MISSOURI
The Show Me state
From the travels and adventures of the “World’s #1 Trackchaser” All-Time Favorite Missouri Track: Lion’s Park – Russellville Current lifetime trackchasing state rank: 1 Best Memories: I grew up in Illinois. The state of Missouri borders Illinois. Nevertheless, as a young man, we never went to Missouri to see racing. Mainly, when we traveled we saw racing in Iowa and for “big-time” stock car racing we went to Milwaukee for the USAC stock car races. Milwaukee featured IndyCar racing as well. However, we were stock car fans and seeing an IndyCar type race was as likely for us to visit as a trip to the moon. I saw my first race in Missouri at the St. Charles Speedway. One of my memories from that night was hearing Kenny Schrader interviewed by the track announcer. The famous Don Klein (above) in the #28 won the feature that night as he did for years at that track. I never did get to see any of the big ASA stock car shows at I-70 during the 70s. When I made my first visit there in 1982 the track surface had changed to dirt and Sammy Swindell was the winner. Then, in the early 2000s I began to pick off the state’s permanent oval tracks one by one. Honestly, none made a big impression on me. In 2006 Carol and I made it to the Taj Majal of short track dirt racing, the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland. On that night we saw racing on their oval configuration and then their figure 8 track. With a zero chance of rain, it began to rain and they canceled the show at intermission. Nevertheless, the Lucas Oil Speedway might be the best short track dirt facility in the country. In recent years I’ve discovered the figure 8 racing offered up by J&B Promotions and their owner Gary Jones. I’ve long said that Iowa, Nebraska and Michigan have the best “big car” F8 racing. Now I would tell you that the state of Missouri has the best small car figure 8 racing. That’s how Lion’s Park in Russellville became my favorite Missouri track, an honor not often given to a figure 8 track. J&B starts 15-20 F8 cars in their feature (most F8 tracks might have five or six cars in their main) and really go at it. In 2019 I discovered the Hillbilly Speedway. They offer “po-boy” racing. It’s bump n run racing for poor boys! If you see a track link in the above list simply click on it to be transferred to my Trackchaser Report. Here you will be able to read about my adventure at this particular track. Not only will you learn about my time at the track but you’ll hear about all of the interesting people, places and things I encountered during the entire trip, coming and going, to that speedway. Most of my Trackchaser Reports will also include a photo album and YouTube video. Check it all out. Don’t be afraid to use the “search” box in the upper right corner of my website’s home page. Just type in the track name or whatever and you’ll be directed to the place you want to be. Below is a key to surface types and track configurations so you can understand the above list just a little bit easier. Surface types: D-dirt; P-paved; M-mixed Configuration types: O-oval; RC-road course; F8-figure 8 track# TRACK CITY STATE COUNTRY DATE TRACK TYPE 1 St. Charles Speedway St Peters Missouri United States May 20, 1982 DO 2 I-70 National Speedway Odessa Missouri United States August 9, 1982 DO 3 I-55 Raceways Pevely Missouri United States April 22, 1987 DO 4 Monett Speedway Monett Missouri United States August 4, 1996 DO 5 Speedway USA Bolivar Missouri United States May 25, 2000 PO 6 Lebanon I-44 Speedway Lebanon Missouri United States May 27, 2000 PO 7 State Fair Motor Speedway Sedalia Missouri United States May 28, 2000 DO 8 I-70 Speedway Odessa Missouri United States September 22, 2000 PO 9 Savannah Speedway Savannah Missouri United States May 18, 2001 DO 10 Winston Speedway Winston Missouri United States May 19, 2001 DO 11 West Plains Motor Speedway West Plains Missouri United States March 30, 2002 DO 12 Mizzou Speedway Moberly Missouri United States June 2, 2002 PO 13 Callaway Raceway Fulton Missouri United States June 14, 2002 DO 14 US 36 Raceway Osborn Missouri United States July 6, 2002 DO 15 Auto Tire & Parts NAPA Race Park Benton Missouri United States September 28, 2003 DO 16 Doe Run Raceway Doe Run Missouri United States June 11, 2004 DO 17 Fredericktown Raceway Fredericktown