Rockford Speedway

Motorsport venue
Name = Rockford Speedway
Nicknames =
Time = UTC-6 (UTC-5 DST)
Location = Illinois Route 173
Coordinates =


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Owner = Deery family
Operator = Deery family
Broke_ground =
Opened = 1948
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Layout1 = 1/4 mile oval
Surface = Asphalt
Length_km = 0.40
Length_mi = 0.25
Miles_first = True
Turns =
Banking = 22 degrees
Record_time =
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Rockford Speedway is a 1/4 mile short track oval in the Rockford, Illinois. It is located in the suburb of Loves Park on Illinois Route 173. Rockford Speedway is the only racetrack running under NASCAR sanction in Illinois. [cite web|url=http://localracing.nascar.com/tracks|title=NASCAR home tracks|publisher=NASCAR|accessdate=2008-10-03]

It hosts weekly local-level events during the summer racing season as well as occasional regional and national-level events. Notable special events at the track include trailer races,cite book|last=Shepard|first=Robin|title=The Best Breweries and Brewpubs of Illinois|publisher=University of Wisconsin Press|date=2003|pages=p. 30|isbn=0299188949] the Little Car Nationals endurance races, the Spring Classic, and the National Short Track Championship.

History

The track was built by Hugh Deery and continues to be run by his widow, Jody Deery (as of 2008).cite news|url=http://premium.nascar.com/news/features/women.jody.deery/index.html|title=Jody Deery|date=2008-04-16|accessdate=2008-10-03] It opened in 1948 as a midget car racing venue.cite web|url=http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/columns/stan-kalwasinski/tradition-is-the-keyword-for-rockford2019s-annual-biggie|title=Tradition Is The Keyword For Rockford’s Annual Biggie|date=2007|publisher=National Speed Sport News|accessdate=2008-09-30] Despite a death in the pits at the speedway several weeks after opening, on June 16, 1948, [cite web|url=http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ct&n=4755|title=Bob Brown|publisher=Motorsport Memorial|accessdate=2008-10-03] the track continued operation. Rockford Speedway is known for being the first track to develop an economical late model program as well as being an early adopter of the short track Saturday night racing program.

Track

The track is an asphalt-paved nominal 1/4 mile. The measured length of the track is convert|0.29167|mi|km|sp=us.cite web|url=http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=109167&FS=NASCAR-ELITE|title=MWS: Rockford Speedway October 19th preview|date=2002-10-15|publisher=Motorsport.com|accessdate=2008-09-30] It is highly banked at the turns and relatively flat on the front and back stretches. It is banked at 22 degrees in the convert|50|ft|m|sp=us|adj=on-wide corners and 8 degrees in the convert|40|ft|m|sp=us|adj=on-wide straightaways. Inside the 1/4 mile oval track is a Figure 8 track.

Programs

Weekly programs

The tracks offer two weekly programs during much of the season. On Saturdays it hosts a NASCAR-sanctioned Whelen All-American Series late model race, along with other series' that change weekly. On Wednesday nights it hosts Hornets, Figure 8's, Legends, Bandoleros, Winged Women on Wheels, and spectator drags.

Notable racers and participants

Track champions include seven time champion Bobby Wilberg. Travis Kvapil started racing at Rockford at age 16 and was the 1994 track champion in the American Short Tracker division. [cite web|url= http://www.wirace.com/news.html|title=Rockford Speedway is a "NASCAR home track"|last=Ramsell|first=Kevin|publisher=wirace.come|date=2007-03-06|accessdate=2007-10-22] Rich Bickle was the track's sportsman rookie of the year in 1980. [cite book |title=The Golden Age of Wisconsin Auto Racing |last=Grubba |first=Dale |year=2000 |publisher=Badger Books |location=Oregon, Wisconsin |isbn=1-878569-67-8 |pages=pages 158 - 162 ]

Several notable people started their racing careers at Rockford. NASCAR crew chief Chad Knaus was his father's crew chief for his championship race car. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series official John Darby got his start at Rockford in 1971 as an owner of a street stock. In 1976 he became crew chief for a late model that he owned which won the 1977 championship. He stopped owning the racecar in 1982 and became a track official. He moved up the NASCAR ranks as a technical official, and by 1994 he was the director for the NASCAR Busch Series (now Nationwide Series). After three years he was named the NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series director of competition.

tock car special events

The track holds events in the Wisconsin Challenge Series, USAC National Midgets, [cite web|url=http://www.usacracing.com/trackslist/91.html?div=midget|title=Rockford Speedway|publisher=USAC Mopar Midget National Championship|accessdate=2008-10-03] two Mid American Stock Car Series events, Big 8 Limited Late Model Touring Series, monster trucks, enduros , and the ASA Late Model Series Northern Division. NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series events were held at the track until the series closed.

