Slap, the links to Misfit and Iceberg in the video description are broken! 😢 At least on mobile youtube. Please fix! I subbed to Misfit because they posted above, but I wanna sub to Iceberg too!
This is why people REALLY shouldn't complain about tracks like eldora being in the middle of nowhere, tracks are much safer if property values around them are low.
Facts, I realize Football is a different thing, but Lambeau Field is also in the middle of god damn nowhere. It's like off a random Interstate exit surrounded by cornfields, it's so different compared to Like US Bank Stadium for example lol. But same reason, it's a destination anyway, so keeping the venue (racing or otherwise) a little bit away from the population centers makes perfect sense to me.
There's also a question of noise. If you have developments move close to a track then they just complain about car noise and agitate to have the track closed down 😢
“Hit up your local short track”… sitting here crying because Rockford was my short track and we had our last autox there weeks back.. Thank you so much for this wonderful video. -Rockford native
People from Northern Illinois don't have a lot of options apart from drag strips and motocross tracks, but even those are in the crosshairs. It's a shame there's nothing anyone can do to save this historic track that I grew up around
We live near Rockford Speedway and have ALWAYS loved hearing the track throughout the season. It will be so sad and quiet without the Speedway next year.😢
How are we supposed to create new drivers for tomorrow, if we don’t have local short track racing at places like Rockford? Extremely heartbreaking. Rest in peace Rockford Speedway.
@@onethumbksexactly. Big teams already have programs to have the upcoming drivers from a young age race at tracks that arnt dying. The tracks that are dying are the ones ruining the futures of the less fortunate with skill vs the ones with lab created skill
We aren't. We're supposed to be happy with grueling monotonous labor that saps us of our souls to funnel more money up to the people of plenty and the giants of gluttony. We aren't meant to be happy in their opinion. We only exist to serve them, and any minute of our being that isn't devoted to worshiping at the altar of their self-madeness is heresy.
The fact a racetrack that has over 70 years of rich history only to be torn down to become a stupid Walmart breaks my heart. I remember at the beginning of summer my Grandfather and I talked about going to Rockford one last time for him to see the track he used to race back in his heyday. We sadly never got that chance. Chronic medical problems and lack of free time never gave us the opportunity to go. Best advice for those here, and just like Slap said, visit your local short tracks while you get the chance cause it might not be there down the road.
It was a hell of a weekend having ya up. Such a great little track that gave the community so much character with amazing racing to back up its legendary status
Thanks for showing our town, @TheIceberg. Rock on, brother. The Belvidere Assembly closure is another dagger in the heart of Rockford. We will acumulate another scar and will survive again and again and again… ❤
About two hours south of Rockford Speedway in Fairbury IL is Fairbury Speedway. Fairbury Speedway is a dirt track home to the Prairie Dirt Classic. Due to the popularity of the event, the town basically doubles in population for one weekend every year. The list if drivers who have raced at the track reads like a list of dirt track legends. Kyle Larson, Bobby Pierce, and Johnathan Davenport have all raced there. For anyone who is in the central Illinois area, I would highly recommend visiting the track at least once. Because the track is out in the middle of nowhere, it basically guarantees that it won't ever be brought up and closed.
Fairbury puts on great racing in the supers and in the lower classes as well. Weekly show is always exciting and the pdc is in my opinion a top 10 short track race in america
The dirt & short track scene in Illinois is honestly super underrated. I'm lucky enough to have like 5 different dirt ovals close enough to go see a race: Champaign County Fairgrounds (1/2 mile, mainly for late-models and modifieds), Charleston Speedway (1/4 mile, mainly for modifieds), Coles County Speedway (1/8 mile, mainly used for sprint cars), Macon Speedway (fastest 1/5 mile oval in the world, used for pretty much any dirt racing discipline), and Brownstown Bullring (1/4 mile, mostly used for modifieds).
I’m glad I drove the 6 hours to Rockford for this event. Truly a great time. Meeting you was a pleasure too. A shame the place is going to close but at least it got to ride off with some dignity
Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, TX closed this year for the same reasons. It's a sad when great short tracks disappear. And it feels like we never get new ones to replace them. Is local short track racing dying?
Yes, newer generations are not interested in it. The cost is getting higher and higher and part are getting harder to find. Then as the city grows houses are getting closer and brings in the other issues that’s on most tracks cases.
Yes. Luckily there's a short track near me. With businesses on all sides and no hope for houses anywhere near it. People love it and I go whenever to help keep it alive
Make sure you go as much as possible. The fan count plays a big role. Going to short tracks now and grand stands is mostly racers friends and family who do not want to pay extra for the pit passes. Try to get new people and hopefully their bliss to go too.
My son won our series last race there in fitting form by blowing his engine as he crossed the finish line. When Grandma Deery past away it was left to the kids. She wanted it to stay open, The one son who ran the track wanted to keep it open and was actually making improvements to the track. He was out voted by the other siblings and it was sold to the highest bidder. The one brother who loved the track has taken it hard and from what I heard does not talk to the family anymore because all they wanted was money. Grandma is rolling over in her grave because it was only about 4 months after her death that it was sold. We will miss you Rockford Speedway.
So David Deery wanted to keep the track open. Good for him. And that changes my opinion of him Sounds like a really great guy Me and my youngest nephew Nathan had met him a few times before.
Once again, track operators and track and race fans NEED to be involved in their local city and county councils and support the tracks. The community around these local tracks needs to show that they bring money into the surrounding community and have a POSITIVE impact on the moral and financial aspects of the community. Hosting not for profit events like children's trick or treat. Church revival, high school events will help to establish a track as a needed Pilar of the community they operate in. Hopefully we as fans can help save some of these local short tracks and just attending races and events won't be enough.
