Crown Point Speedway
By: Stan Kalwasinski
Years of operation: 1957 – 2005
Location: 10300 S. Madison St., Crown Point, Ind., on U.S.
53 (Broadway) about three miles south of U.S. 30.
Notes: opened in 1957 as a clay/dirt oval just under a
¼ mile in length…about 1950, Ralph Conner and his
son, Don, started preliminary work to build the speedway which
was known as the Broadway Speedway when it finally opened…open
competition midget racing (on Friday nights) and open competition
modified stock cars (on Saturday nights) was the schedule during
the first year…stock car feature winners in 1957 included
Bob Perrine, Harry Klisiak, Harley Bisselburg and Sonny Hendricks…for
years, main concession building sign said, “Broadway Speedway
- Fastest Track on Earth”…for a number of years track
featured flathead engine coupes as its premier division…ARCA
stock cars competed there on June 20, 1969 with Ramo Stott besting
Benny Parsons in the 100-lap race…track has had a number
of promoter changes over the years…track was renamed the
Southlake Speedway in 1981 and was again changed to Crown Point
Speedway in 2001. During it final years of operation, track was
owned and operated by longtime Chicago area dirt track star Jim
O’Connor and his family. Final race held at speedway on
October 15, 2005 with Eric Kwasigroh of East Peoria, Ill. winning
the last late model feature held.
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