CHICAGO — Good news for race fans — Illinois’ LaSalle Speedway and the former Daugherty Speedway in Indiana are slated to reopen in 2025.
Various social media posts have announced the news regarding both dirt speedways.
The LaSalle oval has been pretty much closed since 2021. The track, then known as Tommy’s LaSalle Speedway, opened in May of 1986 with Tommy Glynn the owner and promoter. Racing took place for a number of years with Glynn having health issues that ceased operations at the speedway.
In August of 1991, Tony Izzo Sr. and wife, Kerry, purchased the raceway with plans set for 1992. Weekly stock car racing was held from 1992 through 2015. Numerous special events were held over the years with the World of Outlaws and Interstate Racing Ass’n sprint car tours seeing action.
DIRTcar UMP Summer Nationals events were part of the track’s annual schedule with several national touring late model associations also competing at the track, located on Route 6 some 90 miles southwest of Chicago.
In 2000, Kerry Izzo took over sole ownership of the speedway with her children, Tony Jr., Kerrianne and Joey assisting her in different capacities. In 2016, the track began running a limited schedule, special events only, with the speedway’s annual two-day “Thaw Brawl” late model special in late March/early April highlighting the season.
In 2019, it was announced that all operations at LaSalle were ceasing. Kerry Izzo was set to sell the quarter-mile track with a reported $2 million asking price.
In was announced this past early November that the all-new LaSalle Speedway and Entertainment Center was to reopen under a partnership with Illinois businessman Justin McCoy and his wife, Jenna, owners of G&M Recycling and Disposal in Streator, Ill.
Former racer and current race promoter Tony Izzo Jr. will oversee the day-to-day operations.
In a press release, McCoy said, “I just love this place. I have always said this place is like home to me since I came here as a little kid and sat in these grandstands and watched some of the best racing I’ve ever seen. The Izzos brought premier events year after year, and we plan to do the same.”
Special events have already been announced including the Castrol FloRacing Night in America Series on May 6, a two-day MARS Late Model Championship event on May 30-31, a DIRTcar Summer Nationals date for July 3, the annual Bill Waite Jr. IRA sprint car program on Aug. 23 and World of Outlaws sprint cars on Oct. 18.
The LaSalle speed plant is located on the site that once was the Tri-County Speedway. The dirt track was built in 1948 and hosted midget and hot rod racing before closing. In the 1950s an outdoor movie theatre was built at the site with the big outdoor screen still present when the new track opened in 1986 and for many years after.
Jason Acker, from the Indianapolis area, is the new owner of Daugherty Speedway – now known as Adrenaline Motorsports Raceway.
The track, with a seating capacity of some 7,500, last held weekly racing in 2018 and had been owned by Mike Daugherty since 2014. Previously to that, the raceway sat idle since 2009. The three-eighths-mile, banked dirt track near Boswell, Ind., was owned by Bob and Gayle Kamp, who took over ownership in 2002 and made a number of improvements.
Over the years, the track has been known as Henry’s Speedway, Chase Raceway and Benton County Speedway. Local furniture store owner Avery Henry opened the dirt track in 1967, converting it to pavement in 1977.
In 1997, the track was back to a dirt surface. The raceway is about 100 miles south of the far southern reaches of Chicago, some 100 miles north of Indianapolis and a little less than 30 miles northwest of Lafayette, Ind., along county road W 650 S.
In late November, a post on the speedway’s Facebook page read, “As many of you know…or do now lol. We recently purchased the three-eighths-mile dirt track in Benton county near Boswell, Ind. Our goal is to bring this track back to a level of greatness it has never seen. Originally opened in July of 1967 as Henry’s Speedway, it has laid host to many great dirt track drivers over many decades. Our goal is to host many great and exciting events that play host to any past drivers that want to come back, any current drivers that want to join and all future generations that want to learn and make memories with us that will last a lifetime. We will make an official grand opening date announcement once we feel the track and all facilities are where they need to be. Thank you in advance for any and all support we get in this new adventure.”
Another statement in December read, “We are going to take our time in the spring and early summer with the track. As many of you know and have commented about the track has sat for a long time. Everything from corner to corner needs attention. We want everyone to know that we plan on going through and fixing, repairing and or upgrading everything on the property.
“There is A LOT of work that needs to be done. The last thing we are interested in doing is rushing out there to get a season open, only to drop the ball with the same old problems that everyone has spoken about. The track surface is NOT going to be a horrible rock garden as it was previously known for. We are going to take our time and do this the right way with quality, safety and preparation being the priorities.
“All of the seating needs repaired. Both of the towers need complete overhauling. All of the concessions and offices need to be remodeled/repaired and updated. We want to make sure that every detail has the proper attention paid.”
Years of sitting idle and numerous name changes are part of the speedway’s history. United States Auto Club open-wheel racing has taken place there, along with several DIRTcar Summer Nationals events.
Looking through the record books, Larry Cope of Leroy, Ind., was the first champion at the track when the old coupes/modifieds raced there. In 2020, the speedway was the subject of litigation as state authorities kept the speedway from opening because of COVID-19 pandemic regulations.
It’s good to see the plans for these speedways to reopen instead of the alternative.
