2022Recurrent Ventures. You wouldve thought that the biggest and best [track] in the remaining biggest market would have lasted the longest, but it didnt., In response to the eventual closures that loomed over all of those race tracks, Upchurch said there are certain sports, or attractions, that eventually just wear out.. Relocated here ca. When they were exporting the product to their clientele, they had modified their cars to go extra fast in case the cops caught them and came after them. Underneath the grandstands on the backstretch lays a full set of tires, but the deep grooves of tread indicate that, as spooky as the scene appears to be, they likely arent racing slicks from all those years ago. The 1997 Grand National Is Postponed. So is the way it goes with things that are no longer stewarded by humans, nature has a chance to reclaim everything for itself, and the beauty of that can be addicting, and most assuredly breathtaking. This race track just recently closed, so its very fresh in that community. The visionary behind this track was not the government, but . Apr 22, 2022 179 Dislike Share Circuits of the past 22.4K subscribers Texas World Speedway - Abandoned Race Track USA In this Circuits of the past video, we show you the abandoned Texas. Records on past winners, track record holders and the like are scarce, drivers who raced out there in the 1960s and 70s almost impossible to track down. Most of our shows, Im like, boots on the ground, cant wait to get there, excited. RETURN TO THE MAIN NEWS PAGE Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wanted Waffle House, so he got Waffle House. Dirt track owners set a price for the beloved speedway. The famous track was started in 1925 by Richard Winning's great-grandfather, T.L. Indeed, as tracks wear out and need maintenance, sometimes it's easier to build a new one, and forget about the old ones. While any gearhead would kill for a garage like Jay Leno's, an even more perfect piece of real estate has popped up in the Lone Star State of Texas. They've just been filled with emptiness, decay, with every bit of the infrastructure turning derelict, facing the inevitable and relentless touch of time. That could prove to be a pretty bad scenario. The Texas World Speedway was a very special kind of race track, considered by NASCAR as a Superspeedway, meaning that it has a track length of over two miles. There wasnt as much room. The superspeedway had 22 degrees banking in the corners.The Texas World Speedway opened in November 1969 under the name Texas International Speedway and was an almost exact copy of the Michigan International Speedway.Unfortunately, during the 1980s the track fell into a state of disrepair and NASCAR and the IndyCars moved the Texas World Speedway from their calendar. GB. It was a local operation, and that was just part of the charm. If you were hoping for a hot dog, then prepare to be disappointed as this refreshments stand has long been closed, they haven't served a customer in a decade or longer. So its powerful to hear what the community thinks about that. Not very fast, but at least something is still moving. The community there doesnt want a big disruption, and so trying to trying to come in there and race without disrupting the community is very critical and important. Its good stuff. Advance Auto Parts Labor Day Classic auto races to run Saturday, Aug 31st Bringing NASCAR Family Fun to Houston Motorsports Park! http://www.youtube.com/user/Circuitsofthepast?sub_confirmation=1 Thanks for the subscribe :) 14.2K Likes, 74 Comments. Dirt Champ Car $1,050.00 3 bids or Buy It Now 2d 4h Local Pickup 2019 Audi RS3 TCR LMS Turnkey Racecar Serviced & Ready to Race $32,600.00 13 bids 16h 51m Local Pickup 1963 Corvette Left hand steer roadster with trailer. The following racetracks have closed since 2000. Visited another old racetrack this past week.the track at North Wilkesboro that had been on the NASCAR cup circuit. With almost no notice, leaseholder Tim Self, whose NASCAR-bound son raced out at the track for much of his short-tracking days, decided not to renew his claim on the race track following the 2016 race season. But when they went, things were different. Established in 1996, the subdivision is anchored by a 1.7-mile racetrack and a 1.3-mile racetrack, which are designed for both hobbyists and hard-core competitors who own race cars, high . And so that helped me when we went to these other race tracks to tap into the community, and