The oldest half-mile track in this country built specifically for auto racing." That's the way Winchester Speedway is often described-a half-mile, high-banked, paved facility that has been in continuous operation since l9l4.
Currently owned by Charlie Shaw, the track also is advertised as the fastest paved half-mile in the country. One trip to the eastern Indiana facility, with its frightening 37-degree high banks and blazing speeds, and you will quickly ascertain that the title is well-deserved. Through the decades, many of racing's greats in both open wheel machines and stock cars have run at Winchester, and every one of them respected the track. The list includes Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Unser, Pancho Carter, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Rusty and Kenny Wallace, Dick Trickle, Bobby Allison, Rich Vogler, Gary Bettenhausen, Larry Dickson, Don Branson, and Duke Nalon. Numerous sanctioning bodies also have raced at Winchester-I.M.C.A, AAA, USAC, NAMARS, Auto Value, ICAR, ARCA, ASA, NASCAR All-Pro, Kendall Late Models, CARS, and Baby Grands.
The track has become known to thousands of new fans through ESPN's open wheel Thunder Series, TNN's coverage of the return of the Winchester 400, and the annual ARCA SuperCar race coverage by Speedvision. Another big event for Winchester has been the multi-day Fall Stock Car Festival, which features numerous classes of Stock Cars aimed specifically at the "little guy" racer. Be assured that for all the first-time Winchester racers, it will be the fastest they have ever raced.
Other events include a gathering of vintage race cars for the Winchester Old Timers Club gala. Some 70-80 cars typically show up for the two-day happening, which always runs in conjunction with a Sprint Car event.
Continually ImprovingWinchester Assistant Manager Tom Bigelow explains that many improvements are either under way or are being planned at the track. First, the infield will be lowered about eight feet. "There also are new bleachers being planned outside Turns 1 and 2, in addition to suites on top of the bleachers," says Bigelow. By the way, Winchester Speedway also is one of the few tracks to have a tunnel, which enables fans to enter the infield while the action is going on overhead.
"We are interested in acquiring more dates for future seasons, including a second ASA race, along with possibly a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Race," Bigelow continues.
The track is right in the middle of Indiana racing country, but not really close to any large metropolitan area, drawing crowds from areas such as Dayton, Fort Wayne, and Indy.
As one of the most famous small tracks in the country, Winchester finds itself next door to one of the most famous dirt tracks in the country-Eldora Speedway. To take advantage of that, the tracks run several joint races each year-called "Border Wars"-with the USAC Sprints. The dirt sprints run Saturday nights at Eldora, while the pavement sprints run the following afternoons at Winchester.
Track Facts11/42-mile pavementPerfect oval37-degree banks