unfortunately it used to be a twice a year happening. When the guy who runs the dome deal made the move to include the invitational midget events and then schedule squarely against the mid-December Junior Knepper 55 that was traditionally run at Du Quoin it immediately killed the Knepper 55. I was told by one of the top USAC officials at PRI that was the exact reason the Knepper family did away with the Knepper 55.

Luckily Lauren Stewart still promotes the Shamrock Classic in mid-March at Du Quoin without having it stepped on by another event.

[LM1M]

Is the secret to the great racing in IL due to the dirt that retains moisture so well?

[CIRF]

If a man were to move to Illinois to hunt trophy white tail deer and watch racing, which track or tracks would he live near? I know Fairbury did not look like good white tail deer country.

Pennsboro, I live well within an hour of Fairbury and you wouldn't have to go far from the track to find prime deer hunting land. In fact, just a few miles north of town on a county road there is an area that is famous for deer hits. They're thick in that particular area.

[Mister Ricochet]

Is the secret to the great racing in IL due to the dirt that retains moisture so well?

Great question not only for IL tracks but which dirt/clay is best for dirt racing, why and here does it come from. Hope some of the sharp ones weigh in.

[Pennsboro32]

Pennsboro, I live well within an hour of Fairbury and you wouldn't have to go far from the track to find prime deer hunting land. In fact, just a few miles north of town on a county road there is an area that is famous for deer hits. They're thick in that particular area.

Thanks for the info.

[Mister Ricochet]

I regret having Little Belleville slip my mind. First rate facility, very well managed and organized and the racing is superb. Little Belleville could easily be in anyone's top 5.

.

20 yrs ago when I was exposed to dirt racing I met a guy at Kankakee who taught me a lot about the sport. He'd drive every week from Kankakee down to Belleville. He said simply there is a no better local show in the state. So much so he drove a few hundred miles every weekend to see it.

[t4g2]

Some of it is Dirt and part of it is chemicals the promoters use esp on the top side to not let it slick off aka tide.

[ride height]

Fairbury is King in Illinois. If you can’t enjoy yourself there....then dirt racing isn’t for you. Super nice people. Almost always 2-3 wide racing. Atmosphere is unbeatable.

[WisWildManFan]

FALS, Macon, Spoon, Farmer city, Lasalle

[CIRF]

20 yrs ago when I was exposed to dirt racing I met a guy at Kankakee who taught me a lot about the sport. He'd drive every week from Kankakee down to Belleville. He said simply there is a no better local show in the state. So much so he drove a few hundred miles every weekend to see it.

Not a surprise at all MR. We've driven down there at least a couple dozen times over the years and can't remember a bad race track or bad organization of the show.

Speaking of the right dirt/clay for racing, Knoxville, so I've read, was built with river bottom black clay gumbo and they replenish the dirt/clay for the track from the original source to this day.

I've hung around Fairbury for all of my adult life and attended well over a hundred events there and I've never heard where they get their dirt/clay from. I'm gonna' make an appoint to ask someone who knows sometime soon. I'm betting there is some of the dirt from the old track that made it's way into the new track when the configuration was changed back in the 1990's and is still part of the track.

I've heard Emmett Hahn say that he loses about 8 tandem truck loads of dirt every year during the Tulsa Shoot Out and The Chili Bowl. Gotta' believe bigger outdoor tracks such as Fairbury and J-ville, etc., lose much more than that to erosion and rooster tails throughout the course of a racing season!

[i-pod]

Out of the ones I have been to. 1. LaSalle 2. Farmer City 3. FALS 4. Macon 5. K3

[Scott Boesel]

If a man were to move to Illinois to hunt trophy white tail deer and watch racing, which track or tracks would he live near? I know Fairbury did not look like good white tail deer country.

Brownstown Illinois area has some awesome whitetail country. Also Spoon river and Peoria area is awesome for whitetail

[intel8]

Fairbury
Spoon
Kankakee (When O'Conners had it)
East Moline is the most unique place.

Why would anybody move to Illinois in it's present state is beyond me. New slogan is mot Land of Lincoln, but land of taxation.

[Mister Ricochet]

Not a surprise at all MR. We've driven down there at least a couple dozen times over the years and can't remember a bad race track or bad organization of the show.

Speaking of the right dirt/clay for racing, Knoxville, so I've read, was built with river bottom black clay gumbo and they replenish the dirt/clay for the track from the original source to this day.

I've hung around Fairbury for all of my adult life and attended well over a hundred events there and I've never heard where they get their dirt/clay from. I'm gonna' make an appoint to ask someone who knows sometime soon. I'm betting there is some of the dirt from the old track that made it's way into the new track when the configuration was changed back in the 1990's and is still part of the track.

I've heard Emmett Hahn say that he loses about 8 tandem truck loads of dirt every year during the Tulsa Shoot Out and The Chili Bowl. Gotta' believe bigger outdoor tracks such as Fairbury and J-ville, etc., lose much more than that to erosion and rooster tails throughout the course of a racing season!

Good post CIRF, thanks for it.......... You jogged my memory about Knoxville. Think I remember reading an article saying just what you are about the surface being river clay and that it retains moisture really well.

For me the racing surface of a track, followed by the art of track prep, is the most under reported aspect of the sport. DoD has some fine writers. I'd like to see periodical articles on individual track surfaces about the clay/dirt, where it originally came from, how they replenish it, prep it and why.

We hear and use terms like dry slick, wet slick, rubbered up, tacky, heavy, sealed about the surface and a slew of track prep terms and speaking for myself I'm not sure I understand all of them. Be great to hear the people who are in charge of this stuff explain and talk about it. ......... IMO a great and under reported topic for a writer to tackle.

[Mister Ricochet]

Out of the ones I have been to. 1. LaSalle 2. Farmer City 3. FALS 4. Macon 5. K3

Alright, i-pod. Knowing you are a weekend warrior not afraid to travel 500-600 miles on a weekend my ears perk up when you post. .......... We all love Fairbury but when the track is right LaSalle is as racy IMO and since it is dug into the ground there is not a bad seat in the house cuz you're on top of the action.

It's a shame this track is so under used, just a couple shows a yr and no weekly racing, and it seems we are watching it fade into history.

[WisWildManFan]

Walking up to the stands during hot laps at lasalle is very unique. On top of track is an understatement