Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway
| Drome | |
|---|---|
| Location | Michigan State Fair Detroit, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 42°26′33″N 83°06′40″W / 42.44250°N 83.11111°W |
| Opened | 1899 |
| Major events | AAA/USAC Indy Car Detroit 100 (1949–1953, 1957) NASCAR Grand National Motor City 250 (1951–1952) |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | 1.6 km (0.99 mi) |
The Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway was a dirt oval racing track located in Detroit, Michigan. The track was built in 1899 for horse racing,[1] and was part of the grounds purchased to provide a permanent venue for the Michigan State Fair. Joseph Lowthian Hudson donated the land, at Woodward Avenue and what is now 8 Mile Road, to the Michigan State Agricultural Society.[2]
By 1908, the racetrack, at the east end of the fairgrounds, had a 5,000-seat capacity grandstand. The track originally hosted thoroughbred flat racing as well as standardbred harness racing. Later, it was used for auto racing, after the growth of that industry.[3] In 1971 the grandstand was declared unsafe and was demolished in 2001.[3]
Race winners
AAA/USAC Champ Car race winners
| Season | Date | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Sanctioning body |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | June 10 | Ray Keech | Miller | Miller | AAA |
| 1929 | June 9 | Cliff Woodbury | Miller (2) | Miller (2) | AAA |
| 1930 | June 9 | Wilbur Shaw | Smith | Miller (3) | AAA |
| 1931 | June 14 | Louis Meyer | Stevens | Miller (4) | AAA |
| 1932 | June 9 | Bob Carey | Stevens (2) | Miller (5) | AAA |
| September 10 | Mauri Rose | Stevens (3) | Miller (6) | AAA | |
| 1933 | June 11 | Bill Cummings | Miller (3) | Miller (6) | AAA |
| 1949 | September 11 | Tony Bettenhausen | Kurtis Kraft | Offenhauser | AAA |
| 1950 | September 10 | Henry Banks | Moore | Offenhauser (2) | AAA |
| 1951 | September 9 | Paul Russo | Russo/Nichels | Offenhauser (3) | AAA |
| 1952 | August 30 | Bill Vukovich | Kuzma | Offenhauser (4) | AAA |
| 1953 | July 4 | Rodger Ward | Kurtis Kraft (2) | Offenhauser (5) | AAA |
| 1957 | June 23 | Jimmy Bryan | Kuzma (2) | Offenhauser (6) | USAC |
NASCAR Grand National race winners
| Season | Date | Winning Driver | Chassis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | August 12 | Tommy Thompson | 1951 Chrysler |
| 1952 | August 12 | Tim Flock | 1951 Hudson |
See also
References
- ^ Reed, Terry (2005). Indy: The Race And Ritual Of The Indianapolis 500 (Second ed.). Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books. p. 4. ISBN 1-57488-907-9.
Michigan State Fairgrounds 1899.
- ^ Minnis, John; Beaver, Lauren (2010). Michigan State Fair. Images of America. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-7385-7789-0.
- ^ a b Minnis, John; Beaver, Lauren (2010). Michigan State Fair. Images of America. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-7385-7789-0.