Mobile International Speedway

Mobile International Speedway
Location 7800 Park Blvd Irvington, Alabama 36544
Coordinates 30°30′49″N 88°13′11″W / 30.51361°N 88.21972°W / 30.51361; -88.21972Coordinates: 30°30′49″N 88°13′11″W / 30.51361°N 88.21972°W / 30.51361; -88.21972
Capacity 9,000
Owner Ida Fields
Operator Tommy Praytor
Broke ground 1964
Opened 1965
Architect Walter "Skip" Wetjen
Surface Asphalt
Length 0.8 km (0.5 mi)

Mobile International Speedway is a 1/2 mile paved oval North American Auto racing track located in the Mobile County, Alabama community of Irvington, Alabama. The track is situated along U.S. Highway 90. Constructed by Walter "Skip" Wetjen,[1][2][3] it first opened in 1965.

History

During the golden age of stock car racing the track held races with the likes of Gene Tapia and other NASCAR drivers, including Wayne Niedecken, Sr.,[4] and Phil Wendt.[5][6][7] Longtime stock car driver Red Farmer won his 500th feature race at the track.[8]

From 1966 to 1968 the track hosted open wheel racing and held the annual World 300 race for Supermodified racing which attracted competitors that included notable drivers such as Bobby Allison,[9][10] Dale Hammac,[11] and Armond Holley.[12]

In the 1980s, the track hosted races sanctioned by All Pro Stock, ASA, NASCAR Grand American, NASCAR All-American Challenge Series, and NASCAR All Pro Stock Car. Those races included drivers Donnie Allison, Rusty Wallace, Dave Mader III, Ronnie Sanders,[13] Mike Cope,[14] Freddy Fryar,[15] Junior Niedecken,[16] Jody Ridley,[17] and others.[18][19][20]

More recently the track has been home to a number of rising NASCAR and ARCA drivers including Rick Crawford, Kevin Swindell (a development driver for Ray Evernham),[21] Bubba Pollard (of Roush Racing: Driver X) and Cale Gale. Kevin Swindell holds the all-time track record.[22]

Opening scenes from the 2009 motion picture The Final Destination were shot at the track.[23]

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.uscsracing.com/news2006/news24.html
  2. ↑ National Sprint Car Hall of Fame website at http://sprintcarhof.com/article.aspx?id=178
  3. ↑ Walter "Skip" Wetjen, promoter of local sports and World War II Vet, dies, Mobile Register, December 2, 2008, online at http://bama.live.advance.net/news/press-register/featobit.ssf?/base/news/122821293669790.xml&coll=3
  4. ↑ See Race Results for Niedecken at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=5665
  5. ↑ Photos of Wendt and crew at http://www.genetapiaracing.com/philwendt.htm
  6. ↑ See, http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=wendtph01
  7. ↑ See Race Results for Wendt at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=5648
  8. ↑ See interview at, http://www.stockcarracing.com/featuredvehicles/scrp_0601w_charles_red_farmer/index.html
  9. ↑ See photo and note at http://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=8766
  10. ↑ See photos of more Supermodifieds from Mobile International Speedway at http://www.retrorockets.org/1/Volume38.htm
  11. ↑ See photos of Hammac at http://www.genetapiaracing.com/dale_hammac.htm
  12. ↑ See article about Holley at http://www.genetapiaracing.com/armond_holley.htm
  13. ↑ See race results for Sanders at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=4373
  14. ↑ See Race Results for Cope at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=825
  15. ↑ See Race Results for Fryar at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=187
  16. ↑ See Race REsults for Niedecken at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=5912
  17. ↑ See Race Results for Ridley at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=826
  18. ↑ See Composite Race Results at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist3.php?trackid=400
  19. ↑ See 1982 Race Results at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist.php?year=1982
  20. ↑ See 1983 Race Results at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist.php?year=1983
  21. ↑ Official Web Site of Kevin Swindell, http://www.kevinswindell.com/cms.asp?Page=kevin
  22. ↑ Official track web site, http://www.mobilespeedway.net/trackrecords.php
  23. ↑ See, Starling, Bill, The Final Destination shoot scenes at Mobile International Speedway, Mobile Register, August 27, 2009, found online at http://photos.al.com/mobile-press-register/2009/08/final_destination_4_shoot_scen_9.html
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