Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Oval

The Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one-mile clay oval on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, the state capital, and is widely known as the Springfield Mile. Originally constructed in the late 19th century and reconstructed in 1927, it has staged competitive auto racing since 1910, making it one of the oldest speedways in the United States and the oldest continually hosting national championship dirt-track racing. The flat, four-turn clay mile is regarded as one of the fastest dirt tracks in the world and has been managed since 1993 by Bob Sargent's Track Enterprises. Its signature events are the Bettenhausen 100 for USAC Silver Crown dirt cars, first run in 1961, and the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 stock car race, first held in 1963 and now part of the ARCA Menards Series. The venue also hosts UMP late models and modifieds and rounds of AMA Grand National flat track racing, and from 1946 to 1953 the AMA Grand National champion was crowned solely on the Springfield Mile result. Billy Winn won the first AAA National Championship race here in 1934, and A. J. Foyt made his championship debut at the track in 1957. Both of the venue's marquee 100-mile races are now run on the final weekend of the Illinois State Fair.

Operated by: Illinois Department of Agriculture