Our local track up here does just that. We're not a short track, but a combination of a 1.2 mile road course and a 1/4 NHRA drag strip. Especially around Covid it was looking questionable as to whether the track was done for good. But luckily our mayor up here is a huge racing fan and makes regular appearances at our big events. So even though there's been offers made, the track is set to stand for years to come thanks to all the business that we bring in elsewhere. (We regular get guys that will stay the weekend in town that are from the states, and sometimes from way out East. The track is right at sea level so it's great for setting records and PB's at. Makes it a real draw for speed demons.
Rockford is my home track and ive been racing there since i was 10. I basically grew up there. I was at the last race and I about cried the entire time.
Definitely one of the first tracks I went to besides lake Geneva and the Milwaukee mile. I hope you're close enough to some other tracks to still go see some racing.
yea I heard of it never been there have family in rockford though, it was very old, makes me ponder why just for the love of money? its not like we are building tracks left and right from the 1940's to 1960's, at this rate we will have no where to go, we just lost devils bowl too, but we knew that was comming and seeing the footage of the features, it chewed up cars like a hungry cowboy feasting by the fire after a hard days work and did what it could to make it as long as it could and went down swinging like a texan should, and had a win by a nose on the last lap to go out in style, as I was saying soon there is going to be no tracks left but the major facilities when will we reach equalibrium where tracks are no longer forced out by development or by not in my backyard nimbys that buy and house knowing full well there is a track near by, or developments put up all around. The track is 76 years old it is a landmark or we have to find a way to mitigate the noise to just the track somehow, though I dont know how that would be done to dampen the noise, but without tracks people will take to the roads again and thats just no good and not safe, just like drag racing. One just cant take anything for granted even knoxvill or eldora, included, if they can make it so paris auto speedway in cali could be threated by the change in the flood control, they close the fourth oldest auto track to make it harness horses only like the hoosier state fair in the racing capital of the world , try to rail against nashvill fairgrounds by building right on top of it 20 feet away, and they put a curfew on events at 10 for the grandest of all the indy motor speedway, you know nothing is sacred, if the grand mecca and vatican city of racing, the whole reason speedway has its name as a city can be put under restriction you know anything is fair game.
Back in the 70s my grandfather was the track doctor at Rockford Speedway. During one night of racing they did a 1 lap bicycle race for kids. My mom who was 12 joined in and crashed about half way around. She wasn’t injured but my grandfather forced her to ride in the ambulance for the spectacle. He had the driver run a lap of the 8 before they went off the track just for good measure.
Thank you so much for making this mini doc of the Rockford Speedway. This place meant a lot of us locals I have so many memories there. growing up in the early 2000s watching ricky the rocket bilderback in his prime and all crazy races like trailer, boat and bus races to name a few. I was there for that last trailer race, too. I was with the Bleecker creatures. And then went to last bus race. And then the final race which was really bitter sweet. So thanks for shining some light on the old gal
That's what I was thinking. It's a shame it has to close but nothing lasts forever in this life. At least it will be immortalized on video forever, or at least until the Nuclear winter but if that happens we'll have much bigger fish to fry lol
We have trailer races in the UK too. We call em Caravan Demolition derbies, they're usually held at the end of Unlimited National Banger meetings. I suggest you check out short track racing in the UK. Our racing is absolutely phenomenal.
I grew up at this track…. so many pictures, crazy times, memories. Been to many other tracks too, but the atmosphere at Rockford Speedway was the best. Still hasn’t hit me that it’s Done… Rockford Speedway You will be greatly missed
I'm a bartender in Chicago. My Tuesday night shifts for the last 9 years have been at a neighborhood bar where I've played things like tractor pulls, spectator drags, etc. I've been showing all the random stuff they've been doing at Rockford (spectator drags, school bus races, figure 8 races, etc) for a few years, and my patrons love it. This is such a bummer! I'm genuinely bummed I never got to see anything at this speedway live!
Cleanup for the trailer race would start immediately after the races and go through the night until it was essentially picked up.. take Sunday off then show up Monday to blow/sweep the track of all the finer debris. I’m 32 and can’t remember a time in my life without this track. I’ll miss it greatly
We’re all really gonna miss the Rockford Speedway. It was a staple of my childhood and my uncle even raced there. I’m glad I got to take my son this last year.
I was there last night!!! I'm gonna miss that place. The car shows we're always good, and the racing was always even better. I have been going there for something like 15 years on and off, and I have so many memories there. Thanks for visiting slapshoes, and helping keep a little bit of Rockford Speedway History alive :]
i love spectator drag racing & rockford is the place for spector drag racing & knowing that im never gonna drive on that surface or even be there just hits different rip rockford
I just this year finally finished building my 4-cylinder car to race at my local dirt track and made my first handful of races. It’s the only track within any kind of reasonable driving distance of my house, so I really, really hope it doesn’t go away anytime soon. The good news is that it’s still relatively in the middle of nowhere on a two lane road kinda through the middle of the woods. Like, there’s other stuff on that road, but with the exception of gas stations, most of them are small local businesses. Also the guy that owns the track was the guy that built it years ago. He had sold it like a decade ago and recently bought it back because he was afraid the new owners were going to run it into the ground and sell it off (they were renting out like half of the property for tractor trailer and heavy equipment storage.) He made a ton of improvements to the track and amenities prior to this season starting and seems to be in the business more for the love of track than to make money. It’s a shame not all local tracks can be that way. It breaks my heart hearing about any local racing venue being shut down so they can build another damn warehouse.
