NASCAR’s history if full of unique tracks the sanctioning body has visited over the years, Here is a look at five:
Nazareth Speedway
As unique layouts go, Nazareth was near the top of the list. The five-turn track located in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania was born as a dirt track in 1910 before undergoing a transformation and repaving in 1987 when it debuted at slightly less than a mile in length. Nazareth was the scene of many open-wheel races on both its dirt and asphalt incarnations with NASCAR also playing a prominent role in track history. Both the NASCAR Busch (now Xfinity) Series and Camping World Truck Series competed for years at Nazareth, as did the Whelen Modified Tour. Rick Mast won the inaugural Busch race in 1988 with Martin Truex Jr. taking the final appearance by the series in 2004. The Truck Series debuted in 1996 with a Jack Sprague win. Greg Biffle won the last race held for the series in 2001. The track stopped holding major events shortly thereafter and ceased operation by 2004.
An aerial view of the Nazareth Speedway. Credit: ISC Images Archives via Getty Images
I-70 Speedway
A high-banked half-mile track in Odessa, Missouri just outside Kansas City, I-70 was one of the most legendary short tracks in the country. Late-model stock car racing was king at I-70 with some of the sport’s top stars competing at the track over the years including Dick Trickle, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin and Larry Phillips. The Camping World Truck Series found its way to the track and produced some of the most memorable short track racing in series history with Mike Skinner winning the inaugural race in 1995. In all, the series competed at I-70 five times and the track fell on hard times before finally shutting down in 2009. It was reopened last year as a dirt track.
Pikes Peak Int’l Raceway
The mile-long PPIR track sits in Fountain, Colorado and had a strong run on the NASCAR schedule for many years. Both the Busch (now XFINITY) Series and Camping World Truck Series debuted at Pikes Peak in 1998. Matt Kenseth won the first of what would a total of eight Busch Series races at the track. Ron Hornaday Jr. was victorious in the Truck Series race that same year. NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series West also competed at Pikes Peak for many seasons with the likes of Michael Waltrip and Kevin Harvick finding Victory Lane. The track ceased operations for some time but has been brought back to life in recent years as a home for driving schools and training.
Chicago Motor Speedway
NASCAR’s history of racing in the “Windy City” dates back to Soldier Field in the 1950s. But a now-defunct track just outside the city limits in Cicero also played host to NASCAR racing when Chicago Motor Speedway was alive and well. The one-mile speedway was built on the grounds of the former Sportsman’s Park horse racing track and current team owner Chip Ganassi was part of the ownership group. In addition to a CART race, CMS also was on the Camping World Truck Series schedule for two years. Joe Ruttman won the first race in 2000 and Scott Riggs the following year. Attendance fell dramatically in a short period of time and when Chicagoland Speedway opened its gates in 2001, its neighbor track to the north closed its gates.
Louisville Motor Speedway
Another unique short track from the early days of the Camping World Truck Series, Louisville was located in the Bluegrass State. The track first opened in 1988 as a weekly venue with regional touring events also on its schedule. The Truck Series made its debut in 1995 and ran there until the 1999 season. Louisville was a three-cornered track and almost a smaller version of Pocono Raceway. It featured elevation changes as well and although it was only 3/8-mile in length, some drivers felt it drove like a road course. The track’s fate was sealed when Kentucky Speedway opened in nearby Sparta and Louisville is now the site of an industrial park.
