History Of Connecticut Racetracks

CONNECTICUT

Bradford Park – New Haven – 1/2 mile dirt oval (7/25/1899 – c.7/25/1900)

Bridgeport Speedway – Bridgeport / (aka: Candlelite Stadium)
1/5 mile paved oval (6/30/1947 - 1954) / possibly ran in 1955
1/10 mile dirt oval (06/03/1951) < TQ midgets
located on Eagle St. (SR 1-A) near River Street
sold in February, 1955 for a Drive-In Theatre

Bristol Fairgrounds – Bristol – 1/2 mile dirt oval (1933 – 10/21/1934)

Bulkeley Stadium – Hartford – 1/5 mile dirt oval (c. 1936)

Charter Oak Park – Hartford – One mile dirt oval (6/16/1905 - 1920)

Cherry Park Speedway – Avon / built as a horse track in 1882
1/2 mile dirt oval (1933 – 6/16/1935) (5/30/1939 – 7/23/1939)
1/5 mile dirt oval (7/28/1946) / located on SR 177 / torn down in 1959
1/5 mile paved oval (8/11/1946 - 1951) (1954) / now a housing development

Conetia Park Race Track – see: New Milford Fairgrounds

Connecticut Dragway – Colchester / (aka: Connecticut Int’l Raceway)
1/4 mile paved dragstrip (c.1961 – c.1986)

Connecticut Speedway – Derby / (aka: Island Park Speedway)
3/4 mile dirt oval (6/24/1934) (9/02/1934) (c.1937)

Danbury Fair Racearena – Danbury / at the Danbury Fairgrouds
1/2 mile dirt oval (10/06/1908 – 10/07/ 1939)
The grandstands were destroyed by fire on 10/08/1922
1/5 mile paved oval (06/01/1940 – 5/10/1942) (September, 1945 – 1947)
1/4 mile paved oval (5/31/1947 – 9/30/1951)
1/3 mile dirt oval (10/05/1958 – 10/12/1981)
held boat racing in a moat outside of track in August of 1958
home track of the Southern NY Racing Assn. (1952 – 1955) (1958 - 1981)
(aka: Danbury Fair Race Track) / (aka: Danbury Speedway)
(aka: Danbury Fair Speedways) / the site is now the Danbury Fair Mall

Danbury Mill Micro-Midget Oval – Danbury
1/20 mile oval (1960 - 1962) / ran Micro-Midgets
The corners were paved and the straights were dirt

Huntington Speedway – Shelton
1/2 mile dirt oval (05/06/1934 – 6/18/1939)

Kenosha Avenue Race Track – Danbury
1/20 mile dirt oval (1957 – c.1959) / ran Micro-Midget races
sanctioned by the Danbury Micro-Midget Racing Assn.

Legion Speedway – Meriden – dirt oval (years unknown)

New Haven Arena – New Haven
1/10 mile indoor wood oval (1936 – 3/24/1937)

New Haven Velodrome – New Haven – dirt oval (c.1940 – c.1941)

New Haven Veterans Coliseum – New Haven
1/10 mile concrete indoor oval (12/11/1993 – 1994) (1997)

New London – dirt oval (1920’s)

Newfield Park – Bridgeport – 1/5 mile dirt oval (5/14/1935 – 9/18/1940)
Bill Holmes was the first winner
formerly a trotter horse track on Eagle Street

North Haven Speedway – North Haven – North Haven / ran motorcycles
1/4 mile cinder oval (1932 – c.1939) / maybe ran autos

Norwich Fairgrounds – Norwich – 1/2 mile dirt oval (8/12/1934) (8/19/1934)
located at SR 82 & Surrey St./ now the site of a housing development

Plainville Stadium – Plainville – 1/4 mile dirt oval (4/10/1949)
1/4 mile paved oval (4/17/1949 - 1980) / located on SR 372

Plymouth Speedway – Plymouth – dirt oval (1965)
(aka: Valley Park Speedway)

Rockville Driving Park – Rockville – 1/2 mile dirt oval (late 1930’s)

Sage Park Speedway – Windsor – 1/2 mile dirt oval (8/12/1934) (8/19/1934)
four mile from Hartford on US 5-A / Hal French fatally injured at last race

Silver City Speedway – Meriden / ran half-midgets a few times
1/10 mile paved oval (1985) / now a 1/4 midget track

Stratford – dirt oval (1958) / ran Micro-Midgets

Suffield – 1/4 mile dirt oval (late 1940’s – early 1950’s)

Westport – paved road course (1960’s)