LAYING dormant in rural Minnesota is a flooded former race track that has a fascinating backstory.
A testament to the perseverance of the locals throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the Wee Town Outlaw Speedway defied nature for the best part of three decades before nature reclaimed the land.
Located almost a three-hour drive from Minneapolis, the track opened in 1962 as the Lake Region Speedway, it originally operated annually from May until Labor Day weekend, as per the Fergus Falls Journal.
The stock car track was a popular destination for locals until 1969 when it experienced its first closure.
Reopened in 1976 as the West Central Speedway the site continued to operate until 1986 when nature thought otherwise.
High water thanks to the neighboring lake began to take hold of the track, forcing it to close its doors once more until 1990.
Don Eggen, the former co-owner of the facility said in 2007: “We had our last season in 1993, and it was a sad day when things shut down for good.
“Simply put, we just had too much water to deal with. Little did we know at the time that water levels would get much worse. It’s hard to believe what one sees today.”
In the years since its closure, the wooden bleachers have been reclaimed by the undergrowth.
Much of the main straight is still visible, covered in grass and trees while parts of the concrete barriers also seemingly remain, however, the majority of the rest of the oval is underwater.
Most read in Motorsport
And while the facility could easily be missed by those not in the know, there are one of two telling signs of its history.
The lights and power cords still appear to circle the track, while the occasional tire pile can be spotted amongst the plant life and water.
Then there is the rusting truck partially underwater in the infield.
As for the locals, they are left with happy memories of Sunday nights under the bright lights.
“Looking back, I appreciate not only the stock car drivers but also the family members and fans who supported us — and stock car racing in general — for so many years,” said Eggen.
“It was great to see such good turnouts, especially Sunday evenings under the lights.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
