Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

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AHTOXA
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Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by AHTOXA »

The other day I literally stumbled onto this while looking for something unrelated online. This racetrack has been closed since '66 with some events like drag and snowmobile racing continuing until '69. There has been no activity since. It was to be demolished in 2006, however the county has decided to save it. It has since become a forest preserve and you can freely walk around there. The wooded area surrounding it is excellent and offers good hiking as well.

Best part, is that it's just over 30 minutes from my house. I loved this place before I even pulled into the parking lot. For the locals, it's located in Carpentersville, IL. The preserve is now called Raceway woods. The track used to be called Meadowdale Raceway.

This is what the main straight and pit/grandstand area used to look like back in the day:
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This is the track layout with corners and their names:
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Back in glory days
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This is the silo that you can see in the picture above. This is how it is now. It's been restored to look like the original just a few years ago
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Yours truly following Growvember...but I digress
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Part of the track. This is new pavement to prevent it from overgrowing
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This is the turn named Little Monza on the map. This used to be a highly banked, very fast, long, downhill right-hander. There are remnants of the old bank and the retaining wall
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This is the same Little Monza turn looking the other way-direction of travel during the race. The slope downwards is not seen with the camera. This was truly a very fast, banked turn
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A view from an old bridge that went over the race track. Most likely used to get the spectators to the Grand Stands
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Same bridge when standing where the track used to be.
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This is a very wide, 90* left coming onto the straight away, shooting by the Grand Stands on the right and pits on the left. Before the turn is where the pit entrance was. Called the Monza wall.
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This is the main straight just past the grand stands. At the time, this was the longest straight in the world according to the stuff I read. It dips down over the hill that you can see, going over a bridge and transitioning to that fast, banked Monza turn
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This is what the continuation of the straight looks like taken from the hill in the pic above. The bridge is currently being fixed.
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This is a wider view of the silo. In one of the pictures at the beginning of this post you can see a photo of racecars going around the silo. The gravel road you see here was a part of the racetrack back in the day
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I really enjoyed walking around there for a few hours and I walked the whole length of the track. I wish it remained.
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by FDSpirit »

That's actually really cool. My transmissions teacher likes motorsports and old racing stuff. I'm gonna forward this to him and let him check it out.
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by theholycow »

I'm jealous. That kicks ass. DO WANT!
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by watkins »

Quite cool
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

Do want. I think I will check this out in the spring!
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

Don't worry, I'll be wringing the Rolla out on the main straight. You'll be able to hear that brute 4 cylinder's leaking exhaust from Florida.
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by theholycow »

94Corolla5Speed wrote:You'll be able to hear that brute 4 cylinder's leaking exhaust from Florida.
Can't be as loud as the Buick's 4.1's leak. :shock:
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

theholycow wrote:
94Corolla5Speed wrote:You'll be able to hear that brute 4 cylinder's leaking exhaust from Florida.
Can't be as loud as the Buick's 4.1's leak. :shock:
Haha yea, it most likely isn't. I was just making a joke. It's a wee bit loud when I'm on it but I've never heard anyone make a comment on it's loudness. But I have to say, I was driving on the freeway today and it's pretty damn cold here (below 30 I think) and I noticed it was a slightly deeper and growlier sound. Could that be due to the air being denser and packing more oxygen into the intake, thus making it sound louder?
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by RITmusic2k »

This is one of the coolest threads I've seen in ages. The crazy troll threads don't interest me nearly as much as this kind of 'uncovering the past' stuff. Very awesome, Tony!
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by AHTOXA »

I need to go back there and take some better pictures. Those were shot with the iPhone.
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by AHTOXA »

Better yet, maybe a turn-by-turn walkthrough.
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by DarkPilot »

Turn by turn photos with race commentary to go with.
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by Rope-Pusher »

Helmet-cam video from atop the mountainous bicycle!
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by AHTOXA »

Rope-Pusher wrote:Helmet-cam video from atop the mountainous bicycle!
"And here we come....to a wide...le-left turn -"
Huff and puff
Huff and puff
"- you can see the retaining wall and downslope of the tur.."
Snapping branches, crashing noises
"....son of a $#%^^#$!!!!!!"
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Re: Pictures of an old deserted race track (not a drag strip)

Post by Rope-Pusher »

^There's probably a minimum speed to stay up on that monza curve that is beyond what a bicyclist is capable of, right?
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