Marlboro Motor Raceway
Encyclopedia
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, just outside Upper Marlboro
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Upper Marlboro is a town in and the county seat of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The live-in population of the town core proper was only 648 at the 2000 census, although Greater Upper Marlboro is many times larger....
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. MMR closed after the 1969 season and local Sports Car Club of America
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
(SCCA) racing moved to the more advanced facility at Summit Point, West Virginia
Summit Point, West Virginia
Summit Point is an unincorporated community in Jefferson County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It lies along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at the intersection of West Virginia Secondary Route 1 and Summit Point Pike. According to the 2000 census, the Summit Point community has a population...
due to safety concerns and issues with MMR's management.http://www.thevintageracer.com/tracks/marlboro.htm The remains of the track are still visible from U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301 is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It currently runs 1,099 miles from Glasgow, Delaware at U.S. Route 40 to Sarasota, Florida. It passes through the states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida...
http://www.thevintageracer.com/tracks/marlboro.htm and the entire track layout can still be seen in modern satellite imagery.http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/MD/Marlboro.html
The Track
Marlboro Motor Raceway existed in three notable forms--a dirt oval, a paved oval ("The Bowl"), and various paved road courses, including a karting track in the infield.http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/MD/Marlboro.html Existing track maps do not show the oval as a distinct feature of the track but rather as an integrated series of turns. The general layout, however, is clearly discernible. MMR hosted SCCA, NASCARNASCAR
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...
and other regional, national and international racing events. Its proximity to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
made it the default venue for the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
's Cup (which later became the Governor
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
's Cup).
Time of Operation
Originally built in 1952 by Eugene Chaney (of Chaney Enterprises, a large Maryland-based sand, gravel and concrete producer), MMR started life as an all-dirt oval track. For the 1954 season, a road course (which was later expanded) was added and the track was paved. The facility also featured a karting track in the infield of the oval.The development of this road course was heavily influenced by the Lavender Hill Mob, a Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based affiliate of the SCCA. Until 1954, most large-scale road races held in the Capital area took place at airfields and other such temporary facilities. MMR was in operation during the height of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
motorsports. Between MMR, Beltsville Speedway
Beltsville Speedway
The Beltsville Speedway was an asphalt oval track in the American community of Beltsvile, Maryland; it spanned .-Summary:It was specially designed with banked turns for stock car racing. Originally known as the Baltimore-Washington Speedway, this track would receive its final name in its 19th month...
(an oval track outside northeast D.C.) and Aquasco Speedway
Aquasco Speedway
Aquasco Speedway, no longer in operation, was the first quarter-mile dragstrip on the United States East Coast. It was built in the mid-1950s and was home to the President's Cup Nationals, which are now held at Maryland International Raceway...
(one of the first 1/4-mile drag strips on the east coast and the first in the Mid-Atlantic area), Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
played host to many high-profile motorsports events and welcomed many historic figures in automobile racing. Motorsports entrepreneur Roger Penske
Roger Penske
Roger S. Penske is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Corporation, and other automotive related businesses. A winning racer in the late 1950s, Penske was named 1961's Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year by Sports Illustrated...
got his start at Marlboro and many other greats in oval and road racing made their way to "The Grand Lady of the East" to test their stock cars and grand prix racers on its challenging curves and intimidating straights.http://www.thevintageracer.com/tracks/marlboro.htm
Gary Nixon
Gary Nixon was an American motorcycle racer who, when on Triumph motorcycles, most notably won the A.M.A. Grand National Championship in 1967 and 1968. He was also a former winner of the Daytona 200 motorcycle race on a 500cc Triumph, claiming a victory in the 1967 event...
.
MMR was not strictly used for racing. The Maryland State Police
Maryland State Police
The Maryland State Police is the official state police force of the state of Maryland. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP in unincorporated Baltimore County.-Organizational structure:...
frequently used the track as a training facility for their high-speed maneuvering and handling courses.
"Marlboro Maroon Metallic", a color available on the 1967 and 1970 Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
and one of many paint codes named for famous racing venues, was named after Marlboro Motor Raceway.
Closure
MMR's fate was sealed primarily by the construction of Summit Point Motorsports ParkSummit Point Motorsports Park
Summit Point Motorsports Park is a road racing and driver training facility located in Jefferson County, West Virginia about two hours west of Washington, D.C...
(then Summit Point Raceway) in Summit Point, WV. Still in operation today, Summit Point boasted greater safety and a much more accommodating landscape. One major safety concern at Marlboro was its two opposing straights on the south and east sides of the circuit. Oncoming traffic was generally separated by nothing more than a grass median and contemporary wood and tire barriers. Due to the track's location and orientation, addressing the facility's safety flaws would have been costly and tedious. These dangerous straights bordered a large wetland area which has since been designated a nature preserve and the aptly named "Creek Bend" followed the course of the neighboring river. Development to the north and west would infringe on the property's already-scarce parking area.
Post-Closure
The track has been predominantly deserted since its closure. For a while, a part of one of the southern straights beside the back straight of the oval was used as a private helicopter pad, but other than the required markings, it does not appear that the track itself was altered.SCCA road racing has been virtually absent from Maryland since moving to Summit Point. http://www.wdcr-scca.org/ClubRacing/AboutClubRacing/tabid/70/Default.aspx In 2007, the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
region of the SCCA held a Marlboro reunion at Summit Point
Summit Point Motorsports Park
Summit Point Motorsports Park is a road racing and driver training facility located in Jefferson County, West Virginia about two hours west of Washington, D.C...
. The event included vintage racing vehicles and a scale model slot car replica of MMR. Some previous reunions have taken place at the abandoned MMR site, however that has not been the case for quite some time.
The New Jersey Motorsports Park
New Jersey Motorsports Park
New Jersey Motorsports Park is a racing facility located in Millville, New Jersey. The park has two road courses and a high-performance karting facility. In the future, a tri-oval track and off-road course are to be built on the park's property. NJMP hosts amateur and professional automobile and...
in Millville, NJ
Millville, New Jersey
Millville is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 26,847. Millville, Bridgeton and Vineland are the three principal New Jersey cities of the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
has opened and will also be fielding SCCA events.
Marlboro Today
The property has changed hands many times since the track's closure but it has never been developed. The old parking lot area is currently leased out (according to Ghost Tracks by SCCA historian Pete HyltonPete Hylton
Pete Hylton is the archivist and historian for the Sports Car Club of America.He is the author of two books: and Sports Car Club of America 60 Years in Pictures. Born in Indianapolis, he and his wife Wendy live in Brownsburg, Indiana with their three daughters...
, the site is being used for leaf mulching) but the track area itself has only been intruded upon by a neighboring branch of the Patuxent River
Patuxent River
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...
. It was rumored that significant damage was done to the property by severe flooding in early 2008. None of the buildings (such as they are) appear to have been impacted, but further sections of the track surface may have been buried or washed out. Unlike the raised structures, the track surface is not visible from outside the property, so there is no way to determine if any further deterioration took place.
Marlboro was also highlighted alongside several other abandoned motorsports facilities in 0-60 Magazine
0-60 Magazine
0-60 is an automotive enthusiast publication based out of New York, New York. It is owned by Harris Publications, distributed internationally. 0-60 has been published since August 2007. While initially launched as a quarterly magazine, it will be printed bimonthly for 2009.- History :0-60 was...
's 2008 Car of the Year ("Tommy") awards feature.