Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack

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Owner
  
State of Illinois

Opened
  
1894

Architectural style
  
Neoclassical architecture

Major event
  
United States Auto Club

Time zone
  
GMT-6

Surface
  
Clay

Phone
  
+1 217-782-6661

Added to NRHP
  
14 May 1990

Operator
  
Bob Sargent / Track Enterprises

Major events
  
ARCA Racing SeriesSuperCheyStores.com 100 Sportsman NationalsUSAC Silver Crown SeriesTony Bettenhausen 100A.M.A. Grand National Championship

Address
  
801 E Sangamon Ave, Springfield, IL 62702, USA

Similar
  
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indiana, Toledo Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Prairie Capital Conventi, Abraham Lincoln President

Profiles

Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one mile long clay oval motor racetrack on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, the state capital. Constructed in the late 19th century and reconstructed in 1927, the "Springfield Mile" as it is known has hosted competitive auto racing since 1910, making it one of the oldest speedways in the United States. It is the oldest track to continually host national championship dirt track racing, holding its first national championship race in 1934 under the American Automobile Association banner. The Illinois State Fair mile currently hosts the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 ARCA stock car race, USAC Silver Crown championship dirt cars, UMP Late Models and Modifieds and the A.M.A. Grand National Championship. It is the home of five world records for automobile racing making it one of the fastest dirt tracks in the world.

Billy Winn won the first national championship dirt track race held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in 1934. A.J. Foyt ran his first national championship race there in August 1957. The track is host to two of the older memorial events in the United States, the Tony Bettenhausen 100 for the USAC dirt championship cars, first run in 1961 and the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 stock car event for USAC, now ARCA, stock cars, first held in 1963. Both races are now held on the last weekend of the Illinois State Fair. Chuck Gurney is the only seven-time winner of the Tony Bettenhausen 100, while ARCA driver Frank Kimmel won the Allen Crowe Memorial for the seventh time in 2008.

The Springfield 100/Tony Bettenhausen 100 was part of the AAA/USAC Championship Car schedule from 1934 to 1940, 1947 to 1970 and again in 1981 and 1982.

From 1946 to 1953, the A.M.A. Grand National Champion was crowned based solely on the results of the Springfield Mile held at the fairground racetrack.

USAC Champ Car race history

All winners were American

References

Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack Wikipedia


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