Chicago Motor Speedway Falls to the Wrecking Ball
Demolition of the old Sportsman’s Park/Chicago Motor Speedway site in Cicero began a couple weeks ago.
A relief of a rider and horse still adorn the entrance in Cicero (IL.), but the inside is a tangle of steel and concrete. The facility, closed since 2003, is being demolished to make way for a shopping center.
The Chicago Motor Speedway located just outside of Chicago was built in 1999 by a group including Chip Ganassi, owner of Chip Ganassi Racing (Where have I heard that name before?). In 2002 the 1.029-mile (1.656 km) oval shaped track suspended operations due to financial conditions in the motorsports industry.
The track held CART races from 1999-2002, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races from 2000-2001 (Won by Joe Ruttman and Scott Riggs). Chicago Motor Speedway also held American Speed Association (ASA) races and portions of the motion picture Driven were shot at the speedway.
R.I.P. Chicago Motor Speedway.
Its demise is also linked to the coruption of the local politics and jail time of then cicero mayor Betty maltese Even thou some people will not agree to it . I was ther when it was discussed