Memphis International Raceway

Last updated
Memphis International Raceway
"Where the Racing Rocks"
Memphis International Raceway logo.png

Memphis International Raceway diagram.svg
Location5500 Victory Lane, Millington, Tennessee , 38053
Time zoneGMT-6
Coordinates 35°16′58″N89°56′51″W / 35.28278°N 89.94750°W / 35.28278; -89.94750
Capacity35,000 (Oval) - 25,000 (Drag Strip)
OwnerIRG Sports & Entertainment
Opened1987
Closed2022
Major events IHRA Nitro Jam
Summit Racing Equipment World Finals
D-oval
SurfaceAsphalt
Length.75 miles (1.2 km)
BankingTurns - 11°
Straights - 4° front, 3° back
Drag Strip
SurfaceAsphalt
Length.8326 miles (1.34 km)
Road Course
SurfaceAsphalt
Length1.8 miles (2.9 km)
Race lap record1:05.692 [1] ( Flag of the United States.svg Pete Halsmer, Merkur XR4Ti, 1987, Trans-Am)

Memphis International Raceway (formerly known as Memphis Motorsports Park) was an auto racing park located near the Loosahatchie River in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, just approximately ten miles south of Millington, and a few miles north of the city of Memphis.

Contents

History

The Memphis International Raceway (more commonly known as MIR) was founded in 1986 by Ed Gatlin, who along with a group of investors, bought a 400-acre tract of land within the northeastern section of Shelby County, and built a drag strip with an adjacent road course, including a dirt track and a go-kart track. [2] The facility opened in 1987 with a drag strip and 1.8-mile (2.9 km) road course. It includes a 3/4-mile tri-oval short track, built in 1998, which once hosted the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series, as well as an ASA Late Model Series race. The 4,400-foot (1,340 m) drag strip hosts events such as International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) World Finals and Nitro Jam, Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA), HOT ROD Power Tour, Super Chevy Show, Fun Ford Series and Mega Mopar Action Series.

The entire facility was purchased by the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach in 1996, and in 1997, a ¾-mile paved tri-oval was added on the site of the old dirt track, while a new dirt track was built on the site of the former go-kart track. The name of the facility was also changed to Memphis Motorsports Park and the tri-oval opened on June 5, 1998.

The following month, Memphis Motorsports Park was acquired by Dover Motorsports, Inc. in connection with its purchase of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. Memphis Motorsports Park closed October 30, 2009, due to lack of finances. Its parent company, Dover Motorsports, Inc. announced that it was ceasing all operations at Memphis Motorsports Park and that it would not be promoting any events in Memphis in 2010. The Memphis facility was under an agreement of sale to Gulf Coast Entertainment but Gulf Coast was unable to secure financing. [3] The track's Camping World Truck Series date was moved to Nashville Superspeedway and its Nationwide Series date to Gateway International Raceway, and later abandoned after a year. Dover Motorsports, Inc. auctioned off the complex on December 14, 2010, to Palm Beach International Raceway for $1.9 million. [4] [5] [6]

It was announced on January 31, 2011, that the deal between Palm Beach International and Dover Motorsports was finalized, and the track re-opened in April 2011. The track was also renamed to Memphis International Raceway, and a new logo was created to reflected the change which adopted a similar theme with its sister track in Palm Beach. [7] [8] The track became sanctioned with IHRA, which has held the IHRA Nitro Jam finale at Memphis since 2011. [9]

2013

Picture of a NASA Autocross in November 2012 at Memphis International Raceway. NASA November 2012.jpg
Picture of a NASA Autocross in November 2012 at Memphis International Raceway.

In 2013, MIR gained more events for the park, including the 2nd annual Ford Fun Weekend at Memphis (was hosted at MIR in 2012 as well), [10] and the Mega Mopar Action Series. [11] This was the first year where the three major domestic manufacturers (Chevy, Ford, and Dodge) held an event at Memphis in the same year under the new owners. The track also drew attention to the Mid South Region of NASA, which uses the road course for track events featuring High Performance Driving Events (HPDEs), Time Trial, Wheel to Wheel Racing, and NASA-X autocross events. Retired NASCAR driver, Rusty Wallace opened up his driving experience and go kart facility on the NASCAR Oval in May 2013. [12] MIR also picked up the Xtreme Xperience Supercar venue which allows anyone to drive vehicles such as Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, and Audi's around the track for a fee. Its first event was February 9 and 10, but the event was prematurely canceled on the 10th due to weather. [13] A make-up event was rescheduled for a Sunday run on October 20, 2013. [14] The ARCA series also made a return to the oval, making it the first racing event held on the oval since the new ownership in 2011. [15] The Memphis 250 was held on October 26 with Brian Campbell being the race winner. [16]

