Indianapolis Speedrome

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Indianapolis Speedrome

Kitley Speedrome
Location	Indianapolis, Indiana
Time zone	UTC-5 (UTC-4 DST)
Coordinates	39°45′27″N 86°03′21″W / 39.7574841°N 86.0558009°W / 39.7574841; -86.0558009
Capacity	6,000
Address	802 S. Kitley Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219
Opened	September 9, 1941; 83 years ago (September 9, 1941)
Former names	Art Zipp's Speedway
Major events	World Figure 8 Championships Carb Night Classic
Website	www.speedrome.com
Oval
Surface	Paved
Length	0.200 miles
Turns	4
Figure 8
Surface	Paved
Length	0.200 miles
Turns	4

The Indianapolis Speedrome is the oldest operating figure 8 track in the United States as it opened in 1941.^[1] It is believed by many historians that this is the first figure 8 track where cars intersect.

The Speedrome is home to the World Figure 8 Championships, the Annual Spring Shootout, and the 3 Hour Endurance Race.^[2]

The Speedrome is the USAC's most active track with 496 events held,^[3] and also produced Tony Stewart’s maiden USAC win on August 9, 1991.^[4]

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The three-hour figure 8 championship is an annual three-hour endurance race featuring late models. It began in 1977 and like any other sport had sprees of dominance.

On May 1, 1981, Don Vogler and his son Rich Vogler were registered for a USAC midget car feature. Don was about to complete his final warm up lap when Don suddenly collided with the wall on turn 3, flipping over the concrete barrier and coming to rest in the catch fence. He was seen gripping his chest before the accident by multiple witnesses. He was pronounced dead in a local hospital a few hours later from blunt force trauma. The cause of accident is believed to be an heart attack. His son later raced in IndyCar and Nascar but died in 1990 not far from his father at Salem speedway^[7][8][9]

During a Saturday night race in 1965 there were 35 Job Corps men and youths invited as special guests for that night‘s race. The Job Corps members were siting in the back of a pickup truck, when they started yelling obscenities at women entering the restroom. Later 15 of the youths were standing by the restroom and continued to yell obscenities at race goers until the spectators confronted and attempted to silence the youths. While the youth were being finally escorted out they began throwing sticks and stones into the crowd. A woman suffered lacerations to her arms.^[10]

On October 3, 2020, a picture of the Speedrome at full capacity surfaced on the media. At this time, the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in place in Marion County had a guideline requiring that all sporting events were to be held at 25% capacity. The Speedrome was fined $1000.^[11]

• List of attractions and events in Indianapolis