The Dayton Speedway was a race track in Dayton, Ohio, United States. It has been called the "Fastest 1/2 mile (plus 210 feet) in the world".
The track held events for NASCAR, AAA, MARC, ARCA, ASA, USAC, etc.
The track was opened in June 1934 as a flat "D shaped" 5/8 mile dirt track. The original track was a "copy" of the Legion Ascot Speedway.
Timeline - The following is a timeline of events from 1933 to the present:
1933 - A "Kids Race" was held in September 1933.
1934 - The Official opening of the track was Sunday, June 3, 1934.
1934-1935 - The Speedway Manager was Paul Ackerman.
1936 - On June 4, 1936, the entire track was repaved with asphalt.
1937 - Track was purchased by Frank Funk.
1939 - The track was converted to a high-banked 1/2 mile.
late 1930s - 1970 - Covered grandstands are added.
1940's - Billboards on the backstretch begin to be displayed.
1941-1945 - Closed during WWII.
1946 - Reopened Friday June 29, 1946, with the first “Big Car” race ever held
1947-1954 - The track infield was 1/4 mile.
1949 - Sold in 1949.
1949-1958 - It had a single white guardrail.
1949?-1954? - The track had a wooden scoring / announcers stand.
1950 - It had a single "Strap" Guardrail (from 1950 Sprint Car Start on Home Page).
1951/52 - Track was converted to (corrugated/extruded) rounded guardrails.
1953 - First Dayton 500 was won by Iggy Katona.
1954 - Track site was used for a concert by "The Drifters" (August 7, 1954).
1955 - The infield track was 3/8 mile.
1955 - Jim Romine Olds photo shows bridge (No bridge after 1955?)
1960's - Harlan Fengler Era (chief steward of the Indy 500)
1969 - Black and White Stripe were used on two High Guardrails.
1970 - Covered Grandstands in photos.
1971-1974 - Closed, but the track was used for testing.
1975 - A new grandstand was built with new owner
1976-1978 - Closed, the track was used for testing.
1979 - Don Thompson Era
1982 - Front of the Concession Stand near turn one nearly collapsed between races one Sunday.
1982 - At end of season, closed, due to no liability insurance.
1984 - Still for sale.
1986 - Still for sale.
mid 1980s - The track began use as a landfill, eventually refuse filled the infield to the pavement on the straights. The site was then filled with clay and the track no longer exists.
