Thornton Speedway or Thornton Race Track

Years of operation:  1924 - 1926

Location: 175th & Halsted St . , across the street from (east of) Washington Park horse track (Homewood, 1926-1977)

Notes:  half-mile dirt track that saw auto and motorcycle races held sporadically over a three-year period; track renovated in 1924 for harness racing; motorcycle races, promoted by J.R. “Jack” Leach of Hammond , Ind. (48 State St.), scheduled for 9/7/24 – first ‘cycle races in “Chicago District” in several years; series of races for the Chicago Colored Race Drivers Association held in 1925 – “Big Bill” Jeffries – promoter & driver – office at 2978 S. Prairie Ave. in Chicago; Charles “Dutch” Baumann of Indianapolis wins 20-mile feature race on 6/27/26 ahead of future Indianapolis 500 winner Billy Arnold and Walter Martins, track described as “soft and dangerous” – several greyhound dog races also held this same day; dog races held in 1926 as horse racing is shut down at Washington Park; dog races on and off with battles continuing in court into 1931 – dog racing finally ruled by the courts to be illegal in Illinois; as late as 1953, a proposed speedway is mentioned to be built on the old site.