Every last dragstrip I’ve ever ran down in anger is still alive: Little River Dragway (formerly Temple Academy Dragway) in Holland, Texas, Pacific Raceway near Kent, Washington, Bremerton Raceway in Bremerton, Washington, Bandimere Speedway in Colorado, London Dragway and Beech Bend in Kentucky, Milan in Michigan and recently, ATCO in New Jersey are all alive and kicking, and doing well for themselves. Unfortunately, there is one casualty on my list of visited and raced dragstrips: Speedworld, near Wittman, Arizona, which shut down for good in 2013 after track owner Dan Matthews and Maricopa County officials clashed over permits and property upgrades. The fallout from the closing basically pins two sides bitterly against the other: county officials claimed that Speedworld had made improvements to the area it operated in without permits (thereby becoming a de facto public nuisance), and Speedworld officials claimed that Maricopa County targeted Speedworld and played dirty.
Whatever the case, the basic story remains: a popular and well-used dragstrip was shut down and left to rot. Speedworld hosted many events, from drag racing to motorcross and even remote-control vehicle operation. Opened in 1961 as Phoenix Dragway, Speedworld changed hands many times but over the years continued to offer Arizona gearheads a place to play in the desert. It was the only dragstrip I ever ran when I lived in Arizona. I never made it to Wild Horse Pass Raceway (née Firebird International) but one week after I purchased what became the Mock 1 Mustang (a 2005 Mustang GT with some minor mods), I linked up with a group of gearheads from the university I attended and with the paper tag still on the car, proceeded to take on any and everyone in what I still consider my most winning night of racing. That’s how I want to remember Speedworld…not as the overgrown, abandoned track it is now.
(Courtesy: Dragzine for the video link)
And if you fly the drone past the north and south ends of the property, you will see Chrysler {closed} and Ford proving grounds. I used to pickup and deliver there. orange truck driver
I don’t understand closing of this track (yes there was a lot of political backstabbing involved) with nothing of importance surrounding the area.
OCIR, Lions, Irwindale (70’s) & San Fernando are all RIP. All my favorites in SoCal gone…
Yep, All of em around LA closed. Now they run sometimes in Fontana at the Nascar track. But around LA kids are getting killed driving 6 and 7 hundred horsepower mid-size cars on the street at night. Almost seems like maybe the county could get together with a few car clubs and build a nice track closer to LA.
Moved to phx in 2005. I was in a dark period in my drag racing viewing during this time period. By the time I had a drag racing Renaissance, the track was closed.
Still regret not seeing a race at the track.
I wonder who the mean spirited person was that ordered the concrete barers across the track in 3 locations. If I remember right, it was a pissing match between the track, the county, and neighbors. I think they got them on a environmental violation in the end.
“I wonder who the mean spirited person was that ordered the concrete barers across the track in 3 locations”
It’s nothing a 4×4 and some chain wouldn’t fix…
raced there on my motorcycle in 1983 the automotive school I was attending rented the track for the day. rode home with my first drag racing trophy.
now we race a front motor dragster at woodburn and Bremerton… and seattle.
“its not what you race, its that you race!”
we just happen to be fans of the front motor! Jusnice Racing…..