I’m gonna be making some stop motions with this track as this was the track I grew up at. My uncle used to race late models here and we would always go watch them. I’m also gonna try to find some 1/64 trailers and run some trailer races but it’s so sad to see it go.
I'm hanging out with your dad in Greenville right now and he didn't believe I watched your videos so I had to show him my history!! Keep up the good work!!!
Those trailer races are something else. They remind me of the ones in the 2004 video game Test Drive: Eve of Destruction (Driven to Destruction here in Australia and other PAL regions), but they're even crazier in real life.
I unfortunately found this race track just this year but that 1 year of going to the speedway every Saturday night couldn’t have been better. Some of the best racing and track action I’ve seen has been there
You've inspired me to try and get to every short track in Virginia next year. I usually spend my Saturday nights at Langley Speedway seeing as it's 20 minutes from me, but after we lost motor mile this year, it's time for Virginians to dig deep and support our 10 asphalt and dirt tracks.
awesome video Slap! Sycamore Speedway is my local track and we love watching the racing there. It’s a shame Rockford shut down. Thanks for covering these two tracks
I went to the last race at Devil's Bowl Speedway. It sold beyond capacity. People were standing next to the fence the entire time...for a Sprint Car race.
Love the video man. Sad to see such an iconic venue fall the same fate as Myrtle beach speedway. PS, would love to see you do a series on WTF is a NASCAR truck series since that’s one of the most common questions I get about nascar feeder series
Such a Great video. Wish i could had seen it. I recently found my local dirt track and im hooked. So much fun. I invite all my friends even if they arent racing fans. After a few beers and the racing gets good they all end up fans in the end
Thanks for letting me know Sycamore Speedway was still hosting races that is the track I saw my very first race at the age of 7 back in 67 and I been hooked ever since I haven't been back there since the early 80s because of not being able to drive and then moving out of the area in 93 but the times I did go the action was great and I had a blast
Woo hoo, Slap Shoes went to tracks I raced at in the 1990's. I used to race and so many tracks in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. I loved Rockford and Sycamore.Miss them along with many other tracks. Kankakee County was my home track. Grundy County was also a lot of fun. Use to run what was late models then. All coverted late 70's Monte Carlos. Frankly miss racing too.
I was there with my brother that day (sorry I missed you) and had a great time as always. The Trailer race never fails to entertain and the boat race later in the summer was great too (Trailer race - trailers + boats). BTW, that billboard in turn 3 that the truck climbed took about 3 weeks or so to fix based on looking at it from Rt. 173.
That's what happened with Ontario, Riverside and Ascot Park here in So Cal. Ontario is now where the Ontario Mills Outlet Mall is, Riverside is a condo complex and a business park is occupying the space where Ascot once stood.
I used to go to their Night of Thrills event almost every year with my dad when I was little. It was always an awesome show. Pretty sad I won't be able to take my daughter to any of them.
Very well-done video as always. So glad I was able to finally get there in September when I had the chance. It was like going back in time, and the racing was great. It will be missed. For those looking for another local track to support in the area, I recommend Grundy County Speedway.
I live in downstate Illinois and, unfortunately, never did get to check out Rockford. My own racing keeps me too busy, I guess. I do get to race at sycamore from time to time with the badger midgets though, and it's an awesome place. We don't run the small track, though, like you stated, but the big one. We have some nice tracks here in Illinois. It sure is a shame we've lost so many
My brother lives right by Rockford Speedway and whenever I visit him we like to go to events there. It's always a fun time, and the PA announcer is always a lot of fun; it's really unfortunate they're taking it out. We really don't need another Walmart; we need more places for drivers from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin to just have a good time racing their cars.
Made several trips to the track over the course of the years since I live right in town, was even there for that trailer race as well, I almost goofed it because by the time I got my ticket they were almost completely sold out online. Coincidentally, this was posted the day after Rockford speedway held its last race day ever. It's sad that it's gotta go, I wish I went to it more when I was younger. I remember the days when I would go there with my family to go and see my uncle out on the track, I wouldn't know what what was going on but I would still have fun.
Got to drive it for their last miracle mile, so much fun. I only live about 15 minutes away it hurts my heart to watch it get demolished day by day. Had so much fun while it lasted. R.I.P the Rockford Speedway
If you like midwest short tracks, my local track is State Park Speedway in Wausau, WI. Currently owned by Scott Wimmer's family, it's where Dick Trickle, Dave Marcis, Scott Wimmer, and others got their starts.
Thank you for this video honoring the track. I just ran my final race around Rockford Speedway just 2 weeks ago. Very emotional time for a lot of drivers, crew, staff, and fans.
My aunt lives like a half mile from Rockford speedway. I remember a decade ago a few businesses here and there plenty of space still. Like five years later that area is packed with businesses
Sad to see a piece of racing history go. I was fortunate enough to run the last Goblin 250 enduro there. I traveled from Iowa to race there. Some how I survived the race and finished. It was so much fun.
Very sad to see that track go even though my home track is Madison international speedway. My family has grew up at both tracks. We’ve had a really big history in our family of racing especially my dad and my uncle and my grandpa. We’ve all combined over 30 wins in one class and more and most of them came at Rockford Speedway. I went to the last short track championship and got a bumper from my favorite driver Bobby Willberg, and the 98 late model usually running the 28 Car, but there was no other feeling to express when you walked out of that place. It was just sad.
I was born in Rockford and my dad used to race there in the 70s. I cried when i heard the news. Im sure if my dad were alive today, he would be pissed that theyre tearing it down.
Man, S1ap got me missing the trailer races at Rocky Mountain Raceway. They did Figure 8 trailer races too sometimes, and Figure 8 School Bus races. Sadly, we lost it in 2018 after the city denied their operating permit after 22 years. We don't have any ovals anywhere close to Salt Lake anymore.
