Coles County Motorsports Tracks

Transcription

1 Coles County Register of Significant Places 2012 Multiple Property Landmark Nomination Form Coles County Motorsports Tracks 1. Name, Relevant Dates and Location of Properties: Coles County Speedway (1960) Lafayette Township, Illinois Route 316 Northwest of Loxa Charleston Speedway (Late 1940s/1964) Ashmore Township, Illinois Route 16 East of Charleston Coles County Dragway (1966) Charleston Township, Illinois Route 316 West of Charleston 2. Owner/Operators: Coles County Speedway Coles County Modified Midget Association Charleston Speedway George Cobble/Gerald and Darrell Hellman Coles County Dragway Bill Fuqua, Jr./Rod Viehland & Darwin Korson 3. Name and Address of Applicant Stephen A. Thompson 3420 Richmond Avenue Mattoon, Illinois Representation in Existing Surveys: Unknown 5. Present Use of the Sites: Motorsports Tracks 6. Categories of Significance: Historic, Cultural and Physiographic 7. Description of Sites: Coles County Speedway 1/8 Mile, Banked, Oval, Dirt, Micro Midget Track, including Retaining Fences/Guard Rails, Pit Areas, Flag Stand, Observation/Media Tower, Spectator Bleachers/Parking Areas and Maintenance Building. Rural setting west of the Western Lion Landfill. Charleston Speedway 3/8 Mile, Banked, Oval, Dirt, Modified Stock Car Track, including Retaining Fences/Guard Rails, Pit Areas, Administrative Building, Comfort Station, Spectator Grandstand/Parking Areas. Rural setting adjacent to a stone quarry and the Embarras River. 1

2 Coles County Dragway 1/8 Mile, Linear, Asphalt, Drag Track, including Start Line, Win Lights, Retaining Guard Rails, 1/8 Mile Shut Down Lanes, Return Road, Staging Lanes, Race Control Tower, Pit Areas, Competitor Tech/Ticket Booth, Spectator Bleachers/Parking Areas. Rural setting adjacent to the Charleston Country Club Golf Course and the Big Four Bike Trail. 8. Statement of Significance: Social/Recreational Historic Context Coles County Racing The competitive, or even predatory, instinct of humans is the catalyst for the Race. Since the prehistoric era, man and woman have displayed the need for speed. Whether it be a competitor in early marathons or a spectator to chariot races in the Roman Coliseum, the human has always demonstrated a desire to participate in or be a spectator of the Race. In the simplest terms, the Race is one of the oldest recreational endeavors in human history. The people of Coles County have enjoyed formal racing since the mid 19 th century. The most popular forms of racing in the county have been horses and, with the advent of the combustion engine, automobiles. Both horse and combustion engine racing in the county enjoy a strong participant and spectator base well into the 21 st century. The track at the Coles County Fairgrounds in Charleston provided a venue for horse racing until improved in the early 20 th century. The improvements allowed for not only horse competitions, but for mule, dog and fire truck, essentially man pushed cart, races. In the post World War II era, modified stock cars took to the track at the Coles County Fairgrounds for a number of years. Tractor pull racing continues to be a strong draw during contemporary fair week activities. As early as the 1880 s, Mattoon possessed an equestrian racing circuit called the Mattoon Driving Park in a fairgrounds facility located south of Marshall Avenue between 9 th and 12 th Streets. The location is now the site of the Ameren Power Company s operational yard directly south of the residential lot boundaries along Marshall. The site was used extensively for afternoon horse racing during the Mattoon Street Fairs from An undated, World War I era, summertime photograph taken of the southwest corner of 16 th and Broadway displays a sign on a lamp post announcing auto races at the fairgrounds. As late as 1932, the property was listed as fairgrounds on the Coles County plat map. Cultural Landscape/Physiographic Context Landmarks on the Terrain The nature of a formal motorsports track, whether an oval or straight away, with all supporting facilities such as barns, garages, grandstands, infields, timing towers and maintenance buildings leaves a striking effect on the terrain. From ground level, the size of even the smaller tracks commands the attention of the casual observer. Grandstands and retaining fences make the curious even more so and draws one to the facility to investigate. The embankments on the ovals give a perspective of the physics of track engineering implemented to counteract gravitational effects and make for safer racing at higher speeds. The straight line dragways give the impression of traditional sprint race lanes observed at track and field events, difference is, they function more like launch lanes on an aircraft carrier deck and look like runways and taxi lanes at a small airport. Regardless of how motorsports tracks appear at grade level, the most dynamic view is from above. Through modern satellite technology it is easy to interpret all the resources associated with motorsports tracks and how they stand out from the surrounding 2