2022

The track was sold sometime around March 2022, and held its last event on June 17, 2022. [17]

Tracks

Drag strip

The drag strip immediately drew the attention of the NHRA and was awarded a sanction in 1988 as the host site of the Mid-South Nationals. While the NHRA has 140 member tracks, Memphis was one of only 23 to host a national event. It also was the section of the complex used by other events such as the Mid-South SCCA events and the Super Chevy Show. The last NHRA race at Memphis, O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals, was to be hosted on October 4, 2009, but a rain delay postponed the event to October 5, 2009. In the winner's circle were Jeff Arend (Funny Car), Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Michael Phillips (Pro Stock Motorcycle). [18]

The strip will host IHRA events with its new owner, including a Nitro Jam event, as their sister track in Palm Beach is also affiliated with IHRA. The American Drag Racing League announced, on March 3, 2011, that they would hold an event during the weekend of May 20, 2011, at MIR. [19] The IHRA Nitro Jam series continues to race at Memphis, and have set up another finale event for 2014. [20]

Paved oval

Start-finish line of the NASCAR oval MemphisMotorsportsParkOval.jpg
Start-finish line of the NASCAR oval

On September 13, 1998, before a sold-out crowd and a national television audience, the facility hosted its first NASCAR event—the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Memphis 200. NASCAR returned every year since with two events—the Truck Series in the summer, and the Nationwide Series in the fall. Ron Hornaday took home his second consecutive Elvis trophy in the last MemphisTravel.com 200 Camping World Truck Series race held at the oval. A late caution forced a green-white-checkered finish which gave Hornaday the edge on the restart to beat Brian Scott. On October 24, 2009, Brad Keselowski won the race at the oval by holding off Kyle Busch to the finish line on the 11th and final annual racing event, for both the Nationwide Series and the oval, as the track would not carry any racing events in 2010, when Dover Motorsports, Inc. announced the closure of Memphis Motorsports Park, a week after that race.

Records

SeriesDriverCarDateSpeedTimeLayout
ARCA CRA Super Series Derek Griffith Chevrolet SS October 26, 2013124.804 miles per hour (200.85 km/h)21.634NASCAR Oval
NASCAR Busch Qualifying Jeff Green Chevrolet Monte Carlo October 28, 2000120.267 miles per hour (193.55 km/h)22.450NASCAR Oval
NASCAR Busch Race Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Monte CarloOctober 28, 200092.352 miles per hour (148.63 km/h)2:01:49NASCAR Oval
NASCAR Camping World Qualifying Greg Biffle Ford F-150 June 24, 1999120.139 miles per hour (193.34 km/h)NASCAR Oval
NASCAR Camping World Race Travis Kvapil Ford F-150 June 30, 200791.806 miles per hour (147.75 km/h)1:38:02NASCAR Oval
NHRA Top Fuel ET* Brandon Bernstein Hemi Powered Top Fuel September 20083.825Drag Strip
NHRA Top Fuel MPH* Brandon Bernstein Hemi Powered Top Fuel September 2008313.88 miles per hour (505.14 km/h)Drag Strip
NHRA Funny Car ET* Tim Wilkerson Ford Mustang August 20164.050Drag Strip
NHRA Funny Car MPH* Del Worsham Toyota Camry August 2016316.81 miles per hour (509.86 km/h)Drag Strip
NHRA Pro Stock ET Allen Johnson Dodge Stratus R/T September 20086.591Drag Strip
NHRA Pro Stock MPH Greg Anderson Pontiac GXP September 2007209.17 miles per hour (336.63 km/h)Drag Strip
NHRA Pro Stock Bike ET Chip Ellis Suzuki Pro Stock BikeSeptember 20076.892Drag Strip
NHRA Pro Stock Bike MPH Chip Ellis Suzuki Pro Stock BikeSeptember 2007193.21 miles per hour (310.94 km/h)Drag Strip

*Top Fuel and Funny Car based on 333 yards 1 foot (304.80 m) records under current NHRA regulations. Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle are still 440 yards (402.34 m).

Series hosted

Former

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragstrip</span> Car racing facility

A dragstrip is a facility for conducting automobile and motorcycle acceleration events such as drag racing. Although a quarter mile is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile (201 m) tracks, and the premiere classes will run 1,000 foot (304.8 m) races. The race is begun from a standing start which allows three factors to affect the outcome of the race: reaction time, power/weight ratio, and traction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park</span> Motorsport track in the United States

Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is an auto racing facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown Indianapolis. It includes a 0.686 mi (1.104 km) oval track, a 2.500 mi (4.023 km) road course, and a 4,400-foot (1,300 m) drag strip which is among the premier drag racing venues in the world. The complex receives about 500,000 visitors annually.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) is the second-largest drag racing sanctioning body after the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gateway Motorsports Park</span> Motorsport track in Madison, IL, US

