Portsmouth Raceway Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Portsmouth Raceway Park

Where Southern Hospitality Begins
Photo taken from air of Portsmouth Raceway
Location	Washington Township, Scioto County, near Portsmouth, Ohio
Time zone	GMT-5
Coordinates	38°44′00″N 83°01′04″W / 38.7333333°N 83.0177778°W / 38.7333333; -83.0177778
Capacity	8,500 approx.
Owner	Boone Coleman
Operator	Boone Coleman/Tim Coleman
Opened	1990
Oval
Surface	Dirt
Length	0.375 mi
Turns	4
Banking	Turns: 18° Straights: 8°
Race lap record	0:13.840 (Scott Bloomquist, Sept 1st, 2018, Late Model)

Portsmouth Raceway Park is an exciting place for car racing! It's a special kind of track called a dirt track. This means the track surface is made of dirt, not asphalt. It's about three-eighths of a mile long. You can find it near Portsmouth, Ohio.

A person named Boone Coleman built the track in 1990. Since then, it has become a popular spot for racing fans. The track hosts weekly races during the summer. Different types of race cars compete here. These include Late Models, Modifieds, Limited Late Models, and Bombers.

In 2009, the track held its first race shown on TV. This event was called "The Big Red Book River Days Rumble." It featured the Lucas Oil Late Model Series. This is a big racing series. The series came back in 2010 for two races. One of these was a two-day event. It was called the "Pepsi 75 – River Days Rumble." The winner of this race took home $20,000!

In 2012, Portsmouth Raceway Park hosted a very important race. It was called "The Dirt Track World Championship." This race is a "crown jewel" event in dirt track racing. The winner received $50,000. The race was shown on the SPEED Network. The Lucas Oil Late Model Series also approved this race. The track hosted this big event again the next year. Today, the Dirt Track World Championship pays $100,000 to the winner. Brandon Sheppard was the champion in 2019.

Track History

The land where the track sits has a long history. Long ago, it was a campground for the Shawnee Indian tribe. Later, white settlers moved onto the land. In 1799, a town called Alexandria was started there. But the town had to move in 1813. This was because of many floods. The town moved to where Portsmouth, Ohio is today.

Over time, the land became farmland. Boone Coleman, the current owner, bought the land in the 1970s.

In the summer of 1990, Coleman started digging on the site. People asked him why he was building there. He said, "My son Tim has a racecar and no place to practice!" Later, Boone decided to make the track a public place. He wanted to get back some of the money he spent building it. So, he added grandstands for fans. The first racing season started in late 1990. Only two races were held that year. The first full season of racing at the park was in 1991.

In 1992, something bad happened. Vandals used one of the track's bulldozers. They destroyed the grandstands and food areas. But the track crew worked quickly. They rebuilt everything in just two weeks! The track was ready to race again very fast.

In 2000, the track was changed. It used to be one-third of a mile long. It was made longer to three-eighths of a mile. This made the races even more exciting.

Fastest Laps

Race car drivers always try to set the fastest lap times. These are called track records.

The current track record for Late Model cars is held by Scott Bloomquist. He is a driver in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. His fastest lap was 13.840 seconds.

Before the track was made longer, it was one-third of a mile. The record on that old track was set by RJ Conley. He is a local businessman and driver. His fastest lap was 13.595 seconds.

Past Champions

Many talented drivers have won championships at Portsmouth Raceway Park. Here are some of the past champions in different racing classes:

• 1991
  • Mini Sprint – Tracy Hoover
  • Modified – Richard Callihan
  • Street Stock – Bob Dean
  • Bombers – Duane Pick
• 1992
  • Mini Sprint – Tracy Hoover
  • Modified – Richard Callihan
  • Street Stock – Bob Dean
  • Bombers – Larry Harr
• 1993
  • Late Model – Delmas Conley
  • Modified – Marty Horton
  • Street Stock – Rick Walker
  • Bombers – Don Coriell
• 1994
  • Late Model – Rick Walker
  • Modified – Richard Callihan
  • Street Stock – Marty Horton
  • Bombers – Tony DeHart
• 1995
  • Late Model – Charlie Seymour
  • Modified – Marty Horton
  • Street Stock – Phillip Harding
  • Bombers – Tony DeHart
• 1996
  • Late Model – Bob Adams, Jr.
  • Modified – Jeff Cunningham
  • Street Stock – Chris Blair
  • Bombers – Tony DeHart
• 1997
  • Late Model – Bob Adams, Jr.
  • Modified – Tim Tribby
  • Street Stock – Kenny McCann
  • Bombers – Bubby McCarty
• 1998
  • Late Model – Bill Bocook
  • Modified – Tim Tribby
  • Street Stock – John Melvin
  • Bombers – Danny Hamilton
• 1999
  • Late Model – Craig Leist
  • Modified – Tony DeHart
  • Street Stock – John Melvin
  • Bombers – Bo Cox
• 2000
  • Late Model – Kenny Christy
  • Modified – Eddie Harmon
  • Street Stock – Tim Robinson
  • Bombers – Phillip Kouns
• 2001
  • Late Model – Aaron Bapst
  • Modified – Bo Cox
  • Limited Late Model – Mike Steele
  • Bombers – Donald Sensabaugh
• 2002
  • Late Model – Kenny Christy
  • Modified – Eddie Harmon
  • Limited Late Model – John Melvin
  • Bombers – Josh McGuire
• 2003
  • Late Model – R.J. Conley
  • Modified – Eddie Harmon
  • Limited Late Model – John Melvin
  • Bombers – Josh McGuire
• 2004
  • Late Model – R.J. Conley
  • Modified – Eddie Harmon
  • Limited Late Model – Jeff Stevens
  • Bombers – Jeremie Bretz
• 2005
  • Late Model – Aaron Bapst
  • Modified – Adam Jordan
  • Limited Late Model – Jeff Stevens
  • Bombers – Jeremie Bretz
• 2006
  • Late Model – Jackie Boggs
  • Modified – Doug Adkins
  • Limited Late Model – John Melvin
  • Bombers – Shane Pendleton
• 2007
  • Late Model – Audie Swartz
  • Modified – Rick Walker
  • Limited Late Model – John Melvin
  • Bombers – Shane Pendleton
• 2008
  • Late Model – Jackie Boggs
  • Modified – Doug Adkins
  • Limited Late Model – John Melvin
  • Bombers – Shane Pendleton
• 2009
  • Late Model – Kenny Christy
  • Modified – Doug Adkins
  • Limited Late Model – John Melvin
  • Bomber – Jeremie Bretz
• 2010
  • Late Model – RJ Conley
  • Modified – David McWilliams
  • Limited Late Model – Evyian Terry
  • Bomber – Jeremie Bretz
• 2011
  • Late Model – Chris Wilson
  • Modified – Doug Adkins
  • Limited Late Model – John Melvin
  • Bomber – Robbie Lewis