3 environment, whether in an urban or rural setting. Their construction and physical evolution provides a man made signature on the local terrain and adds to the cultural landscape of the areas they occupy. Coles County Speedway Coles County Motorsports Tracks Constructed in 1960 by the Coles County Modified Midget Association (CCMMA), the oldest modified midget racing association in the country, after running on temporary tracks west and east of Charleston on Illinois Routes 316 and 16 since Initial CCMMA Board Officers were Bill Fuqua, Sr., Dwight Kingery, Cliff Prince, Bill McMahon, Dean & Paul Sanford and Everett Horn. The track was paved with asphalt between 1964 and 1984, and reverted to dirt in Country music performer Marty Robbins ran at the track in the early 1960s. United States Auto Club Sprint Car Driver and Olney native Levi Jones got his start at the track in the early 1990s. The track has hosted the National Championship Race four times; 1961, 1967, 1988 and Charleston Speedway The site was developed by Ashmore resident Olen Humphres as a ½ mile harness racing track in the late 1940s. The site was converted to a 3/8 mile, oval, modified stock car track in 1964 by the Coles County Stock Car Association. The motorsports track was originally known as the Olen Humphres Speedway. The first auto race was held on 24 July 1964 to a grandstand capacity crowd of 900 people. Coles County residents John Winnett won the first heat race and Doug Wheatly won the first feature race. Cheryl Wheatly won the first Powder Puff (female driver) race. Races were initially broadcast on Charleston radio station WEIC 1270 AM and an early winner s purse included a new 1965 Ford Mustang. Coles County Dragway The Coles County Dragway was developed by Bill Fuqua, Sr., Dwight Kingery, Neal Cole and Dean Isley in 1966 at a cost of $54,000. The first races were held on 30 July The track is sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association. It has seating capacity for 900 and a maximum capacity of 5,000 spectators. Racing is conducted on Saturdays spring to fall. Contemporarily, Lake Land College automotive students volunteer time at the track in exchange for racing cars built/modified as part of their academic pursuits. The track management also incorporates satellite activities for competitors and spectators, such as Easter egg hunts and barbecues. Integrity and Significance All three of the above nominated Coles County Motorsports Tracks retain their historic integrity in the categories of location, design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling and association. Collectively, these tracks have been a place of local, regional and national social competition and recreation over the past 50 years. These tracks, and their supporting facilities, have become part of the cultural landscape of Coles County. For these reasons, they are worthy properties and qualify for addition to the list of Coles County Significant Places. 3

4 9. Sources: Images Birdseye View of Mattoon, Illinois The Big Map Blog. view of mattoon illinois/. 06 April Google Earth. Charleston Speedway, Coles County Dragway and Coles County Speedway. 04 October Southwest Block, 16 th and Broadway, Mattoon, Illinois. Undated, circa World War I. Paul Beals/The Big Picture Digital Collection, Charleston, Illinois. 12 March Internet 1898 Street Fair Mattoon History Page April C Town Charleston, Illinois 4m.net The Most Opinionated Racing Blog. C Town Charleston Illinois. 05 April Charleston Speedway April Coles County Dragway USA April Coles County Fair April Coles County Speedway April Interviews Horn, Jeff. Interviewed by Stephen A Thompson. 19 March Charleston, Illinois. Humphres, Wayne. Interviewed by Elise Hood. 07 March Ashmore, Illinois. Shelton, Paul. Interviewed by Stephen A. Thompson. 12 February Loxa, Illinois. Viehland, Rod. Interviewed by Stephen A. Thompson. 17 March Charleston, Illinois. Winnett, Randy. Interviewed by Stephen A. Thompson. 03 March Charleston, Illinois. Newspapers The Randy Winnett Charleston Times Courier Racing Collection. 21 June 1964 & 30 July Charleston, Illinois. 4

5 Date Received: Date Reviewed by CCHPAC: Date Reviewed by CCRP&DC: When completed, please return form to: Coles County Regional Planning & Development Commission 651 Jackson, Room 309 Charleston, Illinois