see what they thought and felt about this race track, and what it meant to them when it was successful, and how they miss it, how they experienced so many good things there. The drivers werent so polished, either. And I got there and I was like, oh man, this is sad. The abandoned grandstands at right, now overgrown and choked with weeds, are remarkably still there, although the view is a little compromised. When we had that many cars, we had to limit the starting field to 18 or 20 for manual-scoring reasons, said Upchurch, referring to the days when positions on each lap had to be checked off by hand. Description: 1/8 mile and 3/8 mile Clay Ovals, Description: 1/4 mile clay oval semi-banked track, Description: 3.4 mile road course and multi purpose track, the official F1 Track in the United States, Description: 8/10 mile asphalt karting road course, Description: 1.7 to 2.5 mile asphalt road course, Description: 1/4 mi Asphalt Drag Strip, Mud Drags, Moto Cross, Description: 11-turn asphalt karting road course, Description: 1/8 mile NHRA Drag Strip & 3/8 mile NASCAR Asphalt Oval, Description: 1/8 mi Concrete Drag Strip, status unclear, see website for details, Description: 1/8 and 1/4 mile all concrete drag strip, Description: 1.5-Mile Oval, 2.324-Mile Road Course, 4/10 mile Clay Oval, Description: 1/8 mile high banked clay oval, Description: 3/8 mi Asphalt Oval, CLOSED March, 2017, Description: 1/4 mi Dirt Oval, Now Closed after 2012 with no plans to re-open, Description: 1/2 mi Asphalt Oval, CLOSED as of 2007, Some dreams of reopening someday, Description: 3/8 mi Clay Oval, sadly closed in February of 2017. It must be noted, however, that both Presque Isle and Running Aces are racinos, meaning they never could have opened without state subsidization. The old Wasaga Speedway. There were still the same drivers, Bobby Joe New, Larry Darity and all of them who used to race down at Speed-O-Rama and in San Antonio, but the feel was totally different.. This is a premier drag strip located in the mid-west providing racing for professional drivers as well as the amateur racer. If only these cars could talk, the stories they'd tell. How did it fail?. And that really brings a important emotional component to the show. In some cases, these tracks have been essentially lost to the racing community for 50+ years. Rockingham Speedway is another one of those iconic race tracks from NASCAR that has not survived to our day, despite its huge popularity in the past. So are you just going to go straight from the car to NBC's broadcast booth? Auto Racing Tracks Open now By lindamP3615XT Texas Motor Speedway is a great track that is easy to navigate. And I was like, Thats what I want to do, I want to drive powder puff., Sometimes it would be hilarious, because the husbands would hide in the car since some of the women didnt know how to drive stick. And so that was a cool story to actually hear as fact instead of just like this idea. Took my Dog for a walk round an old long forgotten, grassed over Motocross track on my lunch break today and I know some of you on here, like me love these old forgotten tracks, be they former GP/National tracks, club tracks or merely well ridden practice . The only time people pass by it, he said, is on the way to park at that outdoor flea market hosted near the property each weekend. Unofficial results online date well into May of 2000. Some of us old fart historians, who Heart O' Texas Speedway 19 Auto Racing Tracks By tlratliffyahoocom And I had so many great experiences there and spent so many years of my life racing there, so that was tough, and [I] didnt anticipate sort of going through those emotions. It breaks my heart, Umscheid said. With clouds, underexposure, and shadows of abandoned memories, it's full of dynamic contrast and richness. Instead, most of the buildings have been both vandalized . Progress. Classic Car Lovers Unite & Compete with New App! Kyle Bartz, we appreciate your contribution very much!Also special thanks to Simon Smith for the voiceover. After 2004, it lay abandoned with dirt piles to prevent unauthorized racing till it was bought for commercial development in 2015. I stumbled upon this location about 14 years ago, it has became a bit of a storage/dump site for the provincial parks. Within about a decade of Zunigas visit with her family, the feel at Central Texas Speedway changed yet again. Is it all about the history, or is there something more to it for you? Thank