You should make it up to Ontario Canada one of these days and show off how that although we have a much smaller population than the US, racing is just as big. Dirt tracks like Ohsweken routinely bring in 70-100 sprint cars for the bigger events like the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals. Where at the last one they raised the pot for the winner to $30,000USD and they already said next year the starting pot is going to be $20,000USD and will probably be much more by the time cars hit the track. Then we also have a whole slew of other dirt tracks within a pretty close radius like, Brighton, Brockville, Humberstone, Merrittville, South Buxton, and a bunch of others. Plus on top of that we have a pretty big asphalt scene as well with tracks like Calabogie, Sunset, Delaware, Kawartha, and Sauble. Then if you’re into road course racing, we also have the very historic Mosport (Now Canadian Tire Motorsports Park)
There’s almost just as many people in the state of California alone as there is in the entire country of Canada. So for racing to be as big as it is, says something about us
Heeey! Super proud of Slaps featuring my town of Rockford. It’s a gritty world here guys, but a good community… “Michigan” effect is in real display, with our biggest employer Belvidere Assembly closing this year, leaving another 4000 without jobs. 😢
I feel you... Warneton Speedway was also closed down due to issues with permits... and it was later sold to a company that plans to demolish it and turn it into a waste processing plant...
Love to see sycamore speedway get mentioned! I go there every weekend and it is an incredible facility. And Rockford itself is also an amazing track. I never got the chance to be there in attendance but I’ve been watching the recordings uploaded to misfit productions for years. Gonna miss that place
Omg I was there the same night!! That was my last Rockford speedway race too. Been going every year for years. Gunna miss it, but still have Jefferson speedway at least
Went there for the final event October 28th. Parking lot was already gone. They smooth it out cause it was packed. Anyways talking with the locals the track itself isn't going to be removed anytime soon.
Had the opportunity to compete at Rockford on a few occasions, it was easily my favorite pavement track to race on so far. It had so much character and its high banking made it the fastest tracks my division raced on. So sad to see it go, just glad I at least had the opportunity to compete there.
I was not expecting you to go to Rockford Speedway lol, really awesome for you to visit it. I went on July 5th and I will always remember Rockford. One year, they even had a figure 8 buses.
Farewell, sweet prince.
Misfit Productions' channel: th-cam.com/channels/PRDsvkg4W0Yo9L3AtRqncQ.html
Iceberg's channel: th-cam.com/channels/KWBtOzG3aIXle5q5xjgKPg.html
Misfits link is a 404
@@calmonnn :)
*Prince :p
@@MisfitProductions long time sub already bb
Slap, the links to Misfit and Iceberg in the video description are broken! 😢
At least on mobile youtube. Please fix! I subbed to Misfit because they posted above, but I wanna sub to Iceberg too!
This is why people REALLY shouldn't complain about tracks like eldora being in the middle of nowhere, tracks are much safer if property values around them are low.
Facts, I realize Football is a different thing, but Lambeau Field is also in the middle of god damn nowhere. It's like off a random Interstate exit surrounded by cornfields, it's so different compared to Like US Bank Stadium for example lol. But same reason, it's a destination anyway, so keeping the venue (racing or otherwise) a little bit away from the population centers makes perfect sense to me.
There's also a question of noise. If you have developments move close to a track then they just complain about car noise and agitate to have the track closed down 😢
@@djjazzyjeff1232 We were never talking about Fake football. We were talking about Nascar.
@@6TheButcher I was.
@@6TheButcherwhat are you on about lol
“Hit up your local short track”… sitting here crying because Rockford was my short track and we had our last autox there weeks back.. Thank you so much for this wonderful video.
-Rockford native
People from Northern Illinois don't have a lot of options apart from drag strips and motocross tracks, but even those are in the crosshairs. It's a shame there's nothing anyone can do to save this historic track that I grew up around
Move to La Crosse. I lived in Harvard growing up and went to Rockford. The racing is amazing up here.
If you buy a house near a racetrack expect noise
Don’t buy a house and be shocked that a racetrack is loud and complain
Yeah. Its like you build a house near the beach, then you complain about it being too humid and wet
I'd buy a house near a track specifically to hear the noise.
@@Diskord1982same. And live stock car racing
@@Diskord1982 same here!
We live near Rockford Speedway and have ALWAYS loved hearing the track throughout the season. It will be so sad and quiet without the Speedway next year.😢
How are we supposed to create new drivers for tomorrow, if we don’t have local short track racing at places like Rockford? Extremely heartbreaking.
Rest in peace Rockford Speedway.
At some point, NASCAR themselves is gonna have to step in and buy a ton of these places just to make sure they have a future
@@CitySlicker34 If that’s indeed the case, Greenville Pickens needs to be the first one on their list of acquisitions.
New drivers will be created 100% from a trust fund. More or less how it is now anyways.
@@onethumbksexactly. Big teams already have programs to have the upcoming drivers from a young age race at tracks that arnt dying. The tracks that are dying are the ones ruining the futures of the less fortunate with skill vs the ones with lab created skill
We aren't. We're supposed to be happy with grueling monotonous labor that saps us of our souls to funnel more money up to the people of plenty and the giants of gluttony. We aren't meant to be happy in their opinion. We only exist to serve them, and any minute of our being that isn't devoted to worshiping at the altar of their self-madeness is heresy.
The fact a racetrack that has over 70 years of rich history only to be torn down to become a stupid Walmart breaks my heart. I remember at the beginning of summer my Grandfather and I talked about going to Rockford one last time for him to see the track he used to race back in his heyday.
We sadly never got that chance. Chronic medical problems and lack of free time never gave us the opportunity to go.
