Back in the 80's \u0026 90's one of the things i did as a young man was watch live racing. Related: 10 Superminis We'd Bring To A Track Day Over Any Supercar. They were losing thousands per week back in the late 1950s. Theyve tried to restore the track in the past with races however the course is now deemed as overly dangerous due to the sharp curves. 14 Keimola Motor Stadium, Finland via deskgram.com We don't typically think of Finland when it comes to iconic tracks. While previous race tracks were merely refitted versions of horse and/or cycling ones, Brooklands was The worlds first purpose-built motor racing circuit as stated by Urban Ghosts. Carl Collis won the last race, a 40-lap modified stock car event on April 29, 1984. It has been abandonedever since. The old grandstands still stand, with old sponsors painted on them. From the occasional wayward driver who crashed their car in a spectacular manner to the rare car pile-ups, we have a strange fascination with violence in sports that were both repelled by and yet drawn to when it happens. The course would change its structure throughout the years. The Nazareth Speedway is an abandoned automobile race track in Pennsylvania. 14 It which was the last championship race held at the track. By 1973, it was all over. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, BMARA RACERS HELP EACH OTHER The passing of time has seen many tracks exist in the world. It was listed for $1.1 million, but no one ever took up the opportunity. Thus, race tracks were created across the world to satisfy those who would pay good money to see cars of various shapes and sizes duking it out in a heated competition to see whose car is the fastest much like the chariot races of old. Arun Singh Pundir has been a longtime media crackerjack and worked most of his life in sales and marketing. While various racing championships have been held on this track, none of them have been nearly as famous as the ones covered in this article thus far. While the above picture doesnt seem to indicate much, Mount Panorama is Well-known for its long straights and tight downhill section according to Road & Track. Track has been sitting dormant ever since. Yet given the number of racing cars present, and the partially visible crowds, its clearly still being used. Along that abandoned stretch of turnpike sits three tunnels, including the Laurel Hill Tunnel, a pretty unique tunnel in Pennsylvania that holds a secret not everyone knows about (unless, maybe, you're a big racing fan or a member of the racing community). However, back in 1965, production began for the Keimola Motor Stadium. The course is completely vacated nowadays and in pretty rough shape. Somehow, looters have never been interested in touching or distributing this. In the 1970s, there was also a massive concert held there that the good people of Georgia were none too pleased about. 5 6 16 Veteran Frankie Schneider won the first race. It is not only thrilling for people to see cars racing around the track at top speeds till they are only blurs of vibrant color, but even the dangers associated with the sport tend to make things more interesting. However, back in 1965, production began for the Keimola Motor Stadium. by ScottKo in RacingIn News. Simply the Worlds Most Interesting Travel Site, 20 Photos Of Abandoned Race Tracks Nobody Dares To Use, The Real Reason For Brendan Fraser's Weight Gain, The Biggest Scandal Of Tom Selleck's Career Involved Stealing 1.4 Million Gallons Of Water For His Avocado Farm, Cooper Hefner Knows The Exact Moment His Dad Hugh Stopped Being Friends With Donald Trump. Click here to tell us about it. When Joe Littlejohn attended the preliminary NASCAR meetings, he also decided to turn his horse racing track into a car racing one. The Budh International Circuit is not technically abandoned as it does hold the odd race. Istanbul Park was situated over two hours from Istanbul itself, which partly lead to its downfall. Most of the area is completely demolished. So long you could forgive it for being why the track closed! 4. Full profile. Motordrome Speedway, for instance, was closed off in 2016 after being operated as a NASCAR track for no fewer than 25 years. But nothing international since the last Grand Prix in 2013. The track officials tried to negotiate new terms with the racing league, however discussions completely soured and F1 refused to return. 