I-70 Speedway
Encyclopedia
I-70 Speedway is a racetrack near Interstate 70
east of Odessa
, Missouri
, USA
. The track opened in 1969 and was open every year until it closed in 2008. It was built and owned by Bill Roberts who, along with partners, had previously built and owned KCIR Dragstrip on Noland Road in Kansas City, Missouri.
The track hosted NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series
races from 1995 to 1999. In 2006, a new 3/8 dirt track was built on the site. The asphalt track is a long 1/2 mile (0.54 mi) with high 30-degree banking in the turns. The back stretch has a small dog-leg. It is regarded as one of the fastest and highest banked short tracks in the nation. When the track was being built, in the late sixties, a crane was used to pave the turns from outside the retaining wall because nothing was capable of paving embankments that high at the time. It was also one of the first tracks to feature a very early version of the soft-wall. During a World Cup race in the early 1990s huge styrofoam blocks were placed high along the retaining wall in all the turns. All-Pro Series driver, and former NASCAR Rookie of the Year, Jody Ridley hit one of the blocks which sent him airborne over the wall in turn four upside down. Ridley walked away from the wreck, but that style of soft wall was only used in a few more races at I-70. I-70 is also one of the few race tracks that offers individual bucket seating for fans instead of bleachers. This unique style of race track seating was designed by Bill Roberts and his good friend Louis Noland.
Mr. Roberts sold the track to Mr. Weld (of Weld Racing Wheel fame) sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s (?). Weld turned the track into a dirt track. Late in 1989 Roberts, who had continued holding the note on the track, repossessed I-70 from Weld. Then Mr. Roberts, along with sons Dennis and Randy, turned the track back to asphalt and got it NASCAR sanctioned. On another interesting note, Roberts' other son Dan, who was a Kansas City area country music DJ on KFKF 94.1 FM and long-time announcer at Arrowhead stadium, got his start in sports broadcasting at I-70.
I-70 was the "home" track of many famous drivers such as Rusty Wallace
, Clint Bowyer
, and perhaps the best short track driver of all-time Larry Phillips
who won five Short Track National Championships and well over 2,000 confirmed feature wins. (However, some estimates are much higher than that at around 2,500. In the early days many local race tracks didn't keep records past the end of a season and what records were kept were often lost or simply thrown away over the years). James Ince, who was Larry Phillips crew chief and later a NASCAR Crew Chief of the Year with Johnny Benson Jr., also started his career at I-70. Other notable drivers who had driven there (not all of them on a full-time basis) included: Mark Martin
, Butch Miller
, Bob Senneker, Dick Trickle
, Mike Eddy
, Johnny Benson Jr., Jamie McMurray
, John O'Neal Jr., Terry Bivins
, Jenny White, and many others. Famous short track driver Joe Shear
once held the 4 barrel Late Model track record. Adam Petty
, grandson of Richard Petty
, once won an ASA race at I-70.
Famous actor and race car driver Paul Newman rented the race track in 1990, while he was filming in the Kansas City area, for a private practice session. He drove some of the local race cars including the 1989 Late Model Track Champion, Jay Truelove's.
Mr. Roberts sold the track to Ted Carlson sometime in the mid-1990s. Carlson later sold the track to Brad McDonald. The track has hosted stock car racing
and kart racing
events. It used to offer a twin-billing Saturday night dirt track and asphalt track show. The dirt track is directly behind the original asphalt facility. The major asphalt event held at the track was the World Cup. This event first featured the All-Pro series, but in later years it featured the ASA Late Model Series (formerly known as ARTGO) North vs. South Showdown.
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
east of Odessa
Odessa, Missouri
Odessa is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,818 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Odessa is located at ....
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The track opened in 1969 and was open every year until it closed in 2008. It was built and owned by Bill Roberts who, along with partners, had previously built and owned KCIR Dragstrip on Noland Road in Kansas City, Missouri.
The track hosted NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
races from 1995 to 1999. In 2006, a new 3/8 dirt track was built on the site. The asphalt track is a long 1/2 mile (0.54 mi) with high 30-degree banking in the turns. The back stretch has a small dog-leg. It is regarded as one of the fastest and highest banked short tracks in the nation. When the track was being built, in the late sixties, a crane was used to pave the turns from outside the retaining wall because nothing was capable of paving embankments that high at the time. It was also one of the first tracks to feature a very early version of the soft-wall. During a World Cup race in the early 1990s huge styrofoam blocks were placed high along the retaining wall in all the turns. All-Pro Series driver, and former NASCAR Rookie of the Year, Jody Ridley hit one of the blocks which sent him airborne over the wall in turn four upside down. Ridley walked away from the wreck, but that style of soft wall was only used in a few more races at I-70. I-70 is also one of the few race tracks that offers individual bucket seating for fans instead of bleachers. This unique style of race track seating was designed by Bill Roberts and his good friend Louis Noland.
