Eagle Raceway facts for kids
Eagle Raceway is a famous dirt race track located near Eagle, Nebraska. Many people call it the "World's Fastest Third Mile" because of how fast the cars go there! It's about two miles (3 km) east of Eagle on U.S. Route 34 in Cass County, Nebraska. This exciting track is also about fifteen miles east of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Every year in June, the World of Outlaws Sprint Series comes to race at Eagle Raceway. This is a very popular series for sprint car racing! On most Saturday nights from April to September, you can watch weekly races. These usually include fast winged sprint cars and IMCA Modifieds. In 2006, they also added IMCA Hobby Stocks and 4-Cylinder Sport Compacts to the weekly races, making it even more fun for fans.
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History of Eagle Raceway
How the Track Started in 1963
The Eagle Raceway was built in 1963 by two people from Eagle, Nebraska: Dale Halvorsen and Harvey Kropp. They created the track on farm land owned by Halvorsen. Kropp was in charge of organizing the races. The area's natural hills were perfect for building a high-banked, bowl-shaped track. These hills also made it easy to build grandstands above the track, giving fans a great view.
Early Racing Days (1960s-1970s)
For many years, Kropp and Halvorsen mainly held open wheel racing events. These races were popular throughout the 1960s and 1970s. After the 1976 season, they stopped promoting races, and the track was not used for a short time.
The Track Reopens in 1978
In 1978, a person named Paul Saenz leased the track from Halvorsen. He started holding weekly races for Late Model Stock Cars. This brought racing back to Eagle Raceway!
New Owners and Big Changes in 1984
In 1984, John Beecham, his wife Laura, and John's brother Marty bought the track. They made some huge improvements! They tore down the old buildings, like the scorer's tower and food stands, which were getting old. In their place, they built a new, two-story building with food stands and a special area for important guests. They also replaced the old seats with new ones that could hold about 5,000 fans.
The Beechams also brought the famous World of Outlaws back to the track for a special race in June. This tradition continues even today! At first, they had winged sprint car races on Friday nights and NASCAR stock car races on Saturday nights. But for the 1985 season, they switched the days. They also added IMCA Modifieds to the Saturday night sprint car show.
Future NASCAR Stars Race Here
The 1987 season was exciting because the USAC Midget Series started holding their Midsummer Midget Classic race at Eagle Raceway. This race brought many drivers who would later become big stars in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing. For example, Jeff Gordon won this race in 1990, and Tony Stewart won it in 1994. These are big names in racing!
More Upgrades in 1997
In 1997, the Beecham Family sold the track to Craig Cormack and his racing partner Dean Orth. They continued the weekly races, with stock cars on Fridays and sprint cars and modifieds on Saturdays. As part of the new ownership, they replaced the old wooden bleachers with modern concrete and aluminum stadium seating. In 2000, they added even more seats, including a 40-foot (12 m) high section, bringing the total seating capacity to 7,500!
They also added a powerful 100,000-watt sound system in 1997. This made the races even more exciting for fans. A well-known track announcer, Rick Allen Schwieger, who is now a play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports, also worked at Eagle Raceway during this time.
Changes in Race Programs
In 2001, due to fewer people attending and fewer race teams participating, Cormack stopped the Friday night stock car program.
After the 2005 season, Cormack decided to close the track and put it up for sale. He mentioned low attendance and not making enough money. Then, a former Late Model driver named Roger Hadan made a deal to operate the track in 2006 and 2007. Hadan added IMCA Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts to the Saturday night races. He also became known for fun events like school bus races and other special shows for fans. In 2007, he even added a large JumboTron screen for everyone to see the action up close.
Images for kids
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View from the turn one grandstand.
