Westboro Speedway

Westboro Speedway, also known as Westboro Sports Stadium,[1] was a one-quarter mile (0.40 km) banked and paved oval race track located in Westborough, Massachusetts, that operated from 1947 through 1985. It featured various types of racing including super-modified and midget cars.[2]

Westboro Speedway
Westboro Speedway, circa 1984
LocationRoute 9, Westborough, Massachusetts
Time zoneEastern: UTC−5 / −4 (DST)
Coordinates42.281°N 71.647°W / 42.281; -71.647
Capacity7,500 (approx.)[1]
Opened1947 (76 years ago)
Closed1985 (38 years ago)
Construction cost$100,000
Oval
SurfaceAsphalt
Length1/4 miles (0.4 km)

History

The track was built by Allied Sports Association, a group of five former World War II soldiers, on land that had been part of a farm owned by the DeBoer family.[3] Construction cost was reported as $100,000 (equivalent to $1,310,581 in 2022).[4] The first race at the speedway was held on August 5, 1947.[1]

Notable drivers to race at the speedway included Joe Sostilio in the track's inaugural season,[5] and Geoff Bodine and Ron Bouchard in the mid-1970s.[6] In 1982, the track hosted two races on the NASCAR North Tour, one in June and one in September.[7] The final race held at the speedway was contested on September 14, 1985.[8]

In addition to its use as a race track, the facility was also a venue for musical performances. Boston-based Aerosmith played at the speedway on August 18, 1974,[9][10] and the Gregg Allman Band played at the speedway in 1983.[3]

After the track closed and was razed, a strip mall branded as Speedway Plaza was constructed on the site.[8][11]

Incidents

Sources
  • Brown, Allan (2017). The History of America's Speedways: Past and Present. ISBN 978-0692835562.

References
  1. Contreras, Cesareo (September 24, 2021). "'Filled to capacity:' Westboro Speedway race track thrilled MetroWest from 1947 to 1985". The MetroWest Daily News. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  2. "Westboro Racer". Fitchburg Sentinel. Fitchburg, Massachusetts. August 2, 1962. p. 11. Retrieved March 4, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  3. Parker, Glenn R. (June 10, 2012). "Westboro Sports Stadium ~ Westboro Speedway 1947-1985". Patch. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  4. "Midget Autos Open $100,000 Stadium at Westboro July 22". The Boston Globe. July 11, 1947. p. 4. Retrieved March 4, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "Joe Sostilio Again Victor at Westboro". The Boston Globe. October 8, 1947. p. 19. Retrieved March 5, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  6. Adaskaveg, Mike (July 6, 1976). "Pit Stop (column)". The Journal. Meriden, Connecticut. p. 20. Retrieved March 4, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  7. "Westboro Speedway". racing-reference.info. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  8. Cadigan, Barry (January 26, 1986). "Mauling of the midgets". The Boston Globe. p. 104. Retrieved March 4, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  9. Semon, Craig S. (August 17, 2019). "'Wings' over Westboro". Telegram & Gazette. Worcester, Massachusetts. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  10. "aerosmith (advertisement)". The Daily Sentinel and Leominster Enterprise. Fitchburg, Massachusetts. July 29, 1974. p. 21. Retrieved March 4, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  11. Antelman, Dakota (January 22, 2022). "Renovation work continues at Westborough's Speedway Plaza". communityadvocate.com. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  12. "2 Killed In Road Accidents". The Boston Globe. May 27, 1962. p. 48. Retrieved March 4, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  13. "Race Driver Killed". Columbia Record. Columbia, South Carolina. AP. June 21, 1965. p. 2. Retrieved March 4, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  14. "Sixteen Killed in N.E.; Eleven the Highways". North Adams Transcript. North Adams, Massachusetts. AP. August 30, 1965. p. 5. Retrieved March 4, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
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