American Race Tracks #3

American Race Tracks #3

This is one of a series of caches called American Race Tracks in which some are defunct and some are still going. Since I have spent a great deal of my adult life racing cars of all types I plan to revisit as many as I can and hide a cache there. This will be fun revisiting the racetracks of yesteryear. Be sure to add any photos or comments if you have experienced them too.

In the early 70’s it was Thunder Road Dragway at 96th and Buckley Rd. Later on it was called Denver International Raceway.

Later it was turned into a dirt track with the oval built right on top of the drag strip about half way down the track. See history below.

Rocky Mountain National Speedway – Commerce City, CO.

Back about the 1982-1983 time frame, Denver’s longtime drag strip out East at 96th & Buckley Road (which carried many names over the years), had sat dormant for awhile and was resurrected into two different racing facilities. The first was Second Creek Raceway, a 1.7 mile paved road course. The second was a half mile dirt oval built just North of the road course called Raceland.

The paper clip shaped dirt oval ran mostly Sprint Cars and Midgets for a couple seasons, but due to financial problems, Raceland closed down and sat abandoned and weed infested for a few years.

Sometime during the late ‘80’s the track was revitalized as Rocky Mountain Speedway (later Rocky Mountain National Speedway) and ran a great program until the end of the 2007 season when sadly, the facility was leveled for a housing project. The Second Creek Raceway complex came down as well.

Besides its weekly local racing program, R.M.N.S. also hosted “The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series” each year.

Please add any history of this fun track that I’ve missed. Here’s a look back at Rocky Mountain National, which once coined the catchphrase “Denver’s ONLY Dirt Track”.

I drag raced there many Sundays when it was called Denver International Raceway. Many of us lowly bracket racers would race at Bandimere on Saturday night then head over here on Sunday for more action.

I had the privilege of being out at Denver Dragway for a big NHRA Winston Division 5 points meet, I think in 1975. I saw local legend Judy Lilly race there that day (Miss Mighty Mopar) and win the Super Stock Top Eliminator.

It was memorable for me as I won my first drag race final running my 1965 Chevelle SS 4 speed car in ET bracket two. Then the bracket one and bracket two raced for top bracket eliminator trophy which I won. I got $50 and a case of Wynn’s oil. I had sugar plum visions of starting a new career.

Later when it became a dirt track, my son and daughter and I, raced there many times in Enduro cars. I also did a few of their demolition derby’s there. I have many fond memories but none like that first racing victory.

Cache container is large enough for TB's and swag.