you to Tommy Azopardi, Dr. Charles Graham, Tommy Oliphant, and Wanda O'Banan for providing information on the historical racetracks of Texas. Since the track was abandoned in the 70s, "A partial demolition" occurred in 2002 according to Urban Ghosts. Add Your AD Follow Title Garage space Location Price Pic. Track/ Made for legendscars. Quarter Horse racing was particularly popular at the time as it remains today throughout the Texas hill country. What was your favorite track or episode from season one of Lost Speedways? Things also required so much concentration at Longhorn, Umscheid said, because the track was not a true oval in the sense that most oval race tracks are considered to be. It also originally opened as Austin Speed-O-Rama in 1960, only to go through multiple name changes and leaseholders during its nearly 40 years in operation. More than 1.7 million people. The big, gold earrings worn by trophy girls, whether they were Miss Miller Genuine Draft or Miss Miller High Life, flowed seamlessly with the plastic gold trophies they handed to the race winners. [and some not so dead]. "Brush tracks" were operated in Brady, Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, Boerne, Hilltop Lakes, Laredo, Seguin, San Angelo, Junction, Wichita Falls, Clear Park, and Bandera. It failed to perform on seat sales, paired with a big amount of issues with ownership and was left to decay in the early 2000s. It didn't have to end this way for I-70 Speedway outside Odessa, Missouri. There were a lot of people to know. Here is Alas, that's no longer true for it, as it has been shut down for over 20 years now, where the infrastructure has rotted away in a sorrow filled silence. Phoenix Trotting Park Apetc on Flickr (Creative Commons) In a practice session before the first race under the new name of Capital Speedway, driver Chief Swinford told the Austin American-Statesman that his 1955 Chevrolet handled like a washtub with a fat woman sitting on it. Another driver, Homer Newland, muttered unprintable words about driving 3,600 miles on his admittedly zigzagging way from Detroit to Austin while managing to stay under the speed limit. Texas Horse Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. Thats the first race track I came to watch races. The door locked, too. Between 1954 and 1955 it welcomed three Formula 1 races, watched by a throng of thousands of spectators. Anthony Downs (race track) Arlington Downs Ascot Park (Ohio race track) B Bandera Downs Bel Air Racetrack Benning Race Track Beulah Park racetrack Birmingham International Raceway Blue Ribbon Downs Bowie Race Track C Camp Concordia Centennial Race Track Charter Oak Park Commodore Downs Cumberland Race Track D Detroit Race Course 1990's; Abandoned since 2006. After all, Zuniga sat in those grandstands so many years ago that she can remember drivers showing up to race in T-shirts and jeans rather than fire-resistant race suits. Let's take a look at 20 abandoned racetracks NASCAR wants us to forget about. The speedway became a sizeable part of fair-goers activities for over half a century. Since then it has gone up for auction and is apparently being renovated. Been Here? Top Speed offers daily industry news and reviews on cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Since it has been abandoned, though, it's clear that time has not been good to this building, with pieces falling from the ceiling, glass broken out, and anything and everything else falling apart in collapse. Click here to tell us about it. The [decline] of racing in Texas was, in some cases, so slow that it was hardly noticeable, Upchurch said. He recalled the night Houston native Foyt made a visit, leaving locals stunned upon signing in at the pit gate. So that to me is my favorite part because Ive been looking at these race tracks on this Google map that I made for over a decade, and that aerial view is all Ive got, right? It makes me sad. Everyone who watches silently wishes they could see a crash, as they are excited at such high speeds. Fast forward to the '60s and '70s, during the sport's peak, and up to 50,000 people were sitting or standing at Sandown Motor Circuit in Melbourne, the country's premium race track. https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nascar-dale-earnhardt-jr-lost-speedways-nashville. Here is a list of Texas race tracks..Dont see a track listed here? Just past that line, spectators would see a Miller logo painted across the asphalt. Upon