View source for Chicago Motor Speedway

{{short description|Motorsport track in Cicero, Illinois, US}}
{{about|the former CART track located in Cicero, Illinois|the NASCAR track in Joliet, Illinois|Chicagoland Speedway}}
{{More footnotes|date=April 2020}}
{{Motorsport venue
| Name              = Chicago Motor Speedway at Sportsman's Park 
| Image             = [[File:Chicago Motor Speedway.svg|230px]]
| Image_caption     = Oval (1999–2003)
| Location          = [[Cicero, Illinois|Cicero]], [[Illinois]] 
| Broke_ground      = 1997
| Opened            = 1999 
| Closed            = 2003
| Owner             = [[Charles W. Bidwill III]], [[Chip Ganassi]] and Dwayne Mcarthur 
| Construction_cost = $70 million USD 
| Former_names      = Sportsman's Park 
| Events            = [[Champ Car|CART]] (1999–2002)<br />[[Atlantic Championship]] (1999, 2001–2002)<br />[[NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series]] ''[[Sears Craftsman 175]]'' (2000–2001)<br />[[American Speed Association|ASA National Tour]] (2000–2001)<br />[[Barber Pro Series]] (2001)<br />[[ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series|ARCA Truck Series]] (2001)<br />[[Indy NXT|Indy Lights]] (1999–2000)<br />[[ARTGO|NASCAR Midwest Series]] (2000)
| Capacity          = 67,000 
| Layout1           = Oval (1999–2003)
| Length_mi         = 1.029 
| Length_km         = 1.656 
| Miles_first       = True
| Record_time       = 0:23.687 ({{cvt|156.390|mph|km/h|abbr=on}})
| Record_driver     = {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Roberto Moreno]]
| Record_car        = [[Swift 010.c]]
| Record_year       = [[1999 CART season|1999]]
| Record_class      = [[Championship Auto Racing Teams|CART]]
}}

The '''Chicago Motor Speedway at Sportsman's Park''' was a motorsports race track, located in [[Cicero, Illinois]], just outside [[Chicago]]. It was built in 1999 by a group including [[Chip Ganassi]], owner of [[Chip Ganassi Racing]]. In 2002 the {{convert|1.029|mi|km|adj=on}} oval shaped track suspended operations due to financial conditions in the motorsports industry. The track was also the site of horse races, for which the track was called "Sportsman's Park". The track was one of three racetracks that hosted both NASCAR auto races and horse races (the others are [[Dover International Speedway]] and the [[Syracuse Mile]]).

==History==
[[File:Sportsman's Park advertisement (Chicago Tribune August 20, 1967).jpg|thumb|1967 advertisement for Sportsman's Park in the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'']]

Before 1999, Sportsman's Park was one of the premier locations for horse racing in the area. [[Hawthorne Race Course]], located right across the street to the south from the track, is the current host of the [[Illinois Derby]]. The two tracks operated together for decades.

In 1999, after the final season of the old Sportsman's Park, the main grandstand and infield were completely demolished to make way for the massive grandstand that was to follow.

The track held [[Champ Car|CART]] races from 1999 to 2002, the Toyota Atlantic Series, and [[NASCAR]] [[Craftsman Truck Series]] [[Sears Craftsman 175|races]] in 2000 and 2001. Chicago Motor Speedway also held [[American Speed Association]] (ASA) races as well as the [[Mid-Am Racing Series]].<ref>http://www.kalracing.com/Autoracing/Chicago_Motor_Speedway_History.htm</ref> Traditional horse races remained; this time as dirt was brought in over the racing surface. Problems with the hard surface led to several scratches by trainers and races being canceled.

In 2001, [[Chicagoland Speedway]] in Joliet was built in the hopes of attracting more racing fans and upper-level races; all Cicero races were subsequently moved to Joliet and the track closed the following year after the CART event. The few remaining horse races were transferred to Hawthorne.

Portions of the motion picture ''[[Driven (2001 film)|Driven]]'' were shot at Chicago Motor Speedway.

In 2003 the town of Cicero purchased the track for $18 million. During 2005 the main grandstands were torn down but the track itself remained.

[[File:Chicago Motor Speedway,Hawthorne Race Course.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the speedway, after demolition of the grandstand, 2007.]]
On October 31, 2008, it was reported that contracts for the demolition of the remaining structures and track had been awarded. 
 
Demolition of the remaining Sportsman's Park structures and the track itself began on January 5, 2009.

The western portion of the site is now a [[Wirtz Corporation|Wirtz Beverage Group]] distribution center, while the eastern portion is home to a [[Walmart]] supercenter, effectively removing any last remains of the track. Part of the parking lot to the west across Laramie Avenue has been converted into a public park.

