PENNSYLVANIA
The Keystone state
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From the travels and adventures of the “World’s #1 Trackchaser”
All-Time Favorite Pennsylvania Track:
Empty Jug
Best Memories:
It has been said that Pennsylvania is really just Philadelphia and Pittsburg with Alabama in the middle. Yes, it is one of the most rural and picturesque states I have visited. Pennsylvania, along with maybe New York, is home to the most ardent racing fans I have ever seen. It almost seems as if that is the only interest in the state!
I have a lot of trackchasing memories from Pennsylvania. I am not a deer hunter. That’s what made my visit to the Empty Jug racetrack so much fun. Here were a bunch of deer hunters who used their lodge and associated grounds for a racetrack in the summer. I couldn’t have been any different from these guys than if the man in the moon had visited. Nevertheless, they invited me into their “secret” lodge and told me stories and we all drank some beer. Fun. Then I remember my visit to Big Al’s Racetrack. “Big Al” (above) is actually sort of a little guy. I am not a coal miner. Big Al is a coal miner. He has invited to take me down into the coal mines 300 feet below ground when I make my next stop there. I don’t know if I can take him up on that. I am “minorly” claustrophobic.
My first Pennsylvania trackchasing visit was to the venerable Reading Fairgrounds Speedway back in the 70s. To be honest I fell asleep. That had nothing to do with the racing. I was just so tired from a work visit I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I didn’t want to go to sleep because this was a special visit but I was just so tired. I saw some really good Worlds of Outlaws sprint car racing at the Lernerville Speedway back in the early 80s. I recall my buddy Jim Sabo leaving his sunglasses in the outhouse at Lernerville! I told you Pennsylvania was rural.
My visit to the Latrobe Speedway was most memorable not because of the racing but because I got to play golf at Arnold Palmer’s famous Latrobe Country Club. This was one of my top five most memorable rounds of golf ever. I’ve seen some of the best winged kart racing in the Keystone state. On the other hand, Pocono is one of my least favorite NASCAR Cup tracks. A major Pennsylvania highlight was getting an up close and personal tour of the Paul Weisel led Eastern Auto Racing Historical Society racing car museum.
TRACK | CITY | STATE | COUNTRY | DATE | TRACK TYPE | |
1 | Reading Fairgrounds | Reading | Pennsylvania | United States | Pre-1980 | DO |
2 | Lincoln Speedway | New Oxford | Pennsylvania | United States | May 17, 1980 | DO |
3 | Grandview Speedway | Bechtelsville | Pennsylvania | United States | May 20, 1980 | DO |
4 | Nazareth Raceway | Nazareth | Pennsylvania | United States | July 3, 1980 | DO |
5 | Lernerville Speedway | Sarver | Pennsylvania | United States | October 12, 1982 | DO |
6 | Penn National Speedway | Grantville | Pennsylvania | United States | July 14, 1991 | DO |
7 | Williams Grove Speedway | Mechanicsburg | Pennsylvania | United States | August 2, 1991 | DO |
8 | Big Diamond Raceway | Minersville | Pennsylvania | United States | May 28, 1993 | DO |
9 | Silver Spring Speedway | Mechanicsburg | Pennsylvania | United States | May 29, 1993 | DO |
10 | Pocono International Raceway | Long Pond | Pennsylvania | United States | July 18, 1993 | PO |
11 | Penn Can Speedway | Susquehanna | Pennsylvania | United States | August 12, 1994 | DO |