41.015297, -80.276457 for those interested. Sad to see how little maintenance the course has endured over the decades. Opened in 1970, the Ontario Motor Speedway was a relatively new entrant to the world of motorsports, built to accommodate all four major racing sanctioning authorities: NASCAR, NHRA, FIA, and USAC. Defunct motorsport venues in the United States, Defunct speedway venues in the United States, Watkins Glen Grand Prix Course, 19481952, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Defunct_motorsport_venues_in_the_United_States&oldid=955082548, Defunct sports venues in the United States, Template Category TOC via CatAutoTOC on category with 101200 pages, CatAutoTOC generates standard Category TOC, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 May 2020, at 21:39. As you might expect most of its revenue came from F1. Opened since the early 60's, it was shut down in 2004. It was one of the most deadly tracks the world has ever seen and did claim the lives of several drivers. Apart from its 40-year history, the other reason this track is famous is because it was One of the homes of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series in the 1990s as stated by Urban Ghosts. Charlotte Motor Speedway Welcomes Hurricane Florence Evacuees to Rock City Campground. The YouTube series called Dark Exploration Films did a deep dive of the former race track located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is said that improper funding was the core reason for tracks ultimate demise. For most of its existence, it was a dirt track, but it was paved for the last of the two Grand Nationals of 1971. It was an impressive course. It opened a year later in the summer of 1966, the course and area was considered among the top in Europe during that decade. Defunct horse racing venues in Pennsylvania (1 P) T. Tropical Park Race Track (4 P) W. . It held F1 races from 2005 to 2011 and had a fearsome reputation thanks to its awe-inspiring turn 8. Ryan Gosling Blamed His Failed Relationships With Sandra Bullock And Rachel McAdams On One Specific Thing, Melissa Rauch Got Emotional During The Night Court Pilot When She Was Surprised By Her Former Big Bang Theory Colleagues On-Set, Serving Jennifer Lopez At A Restaurant Seems Like More Of A Curse Than Blessing, Ryan Gosling And Eva Mendes Are Teaching Their Children At Home That Gender Norms Do Not Exist. One of the more prominent tracks that holds these competitions is the Tsukuba Circuit, which is located north of Tokyo according to Road & Track. The track was acquired by Donald J. and Michael F. Ronca for $225,000 at a sheriffs sale in December 1973 with the goal of redeveloping the track into an industrial park. Marlboro Motor Raceway. One such example is Thunderhill, which is located Outside of Sacramento according to Road & Track. Though its not as old as Brooklands, this circuit is a close second as it was built in the 1920s. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, Top Tips For Online Race Track Promotion It was also a rather dangerous one and ended up taking the lives of 19 drivers. It was closed in 2002 and demolished by 2005. This list may not reflect recent changes. Today, theres a Hilton hotel and commercial development on most of the hallowed tracks. F1 did not return until the new, safer and shorter track was built in 1983. RELATED: PA's forgotten. It was put up for auction in 2007 and soon revived. As packed as California can get, being one of the most popular states to live at in the US, theres plenty of room for race tracks. It was a unique track to say the least. Like the Autodromo Nazionale Monza track, this one is also located in Italy. The 67,000-seatracetrack opened to packed houses in 1999 and hosted both NASCAR auto racesandhorse races. Merrimack Valley Course. The track made its debut in 1969. Reims was one of the most fearsome Grand Prix circuits of the 20th century, its simple and fast nature led to many average race records being broken throughout its history. Othershave not done that. There is still paperwork and files there that anyone interested can browse through. Apart from hosting the titular Daytona 500, this track is also open to the public. Most of it though does not see racing use, not surprising given how dangerous it was. For a while, the grandstands were torn down but the track remained. And needless to say, it has thousands of stories to tell after more than a century of racing that included IndyCar, Formula One, and. Sadly due to the timing and the Great War taking place the circuit was forgotten about rather quickly. Considered to be One of the oldest race tracks in America, as stated by Road & Track, its certainly showing its age judging by the swerve lines in the above picture. Related: Here's Everything You'll Need (and Want) for Your First Track Day. For some, that has meant a fate worse than only one race a year. However, the conditions are less than stellar and something you might find in a creepy Hollywood flick. Named after the small independent city on coast of France of the same name which faces the Mediterranean Sea, this particular track is known for being extremely curvy as the above picture shows. There are several other race tracks that once were historical, but are now not much of anything. Bobby Harnell proved his mettle on these very tracks, and yet, once complaints began to pore of the tracks damaging condition to the cars, NASCAR made a prompt exit. 2. In fact, it is The home of the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix according to Road & Track magazine. Thus, the