Bandimere Speedway facts for kids
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| Location | Jefferson County, near Morrison, Colorado |
| Capacity | 23,500 |
| Owner | Bandimere Family |
| Opened | 1958 |
| Major events | Dodge Mile-High Nationals |
| Surface | Concrete |
| Length | .402 km (.25 mi) |
Bandimere Speedway, also known as Thunder Mountain, is a famous quarter-mile dragstrip where super-fast cars race! It's located near Morrison, Colorado and Lakewood, Colorado. This exciting race track first opened its doors in 1958. It's home to big events like the NHRA's Mopar Mile-High Nationals. Lots of fans can watch the races, as the track can hold up to 23,500 people!
Contents
History of Bandimere Speedway
How It Started
In 1958, a man named John Bandimere Sr. bought some land close to Denver. He had a big dream: to build a safe place for young people to race cars. He wanted them to learn about cars and race off the streets. So, he and his family started building a drag strip. It was a small track at first, but it was a start!
Big Improvements Over Time
In 1988, the Bandimere family decided to make the track even better. They spent $4 million on big improvements! This project took a whole year. They added more seats for fans, making space for over 23,500 people. They also made better areas for race cars and improved parking. These changes helped the track host bigger events.
Today, Bandimere Speedway is almost 50 years old. Many of the original buildings have been replaced. The race schedule has grown a lot too! It now hosts many special events, including the NHRA Mello Yello Mopar Mile-High Nationals. John Bandimere, Jr., the current track president, is proud of the speedway. He says it was his parents' dream. He is happy that it has been a successful race track for so many years.
Why is Bandimere Speedway Unique?
Bandimere Speedway is special for a few reasons. These things make it different from other race tracks.
Racing at High Altitude
First, the track is very high up! It's over 5,000 feet above sea level. This means the air is much thinner than at tracks closer to the ocean. Thinner air affects the race cars. It means less air pushes on the car's rear wings. This can make the cars lose some grip. Also, the thinner air makes the cars go a bit slower. For example, a car that goes 330 miles per hour at other tracks might only reach 320 mph here. A race that takes less than 4 seconds elsewhere might take over 4 seconds at Bandimere.
Because of the high altitude, the NHRA adjusts the rules for some races. This helps keep the races fair.
Special Track Design
Bandimere Speedway is also the only NHRA track with a special design. The starting area is slightly downhill. This helps the cars get going. The end of the track, called the shut down strip, goes uphill. This is a very important safety feature. It helps the cars slow down after their super-fast runs.