12 | Tri-City Speedway | Franklin | Pennsylvania | United States | July 17, 1997 | DO |
13 | Bedford Speedway | Bedford | Pennsylvania | United States | July 18, 1997 | DO |
14 | Port Royal Speedway | Port Royal | Pennsylvania | United States | July 19, 1997 | DO |
15 | Challenger Raceway | Kent | Pennsylvania | United States | July 20, 1997 | DO |
16 | Susquehanna Speedway | Newberrytown | Pennsylvania | United States | June 17, 1998 | DO |
17 | Linda’s Speedway | Jonestown | Pennsylvania | United States | June 19, 1998 | DO |
18 | Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway | Schaefferstown | Pennsylvania | United States | June 20, 1998 | DO |
19 | Borger’s Speedway | Saylorsburg | Pennsylvania | United States | August 10, 1999 | DO |
20 | Fairgrounds at Kutztown | Kutztown | Pennsylvania | United States | August 11, 1999 | DO |
21 | Hamlin Speedway | Hamlin | Pennsylvania | United States | August 13, 1999 | DO |
22 | Pocono Mountain Speedway | St. Johns | Pennsylvania | United States | July 23, 2000 | PO |
23 | Selinsgrove Speedway | Selinsgrove | Pennsylvania | United States | July 23, 2000 | OUTER-DO |
24 | Eriez Speedway | Erie | Pennsylvania | United States | June 10, 2001 | DO |
25 | Allegheny Mountain Raceway | Lamont | Pennsylvania | United States | July 28, 2001 | DO |
26 | McKean County Raceway | East Smethport | Pennsylvania | United States | July 28, 2001 | DO |
27 | Bradford Speedway | Bradford | Pennsylvania | United States | July 29, 2001 | DO |
28 | Trail-Way Speedway | Hanover | Pennsylvania | United States | July 20, 2002 | DO |
29 | Trail-Way Speedway | Hanover | Pennsylvania | United States | July 20, 2002 | DRC |
30 | Trail-Way Speedway | Hanover | Pennsylvania | United States | July 20, 2002 | DF8 |
31 | Latrobe Speedway | Latrobe | Pennsylvania | United States | July 21, 2002 | DO |
32 | Stony Brook Raceway | Stoystown | Pennsylvania | United States | July 21, 2002 | DO |
33 | Path Valley Speedway | Spring Run | Pennsylvania | United States | June 6, 2003 | DO |
34 | Gambler’s Raceway Park | Clearfield | Pennsylvania | United States | June 8, 2003 | DO |
35 | Bradford Speedway | Bradford | Pennsylvania | United States | August 7, 2003 | DF8 |
36 | Lake Erie Speedway | North East | Pennsylvania | United States | August 9, 2003 | PO |
37 | Lake Erie Speedway | North East | Pennsylvania | United States | August 9, 2003 | PF8 |
38 | Hill Valley Speedway | Orbisonia | Pennsylvania | United States | April 24, 2004 | DO |
39 | Mahoning Valley Speedway | Lehighton | Pennsylvania | United States | April 24, 2004 | PO |
40 | Shellhammer’s Speedway | Leesport | Pennsylvania | United States | April 24, 2004 | DO |
41 | Pagoda Motorcycle Club | Birdsboro | Pennsylvania | United States | April 25, 2004 | DO |
42 | Butler Farm Show | Butler | Pennsylvania | United States | August 9, 2004 | DF8 |
43 | Pocono International Raceway – East | Long Pond | Pennsylvania | United States | August 10, 2004 | PRC |
44 | Motordrome Speedway | Smithton | Pennsylvania | United States | August 13, 2004 | PO |
45 | BeaveRun Motorsports Complex | Wampum | Pennsylvania | United States | August 14, 2004 | PRC |
46 | BeaveRun Motorsports Complex – Wilson Circuit | Wampum | Pennsylvania | United States | August 14, 2004 | PO |
47 | Jennerstown Speedway | Jennerstown | Pennsylvania | United States | August 14, 2004 | PO |
48 | Sportsman’s Speedway | Knox | Pennsylvania | United States | August 15, 2004 | DO |