Gateway Motorsports Park is a motorsport racing facility in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, close to the Gateway Arch. It features a 1.250 mi (2.012 km) oval that hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the NTT IndyCar Series, a 2.000 mi (3.219 km) infield road course used by SpeedTour TransAm, SCCA, and Porsche Club of America, a quarter-mile NHRA-sanctioned drag strip that hosts the annual NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Midwest Nationals event, and the Kartplex, a state-of-the-art karting facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speedway Motorsports</span> Motorsport venue owner and operator

Speedway Motorsports, LLC is an American company that owns and manages auto racing facilities that host races sanctioned by NASCAR, NHRA, World of Outlaws and other racing series. The company was founded by Bruton Smith and has its headquarters at Charlotte Motor Speedway, in Concord, North Carolina, just north of Charlotte. Speedway Motorsports owns nine racing facilities with a combined seating capacity of approximately 885,000. In addition to operating racetracks, Speedway Motorsports owns Performance Racing Network (PRN), U.S. Legend Cars International, and co-owns Motorsports Authentics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mansfield Motor Speedway</span> Motorsport venue in the United States

Mansfield Motor Speedway was a 0.440 mi (0.708 km) dirt track located in Mansfield, Ohio, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartland Motorsports Park</span> Defunct racetrack in Topeka, Kansas

Heartland Motorsports Park, formerly known as Heartland Park Topeka, was a multi-purpose motorsports facility 8 miles (13 km) south of downtown Topeka, Kansas near the Topeka Regional Airport. It operated from 1989 until its closure in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Route 66 Raceway</span> Drag race facility in Joliet, Illinois

Route 66 Raceway is a motorsports facility located in Joliet, Illinois, United States. It consists of a 0.25-mile (0.40 km) dragstrip and a 0.375-mile (0.604 km) dirt oval racetrack. The facility is owned and operated by NASCAR and is located adjacent to Chicagoland Speedway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kil-Kare Raceway</span> Race track

Kil-Kare Raceway is a motorsports complex located in Xenia Township, Greene County, near Xenia and Dayton, Ohio, USA. Kil-Kare was first built by the Marshall Brothers, and first opened up as a 1/5-mile dirt track in 1951. After one race kicking up a dust storm, the track was paved with a full season of racing in 1952 and reconfigured to a 3/8-mile oval in 1955. The 1/4 mile dragway was opened in 1959, making Kil-Kare a premier facility for both stock car and drag racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I-70 Motorsports Park</span> Racetrack

I-70 Motorsports Park, also known as I-70 Speedway, is a multi-purpose motorsports facility near Interstate 70 east of Odessa, Missouri, USA. The track, first opened in 1969, and has since been completely rebuilt and renovated in 2021 under new ownership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summit Motorsports Park</span>

Summit Motorsports Park, formerly Norwalk Raceway Park and Norwalk Dragway, is a drag racing facility located at 1300 State Route 18 near Norwalk, Ohio. It has been a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) sanctioned facility since 2007 and annually hosts the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals an NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Event and the Cavalcade of Stars, an NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional Event. As well as the national events, the facility holds regular local competition throughout the season.

RAD Torque Raceway, formerly known as Capital City Raceway Park, Capital Raceway, Labatt Raceway, Budweiser Motorsports Park, and Castrol Raceway, is a multi-track auto racing facility located just south of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on land leased from the Edmonton International Airport.

Alaska Raceway Park is a motorsports complex conducting races from Mother's Day to Labor Day. It is located in Butte, which is near the Knik River, and Knik Glacier at Mile 10.4 of the Old Glenn Highway, about 41.5 miles northeast of Anchorage, Alaska, US. Nearby 6,398-foot Pioneer Peak looms over the finish line, providing a scenic racing venue recognized worldwide among race fans. The track sits at an elevation of 63 feet above sea level, offering excellent air pressure for racing.

There has been auto racing in Illinois for almost as long as there have been automobiles. Almost every type of motorsport found in the United States can be found in Illinois. Both modern and historic tracks exist in Illinois, including NASCAR's Chicagoland Speedway and Gateway International Speedway. Notable drivers from Illinois include Danica Patrick, Tony Bettenhausen, and Fred Lorenzen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm Beach International Raceway</span> Motorsport track in the United States

Palm Beach International Raceway was a motorsports facility located west of Jupiter, Florida. The facility had a quarter-mile drag strip, a 2.043 mi (3.288 km) road course, 7/10-mile kart track as well as mud racing tracks. The road course at Palm Beach International Raceway was a 2-mile, 10-turn circuit constructed of hot-mix asphalt and set on an aggregate base. It was 40 ft (12 m) wide with a 1/3-mile section measuring 80 ft (24 m).

