Selinsgrove Speedway
Encyclopedia
Penn Township, Snyder County, Pennsylvania
Penn Township is a township in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,781 at the 2000 census.Penn Township is home to the Selinsgrove Speedway, a 1/2-mile high-banked oval dirt track.-Geography:...
just south of Selinsgrove
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
Selinsgrove is a borough in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1787 by Captain Anthony Selin, who fought with Washington in the Revolutionary War....
, Snyder County
Snyder County, Pennsylvania
Snyder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 39,702. Snyder County was formed in 1855 from parts of Union County...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It hosts Road-Runner, Pro Stock, Late Model
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 Sprint Car racing every Saturday night. It also hosts Go-kart
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...
and Micro Sprint races every Friday night on its in-field track, the one-fifth mile (0.3 km) Selinsgrove Raceway Park.
History
Selinsgrove Speedway was built in 1945 under the supervision of Joie ChitwoodJoie Chitwood
George Rice "Joie" Chitwood was an American racecar driver and businessman. He is best known as a daredevil in the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show....
, a Hollywood
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
stunt man and race car driver from Denison
Denison, Texas
Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,773 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have grown to 24,127 in 2009. Denison is one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The land had previously been a family farm
Family farm
A family farm is a farm owned and operated by a family, and often passed down from generation to generation. It is the basic unit of the mostly agricultural economy of much of human history and continues to be so in developing nations...
owned by the Allison and Davis families of Snyder County. They sold it to the Dauntless Hook and Ladder Volunteer Fire Department
Volunteer fire department
See also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
of Selinsgrove in 1941 as a permanent home for the fire company's annual carnival
Traveling carnival
A traveling carnival is an amusement show that may be made up of amusement rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, games of chance and skill, thrill acts, animal acts or sideshow curiosities. A traveling carnival is not set up at a permanent location, like an amusement park, but is moved from...
. The first race was held on July 20, 1946 as an American Automobile Association
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
sanctioned event. The winner was Bill Holland
Bill Holland
Bill Holland was an American race car driver from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1949. He nearly won as a rookie in 1947 but slowed and allowed teammate Mauri Rose to pass him seven laps from the end, mistakenly believing that Rose was a lap down...
, who would go on to win the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
in 1949. Placing second was Red Byron
Red Byron
Robert "Red" Byron was a NASCAR driver who was successful in the sanctioning body's first years. He was NASCAR's first Modified champion in 1948 and its first Strictly Stock champion in 1949.-Background:Born in Colorado he moved to Anniston, Alabama at an early age, Byron began...
, who won the first 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...
-sanctioned race ever, held on February 15, 1948 at the Daytona Beach Road Course
Daytona Beach Road Course
Daytona Beach Road Course was a race track that was instrumental in the formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR. It originally became famous as the location where fifteen world land speed records were set...
and would go on to become the first champion of the NASCAR's Strictly Stock division, now known as the Nextel Cup
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
.
The grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
at Selinsgrove Speedway was constructed in 1948. Still standing as of 2008, the grandstands were built from 175,000 board feet (400 m³) of lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
with a capacity of 5,500 spectators. Lights for night racing were added in 1953.
Chris Economaki
Christopher "Chris" Constantine Economaki is an American motorsports commentator, pit road reporter, and journalist. Chris Economaki has been given the title "The Dean of American Motorsports." Microsoft chose Economaki to author the auto racing history portion of its Encarta...
, a pioneer of motorsports writing, served as the track announcer during the early 1950s. The track continued to expand its operation over the years and was managed by several promoters.
As of 2008, Selinsgrove Speedway is owned by the Selinsgrove Fair Association, with Charlie Paige as the promoter. Paige has directed improvements and expansion at Selinsgrove Speedway. New concession stands have been built, as have new restrooms and V.I.P. facilities. The smaller Selinsgrove Raceway Park was built in the infield in 2001 and the backstretch and turns 1 and 3 were widened in 2006.
Selinsgrove Open
The track started the sprint car racingSprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
special event in 1983. The event was won by 1984 track champion Maynard Yingst
Maynard Yingst
Maynard K. Yingst was an American racer and crew chief from Linglestown, Pennsylvania. He quit his sprint car racing career to become the crew chief for Bruce Larson's 1989 national championship Funny Car drag racing team. He was nicknamed "The Linglestown Leadfoot".-Racing career:Yingst was a...