Best advice for those here, and just like Slap said, visit your local short tracks while you get the chance cause it might not be there down the road.
Unfortunately, the only good local track for me that can host different disciplines is Rockford Speedway
This was my local short track, 😢
It’s always a big box store that replace things like this. At least build something special if you are gonna tear something special down
It was a hell of a weekend having ya up. Such a great little track that gave the community so much character with amazing racing to back up its legendary status
I didn’t know that you’re around In Illinois. You’re not too far from me in Missouri.
exactly why I love the racing community
Bro I am so glad I saw your comment so I could sub because Slap messed up the link to your channel 😂
I was thier the last time on the Bahama brackets
Thanks for showing our town, @TheIceberg. Rock on, brother.
The Belvidere Assembly closure is another dagger in the heart of Rockford. We will acumulate another scar and will survive again and again and again… ❤
About two hours south of Rockford Speedway in Fairbury IL is Fairbury Speedway. Fairbury Speedway is a dirt track home to the Prairie Dirt Classic. Due to the popularity of the event, the town basically doubles in population for one weekend every year. The list if drivers who have raced at the track reads like a list of dirt track legends. Kyle Larson, Bobby Pierce, and Johnathan Davenport have all raced there. For anyone who is in the central Illinois area, I would highly recommend visiting the track at least once. Because the track is out in the middle of nowhere, it basically guarantees that it won't ever be brought up and closed.
Prairie dirt classic is worth seeing I've been twice it's a phenomenal race. All of the top dirt super late model teams run it.
Maybe my favorite track in the World of Outlaws game!
Fairbury puts on great racing in the supers and in the lower classes as well. Weekly show is always exciting and the pdc is in my opinion a top 10 short track race in america
Love Fairbury I need to make it to the PDC one year !
The crown jewel of Illinois.
im the track announcer at sycamore , thank you for coming 💚🏁
Awesome track you guys have. We've made it down there 5 times in the last two years and it's definitely one of my favorite dirt tracks I've been to.
We go there three times a year and its awesome!
Thanks for working thare!
That Trailer destruction Derby was hell of a show. A must watch for a rainy evening, because it’s simple, stupid and great fun!
The dirt & short track scene in Illinois is honestly super underrated. I'm lucky enough to have like 5 different dirt ovals close enough to go see a race: Champaign County Fairgrounds (1/2 mile, mainly for late-models and modifieds), Charleston Speedway (1/4 mile, mainly for modifieds), Coles County Speedway (1/8 mile, mainly used for sprint cars), Macon Speedway (fastest 1/5 mile oval in the world, used for pretty much any dirt racing discipline), and Brownstown Bullring (1/4 mile, mostly used for modifieds).
Babe wake up S1ap posted
2014 called. They want their TH-cam comment back.
I’m glad I drove the 6 hours to Rockford for this event. Truly a great time. Meeting you was a pleasure too.
A shame the place is going to close but at least it got to ride off with some dignity
Dirt late models are bigger in this state generally, although this track was super popular.
Yes . Illinois is the #1 state for dirt late model racing in the USA.
Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, TX closed this year for the same reasons. It's a sad when great short tracks disappear. And it feels like we never get new ones to replace them. Is local short track racing dying?
Yes, newer generations are not interested in it. The cost is getting higher and higher and part are getting harder to find. Then as the city grows houses are getting closer and brings in the other issues that’s on most tracks cases.
Yes. Luckily there's a short track near me. With businesses on all sides and no hope for houses anywhere near it. People love it and I go whenever to help keep it alive
Make sure you go as much as possible. The fan count plays a big role. Going to short tracks now and grand stands is mostly racers friends and family who do not want to pay extra for the pit passes. Try to get new people and hopefully their bliss to go too.
With devils bowl and superbowl out in Greenville we don't have anything in east DFW. It really sucks.
How far are you from Kennedale or Waco? I know that’s not the point though.
My son won our series last race there in fitting form by blowing his engine as he crossed the finish line. When Grandma Deery past away it was left to the kids. She wanted it to stay open, The one son who ran the track wanted to keep it open and was actually making improvements to the track. He was out voted by the other siblings and it was sold to the highest bidder. The one brother who loved the track has taken it hard and from what I heard does not talk to the family anymore because all they wanted was money. Grandma is rolling over in her grave because it was only about 4 months after her death that it was sold. We will miss you Rockford Speedway.
Only 2 kids were still in Rockford running the track .
The other kids had left Rockford and just wanted to sell the track for the money.
So David Deery wanted to keep the track open.
Good for him.
And that changes my opinion of him
Sounds like a really great guy
Me and my youngest nephew Nathan had met him a few times before.
Once again, track operators and track and race fans NEED to be involved in their local city and county councils and support the tracks. The community around these local tracks needs to show that they bring money into the surrounding community and have a POSITIVE impact on the moral and financial aspects of the community.
Hosting not for profit events like children's trick or treat. Church revival, high school events will help to establish a track as a needed Pilar of the community they operate in.
Hopefully we as fans can help save some of these local short tracks and just attending races and events won't be enough.
I prefer a racetrack over church. God, church is boring.
Our local track up here does just that. We're not a short track, but a combination of a 1.2 mile road course and a 1/4 NHRA drag strip. Especially around Covid it was looking questionable as to whether the track was done for good. But luckily our mayor up here is a huge racing fan and makes regular appearances at our big events. So even though there's been offers made, the track is set to stand for years to come thanks to all the business that we bring in elsewhere. (We regular get guys that will stay the weekend in town that are from the states, and sometimes from way out East. The track is right at sea level so it's great for setting records and PB's at. Makes it a real draw for speed demons.