The 2020 NHRA Drag Racing Series was announced on May 14, 2019.

The 2020 Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 was the 18th stock car race of the 2020 ARCA Menards Series, the tenth and final race of the 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown, and the fourth iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, September 26, 2020, in Memphis, Tennessee, at Memphis International Raceway, a 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) tri-oval short track. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing would hold off the field on the final restart with three to go to win his eighth career ARCA Menards Series win and his sixth and final win of the season. Meanwhile, second-place finisher, GMS Racing driver Sam Mayer, would narrowly hold off Gibbs by 5 points to win the inaugural Sioux Chief Showdown championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Toyota 200</span> Motor car race

The 2022 Toyota 200 presented by CK Power was the eleventh stock car race of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the 22nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, June 4, 2022, in Madison, Illinois at World Wide Technology Raceway, a 1.25 miles (2.01 km) permanent quad-oval racetrack. The race was increased from 160 laps to 165 laps, due to a NASCAR overtime finish. Corey Heim, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, would take advantage of the lead on the final restart, and win the race after the caution came out on the last lap. This was Heim's second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win, and his second of the season. To fill out the podium, Christian Eckes of ThorSport Racing and Chandler Smith of Kyle Busch Motorsports would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Toyota 200</span> 12th race of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

The 2023 Toyota 200 presented by CK Power was the 12th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the 10th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, June 3, 2023, in Madison, Illinois at Gateway Motorsports Park, a 1.25 miles (2.01 km) permanent quad-oval shaped racetrack. The race was increased from 160 to 162 laps, due to a NASCAR overtime finish. Grant Enfinger, driving for GMS Racing, would take advantage of the lead on the final restart with two laps to go, and earned his ninth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win, and his second of the season. Enfinger and Ty Majeski both dominated the entire race, leading 65 and 55 laps. To fill out the podium, Christian Eckes, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, and Stewart Friesen, driving for Halmar Friesen Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

The 2015 Drivin' for Linemen 200 was the 8th stock car race of the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and the 2nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, June 13, 2015, in Madison, Illinois at Gateway Motorsports Park, a 1.25 mile permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 160 laps to complete. Cole Custer, driving for JR Motorsports, would hold off the field on the final restart with five laps to go, earning his second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win, and his first of the season. Matt Crafton and pole-sitter Erik Jones had dominated the majority of the race, leading 49 and 84 laps, before being involved in late-race incidents. To fill out the podium, Spencer Gallagher, driving for GMS Racing, and Johnny Sauter, driving for ThorSport Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

References

  1. ↑ "Trans-Am Memphis 1987" . Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  2. ↑ Wade, Kelly (2020-12-15). "Can't Help Falling In Love With Memphis International Raceway". WinLightNews.com. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  3. ↑ "Dover Motorsports, Inc. Announces Closing of Memphis Motorsports Park and Realignment of Racing Dates (press release)". October 30, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  4. ↑ Memphis Daily News (November 11, 2010). "Motorsports Park Set for Auction Block" . Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  5. ↑ Memphis Daily News (December 14, 2010). "Memphis Motorsports Park Sells for $1.9M" . Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  6. ↑ Yahoo! Finance (December 20, 2010). "Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement" . Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Deal closed on sale of Memphis Motorsports Park". USA Today. January 31, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Moroso Investment Partners closes on Memphis Motorsports Park facility". January 31, 2011. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Memphis International Raceway joins IHRA family". February 8, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. ↑ Ford Fun Weekend (May 1, 2013). "MEMPHIS ANNOUNCES 2013 FUN FORD WEEKEND SCHEDULE, RACE AND CAR SHOW CLASSES". Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  11. ↑ Memphis International Raceway (May 24, 2013). "Memphis International Raceway joins Mega MOPAR Action Series". Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  12. ↑ Memphis International Raceway (May 8, 2013). "New Home of Rusty Wallace Racing Experience". Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  13. ↑ WMCTV 5, NBC (February 8, 2013). "Xtreme Xperience Supercar Racetrack Event". Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ Xtreme Xperience (October 20, 2013). "Memphis International Raceway". Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  15. ↑ Memphis International Raceway (June 5, 2013). "Racing's Back! Memphis 250- Coming to Memphis International Raceway on October 26th". Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  16. ↑ ARCA Racing (October 28, 2013). "Campbell wins in return to Memphis". Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  17. ↑ On The Road: Saying Goodbye To Memphis International Raceway
  18. ↑ "AREND, TEAM KALITTA CELEBRATE EMOTIONAL WIN". October 5, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  19. ↑ "ADRL Adds Memphis International Raceway As Tenth Race for 2011 Tour". March 3, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Nitro Jam Schedule". December 2, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.