49 | Farmington V.F.D. Speedway | Farmington | Pennsylvania | United States | August 26, 2004 | DO |
50 | Selinsgrove Raceway Park | Selinsgrove | Pennsylvania | United States | August 27, 2004 | INNER-DO |
51 | Nazareth Speedway | Nazareth | Pennsylvania | United States | August 28, 2004 | PO |
52 | Dog Hollow Speedway | Strongstown | Pennsylvania | United States | August 29, 2004 | DO |
53 | Mercer Raceway Park | Mercer | Pennsylvania | United States | October 1, 2004 | DO |
54 | Bloomsburg Fairgrounds | Bloomsburg | Pennsylvania | United States | October 2, 2004 | DF8 |
55 | Ace High Speedway | Monroeton | Pennsylvania | United States | October 3, 2004 | DO |
56 | Empty Jug | Hawley | Pennsylvania | United States | May 6, 2006 | DO |
57 | Thunder Mountain Speedway | Knox Dale | Pennsylvania | United States | June 21, 2006 | DO |
58 | Dayton Fairgrounds | Dayton | Pennsylvania | United States | August 14, 2006 | DF8 |
59 | Lawrence County Fairgrounds | New Castle | Pennsylvania | United States | August 16, 2006 | DF8 |
60 | Hunterstown Speedway | Hunterstown | Pennsylvania | United States | July 7, 2007 | DO |
61 | Shippensburg Speedway | Shippensburg | Pennsylvania | United States | July 7, 2007 | DO |
62 | Blanket Hill Speedway | Whitesburg | Pennsylvania | United States | July 8, 2007 | DO |
63 | Lycoming County Fairgrounds | Hughesville | Pennsylvania | United States | July 17, 2007 | DF8 |
64 | Tioga County Fairgrounds | Wellsboro | Pennsylvania | United States | August 9, 2007 | DF8 |
65 | Wyalusing Valley Motorsports Park | Wysox | Pennsylvania | United States | August 24, 2008 | DO |
66 | Schenley Park | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | United States | July 19, 2009 | STREET-RC |
67 | Marion Center Speedway | Marion Center | Pennsylvania | United States | May 29, 2010 | DO |
68 | Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway | Imperial | Pennsylvania | United States | July 17, 2010 | DO |
69 | Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway | Imperial | Pennsylvania | United States | July 17, 2010 | DF8 |
70 | Northeast Fair | Pittston Township | Pennsylvania | United States | June 24, 2011 | DF8 |
71 | Clinton County Speedway | Mackeyville | Pennsylvania | United States | June 25, 2011 | DF8 |
72 | Hesston Speedway | Huntingdon | Pennsylvania | United States | October 22, 2011 | DO |
73 | Rolling W Ranch | West Sunbury | Pennsylvania | United States | October 22, 2011 | DRC |
74 | Roaring Knob Motorports Complex | Markleysburg | Pennsylvania | United States | April 20, 2012 | DO |
75 | Snydersville Raceway | Stroudsburg | Pennsylvania | United States | May 18, 2012 | DO |
76 | Somerset County Fairgrounds | Meyersdale | Pennsylvania | United States | August 20, 2012 | DF8 |
77 | Clinton County Speedway | Mackeyville | Pennsylvania | United States | August 31, 2012 | DO |
78 | Greenwood Raceway | Seven Stars | Pennsylvania | United States | August 31, 2012 | DO |
79 | Baker Hill Motorsports | Columbus | Pennsylvania | United States | September 1, 2012 | DO |
80 | Cove Valley Speedway | Martinsburg | Pennsylvania | United States | September 1, 2012 | DO |
81 | Westmoreland County Fairgrounds | Greensburg | Pennsylvania | United States | August 21, 2013 | DF8 |
82 | Oreville Kart Club | Oreville | Pennsylvania | United States | August 25, 2013 | PO |
83 | Borger’s Speedway | Saylorsburg | Pennsylvania | United States | September 7, 2013 | AO |
