Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack

Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack

The Springfield Mile
Location	Springfield, Illinois
Time zone	GMT-6
Owner	State of Illinois
Operator	Bob Sargent / Track Enterprises
Opened	c. 1853
Major events	ARCA RE/MAX Series Allen Crowe Memorial 100 USAC Silver Crown Series A.M.A. Grand National Championship
Oval
Surface	Clay
Length	1 mi (1.6 km)
Turns	4
Illinois State Fairgrounds
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location	Jct. of Sangamon Ave. and Peoria Rd., Springfield, Illinois
Built	1894
Architectural style	Classical Revival
MPS	Historic Fairgrounds in Illinois MPS
NRHP Reference #	90000720
Added to NRHP	May 14, 1990

Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one mile long clay oval motor racetrack on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, the state capital. Constructed in the late 19th century and reconstructed in 1927, the "Springfield Mile" as it is known has hosted competitive auto racing since 1910, making it one of the oldest speedways in the United States. It is the oldest track to continually host national championship dirt track racing, holding its first national championship race in 1934 under the American Automobile Association banner. The Illinois State Fair mile currently hosts the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 ARCA stock car race, USAC Silver Crown championship dirt cars, UMP Late Models and Modifieds and the A.M.A. Grand National Championship. It is the home of five world records for automobile racing making it one of the fastest dirt tracks in the world.

Billy Winn won the first national championship dirt track race held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in 1934. A.J. Foyt ran his first national championship race there in August 1957. The track is host to two of the older memorial events in the United States, the Tony Bettenhausen 100 for the USAC dirt championship cars, first run in 1961 and the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 stock car event for USAC, now ARCA, stock cars, first held in 1963. Both races are now held on the last weekend of the Illinois State Fair. Chuck Gurney is the only seven time winner of the Tony Bettenhausen 100, while ARCA driver Frank Kimmel won the Allen Crowe Memorial for the seventh time in 2008.

The Springfield 100/Tony Bettenhausen 100 was part of the AAA/USAC Championship Car schedule from 1934 to 1940, 1947 to 1970 and again in 1981 and 1982.

From 1946 to 1953, the A.M.A. Grand National Champion was crowned based solely on the results of the Springfield Mile held at the fairground racetrack.

USAC Champ Car race history

All winners were American

Season	Date	Winning Driver	Chassis	Engine
1956	August 19	Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma	Offy
1957	August 17	Rodger Ward	Lesovsky	Offy
1958	August 16	Johnny Thomson	Kuzma	Offy
1959	August 22	Len Sutton	Kuzma	Offy
1960	August 20	Jim Packard	Lesovsky	Offy
1961	August 21	Jim Hurtubise	Kuzma	Offy
1962	August 19	Jim Hurtubise	Kuzma	Offy
1963	August 17	Rodger Ward	Watson	Offy
1964	August 22	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1965	August 21	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1966	August 20	Don Branson	Watson	Offy
1967	August 19	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1968	August 17	Roger McCluskey	Kuzma	Offy
1969	August 18	Mario Andretti	Kuzma	Offy
1970	August 22	Al Unser	King	Ford
1981	August 15	George Snider	Lefevre	Chevrolet
1982	August 14	Bobby Olivero	Watson	Chevrolet