@@theothertonydutchMust be the pastor and their sermons you find boring the most.
@@theothertonydutch Nice word choice lol, bravo.
@@theothertonydutch Plus how many tracks you been to where they don't do some kind of invocation or prayer? You can get BOTH at the racetrack!
Rockford is my home track and ive been racing there since i was 10. I basically grew up there. I was at the last race and I about cried the entire time.
This track is the reason I’m a racing fan today. My dad and uncle took me to so many races growing up in Rockford. It’s a damn shame to see it go.
Couldn’t of said it any better myself. Damn I’m gonna miss that track
Definitely one of the first tracks I went to besides lake Geneva and the Milwaukee mile. I hope you're close enough to some other tracks to still go see some racing.
It was awesome meeting you here, terribly sad to see the track go but god damn their final season was incredible
Yes, a few of my home tracks are dead but I still have 2 good ones
yea I heard of it never been there have family in rockford though, it was very old, makes me ponder why just for the love of money? its not like we are building tracks left and right from the 1940's to 1960's, at this rate we will have no where to go, we just lost devils bowl too, but we knew that was comming and seeing the footage of the features, it chewed up cars like a hungry cowboy feasting by the fire after a hard days work and did what it could to make it as long as it could and went down swinging like a texan should, and had a win by a nose on the last lap to go out in style,
as I was saying soon there is going to be no tracks left but the major facilities when will we reach equalibrium where tracks are no longer forced out by development or by not in my backyard nimbys that buy and house knowing full well there is a track near by, or developments put up all around.
The track is 76 years old it is a landmark or we have to find a way to mitigate the noise to just the track somehow, though I dont know how that would be done to dampen the noise, but without tracks people will take to the roads again and thats just no good and not safe, just like drag racing.
One just cant take anything for granted even knoxvill or eldora, included, if they can make it so paris auto speedway in cali could be threated by the change in the flood control, they close the fourth oldest auto track to make it harness horses only like the hoosier state fair in the racing capital of the world , try to rail against nashvill fairgrounds by building right on top of it 20 feet away, and they put a curfew on events at 10 for the grandest of all the indy motor speedway, you know nothing is sacred, if the grand mecca and vatican city of racing, the whole reason speedway has its name as a city can be put under restriction you know anything is fair game.
Back in the 70s my grandfather was the track doctor at Rockford Speedway. During one night of racing they did a 1 lap bicycle race for kids. My mom who was 12 joined in and crashed about half way around. She wasn’t injured but my grandfather forced her to ride in the ambulance for the spectacle. He had the driver run a lap of the 8 before they went off the track just for good measure.
Thank you so much for making this mini doc of the Rockford Speedway. This place meant a lot of us locals I have so many memories there. growing up in the early 2000s watching ricky the rocket bilderback in his prime and all crazy races like trailer, boat and bus races to name a few. I was there for that last trailer race, too. I was with the Bleecker creatures. And then went to last bus race. And then the final race which was really bitter sweet. So thanks for shining some light on the old gal
it's bitter sweet, glad stuff like this is being made and posted to document and archive info on the legacy of these tracks.
That's what I was thinking. It's a shame it has to close but nothing lasts forever in this life. At least it will be immortalized on video forever, or at least until the Nuclear winter but if that happens we'll have much bigger fish to fry lol
We have trailer races in the UK too. We call em Caravan Demolition derbies, they're usually held at the end of Unlimited National Banger meetings. I suggest you check out short track racing in the UK. Our racing is absolutely phenomenal.
I didn’t even know that was a thing in the UK! Paved or dirt? Also if you have a link to a cool vid you know of, I’d love to check it out.
@@extragoogleaccount6061 th-cam.com/video/Gdvb-2CDjWs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=9V5Bwz9rcLfdG1R7
I grew up at this track…. so many pictures, crazy times, memories. Been to many other tracks too, but the atmosphere at Rockford Speedway was the best. Still hasn’t hit me that it’s Done… Rockford Speedway You will be greatly missed
Driving through Loves Park will never be the same
I'm a bartender in Chicago. My Tuesday night shifts for the last 9 years have been at a neighborhood bar where I've played things like tractor pulls, spectator drags, etc. I've been showing all the random stuff they've been doing at Rockford (spectator drags, school bus races, figure 8 races, etc) for a few years, and my patrons love it. This is such a bummer! I'm genuinely bummed I never got to see anything at this speedway live!
Someone give S1appy some money to have his own race track.
Sycamore speedway is a amazing place and is always fun
Cleanup for the trailer race would start immediately after the races and go through the night until it was essentially picked up.. take Sunday off then show up Monday to blow/sweep the track of all the finer debris. I’m 32 and can’t remember a time in my life without this track. I’ll miss it greatly
So cool!! Sycamore Speedway is my hometown track, my friend is the announcer for the races now. Glad you got to come see it!
We’re all really gonna miss the Rockford Speedway. It was a staple of my childhood and my uncle even raced there. I’m glad I got to take my son this last year.
Thank you for talking about our racetrack means a lot!!!
I was there last night!!!
I'm gonna miss that place. The car shows we're always good, and the racing was always even better. I have been going there for something like 15 years on and off, and I have so many memories there.
