Half Day Speedway
Nothing leftNothing left No longer racing, and nothing of the track remains.
Also known as Allendale Field; Libertyville Airport
- Started by Andy Granatelli
- Home of the ATAA, which tried to become a national sanctioning body in 1954
- Raced
- 1952-53
- State
- Illinois
- What's left
- The site was redeveloped and nothing of the strip remains.
- Raced on
- A military airfield
- First race
- April 6, 1952
- Track
- 1/2 mile
- Location
- Abandoned airstrip forty miles north of Chicago
- People
- Andy Granatelli, founder (1952)
- Arnold Maremont, financial backer (1952)
- Automobile Timing Association of America, race organizer (1952-53)
- Elevation
- 679 ft (207 m)
- Coordinates
- 42.20142, -87.94591
Andy Granatelli came up with this half-mile strip on an abandoned airstrip forty miles north of Chicago. Known as Allendale Field or Libertyville Airport, it had been a satellite field for Glenview Naval Air Station in World War II. The Automobile Timing Association of America (ATAA) first ran drag races there in 1952, starting April 6, with expenses covered by Chicago manufacturer Arnold Maremont. The ATAA also rented timing equipment to other strips, and in 1954 it tried to become a national sanctioning body, somewhat like the NHRA. Hot Rod covered the strip in August 1952 (pp. 54, 63) and July 1953 (pp. 24-25, 81).
Video
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