84 | Susquehanna Speedway | Newberrytown | Pennsylvania | United States | September 7, 2013 | DF8 |
85 | Penns Creek Raceway | Middleburg | Pennsylvania | United States | June 21, 2014 | DO |
86 | Reading Fairgrounds | Reading | Pennsylvania | United States | August 4, 2014 | DO |
87 | Sullivan County Fair | Forksville | Pennsylvania | United States | August 28, 2014 | DF8 |
88 | Blairsville Speedway | Blairsville | Pennsylvania | United States | May 23, 2015 | DO |
89 | Hummingbird Speedway | Reynoldsville | Pennsylvania | United States | May 23, 2015 | DO |
90 | Hidden Hills Sports Center – MX track | Clifford | Pennsylvania | United States | May 24, 2015 | DRC |
91 | Red Rock Raceways | Claysburg | Pennsylvania | United States | May 24, 2015 | DO |
92 | Race-1 Motor Speedway | DuBois | Pennsylvania | United States | May 24, 2015 | DO |
93 | Big Al’s Racetrack | Dornsife | Pennsylvania | United States | October 25, 2015 | DRC |
94 | Pocono International Raceway – SE | Long Pond | Pennsylvania | United States | April 30, 2016 | PRC |
95 | Greenwood Valley Action Tracks | Orangeville | Pennsylvania | United States | April 30, 2016 | DO |
96 | West End Fairgrounds | Gilbert | Pennsylvania | United States | August 22, 2016 | DO |
97 | Cove View Speedway | Warfordsburg | Pennsylvania | United States | August 27, 2016 | DO |
98 | Outback Track | Lock Haven | Pennsylvania | United States | September 9, 2016 | DO |
99 | Patsy Hillman Park | Brownsville | Pennsylvania | United States | October 22, 2016 | DRC |
100 | Phoenix Raceway | Phoenixville | Pennsylvania | United States | October 23, 2016 | DO |
101 | Pittsburgh International Race Complex | Wampum | Pennsylvania | United States | June 3, 2017 | PRC-Full |
102 | Jefferson County Fairgrounds | Brookville | Pennsylvania | United States | July 22, 2017 | DF8 |
103 | Gratz Fairgrounds | Gratz | Pennsylvania | United States | September 17, 2017 | DF8 |
104 | Warrior Trail | Greensboro | Pennsylvania | United States | October 1, 2017 | DRC |
105 | PPL Center | Allentown | Pennsylvania | United States | January 6, 2018 | INDOOR-PO |
106 | Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center – Northeast Building | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | United States | February 18, 2018 | INDOOR-PO |
107 | Lorah’s Family Farm | Walnutport | Pennsylvania | United States | August 14, 2020 | DO |
108 | Hayfield 125 | Conneaut | Pennsylvania | United States | October 25, 2020 | DO |
109 | Big Butler County Fairgrounds | Prospect | Pennsylvania | United States | July 6, 2021 | DF8 |
110 | Blue Mountain Speedway | Walnutport | Pennsylvania | United States | October 8, 2021 | DO |
111 | Lake Erie Speedway | North East | Pennsylvania | United States | MAY 28, 2022 | PF8-INFIELD |
112 | Kittanning Community Park | Kittanning | Pennsylvania | United States | June 11, 2022 | DRC |
113 | Flat Run Speedway | Morrisdale | Pennsylvania | United States | June 11, 2022 | DO |
114 | Sykesville Youth & Ag Fairgrounds | Sykesville | Pennsylvania | United States | June 20, 2022 | DO |
115 | Bloomsburg Fair Raceway | Bloomsburg | Pennsylvania | United States | August 18, 2022 | DO |
116 | Mason-Dixon Speedway | Salisbury | Pennsylvania | United States | August 20, 2022 | DO |
117 | Honey Brook Speedway | Honey Brook | Pennsylvania | United States | October 21, 2023 | PO |
118 | Oaklane Quarter Midget Speedway | Trumbauersville | Pennsylvania | United States | October 22, 2023 | PO |
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