Any Articles on Ghost Tracks?

I was just curious if GRM has ever done articles on tracks that are long gone.

I have an avid fascination with Meadowdale Raceway in Carpenterville, IL. If it were to have remained an active track, it would be one of the most awesome tracks in the US today.

Today it has a preservation society that makes sure it stays a forest preserve.

break in, and rally.

They also had a "Monza Wall"

neon4891 wrote: break in, and rally.

Oh, the fun that could be had.

Actually, I'm looking to do some photography of some ghost towns and a ghost track could be super fun/cool to to some work on.

I would love to do a series or an article on unused racetracks. If you do go on a photography scouting trip, let me know.

http://ghosttracks.homestead.com/

Here is a web site created by a friend of mine that covers the history of a number of race tracks including Medowdale. He was one of the people responsible for making the improvements to the track and having the track surface cleared so that people can walk the track.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/TX/Airfields_TX_FtWorth_NW.htm#eaglemtn

Lots of activity there in the 50's and early 60's. Kinda the home track for Shelby.

very cool I had no idea the midwest was a hot spot for road raceing in the 60's

There was a series about ghost tracks in SportsCar a few years back.

We had Lynndale Farms just west of Milwaukee in that same era. http://lynndalefarms.homestead.com/

In reply to Maroon92:

I'll keep you in the loop. I plan on starting closer to home, but the wife just got a job as a flight attendant which means free flights

That track looks a little like the layout of Riverside (also a ghost).

we had three big tracks here in South Jersey that are now gone Pleasantville Speedway. (that my father actually raced on in the early 70s)

a BIG track that rivaled Indy out in Hammonton Amatol Racetrack (that you can just make out on a sat view)

And the Vineland Speedway, now on the campus of Cumberland County College. Vineland Speedway

Here's the best site I've found on race tracks. It's updated about once a year, but it seems to be pretty sweet! Arial views and google maps & coordinates.

US and Canada Race Tracks

Funny, I drove past Meadowdale just last weekend! I used to mtn. bike / 4-wheel out there years ago before they turned it into a park. Just before where the Monza wall started it read "PRAY" on the pavement.

Really cool place it you have a bit of time to kill.

Here's a good link to a guy who reconstructed the entire track for a computer game. Looks very accurate. Check out the YouTube video. Really makes me wish this track was still around.

http://thechicaneblog.com/2010/11/05/another-way-to-still-drive-meadowdale/

there was a show with James may where he setup a slot car race on an old no longer complete track in england... was a good show... had old race footage and stuff for the back story

In reply to donalson:

Yeah that was Toy Stories. Good show.

Anyways I have been finding great pics of a bygone time.

One of my favorites:

Sometimes they're closer than you think. I found out a few years ago there used to be a stock car track in town, and you can actually still make it out if you look carefully both on the ground and via satellite. It was about 1/2 mile from our old shop!

http://g.co/maps/r3vyj

The first sports car track I drove at was Bridgehampton. Ran there in late 60s into the 70s.

We stopped by Thompson one time just to see it, but there was no races going on. It was a pretty good road racing venue (it still runs roundy-round stuff).

I remember going to Marlboro as a high school kid. Penske and Donahue would run there. Lots of others too. Two years ago, my club ( VRG ), had a Marlboro Reunion at their Jefferson 500 event at Summit. Lots of old Marlboro racers came including Col. Joe Hauser and Ray Stone (both guys I followed when I was in college). I actually got to race in the same small-bore race with Stone and his Bugeye....pretty cool.

Sad that these places are gone, but there's several new tracks on the horizon here in the northeast, so all isn't lost.

N Sperlo wrote: In reply to Maroon92: I'll keep you in the loop. I plan on starting closer to home, but the wife just got a job as a flight attendant which means free flights

Who are you? Peter Griffin?

("I'm Winston Churchill. I like Tea and Crumpets")

ST_ZX2 wrote: There was a series about ghost tracks in SportsCar a few years back. We had Lynndale Farms just west of Milwaukee in that same era. http://lynndalefarms.homestead.com/

When I was a kid my uncle drove me around the former Lynndale Farms circuit that already had homes built on it in his tangerine orange '57 Alfa Romeo Guilietta Spyder at some speed and apexing the corners. Great experience for a kid and one of the things that influenced me to go racing later in life. Not in neighborhoods though.

Thompson is trying to bring a road circuit back. It's still in the very early stages. The old pavement is still there, but it shows the effects of multiple New England winters. We autox on part of the old road course a couple of times a year. It looks like it could be a real great place to run. In car video http://youtu.be/Xao3ShFGG5E

car39 wrote: Thompson is trying to bring a road circuit back. It's still in the very early stages. The old pavement is still there, but it shows the effects of multiple New England winters. We autox on part of the old road course a couple of times a year. It looks like it could be a real great place to run. In car video http://youtu.be/Xao3ShFGG5E

Thompson has a checkered history regarding road racing; hope they can resurrect the concept as a Lime Rock alternative.

I was 6yrs-old when I saw my very first race at the oval and instantly became a motorsports fan. Three years later, I attended an SCCA event on the "dedicated" road course and experienced what become a lifelong affliction. The last trip to the track was in 1969 to watch the Continental Series race on the combined oval/road course, a predecessor to the accursed "rovals" we have today. That series later evolved into F5000.

Yeah, there's a long history the behind the screen name "oldsaw".

Who knows info on Buffalo Lakes in TX? I've got a go kart that won a national there in the early 70's, so said the old timer i got it from.

What a cool topic! My Dad told me once that there used to be a road course down in the Florida Keys! I tried to find some evidence on my last trip down there but didn't see anything.