. Yingst won the event in 1984 and 1985 before becoming the national championship winning Funny Car
Funny Car
Funny Car is a drag racing car class. In the United States, other "professional" classes are Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Funny cars have forward-mounted engines and carbon fiber automotive bodies over the chassis, giving them an appearance vaguely approximating manufacturers'...
crew chief
Pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
for 1989 NHRA
National Hot Rod Association
The National Hot Rod Association is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and host events all over the United States and Canada...
driver Bruce Larson
Bruce Larson
Bruce Larson is a retired American drag racer from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He became nationally known for his match races. He quit drag racing during the early 1980s. He returned in 1985 on the National Hot Rod Association Funny Car tour and won the 1989 NHRA Funny Car championship. His cars were...
. Several national sprint car drivers have won the event, including Dave Blaney
Dave Blaney
David Blaney is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He currently drives the #36 Golden Corral/Big Red Chevrolet Impala for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR...
, Sammy Swindell
Sammy Swindell
Samuel Alan "Sammy" Swindell is a three-time World of Outlaws champion, winning the title in 1981, 1982, and 1997, with hundreds of A-main victories to his credit. He also competed in the CART series in 1985 and 1986 and failed to qualify for the 1987 Indianapolis 500 in a March-Pontiac...
, and Greg Hodnett.
- 1983 Maynard Yingst
- 1984 Maynard Yingst
- 1985 Maynard Yingst
- 1986 Don Kreitz, Jr.
- 1987 Dave BlaneyDave BlaneyDavid Blaney is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He currently drives the #36 Golden Corral/Big Red Chevrolet Impala for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR...
- 1988 Keith Kauffman
- 1989 Doug Wolfgang
- 1990 Sammy SwindellSammy SwindellSamuel Alan "Sammy" Swindell is a three-time World of Outlaws champion, winning the title in 1981, 1982, and 1997, with hundreds of A-main victories to his credit. He also competed in the CART series in 1985 and 1986 and failed to qualify for the 1987 Indianapolis 500 in a March-Pontiac...
- 1991 Johnny Mackison
- 1992 Don Kreitz, Jr.
- 1993 Todd Shaffer
- 1994 Todd Shaffer
- 1995 Fred Rahmer
- 1996 Fred Rahmer
- 1997 Fred Rahmer
- 1998 Greg Hodnett
- 1999 Fred Rahmer
- 2000 Fred Rahmer
- 2001 Todd Shaffer
Racing Series
The following racing series have run events at Selinsgrove Speedway since 1946.- The All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC)
- American Automobile AssociationAmerican Automobile AssociationAAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
(AAA) Sprints - American Racing Club (ARC) Midgets
- American Racing Drivers ClubAmerican Racing Drivers ClubThe American Racing Drivers Club is an open-wheel midget car racing sanctioning body that operates primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and New England areas of the United States.-History:...
(ARDC) Midgets - Automobile Racing Club of AmericaAutomobile Racing Club of AmericaAutomobile Racing Club of America is an auto racing sanctioning body in the United States, founded in 1953 by John Marcum. The current president of ARCA is Ron Drager. The ARCA RE/MAX Series races stock cars similar to those seen in past years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and indeed most cars...
(ARCA) Stock Cars - Central States Racing Association Midgets
- Empire States Sprints (ESS)
- Modcar Modifieds
- National Auto Racing Association (NARA) Sprints
- National Sprint TourNational Sprint TourThe National Sprint Tour was a United States sprint car racing league. It formed in 2005 as a rival to the World of Outlaws. The series folded after one season. The series was started by Brownfield Promotions, Inc. of Snohomish, Washington. The series featured 410 winged sprint cars...
(NST) - Penn-Jersey Sprint Association
- Penn-Mar Racing Association Stock Cars
- SCODA Sports Stock Cars
- Super Midget Racing Club (SMRC)
- Super Sportsman
- Tri County Stockcars
- United Racing Club (URC) Limited Sprints
- United Sprint Association
- World of OutlawsWorld of OutlawsThe World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...