Nazareth Speedway
Originally opened as a horse racing track farther up in the center of town in the 1850s as the Northampton County Agricultural Fairgrounds. By the early 1900s, the popularity of the track grew to a point where it was no longer feasible to hold events at this location, and a new half-mile track was constructed at the current location between Routes 191 and 248. In the 1910s the fairgrounds hosted motor racing events. In 1966, a second 1 1/8th mile dirt track was added. Twenty-one years later, the Penske-owned paved speedway replaced the larger track and the small track was raised and replaced by the expanding of a nearby grocery store.
The first automotive events held were not racing, rather it was a sport called auto polo. Automobile polo or Auto polo was a motorsport invented in the United States with rules and equipment similar to equestrian polo but using automobiles instead of horses. The sport was popular at fairs, exhibitions, and sports venues across the United States and several areas in Europe from 1911 until the late 1920s; it was, however, dangerous and carried the risk of injury and death to the participants and spectators, and expensive damage to vehicles.
The first large race to take place at the small track was in 1947 by the auto association triple A. The race drew a crowd of some 11,000 spectators and included 35 cars. In 1952, Jerry Fried purchased the fairgrounds. He continued the racing and added additional events, such as demolition derbies. The track was also the location of one of the first enduro races on the east coast. From 1971 to 1982 the small track continued to operate while the larger track was closed, finally in 1988, under Roger Penske’s ownership the half-mile track was sold to nearby Laneco and raised.
The newer 1 and 1/8th mile track opened in 1966, this was a 5 turn track and was opened as the Nazareth National Speedway. Over the years several notable racers raced at Nazareth Speedway, Frankie Schneider, Mario Andretti, and Michael Andretti. In 1971, the large track was closed until the speedway was purchased in 1982. Lindy Vicari, the new owner of the speedway cleared 11 years of plant growth, refurbished the facilities, and shortened the bigger track to a one-mile dirty oval. Vicari shortly learned the cost to maintain the speedway was much greater than expected and in 1983 Nazareth Speedway was closed again.
Three years later, in 1986, Roger Penske, and yes it is the same Penske you are thinking about, built a new, paved, track on the footprint of the original 1 and 1/8th mile track. Selling the site of the smaller half-mile track to the now-defunct Laneco grocery store. The new track opened as the Pennsylvania International Raceway in the fall of 1987. It was the first oval track to feature a warm-up lane to enter and exit the pits. In 1993, the track was renamed Nazareth Speedway. In 1997, a new retaining wall, catch fence, and new grandstands were erected.
Nazareth Speedway hosted a rather successful Busch Series and CART events, new owner ISC closed the speedway in late 2004. In 2007, the grandstands, signage, and all visible structures have been removed. By May of 2008 large dirt mounds were placed around the track to prevent usage of the track. November 2015, Raceway Properties LLC purchased the property, however, racing can not return to the speedway due to a clause in the purchase agreement due to the proximity to Pocono Raceway. As of 2020, the property continues to decay, be destroyed by vandalism, and reclaimed by nature. In May of 2019, a fire was set to a building in the parking lot area Two teens were arrested in connection with the arson.
In May of 2000, Mark Blundell was hit from behind during the Bosch Spark Plug Grand-Prix. Blundell suffered minor injuries. In 2002, Bush driver Jeff Purvis was injured when his car came to a stop. Purvis was hit when a second car was unable to avoid slamming into Purvis’s car at the Stack 2 200 race. Probably the most notable name associated with Nazareth Speedway has to be Mario Andretti followed by his son Michael. Mario refers to Nazareth as his home track. We hope you enjoyed this explore, we really enjoyed seeing a big part of the history of the area. Looking at it now it is hard to imagine a time when Nazareth Speedway packed 30,000 fans.
