Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway

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 / 42.44250; -83.11111Coordinates: 42°26′33″N 83°06′40″W / 42.44250°N 83.11111°W / 42.44250; -83.11111
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 (1 mi)

The Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway was a dirt oval racing track located in Detroit, Michigan. The track was built in 1899,[1] as part of the ground purchased to provide a permanent venue for the Michigan State Fair. Joseph Lowthian Hudson donated the ground, at 8 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue to the Michigan State Agricultural Society.[2] By 1908, the racetrack, at the east end of the fairground, had a 5,000 seat capacity grandstand. In addition to auto racing, the track also hosted harness racing.[3] The grandstand was declared unsafe in 1971 and demolished in 2001.[3]

Race winners

AAA/USAC Champ Car race winners

Season Date Winning Driver Chassis Engine
1949 September 11 Bettenhausen, TonyTony Bettenhausen Kurtis Offenhauser
1950 September 10 Banks, HenryHenry Banks Moore Offenhauser
1951 September 9 Russo, PaulPaul Russo Paul Russo/Nichels Offenhauser
1952 August 30 Vukovich, BillBill Vukovich Kuzma Offenhauser
1953 July 4 Ward, RodgerRodger Ward Kurtis Offenhauser
1957 September 11 Bryan, JimmyJimmy Bryan Kuzma Offenhauser

NASCAR Grand National race winners

Season Date Winning Driver Chassis
1951 August 12 Thompson, TommyTommy Thompson 1951 Chrysler
1952 August 12 Flock, TimTim Flock 1951 Hudson

See also

References

  1. 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.
  2. Minnis, John; Beaver, Lauren (2010). Michigan State Fair. Images of America. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-7385-7789-0.
  3. 1 2 Minnis, John; Beaver, Lauren (2010). Michigan State Fair. Images of America. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-7385-7789-0.
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