Omaha Speedway

Omaha Speedway was a popular American racetrack until the United States entered World War I.

Omaha Speedway
LocationOmaha, Nebraska [1]
Date openedJuly 1915
Course type1.25 Mile Board Oval

How the track was built

The track was built by Jack Prince, there is no record of the materials he used to construct the Omaha Speedway,[2] The track was 1.25 miles long, and the speed was massively faster than flat tracks. The grandstand was almost 1,500 feet long and built to seat 3,000 people.[3] To build the track it required 210 workers.

First races

First races in Omaha speedway begin in July 1915. Omaha speedway also attracted drivers such as Ralph DePalma, the winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500, and future World war I and World War II flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker. The track also attracted some of the best riders of the day, including Omahans Otto Ramer and LeRoy Roland. In the 100-mile feature, Ray Weishaar of Wichita, Kansas.

The track ended up closing

The last race in Omaha speedway happened in September 1917. The 1918 race season simply didn't happen. Several of the best drivers of the era were killed in World war I. Those who did come home didn't find a track waiting for them in Omaha, Omaha Auto Speedway was closed.

Legacy

The legacy of the track was through Sunset Speedway though, which operated in Omaha for more than 70 years afterward.

References
  1. "Omaha Speedway". Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  2. Lee Ackerman (April 20, 2017). "Ackerman: 100 years ago, Omaha Speedway's wood track hosted wild race". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  3. "A History of the Omaha Auto Speedway". North Omaha History. January 8, 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
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