Fremont Speedway: Difference between revisions

| Nicknames = The Track That Action Built<br>Home of the All Stars

| Owner = Sandusky County FairgroundsAgricultural Society

| Operator = Rich & Shelly Farmer

| Events = Ohio Sprint Speedweek Finale, Jim Ford Classic (2 nights), HOF induction

| Website = [[{{URL|www.fremontohspeedway.com]]}}

'''Fremont Speedway''', also known as '''"The Track That Action Built'''" and '''"Home of the All Stars'''", is a semi-banked 1/3 mile clay oval speedway located at the [[Sandusky County, Ohio | Sandusky County]] Fairgrounds in [[Fremont, Ohio]], [[USA]]United States. Races are typically held on Saturday nights. Regular events include 410 cubic inch [[Sprint car racing|sprint cars]], 305 cubic inch sprint cars, and dirt trucks. TheIn speedway also is hosting2024, the American Late Model Series, All Star Circuit[[World of ChampionsOutlaws]] sprint car series, andreturns to the finale of Ohio Sprint Speedweek, and newspeedway for the 2012 season, is a Runfirst Whattime Yousince Brung2016. The speedway has previously hosted the [[All Star Circuit of Champions]], [[National Sprint Tour]], and [[United States Auto Club]], and [[World of Outlaws]].

==Track Recordsrecords==

| 13.32286 seconds

| AugustMay 2917, 20032014

|1817.10672 seconds

| ArtDan HoweyRoepke, Jr.

| AugustApril 2426, 20042014

<ref>[{{Cite web |url=http://www.fremontohspeedway.com/trackinfo.html |title=Fremont Speedway Track Info] |access-date=2010-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105105539/http://fremontohspeedway.com/trackinfo.html |archive-date=2010-01-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:FremontRacing 1930s.png|thumb|Auto racing at Sandusky County Fairgrounds in Fremont, OH, circa 1936.]]The first automobile race was held at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds on Sunday, June 7, 1936 when the International Speedway Association leased the half-mile horse track for a Big Cars race. Big Cars, as they were known, were the forerunners to today's sprint cars. An estimated 7,000 people attended the first race as Clay Corbitt picked up the feature win. Despite the success of the first race, it would be 12 years before Fremont hosted another auto race. On September 19, 1948, the Tri-State Racing Association leased the fairgrounds for a racing program billed as the Tri-State Racing Association's Championship. Over 4,000 fans were in attendance to watch Red Bales win the feature event.

In the fall of 1951, Joe and Dorothy Stelter and Harry Maynor of [[Toledo, Ohio]] founded Fremont Speedway. Their original track was just over 1/10 of a mile in length and nearly flat. On September 30, 1951, a crowd of 1,500 attended Fremont Speedway’s first official race. 38 drivers took part in the 20 lap feature event, which was won by Leo Caldwell of [[Perrysburg, Ohio | Perrysburg]].

In 1952, Maynor sold his interest in the speedway to Frank Jensen of Toledo, and Wayne Wall of Toledo purchased an interest in 1953. Wall sold out in 1954 and the Stelters and Jensen operated the track until 1957 when a local Fremont businessman, Don Emick, purchased Jensen's stock. This operation continued until 1960 when Emick sold out, leaving Joe and Dot as the sole owners. After Joe's sudden death in 1962, Dot decided to continue and became one of the first female promoters in the country. Dot later married Paul Szakovits and he helped to operate the track. Dot promoted the speedway until 1976 when longtime announcer Gary Kern purchased the facility.

During the 1990s, the facility changed hands many times. In 1994 Joseph Darr became a partner with Kern. [[Delphos, Ohio]] resident Ken Langhals operated the speedway in 1995. In 1996 Kelly Applegate purchased the speedway, followed by Ken Meggitt in 1997. The track then sat idle for two years until Jim Ford, a former driver and sprint car owner from [[Elmore, Ohio]], leased the track from the Sandusky County Fair Board.<ref>[{{Cite web |url=http://www.fremontohspeedway.com/trackinfo-history.html |title=The History of Fremont Speedway] |access-date=2010-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015014147/http://fremontohspeedway.com/trackinfo-history.html |archive-date=2010-10-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ford reopened the track in 2000 with many improvements. In 2007, Ford stepped down as promoter due to health issues. The fair board elected Rich Farmer and Andy James as co-promoters of the speedway in 2008. In 2010, [[Modified racing#Dirt modifieds| Emods]] competed at the speedway for the first time ever.<ref>[http://www.tjslideways.com/2010/01/24/fremont-speedway-ready-to-kick-off-59th-season-of-racing/ "Fremont Speedway ready to kick off 59th season of racing" TJSlideways]</ref>

The speedway has become a pioneer in dirt track racing over the years. It was one of the first tracks in the nation to run the now popular 305 sprint car division. In 2000, Jim Ford created the dirt truck division as an affordable entry level into dirt track racing.<ref>[http://www.lastlaplive.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48:jiom-ford&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50 "Ex-Fremont Promotor Jim Ford Takes His Last Lap" The Last Lap]</ref> Similar divisions have since spread across the nation. The speedway was also the first dirt track in the nation to incorporate [[soft wall]] technology.<ref>[httphttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=20020510&id=gfkZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-g0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6767,3171894 "Indy: Soft Landing, Foam blocks on walls scale down injuries" The Blade]</ref>

The speedway has hosted many nationally renowned race car drivers including [[Steve Kinser]], [[Sammy Swindell]], [[Jeff Gordon]], [[Dave Blaney]], [[Kasey Kahne]], Brad Doty, and Doug Wolfgang. "The Ohio Traveler" Rick Ferkel began his storied career with a victory at the speedway. The speedway has also hosted nearlyover 100 All Star Circuit of Champions events, earning it the nickname "Home of the All Stars."<ref>[{{Cite web |url=http://www.fremontohio.org/Community%20Information/Visitors%20Guide/default.asp |title=Fremont Ohio - Visitor's Guide] |access-date=2010-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129080133/http://www.fremontohio.org/Community%20Information/Visitors%20Guide/default.asp |archive-date=2010-01-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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<ref>[http{{Cite web |url=https://www.fremontohspeedway.com/trackinfo-winners.htmlalltimewins/ |title=Fremont Speedway All Time Win List] |access-date=2024-03-05}}</ref>

[[Category:VisitorTourist attractions in Sandusky County, Ohio]]