Walt Disney World Speedway facts for kids

The Walt Disney World Speedway was a special racing track located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It was close to Orlando.

This track was built in 1995 by a company linked to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was mainly created for a big race called the Indy 200 at Walt Disney World. This race was part of the Indy Racing League.

After 2000, the track was no longer used for major professional races. Instead, it became a place where fans could drive or ride in real race cars. Programs like the Richard Petty Driving Experience used the track. Many racing teams also used it for testing their cars. This was especially true in winter because Florida has warmer weather. The Walt Disney World Speedway closed for good on August 9, 2015.

AutoWeek magazine and the Orlando Sentinel newspaper gave the track a fun nickname: "The Mickyard." This name combines Mickey Mouse, a famous Disney character, with "Brickyard," which is the nickname for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Building the Walt Disney World Speedway

A student practicing at Walt Disney World Speedway in 2010

The Walt Disney World Speedway was a unique track shaped like a three-turn tri-oval. Kevin Forbes, a chief engineer from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, designed it. The perfect spot for the track was chosen in September 1994.

The track was built on a triangle-shaped piece of land. It was right next to the Magic Kingdom's parking lot, near Disney's Polynesian Resort. Plans for the track were first shared on January 23, 1995. The design made sure the track fit into the existing area. This meant very few roads needed to be moved.

On June 27, 1995, a special ceremony took place to start building the track. Mari Hulman George, a leader from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was there. She even brought one of the original bricks from the famous "Brickyard" track as a gift.

The track was built very quickly. It was one mile (1.6 km) long. Workers installed ten miles (16 km) of safety cables and two acres (8,094 m²) of fencing. They used 1,800 yards (1,646 m) of concrete for the outer walls. Another 2,300 feet (701 m) of concrete was used for the pit walls. The track surface itself needed 5,200 tons of asphalt.

Even though 1995 had the wettest June and July ever in Orlando, construction finished on time. There were 75 inches of rain, and even Hurricane Erin hit. But the final paving was done by October 18, 1995.

The track was officially opened on November 28, 1995. Famous Indy Racing League drivers like Arie Luyendyk and Eddie Cheever drove five cars in a "Flying V" shape. Fireworks lit up the sky. The first tests for the Indy Racing League happened from November 27 to December 9, 1995.

The first car race at the track was a Formula Ford 2000 support race. It took place on January 26, 1996. The very next day, the Indy Racing League held its Indy 200 car race there. On February 7, 1997, the Richard Petty Driving Experience opened. This was the first program that let fans drive real race cars.

Why the Speedway Closed

On March 27, 2015, it was announced that the speedway would close. The last day of operation was August 9, 2015. The track was then taken down. This was done to make space for "transportation improvements." These improvements included making the Magic Kingdom parking lot bigger and changing its entrance.

Track Design and Features

The Walt Disney World Speedway was built with a small budget. This meant that permanent parts of the track were kept to a minimum. The original plans only included the track surface, the retaining walls, and the catch fence. Other parts, like seating areas, restrooms, and race support areas, were built only when needed. They were temporary structures.

This way of building had never been used for an oval race track before. However, it had worked well for many years at temporary street circuits, like the Long Beach race. No permanent garages were built at the Speedway. Race teams simply worked out of their large trucks, which is common at some tracks.

Building this way saved a lot of money at first. Temporary bleachers (stands for fans) and restrooms were put up each November. This was to get ready for the races in January. Not having permanent grandstands also meant track officials could change the seating each year. They could add more seats if many tickets were sold.

However, this method became difficult and costly over time. The area used for the grandstands was also part of the Magic Kingdom parking lot. This part of the parking lot could not be used for almost three months. This included the very busy Christmas and New Year's holiday seasons at the theme park.

There are three connected ponds inside the track. They are shaped like Mickey Mouse. This pond, called "Lake Mickey," was built a year after the track opened. It helped with drainage issues.

Parking Challenges at the Speedway

At first, the track's location next to the Magic Kingdom parking lot seemed very convenient. But after a few years, traffic on race days became a huge problem. Race fans and regular Magic Kingdom guests arrived at the same time and place. This caused a need for extra parking.

In 1996 and 1997, Disney tried a solution. All race fans parked in the Magic Kingdom lot. All Magic Kingdom guests were sent to the Epcot parking lot instead. Race fans could walk to the Speedway. But Magic Kingdom guests had to take the monorail or a bus from Epcot. Then they transferred to another monorail to get to Magic Kingdom. This long trip led to many complaints from guests.

