SPARTA–Allan Brown of Comstock Park has watched at least one race in all 50 states and has visited about 2,000 tracks in all during the past 35 years.

But Brown said he never had seen anything like he saw Sunday afternoon.

The eighth annual STA-BIL Great Lakes Summer Nationals Race for Huntington’s Disease Research returned to Paul C. Miller Airport, and Brown and his wife Nancy took in the second and final day of the races.

Brown co-founded the National Speedway Directory in 1975, and that kept him traveling to tracks all across the country. He sold the publication this past December, and that has enabled him to catch more races closer to home. READ FULL ARTICLE

The most famous writer in motorsports, Chris Economaki, in his weekly Speed Sport Notebook, said “The National Speedway Directory is now offering Track Guide, an application for the iPhone, which includes a complete listing of more than 1,350 race all available in the palm of your hand.   The annual National Speedway Directory soft cover book listing 1,380 race tracks in the U.S. and Canada is for sale for $14 from National Speedway Directory, 909 Seneca Road, Wilmette, IL, 60091.”

In addition, an ad for Track Guide was also in this edition.

NSD Founder Allan Brown

The latest edition of the National Speedway Directory is now available. Once again updating the information was a chore. We have to monitor about 1,600 tracks, but each year there are 200 tracks that setting idle that don’t make the book. The thing is, you have to keep tabs on them, because they could surprise you and come back to life at any time. Take for instance Montgomery Motor Speedway in Alabama. When it closed in 2006, everyone thought that was the end of that famous track, but it came back to life last year and seems to be doing well.

The same with Stockton 99 Speedway in California. In fact the grandstands at Stockton were dismantled. The stands had to be reinstalled and the track reopened after setting idle for two summers.

Occasionally tracks go into limbo, and then resurface with a new surface. 441 Speedways was just such a track. It was a paved track when it closed in 2001. Last year the new owner converted it to dirt and all is well.

This year is no exception. Probably the most famous track that is supposed to come back to life is North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina. The once NASCAR Grand National (aka Winston Cup) track closed in 1996. It is being revived and special events are scheduled for the end of this summer.

West Virginia Motor Speedway is another track that has set idle for three years. It has a very aggressive schedule set for 2010.

Unfortunately, we also have tracks that go by the wayside, some only go into hiatus, waiting for someone to come along and reopen them, others end up closed for good. With some of them being torn down. Such a case of Birmingham International Raceway at the State Fairgrounds in Alabama. It was torn down in the spring of 2009 to make room for city project.

We have a major track that has thrown in the towel at the end of 2009. Memphis Motorsports Park, in Tennessee. The fate of that track is unknown at the present. The wild thing is the dragstrip closed at the same time. A NHRA National event was being held at MMP each year. We also lost a few major short tracks. Manzanita Speedway in Arizona  ran a few races in the spring of 2009, before the property was sold for commercial development. State Fair Speedway in Nebraska ran it’s last race ever in 2009. The property supposedly will be used by the nearby University of Nebraska. State Fair Speedway in Oklahoma City is another victim of politics as an electric wire that was running over the grandstands has to be moved and buried. The cost was going to be $500,000, and was not feasible for the promoter or the fairgrounds. It sounds like the property will now be used for something else, which sounds like the politicians wanted in the first place.

We also have another State Fairgrounds that is holding on by it’s skin of it’s teeth. Fairgrounds Speedway at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville. It is closes that means we’ve lost four race tracks at State Fairgrounds in the past three years. Alabama, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and possibly Tennessee.

So goes the ever ending saga of tracks coming and going. Sometimes getting the updated information is like pulling teeth, but you have to be persistent so that we can make sure the information listed in the Directory and the website are as accurate as possible.

If you have not ordered your 2010 National Speedway Directory, get one online today.

TUNE IN

Along with the launch of the new website, the 2010 National Speedway Directory is available. This publication features a total of 1,380 auto racing facilities. It is the most comprehensive and accurate listing of active tracks in the United States and Canada. Inside this handy 592-page paper-back book is detailed information on 1,020 oval tracks, 331 dragstrips and 103 road courses, including phone numbers, addresses, exact directions, nights of operation and type of racing.

“I’m really excited about the new Speedwaysonline.com,” shares Frost, “I want to continue to strengthen how the National Speedway Directory serves the motorsports industry and feel that the new Speedwaysonline.com is a great extension of this publication.”

What’s new at Speedwaysonline.com?
Prior to the launch of the new Speedwyasonline.com, the site listed track and motorsports industry information. The site takes that service a few steps forward:

1. Sort Feature: now race fans and teams have a number of sort features to help them locate tracks or races near them, or in travel destinations.
2. Weather: Each track listing now shows the local weather.
3. Directions: Each track listing displays a Google Map of the facility and the ability to get directions, without ever leaving the page. Perfect for planning a motorsports vacation.
4. Social Media: Speedwaysonline.com has landed in the social media space, providing Facebook and Twitter updates for all of its fans.
5. News: This is a new component to the Speedwaysonline.com. Moving ahead, this site will feature exclusive news from motorsports fans and professionals.
6. Advertising: for the first time, Speedwaysonline.com will be offering ad space on their website. Helping businesses connect with race fans and professionals.

“While I think this is a big step up, we have plans to offer even more on Speedwaysonline.com…keep your eyes and ears peeled, we have some really cool features in development,” adds Frost.

About National Speedway Directory
National Speedway Directory (www.speedwaysonline.com) is the trusted information source for the motorsports industry. It prints listings of oval tracks, dragstrips, road courses, sanctions, publications, museums and race schedules. National Speedway Directory has been published annually since 1975.

Take Speedwaysonline.com for a SPIN.

For Additional Information, please contact:

Timothy W. Frost, Publisher
National Speedway Directory
909 Seneca Road
Wilmette, IL 60091
(847) 853-0294 (w)
(847) 778-9475 (c)
(847) 853-8763 (f)
twfrost@speedwaysonline.com
www.speedwaysonline.com