Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway

The Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway was a dirt oval racing track located in Detroit, Michigan. The track was built in 1899 for horse racing, and it was part of the ground purchased to provide a permanent venue for the Michigan State Fair. Joseph Lowthian Hudson donated the land, at Woodward Avenue and what is now 8 Mile Road, to the Michigan State Agricultural Society.

Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway
Drome
LocationMichigan State Fair
Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates42°26′33″N 83°06′40″W
Opened1899
Major eventsAAA/USAC Indy Car
Detroit 100 (1949–1953, 1957)
NASCAR Grand National
Motor City 250 (1951–1952)
Oval
SurfaceDirt
Length1.6 km (1 miles)

By 1908, the racetrack, at the east end of the fairground, had a 5,000-seat capacity grandstand. The track originally hosted Thoroughbred flat racing as well as Standardbred harness racing. Later, it was used for auto racing, after the growth of that industry. In 1971 the grandstand was declared unsafe; it was demolished in 2001.

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