Thanks for visiting slapshoes, and helping keep a little bit of Rockford Speedway History alive :]
So Glad my boy Jon Reynolds won😂
1:06 I’ve been to Sycamore speedway a few times and always had a blast
i love spectator drag racing & rockford is the place for spector drag racing & knowing that im never gonna drive on that surface or even be there just hits different
rip rockford
That trailer “race” is the coolest thing ever.
thank you for the piece on sycamore. i raced at both tracks this year and loved em both. rockford will go down in history as an iconic track
this is a certified booming real estate market moment
I just this year finally finished building my 4-cylinder car to race at my local dirt track and made my first handful of races. It’s the only track within any kind of reasonable driving distance of my house, so I really, really hope it doesn’t go away anytime soon. The good news is that it’s still relatively in the middle of nowhere on a two lane road kinda through the middle of the woods. Like, there’s other stuff on that road, but with the exception of gas stations, most of them are small local businesses. Also the guy that owns the track was the guy that built it years ago. He had sold it like a decade ago and recently bought it back because he was afraid the new owners were going to run it into the ground and sell it off (they were renting out like half of the property for tractor trailer and heavy equipment storage.) He made a ton of improvements to the track and amenities prior to this season starting and seems to be in the business more for the love of track than to make money. It’s a shame not all local tracks can be that way. It breaks my heart hearing about any local racing venue being shut down so they can build another damn warehouse.
What track?
This series rules. Thanks s1ap. God bless short tracks
I’m gonna be making some stop motions with this track as this was the track I grew up at. My uncle used to race late models here and we would always go watch them.
I’m also gonna try to find some 1/64 trailers and run some trailer races but it’s so sad to see it go.
Sad to see these kinds of facilities just be torn apart
Newer generations don't care anymore, and you can't force them to care.
I'm hanging out with your dad in Greenville right now and he didn't believe I watched your videos so I had to show him my history!! Keep up the good work!!!
That is awesome!
Those trailer races are something else. They remind me of the ones in the 2004 video game Test Drive: Eve of Destruction (Driven to Destruction here in Australia and other PAL regions), but they're even crazier in real life.
I unfortunately found this race track just this year but that 1 year of going to the speedway every Saturday night couldn’t have been better. Some of the best racing and track action I’ve seen has been there
I didn’t grow up watching nascar but this channel is an addiction I wish it was the 2000s and I could go to an event in its prime
You've inspired me to try and get to every short track in Virginia next year. I usually spend my Saturday nights at Langley Speedway seeing as it's 20 minutes from me, but after we lost motor mile this year, it's time for Virginians to dig deep and support our 10 asphalt and dirt tracks.
Do a video about Devils Bowl Speedway
awesome video Slap! Sycamore Speedway is my local track and we love watching the racing there. It’s a shame Rockford shut down. Thanks for covering these two tracks
I went to the last race at Devil's Bowl Speedway. It sold beyond capacity. People were standing next to the fence the entire time...for a Sprint Car race.
Love the video man. Sad to see such an iconic venue fall the same fate as Myrtle beach speedway. PS, would love to see you do a series on WTF is a NASCAR truck series since that’s one of the most common questions I get about nascar feeder series
Such a Great video. Wish i could had seen it. I recently found my local dirt track and im hooked. So much fun. I invite all my friends even if they arent racing fans. After a few beers and the racing gets good they all end up fans in the end
Thanks for letting me know Sycamore Speedway was still hosting races that is the track I saw my very first race at the age of 7 back in 67 and I been hooked ever since I haven't been back there since the early 80s because of not being able to drive and then moving out of the area in 93 but the times I did go the action was great and I had a blast
Woo hoo, Slap Shoes went to tracks I raced at in the 1990's. I used to race and so many tracks in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. I loved Rockford and Sycamore.Miss them along with many other tracks. Kankakee County was my home track. Grundy County was also a lot of fun. Use to run what was late models then. All coverted late 70's Monte Carlos. Frankly miss racing too.
I was there with my brother that day (sorry I missed you) and had a great time as always. The Trailer race never fails to entertain and the boat race later in the summer was great too (Trailer race - trailers + boats).
BTW, that billboard in turn 3 that the truck climbed took about 3 weeks or so to fix based on looking at it from Rt. 173.
That's what happened with Ontario, Riverside and Ascot Park here in So Cal. Ontario is now where the Ontario Mills Outlet Mall is, Riverside is a condo complex and a business park is occupying the space where Ascot once stood.
I used to go to their Night of Thrills event almost every year with my dad when I was little. It was always an awesome show. Pretty sad I won't be able to take my daughter to any of them.
my grandpas dad used to race at Rockford. RIP Rockford wish i could have been there.
edit: my home town track is Wisconsin International Raceway btw
my wife and I were there for the trailer race and the last 12 our race track tradition died last year so sad.
Very well-done video as always. So glad I was able to finally get there in September when I had the chance. It was like going back in time, and the racing was great. It will be missed. For those looking for another local track to support in the area, I recommend Grundy County Speedway.
I work at an extremely popular short track in CO and every year the neighborhood creeps closer and closer. I fear this is inevitable for us.
Honey-wake up! Slap just posted!
I live in downstate Illinois and, unfortunately, never did get to check out Rockford. My own racing keeps me too busy, I guess. I do get to race at sycamore from time to time with the badger midgets though, and it's an awesome place. We don't run the small track, though, like you stated, but the big one. We have some nice tracks here in Illinois. It sure is a shame we've lost so many
Rockford speedway is an awesome place. Ive done a lot of autocross there. Going to miss that place.
I was at the last race yesterday, and raced there a few weeks ago, I didn't expect to cry but it has meant a lot to me and many others
Sycamore Speedway is awesome! I went there almost every week when I was little! Great Video
My brother lives right by Rockford Speedway and whenever I visit him we like to go to events there. It's always a fun time, and the PA announcer is always a lot of fun; it's really unfortunate they're taking it out. We really don't need another Walmart; we need more places for drivers from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin to just have a good time racing their cars.
Made several trips to the track over the course of the years since I live right in town, was even there for that trailer race as well, I almost goofed it because by the time I got my ticket they were almost completely sold out online.
