Crown Point Speedway

 

Years of operation:  1957 – 2005

 

Location:  10300 S. Madison St., Crown Point, Ind., on U.S. 53 (Broadway), about three miles south of U.S. 30.

 

Notes:  opened in 1957 as a clay/dirt oval just under a ¼ mile in length…about 1950, Ralph Conner and his son, Don, started preliminary work to build the speedway which was known as the Broadway Speedway when it finally opened…open competition midget racing (on Friday nights) and open competition modified stock cars (on Saturday nights) was the schedule during the first year…stock car feature winners in 1957 included Bob Perrine, Harry Klisiak, Harley Bisselburg and Sonny Hendricks…for years, main concession building sign said, “Broadway Speedway  - Fastest Track on Earth”…for a number of years track featured flathead engine coupes as its premier division…ARCA stock cars competed there on June 20, 1969 with Ramo Stott besting Bobby Watson, Andy Hampton ,Benny Parsons and Paul Wensink in the 100-lap race, Iggy Katona had fast time…track has had a number of promoter changes over the years…track was renamed the Southlake Speedway in 1981 and was again changed to Crown Point Speedway in 2001.  During it final years of operation, track was owned and operated by longtime Chicago area dirt track star Jim O’Connor and his family.  Final race held at speedway on October 15, 2005 with Eric Kwasigroh of East Peoria, Ill. winning the last late model feature held.