Mobile International Speedway

Mobile International Speedway is a 1/2 mile paved oval North American Auto racing track along U.S. Highway 90 in the Mobile County, Alabama community of Irvington. It was built by Walter "Skip" Wetjen,[1][2][3] and opened in 1965.

Mobile International Speedway
MIS
Location7800 Park Blvd Irvington, Alabama 36544
Coordinates30°30′49″N 88°13′11″W
Capacity9,000
OwnerIda Fields
OperatorGina Schild-Knowles
Broke ground1964
Opened1965
ArchitectWalter "Skip" Wetjen
Major events
  • Southern Super Series:
    • TBA
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.5 mi (0.8 km)

History

During the golden age of stock car racing, the track held races with the likes of Gene Tapia, Wayne Niedecken, Sr., Phil Wendt,[4][5][6] and other NASCAR drivers.[7] Longtime stock car driver Red Farmer won his 500th feature race at the track.[8]

From 1966 to 1968 the track hosted open-wheel racing and held the annual World 300 race for Supermodified racing, which attracted competitors that included notable drivers such as Bobby Allison,[9][10] Dale Hammac[11] and Armond Holley.[12]

In the 1980s, the track hosted races sanctioned by All Pro Stock, ASA, NASCAR Grand American, NASCAR All-American Challenge Series, and NASCAR All Pro Stock Car. They included drivers Donnie Allison, Rusty Wallace, Dave Mader III, Ronnie Sanders,[13] Mike Cope,[14] Freddy Fryar,[15] Junior Niedecken,[16] Jody Ridley[17] and others.[18][19][20]

More recently, the track has been home to a number of rising NASCAR and ARCA drivers including Rick Crawford, Kevin Swindell (a development driver for Ray Evernham),[21] Bubba Pollard (of Roush Racing: Driver X), Cale Gale and Grant Enfinger. Kevin Swindell holds the all-time track record.[22]

The ARCA Mobile 200 was held at the track from 2012 to 2015, all of them won by local drivers: 1 win for Cale Gale and 3 for Enfinger. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East held the Mobile 150 there in 2016. Also, the NASCAR Southeast Series hosted 9 races at Mobile International Speedway, between 1991 and 2001.

The CARS Hooters Pro Cup Series also had ran three races at the facility, between 1998 and 1999.

Current races
  • Southern Super Series
    • TBA

Film and television

Opening scenes from the 2009 film The Final Destination were shot at the track.[23]

Notes
  1. http://www.uscsracing.com/news2006/news24.html
  2. National Sprint Car Hall of Fame website at http://sprintcarhof.com/article.aspx?id=178
  3. Walter "Skip" Wetjen, promoter of local sports and World War II Vet, dies, Mobile Register, December 2, 2008, online at http://bama.live.advance.net/news/press-register/featobit.ssf?/base/news/122821293669790.xml&coll=3
  4. Photos of Wendt and crew at http://www.genetapiaracing.com/philwendt.htm
  5. See, http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=wendtph01
  6. See Race Results for Wendt at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=5648
  7. See Race Results for Niedecken at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=5665
  8. See interview at, http://www.stockcarracing.com/featuredvehicles/scrp_0601w_charles_red_farmer/index.html Archived 2010-02-17 at the Wayback Machine
  9. See photo and note at http://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=8766
  10. See photos of more Supermodifieds from Mobile International Speedway at http://www.retrorockets.org/1/Volume38.htm
  11. See photos of Hammac at http://www.genetapiaracing.com/dale_hammac.htm
  12. See article about Holley at http://www.genetapiaracing.com/armond_holley.htm
  13. See race results for Sanders at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=4373
  14. See Race Results for Cope at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=825
  15. See Race Results for Fryar at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=187
  16. See Race REsults for Niedecken at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=5912
  17. See Race Results for Ridley at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=826
  18. See Composite Race Results at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist3.php?trackid=400
  19. See 1982 Race Results at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist.php?year=1982
  20. See 1983 Race Results at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist.php?year=1983
  21. Official Web Site of Kevin Swindell, http://www.kevinswindell.com/cms.asp?Page=kevin Archived 2009-09-13 at the Wayback Machine
  22. Official track web site, http://www.mobilespeedway.net/trackrecords.php
  23. See, Starling, Bill, The Final Destination shoot scenes at Mobile International Speedway, Mobile Register, August 27, 2009, found online at http://photos.al.com/mobile-press-register/2009/08/final_destination_4_shoot_scen_9.html Archived 2015-06-22 at the Wayback Machine
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