Missouri United States June 11, 2004 DO 18 Bolivar Speedway Bolivar Missouri United States July 9, 2004 DO 19 Dallas County Speedway Urbana Missouri United States July 9, 2004 DO 20 Adrian Speedway Adrian Missouri United States July 10, 2004 DO 21 Nevada Speedway Nevada Missouri United States July 10, 2004 DO 22 Montgomery County Speedway New Florence Missouri United States July 17, 2004 DO 23 Midway Speedway Lebanon Missouri United States June 8, 2006 DO 24 Lucas Oil Speedway Wheatland Missouri United States June 24, 2006 DO 25 Lucas Oil Speedway Wheatland Missouri United States June 24, 2006 DF8 26 Lake Ozark Speedway Eldon Missouri United States June 29, 2006 DO 27 Poplar Bluff Speedway Poplar Bluff Missouri United States June 30, 2006 DO 28 Boone County Raceway Columbia Missouri United States December 9, 2006 DO 29 Boone County Raceway Columbia Missouri United States December 10, 2006 DF8 30 Malden Speedway Malden Missouri United States March 23, 2007 DO 31 I-70 Speedway Odessa Missouri United States June 13, 2007 ADJACENT-DO 32 LA Raceway LaMonte Missouri United States June 14, 2007 DO 33 Valley Speedway Grain Valley Missouri United States June 22, 2007 DO 34 Butler Motor Speedway Butler Missouri United States June 24, 2007 DO 35 Lincoln County Fairgrounds Troy Missouri United States July 13, 2007 DF8 36 Double X Speedway California Missouri United States August 12, 2007 DO 37 24 Raceway Moberly Missouri United States September 8, 2007 DO 38 Ozark Empire Fairgrounds Arena Springfield Missouri United States February 1, 2008 INDOOR-DO 39 Central Missouri Speedway Warrensburg Missouri United States May 31, 2008 DO 40 Sweet Springs Motorsports Park Sweet Springs Missouri United States May 31, 2008 DO 41 Lucas Oil Speedway Wheatland Missouri United States June 1, 2008 DRC 42 Grand River Speedway Urich Missouri United States November 23, 2008 OUTER-PO 43 Grand River Speedway Urich Missouri United States November 23, 2008 INNER-DO 44 Grand River Speedway Urich Missouri United States November 23, 2008 DF8 45 Kemper Raceway @ the Kemper Arena Kansas City Missouri United States December 20, 2008 INDOOR-DO 46 Northwest Missouri State Fairgrounds Bethany Missouri United States September 7, 2009 DO 47 Springfield Raceway Springfield Missouri United States November 27, 2010 DO 48 Cowan Civic Center Lebanon Missouri United States March 5, 2011 INNER-PO 49 Ozark Empire Fairgrounds Springfield Missouri United States March 18, 2011 DF8 50 Miller County Fairgrounds Eldon Missouri United States July 22, 2014 DF8 51 Scotland County Fairgrounds Memphis Missouri United States October 17, 2014 DO 52 Fulton Jaycees Fairgrounds Fulton Missouri United States October 18, 2014 DF8 53 Thunder City Speedway Doniphan Missouri United States October 19, 2014 DO 54 JSI Off-Road Park Bates City Missouri United States August 15, 2015 DRC 55 St. Francois County Raceway Farmington Missouri United States August 15, 2015 DO 56 Lion’s Park Russellville Missouri United States August 29, 2015 DF8 57 Hartville Saddle Club Hartville Missouri United States October 9, 2015 DO 58 Hale Arena Kansas City Missouri United States January 23, 2016 INDOOR-DRC 59 Versailles Fairgrounds Versailles Missouri United States October 1, 2016 DF8 60 Moniteau County Fairgrounds California Missouri United States October 15, 2016 DF8 61 The Dome at America’s Center St. Louis Missouri United States December 17, 2016 INDOOR-DO 62 Ozark Empire State Fairgrounds Springfield Missouri United States August 1, 2017 PF8 63 Phelps County Fairgrounds Rolla Missouri United States August 4, 2017 DF8 64 Heart of the Ozarks Fairgrounds West Plains Missouri United States June 2, 2018 DF8 65 Osage County Fairgrounds Linn Missouri United States July 13, 2018 DF8 66 Moonlight Racing Off Road Park Sullivan Missouri United States October 13, 2018 DRC 67 Hillbilly Speedway Fair Grove Missouri United States June 15, 2019 DO 68 Jefferson City Jaycees Fairgrounds Jefferson City Missouri United States August 3, 2019 DO 69 KC Raceway River Bend Missouri United States July 24, 2020 DO 70 State Fair Arena Sedalia Missouri United States September 12, 2020 DF8 71 Longhorn Raceway Viburnam Missouri United States October 16, 2020 DO 72 Adrenaline Motorplex Adrian Missouri United States October 17, 2020 DRC 73 Old 71 Speedway Butler Missouri United States November 8, 2020 Inner-DO