In 1997, a sudden rainstorm cut the IRL race short. Fans rushed to their cars, causing huge traffic jams. These jams lasted for several hours on World Drive and other nearby roads.

Starting in 1998, race fans were sent to park at Epcot. They took a shuttle bus to the Speedway. Magic Kingdom guests parked as usual in their own lot. This helped with theme park guest complaints. But it made things harder for race fans. They had to arrive much earlier because of the extra travel time. It also cost more money to run the races. Disney had to hire outside bus companies because their own bus fleet was not big enough for the shuttle service.

Why Professional Racing Ended

Sam Schmidt was paralyzed after an accident at Walt Disney World Speedway in 2000

In its early years, the track was often used for testing race cars all year. This was because of Orlando's warm winter weather. However, the track had three serious accidents.

On January 11, 1997, IRL driver Eliseo Salazar crashed and hurt his lower back. He missed two races. Two weeks later, on January 23, 1997, IRL driver Davy Jones broke his neck after a crash. On January 6, 2000, IRL driver Sam Schmidt became paralyzed after a crash during testing. The track was built before the SAFER barrier was invented. Many people believe SAFER barriers might have made these injuries less severe.

After the 2000 IRL season, race officials and Walt Disney World could not agree on a race date for 2001. IRL officials felt the January date was too early for teams to be ready. There was also a long break until the second race of the season. Disney officials were also worried about a conflict with Super Bowl XXXV, which was happening in Tampa around the same time.

Talks about moving the race to Labor Day weekend or building a new track stopped. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series had already stopped racing at the Speedway after 1998 for similar reasons. The Indy Racing League race was then permanently removed from the schedule.

Driving Experiences at the Speedway

Even after major races stopped, the track stayed busy. In 1997, the Richard Petty Driving Experience started using the track. This program let people drive real NASCAR cars or ride with a professional driver. It became the track's main use, operating almost every day of the year. To help cars get in and out, a one-lane car tunnel was built for the 1997 season.

In 1999, a new visitor's center and gift shop were built for the Richard Petty Driving Experience. A small garage was also added. Before this, they had worked out of temporary trailers and tents.

On November 13, 2008, the track also began hosting the Indy Racing Experience. This was similar to the Richard Petty program but used IndyCar machines. Fans could ride in two-seater IndyCars or even drive them. The Indy Racing Experience made the Speedway its permanent home.

On January 16, 2012, a new program called the Exotic Driving Experience began. This allowed people to drive high-end "supercars." Changes were made to the track's infield to create an "Exotics Course." This one-mile course ran clockwise and combined parts of the oval with a street-style track.

Other Uses of the Speedway

• On February 19–20, 1999, the track hosted the 7th Annual SunDay Challenge Alternative Energy Vehicle Rally. This event featured special cars that ran on alternative energy.
• On April 9, 2002, the new Infiniti Pro Series tested at the track. Driver Robby McGehee drove over 100 miles (160 km). This series started later that season.
• The oval track was part of the course for the Walt Disney World Marathon in some years.

Speedway Track Records

Indy Racing League Records

• The fastest unofficial lap ever was by Buddy Lazier. He drove it in 19.450 seconds, reaching 185.089 mph on January 13, 1996.

Past Race Winners

Indy Racing League Winners

The Indy Racing League IndyCar Series Indy 200 was the first big race at the track. The 1996 race was the very first event for the IRL.

• 1997: The race was made shorter because of rain.
• 1999: The race was held on a Sunday.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Winners

The Chevy Trucks Challenge was a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. It was held at the track in 1997 and 1998. It was the first race of the season both years. The race was stopped after 1998. This was because it created a very long break (10 weeks) until the next race of the season.

• 1998: The race was extended due to a green–white–checker finish.

USAC Formula Ford 2000 Winners

The Formula Ford Walt Disney World Challenge was a 50-lap race. It covered 50 miles (80 km) for the USAC Formula Ford 2000 series. It was held as a support race for the Indy Racing League event for the first three years.

• 1996 Sam Schmidt
• 1997 Urubatan Helou Jr.
• 1998 David Besnard

USAC Silver Crown Series Winners

The Silver Bullet 50 was a 50-lap race. It covered 50 miles (80 km) for the USAC Silver Crown Series. In its first year, it supported the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. For 1999–2000, it was a support race for the Indy Racing League event.

• 1998 Brian Tyler
• 1999 Mike Bliss
• 2000 Brian Tyler

See also

In Spanish: Walt Disney World Speedway para niños