Illiana Motor Speedway facts for kids
Illiana Motor Speedway in 2012
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| Location | 7211 U.S. 30 Schererville, Indiana 46307 |
|---|---|
| Time zone | CST −6 |
| Coordinates | 41°28′37″N 87°25′24″W / 41.476882°N 87.42332°W |
| Capacity | 7,000 |
| Operator | Mike Mikuly |
| Opened | 1947 |
| Closed | 2016 |
| Architect | Harry Molenaar |
| Major events | ASA Late Model Series ASA Member Tracks Tony Bettenhausen Memorial 100 ASA Midwest Tour Elmer Musgrave Memorial 100 HOSS |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | .500 mi (.805 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Straights: 8° Turns 14° |
| Race lap record | 15.994 (Brian Gerster, Gerster Racing, 2007, HOSS) |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | .25 mi (.402 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Figure Eight | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
The Illiana Motor Speedway was a famous race track located in Schererville, Indiana, United States. It was built in 1947 and was known as the only 1/2-mile paved oval track in the Chicago area. Sadly, the track closed its doors in 2016 after being sold to the Town of Schererville.
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History of the Speedway
When Illiana Motor Speedway first opened in 1947, it was a 1/2-mile dirt track. Imagine racing on dirt! Later, in 1964, the track was paved with asphalt, making it faster and smoother. Today, it's known as a 1/2-mile asphalt oval with a smaller 1/4-mile track inside.
Special Races and Changes
In 1962, the track owner, Harry Molenaar, started a special 100-lap race. It was called the "Tony Bettenhausen Memorial" to honor a local Indy car racer, Tony Bettenhausen, who had passed away.
In 2000, the speedway got a fresh new asphalt surface for the first time in almost 40 years. The new owner, Mike Mikuly, also bought the track that year. He replaced the old guard rails with strong cement walls, making the track safer.
New Racing Divisions
Also in 2000, a new type of racing called the Turbo Stox division became very popular on Illiana's 1/4-mile track. The Street Stock division had its last race at Illiana in 2001.
For the 2003 season, Mike Mikuly added the Limited Late Model division. This brought the track's total number of racing divisions to four. Limited Late Models use a "crate engine," which is a special engine that costs less to race than the engines used in the Super Late Model division. This made racing more affordable for some teams.
In 2004, Mike Mikuly added another division: 4-cylinder Pure Stocks. These cars raced on the 1/4-mile track. In 2007, Legend cars were also added to the weekly racing program, also competing on the 1/4-mile track.
The Track's Closure
On June 24, 2016, the town of Schererville announced that it had bought the track. Soon after, demolition of the speedway began, bringing an end to its long history of racing.
Famous Drivers
Many talented drivers raced at Illiana Motor Speedway. Here are a few who became very well-known:
- Bobby Wawak: He was the 1974 Late Model champion at Illiana and went on to race in NASCAR for many years.
- Larry Schuler: He won the 1976 Late Model championship and was known as one of the winningest drivers in the nation that year.
- Bobby Dotter: The 1981 Late Model champion, Bobby Dotter later won races in the NASCAR Busch Series.
- Brett Sontag: In 2004, Brett Sontag was named the ASA National Tour Rookie of the Year, showing his great talent early on.