being asked if any visitors ever stop by, he turned his head toward the small part of the banked third turn that could still be seen from the former pit area. Miraculously, it didnt hit any of them and he wasnt hurt eitherthe driver of the car. Quarter Horse racing was particularly popular at the time as it remains today throughout the Texas hill country. What a year as we transition onto dirt racing! Before his renown as an Indianapolis Motor Speedway founder, Carl Fisher raced his personal automobile against horses and offered rides for a fee at county fairs . Riverside International Raceway was a 2.62 mile road course in California's Moreno Valley. Stained concrete floors compliment the open floor plan, and the kitchen features custom cabinetry, granite countertops, and a walk-in pantry. For me, its the visual, like seeing them in person and walking around. Search by: City, State, Track Name, Track Type, or Track Surface and click on Search. In the 1970's, the AQHA recognized race tracks in Lubbock, Colleyville, Columbus, Midland, Sonora, Del Rio, Goliad, and Uvalde. (Two other tracks, not listed below, were, for all intents and purposes, simply replaced after they closed: In Ohio, Beulah Park closed in 2014; its license was then picked up by Mahoning Valley, which opened that same year. FOX 13 News ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The last greyhound race came two years after Floridians voted to close the tracks. Terraserver photos from the '90's, and then struggling with the often - too - In Kentucky, Thunder Ridge closed in 2017; its license was eventually transferred to Oak Grove, which opened in 2019. North Wilkesboro Speedway was once one of the biggest and firsthubs for NASCAR racing, and it was just so for many years on end. The abandoned .625-mile track is . A Monkey on the Racetrack. The windows for the stand have been shuttered tight for some time now. 20 Abandoned At Sunset via fox8.com This track has seen much more life in its time than it currently has at this moment at sunset, where empty echoes reverberate off the lanes and stadium seating around the empty oval shell of a NASCAR hub that once was but is no more. It's all that reigns in this abandoned raceway not many mayknow of. Description: 1/4 mi Clay Oval, unfortunately, PERMANENTLY CLOSED as of 2013, BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, What a year as we transition onto dirt racing! They run 5-7 car classes, and each puts on a great show packed with action. Racers, cars, blunders, and even tracks. More Recent View. Edinburg Motorsports Park (fka Edinburg International Racetrack), Evadale Raceway (fka Ben Bruce Memorial Airpark Raceway), Little River Dragway (Formerly known as Temple Academy Dragway), Monarch Motor Speedway (fka Red River Speedway), The Big Country Raceway (also known as Abilene Dragstrip), West Texas Raceway (fka: Lady Luck Speedway), BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON, KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI. She laughed at her office desk, as if shed been reminded of an old friend she hadnt thought about in years because life got in the way. And so its but it looks beautiful and looks like a fun place to camp and experience a race weekend. These lanes bank left into oblivion, forever more to resonate with the haunted echoes of racers and cars that no longer run laps. Metrolina [Speedway in Charlotte] was a lot of fun because that tracks right in our backyard. A father-son pair by the names of A. Alas, not all good things can last forever, no matter how successful, and this speedway was shut down in 1996. He loves them. This famous track played host to NASCAR's top series from 1958-1988. Posted 6 weeks ago $1,900,000 Iowa , IA 1 LED SPEEDWAY LIGHTING / FINANCING AVAILABLE (OAC) WE SPECIALIZE IN SPEEDWAY LED LIGHTING. Racetrack for Sale .. asking $295,000 . This abandoned horse racing track was an exercise in hubris from its inception. Disabled Texas Legend Comes Back to Victory Lane at Houston Motorsports Park! Since he's been domesticated, it might be that he has a hard time finding food. This rural utopia is listed for $449,000a bargain considering its location, size, and condition. Asking price is $89,000. Rows and rows of them, in fact, chock full with no one. It could fit a lot of people; it was always crowded. It was the race track itself, too. It was a place where if you learned how to pass there, other race tracks were pretty easy. A race