Bedford Speedway is a 5/8 mile (1 km) oval, semi-banked, clay, race track located in Bedford County, near

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The track is also known as the Bedford Fairgrounds Speedway and is host to the Great Bedford County Fair. The track hosts the

All Star Circuit of Champions The All Star Circuit of Champions (abbreviated ASCoC), officially known as the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 for naming rights reasons, is an American motorsports sanctioning body of winged sprint car racing founded in ...

World of Outlaws Late Model Series The World of Outlaws Case Construction Late Model Series is a Dirt Super Late Model touring series currently owned by World Racing Group, and is sanctioned by the World of Outlaws & DIRTcar. The series competes on dirt ovals across the Unite ...

History

Bedford Speedway held its first racing event on September 4, 1936 during the Great Bedford Fair and continues to operate as the oldest active dirt speedway in Pennsylvania. Competitors at the track include Indy 500 winners

Bill Holland Willard Holland (December 18, 1907 – May 19, 1984)) was an American race car driver from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1949 and finished second in 1947, 1948 and 1950. He also was runner up in the 1947 American ...

Jimmy Bryan James Ernest Bryan (January 28, 1926 – June 19, 1960) was an American racecar driver who won the 1958 Indianapolis 500. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Bryan died as a result of injuries sustained in a champ car race at Langhorne Speedway. Career ...

, and

Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an Italian-born American former racing driver. One of the most successful drivers in the history of motorsports, Andretti is one of only two drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, t ...

. The track held a single race each year at the annual fair until the 1960s. The track held an annual

American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA – commonly pronounced as "Triple A") is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 m ...

(AAA) "big car" (now

sprint car Sprint cars are high-powered open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, New ...

) race until the AAA stopped sanctioning in 1955. During the winter of 2007, the speedway was resurfaced with sifted clay. Joe Padula III took over track promotion in 2013. The track added

United Midwestern Promoters United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) is a short track motor racing sanctioning body in the United States that sanctions short track racing on dirt race tracks from 1/5 mile (0.3 km) in length to in length. UMP currently sanctions eight diffe ...

(UMP) Modifieds class in 2019.

Racing Program

Racing takes place on Friday nights from April through September. Weekly classes include Late Models, Late Model Sportsman, Modifieds, and Semi Lates. Special events include the

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is a dirt late model touring series owned and operated by Lucas Oil. The series competes on dirt ovals across the United States, primarily throughout the east coast and the midwest. The cars feature a purpose-bu ...

, Mid-Atlantic Championship Series, Independent Racing Series,

, PA Posse sprint cars, and the

American Motorcycle Association The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is an American nonprofit organization of more than 200,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights. Its mission statement is "to promo ...

Flat Track Championship.

References

External links

Bedford Speedway web site
{{Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race venues 1936 establishments in Pennsylvania Motorsport venues in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Bedford County, Pennsylvania Tourist attractions in Bedford County, Pennsylvania