National Short Track Championship

The track held its 43rd annual national short track championship (NSTC) in 2008. The three day event had 12 divisions racing as of the 2007 championship. Track promoters decided to host the first 200 lap event in late 1966 to pit the best drivers in Chicagoland against the best drivers in the Central Wisconsin Drivers Association.cite web|url=http://www.kevinramsell.com/node/271|title=Getting Ready for "One Great Racing Weekend”|last=Ramsell|first=Kevin|date=2008-09-23|accessdate=2008-10-03] Drivers competing at the event are primarily from Illinois and Wisconsin, although drivers from other states often participate.cite web|url=http://circletrack.automotive.com/75760/ctrp-0403-national-short-track-championships/index.html|title=National Short Track Championships at Rockford Speedway - A Day At The Races|last=Bolles|first=Bob|publisher=Circle Track Magazine|accessdate=2008-10-01] The event was sanctioned by ARTGO for several years, and it became part of the CRA Super Series tour in 2004. In 2005, it was part of the ASA Late Model Series.cite web|url=http://www.racingwest.com/news/articles/12392-the-outdoor-channel-to-televise-10-asa-late-model.html|title=The Outdoor Channel to Televise 10 ASA Late Model Challenge Series Events in 2006|date=2005-10-20|accessdate=2008-10-01] As of 2008, it is not part of any tour.

Winners

Joe Shear has won the most NSTCs with eight victories. Other multiple winners include Jeremy Lepak, Dick Trickle, Steve Carlson, and Eddie Hoffman.

The first event was won by Wisconsin short track racer Trickle by a lap over Chicagoland stock-car champion Roy Martinelli. Trickle was billed as the winningest short track driver in history [cite book |title=The Golden Age of Wisconsin Auto Racing |last=Grubba |first=Dale |year=2000 |publisher=Badger Books |location=Oregon, Wisconsin |isbn=1-878569-67-8 |url = http://books.google.com/books?id=Yxu1tpjJm8YC&pg=PA166&lpg=PA166&dq=%22dick+trickle%22+1000&source=web&ots=Co6OCZICiP&sig=QInya04Fgd0ccU_XMwyS40nE4wA&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA214,M1 |pages=page 214 ] with estimates of his win total between 1,000 and 1,200 races. Years later, Trickle commented, "I really do treasure that one in 1966. There were a lot of behind-the-scenes things that went on there. Number one, I had never run outside my own backyard, you might say, which is the central Wisconsin area. I never ran somewhere except in my own little circuit, but I had won there. The first time I ever stepped out of the central Wisconsin area was to the Rockford Nationals in 1966."
*2008 Josh Vadnais
*2007 Jeremy Lepak
*2006 Jeremy Lepak
*2005 Eddie Hoffman
*2004 Eddie Hoffman
*2003 Ron Breese Jr.
*2002 Steve Rubeck
*2001 Eddie Hoffman
*2000 Steve Carlson
*1999 Steve Carlson
*1998 Steve Carlson
*1997 Joe Shear
*1996 Steve Carlson
*1995 Steve Carlson
*1994 Scott Hansen
*1993 Steve Carlson
*1992 Steve Carlson
*1991 Butch Miller
*1990 Rich Bickle
*1989 Tim Fedewa
*1988 John Ziegler
*1987 Joe Shear
*1986 Mike Alexander
*1985 Joe Shear
*1984 Al Schill, Sr.
*1983 Joe Shear
*1982 Joe Shear
*1981 Junior Hanley
*1980 Jim Sauter
*1979 Dick Trickle
*1978 Dick Trickle
*1977 Mark Martin
*1976 Dave Watson
*1975 Joe Shear
*1974 Joe Shear
*1973 Mike Miller
*1972 Joe Shear
*1971 Bill Retallick
*1970 Wayne Stallsworth
*1969 Ramo Stott
*1968 William "Whitey" Gerken
*1967 Marlin "Shoes" Walbeck
*1966 Dick Trickle

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References

External links

* [http://www.rockfordspeedway.com/ Official track website]
* [http://localracing.nascar.com/node/177 Page at nascar.com]