==Past winners==

=== ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series history ===
*2001 [[Robbin Slaughter]]

===CART Champ Car history===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Season
! rowspan="2"|Date
! rowspan="2"|Driver
! rowspan="2"|Team
! rowspan="2"|Chassis
! rowspan="2"|Engine
! colspan="2"|Race Distance
! rowspan="2"|Race Time
! rowspan="2"|Average Speed<br>(mph)
! rowspan="2"|Report
! rowspan="2"|Ref
|-
! Laps
! Miles (km)
|-
| [[1999 CART season|1999]]
| August 22
| {{flagicon|COL}} [[Juan Montoya]]
| [[Chip Ganassi Racing]]
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]
| [[Honda]]
|align="center"|225 
|align="center"|231.525 (372.603)
|align="center"|1:53:38 
|align="center"|122.236
| [[1999 Grand Prix of Chicago|Report]]
|align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|title=1999 Target Grand Prix of Chicago|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1999_Target_Grand_Prix_of_Chicago/R/|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=January 3, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[2000 CART season|2000]]
| July 30
| {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Cristiano da Matta]]
| [[PPI Motorsports]]
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]
| [[Toyota]]
|align="center"|225 
|align="center"|231.525 (372.603)
|align="center"|2:01:23
|align="center"|114.432
| [[2000 Grand Prix of Chicago|Report]]
|align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|title=2000 Target Grand Prix of Chicago|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2000_Target_Grand_Prix_of_Chicago/R/|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=January 3, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[2001 CART season|2001]]
| July 29
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Kenny Bräck]]
| [[Team Rahal]]
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]
|  [[Ford-Cosworth]]
|align="center"|225 
|align="center"|231.525 (372.603)
|align="center"|1:45:12 
|align="center"|132.031
| [[2001 Grand Prix of Chicago|Report]]
|align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|title=2001 Target Grand Prix of Chicago|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2001_Target_Grand_Prix_of_Chicago/R/|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=January 3, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[2002 CART season|2002]]
| June 30
| {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Cristiano da Matta]]
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]
| [[Toyota]]
|align="center"|250
|align="center"|257.25 (414.003)
|align="center"| 2:07:00
|align="center"|121.524
| [[2002 Grand Prix of Chicago|Report]]
|align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|title=2002 Grand Prix of Chicago|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2002_Grand_Prix_of_Chicago/R/|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=January 3, 2024}}</ref>
|}

===NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history===
{{main|Sears Craftsman 175}}
*2000 [[Joe Ruttman]]
*2001 [[Scott Riggs]]

===Mid-American Stock Car Series===
*1999 [[Mike Monroe (racing driver)|Mike Monroe]]
*2000 [[Nate Clatfelter]]

==Lap Records==
The fastest official race lap records at Chicago Motor Speedway are listed as:

{| class="wikitable"
!Category!!Time!!Driver!!Vehicle!!Event
|-
! colspan=5 | Oval: 1.656&nbsp;km (1999–2003)<ref>{{cite web |title=Chicago - Motor Sport Magazine |website=[[Motor Sport (magazine)|Motor Sport Magazine]] |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/chicago/ |access-date=1 June 2022}}</ref>
|- 
| [[Championship Auto Racing Teams|CART]] || '''0:23.687'''<ref>{{cite web |title=1999 Chicago Champ Cars |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1999-chicago-champ-cars/ |website=[[Motor Sport (magazine)|Motor Sport Magazine]] |date=22 August 1999 |access-date=6 November 2024}}</ref> || [[Roberto Moreno]] || [[Swift 010.c]] || [[1999 CART season|1999 Target Grand Prix of Chicago]]
|-
| [[Indy NXT|Indy Lights]] || '''0:25.723'''<ref>{{cite web |title=2000 Chicago Indy Lights |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/2000-chicago-indy-lights/ |website=[[Motor Sport (magazine)|Motor Sport Magazine]] |date=30 July 2000 |access-date=5 November 2022}}</ref> || [[Scott Dixon]] || [[Lola T97/20]] || [[2000 Indy Lights season#Chicago race|2000 Chicago Indy Lights round]]
|-
| [[Formula Atlantic]] || '''0:26.607'''<ref>{{cite web |title=1999 Toyota Atlantic: Chicago Motor Speedway, Round 9 - Race Result |url=http://www.dlg.speedfreaks.org/archive/1999/00000115.html |date=22 August 1999 |access-date=6 November 2024}}</ref> || [[Sam Hornish, Jr.]] || [[Swift 008.a]] || [[1999 Atlantic Championship|1999 Cicero Atlantic round]]
|-
| [[Barber Pro Series|Barber Pro]] || '''0:30.968'''<ref>{{cite web |title=2001 Barber Dodge Pro Series - Chicago Motor Speedway, Round 8 - Race Results |url=http://www.dlg.speedfreaks.org/archive/2001/barber8.html |date=28 July 2001 |access-date=6 November 2024}}</ref> || [[Sepp Koster]] || [[List of Reynard Motorsport cars|Reynard 98E]] || [[2001 Barber Dodge Pro Series|2001 Cicero Barber Pro round]]
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/opinion/07/09/retro.racing.maumann.chicago.motor.speedway/index.html Retro Racing article about Chicago Motor Speedway on NASCAR.com]
*[http://www.racing-reference.info/tracks?id=201 track history at racing-reference.info]
*[http://racing.ballparks.com/Chicago/index.htm Track statistics]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081103073700/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-sportsmans-31oct31,0,1842050.story Cicero racetrack will be razed to make way for mall]
*[http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2009/01/08/so-long-sportsmans-good-riddance So Long Sportsmans - Good Riddance]

{{Champ Car tracks}}
{{NASCAR Truck Series racetracks}}
{{ASA National Tour racetracks}}
{{Atlantic Championship circuits}}
{{Indy Lights racetracks}}
{{Barber Pro Series tracks}}
{{NASCAR Elite Division Midwest racetracks}}
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[[Category:Champ Car circuits]]
[[Category:NASCAR tracks]]
[[Category:Cicero, Illinois]]
[[Category:Defunct horse racing venues in Illinois]]
[[Category:Defunct motorsport venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Motorsport in Chicago]]
[[Category:Motorsport venues in Illinois]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Cook County, Illinois]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:2003 disestablishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1999]]