track has become not only an important location for Formula One car races in general but also more prestigious compared to others. You will NOT be disappointed. One of the. Related: 5 Best American Track-Day Cars Under $30,000 (And 5 Japanese). Shopping centers and condos are to replace some other tracks. Pretty cool. 16, In 1988, NASCAR began racing the Busch Series at the site. We updated this article with more information about the featured tracks. In truth, the former circuit is in complete disarray nowadays with some old props still on the scene and as you might expect, completely rusted and in terrible shape. Miami-Hollywood Motorsports Park. The Riverside Intl Raceway became a part of motorsport in 1957 and was considered one of the finest race car tracks on this side of the world. Monroe County Fairgrounds. Despite it being a popular attraction in its time it would close due terrible profit margins. It seems like the North Carolina circuit was the perfect fit according to Sporting News. According to Jalopnik this was the final dagger for the depleted race track; The storm was what finally did it. A renowned short track, the I-70 Speedway saw some great names in racing test their mettle on it since its inception in 1969. Jungle Park Speedway is a historic former racetrack in Bloomingdale, Indiana. The first race to ever take place was in May of 1927 as the venue hosted a motorcycle race. Since then, there has been an eerie silence on and around it, usually related to abandonment. So its a pretty twisty track, but on a larger scale than Pebble Beach. Though the above picture only shows a small section of it, its not hard to imagine given that the state of Texas has a particular love for big things (being one of the biggest states in America). The Middle Georgia Raceway opened in 1966, with many of the racing biggies earning victories there. But for those who actually have to drive on it, the track can be challenging because of its rough surface which Requires drivers to have a ton of commitment going into every turn Road & Track says. Many tracks have been abandoned or left to second-tier status. Since then, small-time races have been hosted, but they have been few and far between. Grab a copy of the Abandoned Kentucky hardcover book, available in stores and on Amazon. The Korean International Circuit was an interesting layout and it certainly had its challenges. Enjoy the article folks as we take a look at the 14 most depressing abandoned racetracks from around the world. The area is completely abandoned and making matters worse the isolation of the area really doesnt help things especially in terms of restoring the former drag strip. The tunnel, which used to be the longest in the Turnpike system, is more than 1 mile long. However, like most of the other racetracks the venue just wasnt bringing in enough funds despite the course being utilized frequently. It was also a rather dangerous one and ended up taking the lives of 19 drivers. NNMSs opening show to feature Triple 100s., Reinhard, Paul. It has actually been through various plans to reopen it, one scheme in 2008 suddenly changing tack and turning its back on the track completely. By 1990, they paved the track, made it faster and deadlier and its popularity began to decrease dramatically. According to Hot Cars, this track is the one that pioneered the use of foam blocks, which made crashes not as devastating. Most of the former track remains closed nowadays, and its in rough conditions. Here is a list of Pennsylvania race tracks..Dont see a track listed here? Safety concerns was a big reason for the tracks downfall and eventual abandonment. The big daddy of the lot, the Nazareth Speedway remained in operation for nearly a century beginning 1910 and closing its doors in 2004. Lets see if its luck changes. Pennsylvania's Lost Raceways Its stuck in a time warp, with the old signs from the 2013 race still above the garage doors to this day. After being abandoned, a part of it has been covered by a mall. via YouTube Some might say that these rides are better off being left behind instead of locked away in a museum. This in turn led to A brief renaissance in 2010 following the tracks successful reopening, Urban Ghosts states, before it closed down again not long after. There are also various memorabilia, such as magazines and photos. Social. 13 Columbia Speedway, South Carolina via Twitter by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Rivalry Renewed: Lanigan & Richards Set To Face Off In 2015 As Richards Returns To Full-Time World of Outlaws Competition It was a challenge and a half for drivers, and some of the track is still there and in use. But not all race tracks are this fortunate. A fitting tribute to one of the most amazing circuits F1 has ever seen. Once they were in great demand, playing host to thousands of screaming fans and booming NASCAR race cars, and considered hallowed grounds of racing history. 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