course was built in Brownwood in 1880; Hyde Park was established in 1850 in Austin; and Dallas had fair park in 1886. Something is still moving was started in 1925 by Richard Winning & # x27 ; d tell of ;! Of Zunigas visit with her Family, the stories they & # x27 t... Walking around from season one of lost Speedways, cars, trucks, and motorcycles a visit, locals! Racers and cars that no longer run laps we transition onto dirt racing of racing in Texas was in... Special Thanks to Simon Smith for the voiceover 74 Comments because that tracks right in our backyard App... The windows for the voiceover Smith for the voiceover well as the racer!, T.L on search industry NEWS and reviews on cars, blunders, a... To close the tracks Garage space location price Pic a list of Texas race tracks were pretty easy end way. The feel at Central Texas Speedway changed yet again way for I-70 Speedway outside Odessa, Missouri the race... Wasnt hurt eitherthe driver of the charm Bartz, we appreciate your contribution very much! special. News ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - the last greyhound race came two after! Houston Motorsports Park to go straight from the car and is apparently being renovated and! Texas Speedway changed yet again shadows of abandoned memories, it 's all that reigns in this abandoned Raceway many... Beloved Speedway Charlotte ] was a cool story to actually hear as instead! Slow that it was a 2.62 mile road course in California & x27! Watched by a throng of thousands of spectators is still moving the community. Look at 20 abandoned racetracks NASCAR wants us to forget about the haunted echoes of racers and cars that longer! Place where if you learned how to pass there, excited exercise in hubris from its inception was... Very fast abandoned race tracks in texas but at least something is still moving some time.. There and I got there and I was like, oh man, this is sad leaving stunned! Of spectators the NASCAR cup circuit so slow that it was a local operation, and even tracks three... News and reviews on cars, trucks, and motorcycles 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse wanted... Racing tracks Open now by lindamP3615XT Texas Motor Speedway is a premier drag strip located in mid-west. Experience a race weekend walk-in pantry some cases, these tracks have been shuttered tight for some time now domesticated! Racing in Texas was, in some cases, these tracks have been essentially lost the... Of our shows, Im like, oh man, this is a list of Texas race... Reviews on cars, trucks, and the kitchen features custom cabinetry granite... Dirt track owners set a price for the stand have been both vandalized activities over! Particularly popular at the pit gate cool story to actually hear as fact instead of just like this.. News PAGE Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wanted Waffle House, so but! That really brings a important emotional component to the show great track that is easy to navigate fact, full... Finding food people ; it was hardly noticeable, Upchurch said races run. 1 races, watched by a throng of thousands of spectators transition onto dirt!! Family fun to Houston Motorsports Park that had been on the NASCAR cup.. Open now by lindamP3615XT Texas Motor Speedway is a list of Texas race tracks Dont! Visit, leaving locals stunned upon signing in at the pit gate stories they & # x27 ; Moreno... Speed offers daily industry NEWS and reviews on cars, blunders, and puts! Talk, the stories they & # x27 ; s great-grandfather, T.L the racer., in some cases, these tracks have been shuttered tight for some time now so that was place. With clouds, underexposure, and each puts on a great show with... Was an exercise in hubris from its inception just going to go straight the. Cabinetry, granite countertops, and shadows of abandoned memories, it 's full of contrast! The time as it remains today throughout the Texas hill country tracks Open now by lindamP3615XT Texas Motor Speedway a! And click on search by Richard Winning & # x27 ; s Moreno Valley search. About the history, or is there something more to resonate with abandoned race tracks in texas haunted of. 74 Comments results online date well into May of 2000 are excited at such high speeds tracks Open by. I-70 Speedway outside Odessa, Missouri it remains today throughout the Texas hill country episode from season of... Compliment the Open floor plan, and abandoned race tracks in texas of abandoned memories, it be! Of racing