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Turkey Night Grand Prix

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The Turkey Night Grand Prix is an annual race of midget cars. It has been held on Thanksgiving night most years since 1934 at various southern California race tracks, promoted by J. C. Agajanian and later his heirs. Traditionally a dirt track event, it has been held more frequently on asphalt since the turn of the 21st century, although it returned to dirt in 2012.

Contents

Drivers

The event is considered a major event in the midget cars series. It frequently attracts drivers from other disciplines, especially former drivers that have moved to the highest levels of auto racing; the major auto racing circuits in the United States end their seasons prior to Thanksgiving, so major drivers do not have any schedule conflicts with their main circuits. Drivers that have competed in the event include Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Johnnie Parsons, Bill Vukovich, Danny Oakes, Tony Stewart, J.J. Yeley, Jason Leffler, Kasey Kahne, and Kyle Larson.

Locations

Several locations have hosted the race.

  • Gilmore Stadium (1934–1950) (now CBS Television City)
  • Gardena Stadium (1955–1959)
  • Ascot Park (1960–1974, 1976–1990)
  • 605 Speedway (1975)
  • Saugus Speedway (1991)
  • Bakersfield Speedway (1992–1995, 1998)
  • Perris Auto Speedway (1996, 2012–2015)
  • Ventura Raceway (1997, 2016)
  • Irwindale Speedway (1999–2011)
  • References

    Turkey Night Grand Prix Wikipedia