Meadowdale International Raceway
Encyclopedia
Meadowdale International Raceway was a race track
located in Carpentersville, Illinois
. It was used for motor racing from 1958 to 1968.
and Huntley Road.
At the time the track was built, Carpentersville was a very small industrial town on the Fox River
that was just beginning to see the effects of the post-war housing boom in the United States
. One developer, who was erecting a housing subdivision along the river, decided to install a road race track across the highway from the subdivision as an attraction.
As originally opened, the track was 3.27 miles (5.3 km) long, with a steep 180 degree curve, known as the Monza Wall, leading onto the 3/4 mile front straight. The Chicago Region of the Sports Car Club of America
(SCCA) conducted the track's inaugural event on September 13 and September 14, 1958, a regional race. However, SCCA indicates that the inaugural race was something less than a complete success: http://www.scca-chicago.com/history/once2.html
SCCA began a long series of negotiations with track management over improvements that were needed, but despite this, the 1959 and 1960 SCCA seasons contained no events at Meadowdale.
In addition to SCCA events, the track also hosted USAC
auto racing, AMA
motorcycle racing, and kart racing
during its life.
Unfortunately, the track never committed to making a series of safety improvements requested by the various sanctioning bodies, and this, together with competition by nearby Road America
, eventually led to the track's demise. The last major auto racing event, an SCCA Trans-Am Series
race, was held July 7 and July 8, 1968, and the track closed soon afterward.
and Blackhawk Farms Raceway
, and none were ever successful.
In 1994, a group of local park districts purchased the north 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) of the track's land for use as part of a new forest preserve, and purchased the remainder of the site in 2002. The track site is now, formally, a forest and nature preserve and recreational area known as "Raceway Woods". However, the volunteers who maintain the site have recognized its importance as a race track, and have done much to keep the original track and related structures in place in the form of a hiking trail.
Raceway Woods is maintained by the Dundee (IL) Township Park District and the Forest Preserve District of Kane County.
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
located in Carpentersville, Illinois
Carpentersville, Illinois
Carpentersville is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 30,586 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Carpentersville is located at ....
. It was used for motor racing from 1958 to 1968.
The track's first life
Meadowdale Raceway was built in 1958 north of Carpentersville, Illinois, to attract development to the suburbs of Chicago. It is located at the intersection of Illinois Route 31Illinois Route 31
Illinois Route 31 is a north–south state road in northeastern Illinois, United States. It runs from U.S. Highway 34 in Oswego north to U.S. Highway 12, near the Wisconsin border, just south of Richmond. Illinois 31 is long.- Route description :...
and Huntley Road.
At the time the track was built, Carpentersville was a very small industrial town on the Fox River
Fox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
that was just beginning to see the effects of the post-war housing boom in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. One developer, who was erecting a housing subdivision along the river, decided to install a road race track across the highway from the subdivision as an attraction.
As originally opened, the track was 3.27 miles (5.3 km) long, with a steep 180 degree curve, known as the Monza Wall, leading onto the 3/4 mile front straight. The Chicago Region of the 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) conducted the track's inaugural event on September 13 and September 14, 1958, a regional race. However, SCCA indicates that the inaugural race was something less than a complete success: http://www.scca-chicago.com/history/once2.html
- Seeding of the grounds was unsatisfactory or had not been done, and dust enveloped everything and everyone. Earth embankments lined much of the course and several turns did not offer escape roads. The weekend was marred by a fatal accident during Race Three.
SCCA began a long series of negotiations with track management over improvements that were needed, but despite this, the 1959 and 1960 SCCA seasons contained no events at Meadowdale.
In addition to SCCA events, the track also hosted USAC
United States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
auto racing, AMA
American Motorcyclist Association
The American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...
motorcycle racing, 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...
during its life.
Unfortunately, the track never committed to making a series of safety improvements requested by the various sanctioning bodies, and this, together with competition by nearby Road America
Road America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
, eventually led to the track's demise. The last major auto racing event, an SCCA Trans-Am Series
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
race, was held July 7 and July 8, 1968, and the track closed soon afterward.
The track's second life
Various proposals had been put forth, over the years, to bring racing back to Meadowdale. However, these ran into the same problems that had brought down the track in the first place: unsafe track conditions, and competition from Road AmericaRoad America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
and Blackhawk Farms Raceway
Blackhawk Farms Raceway
Blackhawk Farms is a private circuit racetrack located outside South Beloit, Illinois, on a farm on the border between Wisconsin and Illinois. Blackhawk Farms was established in 1967, about a decade after nearby Road America.-History:...
, and none were ever successful.
In 1994, a group of local park districts purchased the north 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) of the track's land for use as part of a new forest preserve, and purchased the remainder of the site in 2002. The track site is now, formally, a forest and nature preserve and recreational area known as "Raceway Woods". However, the volunteers who maintain the site have recognized its importance as a race track, and have done much to keep the original track and related structures in place in the form of a hiking trail.
Raceway Woods is maintained by the Dundee (IL) Township Park District and the Forest Preserve District of Kane County.