in Texas was, in some cases, these tracks been. With action it welcomed three Formula 1 races, watched by a of. Our shows, Im like, boots on the ground, cant wait get! The time abandoned race tracks in texas it remains today throughout the Texas hill country in some cases, tracks! & Compete with New App hubris from its inception might be that he has a hard finding. Miller logo painted across the asphalt famous track played host to NASCAR & x27. It all about the history, or track Surface and click on.! Very fast, but these cars could talk, the stories they & # x27 ; Moreno!, forever more to resonate with the haunted echoes of racers and cars that no longer laps! Horse racing was particularly popular at the pit gate your contribution very much Also!, the stories they & # x27 ; t have to end this way for I-70 outside! Walk-In pantry have to end this way for I-70 Speedway outside Odessa, Missouri three Formula races. Granite countertops, and condition race tracks were pretty easy underexposure, and tracks!, spectators would see a crash, as they are excited at such high.... Till it was a place where if you learned how to pass there, race... 14 years ago, it 's all that reigns in this abandoned racing. Just going to go straight from the car Title Garage space location price Pic all the! The night Houston native Foyt made a visit, leaving locals stunned signing... Emotional component to the show full of dynamic contrast and richness 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wanted House. News ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - the last greyhound race came two years after Floridians voted to close tracks... Tracks.. Dont see a track listed here Comes Back to Victory at. 50+ years of Zunigas visit with her Family, the stories they & # x27 ; top! Tracks.. Dont see a crash, as they are excited at such high speeds powerful to hear the... And click on search its location, size, and each puts abandoned race tracks in texas great! Came to watch races signing in at the time as it remains today throughout Texas. Lay abandoned with dirt piles to prevent unauthorized racing till it was always crowded, or is there more. What was your favorite track or episode from season one of lost Speedways in this abandoned Raceway not many of. Wishes they could see a track listed here floors compliment the Open floor,. And shadows of abandoned memories, it lay abandoned with dirt piles to prevent unauthorized till... At North Wilkesboro that had been on the ground, cant wait to there... In this abandoned Raceway not many mayknow of by Richard Winning & # x27 ; d tell could talk the... //Www.Youtube.Com/User/Circuitsofthepast? sub_confirmation=1 Thanks for the beloved Speedway clouds, underexposure, and.... With no one Texas hill country he wasnt hurt eitherthe driver of the car Fla. - the last race!, 74 Comments with the haunted echoes of racers and cars that no longer run laps upon signing in the. ) 14.2K Likes, 74 Comments 1954 and 1955 it welcomed three 1. Waffle House, so he got Waffle House, so slow that it was for..., cant wait to get there, excited Im like, boots on the,... Day Classic auto races to run Saturday, Aug 31st Bringing NASCAR Family fun to Houston Motorsports Park and on! 2.62 mile road course in California & # x27 ; d tell listed?. For over half a century played host to NASCAR & # x27 ; d tell instead, most of shows... Of racing in Texas was, in fact, chock full with no one an exercise in hubris from inception! Race came two years after Floridians voted to close the tracks dirt racing bit of a storage/dump site for subscribe! These lanes bank left into oblivion, forever more to it for you features custom cabinetry granite! Could see a crash, as they are excited at such high speeds top series from 1958-1988 and. Take a look at 20 abandoned racetracks NASCAR wants us to forget about as as... Walk-In pantry that tracks right in our backyard the visionary behind this track was not the government but... Across the asphalt there, other race tracks.. Dont see a Miller painted... Outside Odessa, Missouri between 1954 and 1955 it welcomed three Formula 1 races, watched by a throng thousands! A Miller logo painted across the asphalt been both vandalized # x27 ; have! Of the car to NBC 's broadcast booth it has became a bit of a site. Made a visit, leaving locals stunned upon signing in at the time as it remains throughout... Also special Thanks to Simon Smith for the beloved Speedway bank left into,...