VirtualGlobetrotting: Raceways

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Circuit of the Americas
milwhcky (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: milwhcky.
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The Formula One series returned to race in the United States on November 18, 2012 for the first time in five years. It was held on a brand new road circuit named Circuit of the Americas located near Austin, Texas.
Construction of the facility lasted from January 2011 until October 2012. The 900 acres of land used for the new racing facility was originally planned to be an 1,800 home subdivision.
The circuit is 3.427 miles (5.513 kilometers) long with 20 turns. Its design features natural elevation changes of 133 feet (41 meters). Drivers face a steep hill as they approach the first corner, located at the southernmost point of the circuit. Unlike most F1 races, the circuit is driven counter-clockwise.
Spectators can climb to the top of a 251 ft. (77 m) tall observation tower for an amazing view of the property. With Austin's reputation for being a musical city, an amphitheater was built near the base of the tower.
In 2013, the track will host the MotoGP motorcycle racing series inaugural Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas event.

Santa Fe Speedway (no longer there)
milwhcky (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: milwhcky.
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This dirt oval race track operated from 1953 until it closed in 1995. It was torn down in 1999 in order to build an upscale residential neighborhood.
The track is not visible in Google Maps, but it can be seen in Google Earth's historical imagery (1993 and 1998).
From 1896 until the late 1920's, it was the site of the Santa Fe Park, a race track originally used for horses. The Santa Fe name came from the Santa Fe Railroad located alongside the property. Automobiles, motorcycles, and bicycles also eventually raced here. It closed after a tornado destroyed the grandstands.
The son of the original track owner built the Santa Fe Speedway after inheriting the land from his father. He created a facility with both a 7/16 mile and 1/4 mile ovals. It held its first race on May 31, 1953. At that time, this was a rural area, but it was eventually swallowed up by the expanding Chicago metro area.
In its second year, Santa Fe hosted a 200-lap NASCAR race won by Dick Rathmann. Over the years, stock cars, sprint cars, midgets, and motorcycles raced here. It also was home to team demolition derby events, a local tradition that continues today at Joliet's Route 66 Raceway.

Myrtle Beach Speedway
milwhcky (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: milwhcky.
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This NASCAR sanctioned track first opened as a dirt track in 1958. It changed back and forth between dirt and paved surfaces a few times from 1974 until it was changed to the current .538 mile paved oval design in 1987.
This track is rich with history over the ages as it's been a proving ground for many eventual NASCAR stars.

Jennerstown Speedway
Built in the late 1920's, it was originally a half mile dirt track for open wheel racing. In the 50's a smaller 1/4 mile track was created, replacing the half mile track, and stock cars replaced the open wheel racers.
In 1967, new owners completely rebuilt the facility with a new half mile dirt oval that hosted sprint car and stock car races. In 1987, the track was paved, and has since hosted special events for NASCAR modifieds, Hooters Cup stock cars, and ASA stock cars, along with their weekly program.
The track owner closed the facility down in 2009 after failing to find a buyer. It sat unused until a new ownership group came forward in late 2013. Plans are to reopen in 2014 following repairs to the heavily vandalized structures.

Wisconsin International Raceway
A 1/2 mile oval, 1/4 mile oval with a figure 8, and a dragstrip.
Many regional late model stock car groups have raced here including ASA, ARTGO, and the Wisconsin Challenge Series. NASCAR Champions Matt Kenseth and Alan Kulwicki earned season track championships here before moving up to the national ranks.

Challenger Raceway
Late model stock cars raced on this 4/10 mile clay oval. It opened in 1992 and closed in 2009.

The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
1/2 mile clay oval hosts a few World of Outlaws sprint car events each year.

Estadio Foro Sol
AKpilotEMT (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: AKpilotEMT.
Home field of the Diablos Rojos del México of Major League Baseball's AAA Mexican League.
With a racetrack running through the middle of the field, it must make for some interesting ballgames!

Beaver Dam Raceway
This high-banked 1/3 mile clay oval track was created in 1993 on the site previously occupied by a 1/4 mile race track which dated back to the 1960's. Five divisions of stock cars, modifieds, and Legends race here weekly on Saturday nights. Several national and regional touring series of sprint cars, midgets, and late models hold special events here each year.
On May 20, 2007, the main building behind the seating area was set on fire by arsonists causing $500,000 worth of damage. Fortunately, the track barely missed a beat and reopened weeks later.
In 2009, a 1/5 mile dirt oval was created in the infield for karting and quad races on Tuesday and Friday nights.
In 2010, the track was renamed Beaver Dam Raceway. In recent years, it has gone by the names of Charter Raceway Park and Powercom Raceway Park.

Madison International Speedway
High banked 1/2 mile stock car racing track was built in 1969 and was originally named Capitol Speedway. For a few years in the 80's it converted to a dirt track known as Impact Speedway. The facility was closed for some time until it reopened in 1992 with a paved surface.