Coincidentally, this was posted the day after Rockford speedway held its last race day ever. It's sad that it's gotta go, I wish I went to it more when I was younger. I remember the days when I would go there with my family to go and see my uncle out on the track, I wouldn't know what what was going on but I would still have fun.
Been there many times in the 90s.
First Hales Corners Speedway, now Rockford. Whats next? My Milwaukee Mile in my backyard?
It wasn't too long ago that we lost
Lake Geneva Speedway in Wisconsin.
@@8HumblePie soon the playboy club will disappear.
Good ole Geneva.
Love from Waterford/Wind Lake.
Got to drive it for their last miracle mile, so much fun. I only live about 15 minutes away it hurts my heart to watch it get demolished day by day. Had so much fun while it lasted. R.I.P the Rockford Speedway
If you like midwest short tracks, my local track is State Park Speedway in Wausau, WI. Currently owned by Scott Wimmer's family, it's where Dick Trickle, Dave Marcis, Scott Wimmer, and others got their starts.
Thank you for this video honoring the track. I just ran my final race around Rockford Speedway just 2 weeks ago. Very emotional time for a lot of drivers, crew, staff, and fans.
My aunt lives like a half mile from Rockford speedway. I remember a decade ago a few businesses here and there plenty of space still. Like five years later that area is packed with businesses
Sad to see a piece of racing history go. I was fortunate enough to run the last Goblin 250 enduro there. I traveled from Iowa to race there. Some how I survived the race and finished. It was so much fun.
I actually live about an hour away from Rockford, never knew this track was there, sad I missed it
Very sad to see that track go even though my home track is Madison international speedway. My family has grew up at both tracks. We’ve had a really big history in our family of racing especially my dad and my uncle and my grandpa. We’ve all combined over 30 wins in one class and more and most of them came at Rockford Speedway. I went to the last short track championship and got a bumper from my favorite driver Bobby Willberg, and the 98 late model usually running the 28 Car, but there was no other feeling to express when you walked out of that place. It was just sad.
I’ll miss this track
I was born in Rockford and my dad used to race there in the 70s. I cried when i heard the news. Im sure if my dad were alive today, he would be pissed that theyre tearing it down.
Man, S1ap got me missing the trailer races at Rocky Mountain Raceway. They did Figure 8 trailer races too sometimes, and Figure 8 School Bus races. Sadly, we lost it in 2018 after the city denied their operating permit after 22 years. We don't have any ovals anywhere close to Salt Lake anymore.
Cool you got out to sycamore. My buddy races the #5 blue and orange crown vic there. He tried to make it look like the gulf gt40 😂
Love your channel bro 👌👌👌👌👌
You should make it up to Ontario Canada one of these days and show off how that although we have a much smaller population than the US, racing is just as big. Dirt tracks like Ohsweken routinely bring in 70-100 sprint cars for the bigger events like the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals. Where at the last one they raised the pot for the winner to $30,000USD and they already said next year the starting pot is going to be $20,000USD and will probably be much more by the time cars hit the track. Then we also have a whole slew of other dirt tracks within a pretty close radius like, Brighton, Brockville, Humberstone, Merrittville, South Buxton, and a bunch of others. Plus on top of that we have a pretty big asphalt scene as well with tracks like Calabogie, Sunset, Delaware, Kawartha, and Sauble. Then if you’re into road course racing, we also have the very historic Mosport (Now Canadian Tire Motorsports Park)
There’s almost just as many people in the state of California alone as there is in the entire country of Canada. So for racing to be as big as it is, says something about us
Heeey! Super proud of Slaps featuring my town of Rockford. It’s a gritty world here guys, but a good community… “Michigan” effect is in real display, with our biggest employer Belvidere Assembly closing this year, leaving another 4000 without jobs. 😢
I feel you... Warneton Speedway was also closed down due to issues with permits... and it was later sold to a company that plans to demolish it and turn it into a waste processing plant...
Love to see sycamore speedway get mentioned! I go there every weekend and it is an incredible facility. And Rockford itself is also an amazing track. I never got the chance to be there in attendance but I’ve been watching the recordings uploaded to misfit productions for years. Gonna miss that place
its gonna be sad for this track going away. i love this track. Goodbye Rockford Speedway.
It was my hometown track growing up there as a kid. So many races and nights spent there. Such a sad sight to see it go
I’ve spent many hours watching Rockford’s racing on TH-cam. Super entertaining track. It will be missed.
Omg I was there the same night!! That was my last Rockford speedway race too. Been going every year for years. Gunna miss it, but still have Jefferson speedway at least
I can't believe that a track with 70 years of history is going to be torn down just for a stupid Walmart
that trailer race is the most chaotic best trailer race ive ever seen.
Went there for the final event October 28th. Parking lot was already gone. They smooth it out cause it was packed. Anyways talking with the locals the track itself isn't going to be removed anytime soon.
i grew up at this track and feel like a piece of my life is just gone now.
Had the opportunity to compete at Rockford on a few occasions, it was easily my favorite pavement track to race on so far. It had so much character and its high banking made it the fastest tracks my division raced on. So sad to see it go, just glad I at least had the opportunity to compete there.
Miss this place so much
Can you please do a video on the history of Devils Bowl Speedway. I love your videos
Slap, thank yo for coming up to the Midwest and highlighting both of these great tracks. So awesome to see this content!
I was not expecting you to go to Rockford Speedway lol, really awesome for you to visit it. I went on July 5th and I will always remember Rockford. One year, they even had a figure 8 buses.
Thank you slap this was a fitting video for one of the last legends of the short track scene ❤❤❤
Only been there once, Midwest Enduro Series years ago, great track .