Mr. Roberts sold the track to Mr. Weld (of Weld Racing Wheel fame) sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s (?). Weld turned the track into a dirt track. Late in 1989 Roberts, who had continued holding the note on the track, repossessed I-70 from Weld. Then Mr. Roberts, along with sons Dennis and Randy, turned the track back to asphalt and got it NASCAR sanctioned. On another interesting note, Roberts' other son Dan, who was a Kansas City area country music DJ on KFKF 94.1 FM and long-time announcer at Arrowhead stadium, got his start in sports broadcasting at I-70.
I-70 was the "home" track of many famous drivers such as Rusty Wallace
Rusty Wallace
Russell William Wallace, Jr. is a past NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, currently a broadcaster on ESPN, car owner in the Nationwide Series, and a co-host of NASCAR Angels.-Early racing career:...
, Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #15 5 Hour Energy Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series for Michael Waltrip Racing. Early in his career, he drove for Richard Childress Racing. He won the 2008 Nationwide Series championship....
, and perhaps the best short track driver of all-time Larry Phillips
Larry Phillips (racing driver)
Larry Phillips from Springfield, Missouri was born July 3, 1942 in Springfield, Missouri, He attended Bois D'Arc grade school in a suburb of Springfield, Missouri and Parkview High School in Springfield, Missouri, son of Jim and Margie Phillips was an American racing driver and race car builder...
who won five Short Track National Championships and well over 2,000 confirmed feature wins. (However, some estimates are much higher than that at around 2,500. In the early days many local race tracks didn't keep records past the end of a season and what records were kept were often lost or simply thrown away over the years). James Ince, who was Larry Phillips crew chief and later a NASCAR Crew Chief of the Year with Johnny Benson Jr., also started his career at I-70. Other notable drivers who had driven there (not all of them on a full-time basis) included: Mark Martin
Mark Martin
Mark Martin may refer to:* Mark Martin , American racecar driver* Mark Martin , American cartoonist* Mark Martin , American judge* Mark Martin , British murderer...
, Butch Miller
Butch Miller
Butch Miller may refer to:*Butch Miller *Butch Miller...
, Bob Senneker, Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle
Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...
, Mike Eddy
Mike Eddy
Mike Eddy is a stock car auto racer. He is most notable for racing in the now defunct American Speed Association . He was a seven time ASA National Champion, which is the most in ASA history. During his run in ASA Eddy drove the number 88 car.-ASA:Eddy won his 7 championships in 1974, 1976,...
, Johnny Benson Jr., Jamie McMurray
Jamie McMurray
James Christopher "Jamie" McMurray is a professional American race car driver. McMurray is best known for winning the 2002 UAW-GM Quality 500 as a substitute driver in his second Winston Cup start, and is one of three drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year...
, John O'Neal Jr., Terry Bivins
Terry Bivins
Terry Bivins is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver whose career spanned from 1975 to 1977.-Summary:He managed to lead only six laps out of 7,901 - the equivalent of . For starting an average of 20th place and finishing an average of 17th, Bivins earned a grand total of $61,725 in total...
, Jenny White, and many others. Famous short track driver Joe Shear
Joe Shear
Joe Shear was an American racecar driver from Clinton, Wisconsin. He won an estimated 350 races in his career, including four of his last five races. Fred Nielsen, Shear's car owner from 1975 to 1984 and 1986 to 1994, said that his team won 250 races and he estimates that Shear won 600 races...
once held the 4 barrel Late Model track record. Adam Petty
Adam Petty
Adam Kyler Petty was a professional racing driver. He was the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR history.-Early life:...
, grandson of Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
, once won an ASA race at I-70.
Famous actor and race car driver Paul Newman rented the race track in 1990, while he was filming in the Kansas City area, for a private practice session. He drove some of the local race cars including the 1989 Late Model Track Champion, Jay Truelove's.
Mr. Roberts sold the track to Ted Carlson sometime in the mid-1990s. Carlson later sold the track to Brad McDonald. The track has hosted stock car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
and kart racing
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
events. It used to offer a twin-billing Saturday night dirt track and asphalt track show. The dirt track is directly behind the original asphalt facility. The major asphalt event held at the track was the World Cup. This event first featured the All-Pro series, but in later years it featured the ASA Late Model Series (formerly known as ARTGO) North vs. South Showdown.