Jefferson Speedway
The pits are full with stock cars ready to take to the track.

Langley Speedway
Located in Campbell Valley Park, this 1/4 mile stock car racing track operated from 1963-84. The track hosted several NASCAR Winston West Series events. In the track's final few years, it went by the name Action Raceway.
The track closed after the city refused to renew the lease. The grandstands, fences, and other buildings have long since been torn down, but the track surface and retaining walls remain intact.
In 2006, it was declared a Heritage Site by the local government.

Brooklands racetrack and airfield
Hinkkanen (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Hinkkanen.
Brooklands, the first custom-built banked motor racing circuit in the world was opened in 1907. It was also one of the Britain's first airfields since 1908. During the WWI it was used for training and aircraft production (Sopwith, Bleriot, Martinsyde & Vickers). Motor racing ended to the WWII and the site was again used for aircraft production (Hawker & Vickers). Vickers factory continued until 1988-89 (part of BAC since 1960). In 1987 the site also became the home to the Brooklands Museum, which is dedicated to the site's motoring and aviation heritage.

Nurburgring
stan394 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: stan394.
Nurburgring, a track in the Playstation 2 game, Gran Turismo 4.

Queen City Speedway
When this 1/2 mile track opened in 1968, it was a dirt track named Tri-County Speedway. The track was paved in 1972. In 1977, it was sold and renamed. It closed in 1987, and recently has been used by a truck driving school. The track was on 127 acres of land that was sold in 2007 for commercial development.
In addition to a weekly schedule of local stock car racers, the track hosted several touring series events, including USAC midgets and sprint cars, and ARCA, ASA, and NASCAR Grand National East stock cars.

Oswego Dragstrip (former)
Matheus_ (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Matheus_.
Closed in 1979

Lake Geneva Raceway
Forty-four years of racing came to an end in 2006, as this multi-use racing facility is being turned into a housing development.
It opened in 1963 as a drag strip. Three years later, a 1/4 mile oval track was built. The turns of that oval track had no banking, as the drag strip passed through the oval. The final drag race was held here in 1977.
For many years, stock car drivers in Wisconsin could race on four different tracks each week (Thursday-Sunday), with this being a popular Saturday night option. 1992 NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki won his first stock car race on pavement here in 1975.
A larger 1/3 mile oval track was built in 1989, and because the drag strip was no longer used, the new oval track's corners were progressively banked.
SODA off-road events were held here on a temporary course in the 1990's. The property also featured motocross and karting tracks.

The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
voldude123 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: voldude123.

Nazareth Speedway
Closed in 2004. Held Indy car, IROC, and NASCAR Busch/Truck events. Plans to build a multi-purpose arena on the land has been discussed for a few years.

Charlotte Motor Speedway
gotmarko (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: gotmarko.
Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly Lowe's Motor Speedway) is a speedway in Concord, North Carolina, north of Charlotte. It features a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) long quad-oval track that seats 167,000 people, with room for 50,000 more spectators in the infield. Constructed in 1959, it was the first speedway to host nighttime superspeedway racing (in 1992) in the "modern era," the first being the now defunct Raleigh Speedway in 1958, and to offer year-round residences (in 1984) with 52 condominiums available over turn one. It is owned by Speedway Motorsports, which has its corporate headquarters on the same property. The speedway is considered the home base of NASCAR, with 90% of NASCAR teams being based within 50 miles (80 km).

US 30 Drag Strip (abandoned)
kjfitz (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kjfitz.

Atomic Motor Speedway
Once billed as the "world's fastest 1/3 mile dirt oval track", it closed after the 2006 season ending 36 years of racing. A trucking company bought the land and tore down the track.

Remains of New Bremen Speedway
This 1/2 mile race track opened on September 14, 1926, and closed down in 1981. It had a dirt surface until being paved during the 1966 season. Then-owner Earl Baltes chose to remove the asphalt in 1979, but the dirt surface below the pavement proved to be inadequate to race on.
When local businessmen Leo and Louis Huenke decided to create a track, but they did not want the typical horse track found at fairgrounds across the Midwest. Their banked half-mile showcased the growing horsepower of that era's race cars. The track featured traditional open-wheel racing as well as stock cars in later years.
(Read John Sawyer's two part story about the track in the May and June 2011 issues of Sprint Car and Midget magazine. Also, check out this Youtube clip filmed in 1957)

Asheville Motor Speedway
kjfitz (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kjfitz.
Where the raceway is and extending east you can just see the very faint outlines of Owen Field, a general aviation air field established in the mid 1940s.

Metrolina Speedway
Also known as the Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway, this 1/2 mile clay oval track operated from 1968-98. It was paved from 1974-77, at which time Dale Earnhardt recorded his first victory on pavement.