Whittemore Speedway

Info Updates:

2/12/2014 - Ted Goupil

i grew up on that track in the 1940's and 50's. My dad, Basil Goupil was one of the founding fathers of the Racing Club. He drove in the first race on a flat dirt field. He was the announcer for 30 years. Glad to see things are still humming up there.

1/29/2014 - joel glass

My grandfather was Basil Goupil the Fire Chief that got the Speedway going.

2/28/2013 - Randy

Great pictures of the coupes. boy sure would be nice to know what barns/junk yards they ended up in would be nice to pluck one or two and restore them for exhibition.

7/13/2011 - Terry Strange

My dad drove some and mechanicked on a car owned by Bob Krebs, #2 in '61 thru '65. it was a '56 buick, driven most of the time by a fellow named Don Edwards, I believe he was from either Flint or Saginaw. The car was fast, and won the championship in '64 (maybe '63 as well). spent alot of great Saturday nights there watching alot of great racing! We moved back to South Carolina in late '65. I started working for a NASCAR team in '72, we ran Cup until '95, then Craftsman trucks, and now run ARCA (we just ran at Berlin this past Saturday night!).

2/23/2010 - Steve Zietz

Great memories,....... that old track was fast and fun. Great help to many families
and kids needing scholarship money. I was one of the life members,..... not sure if any of that still is in place any longer. I was an officer serving on the governing board back in the 80''s. Was actually part of the committee that went to the bank
to secure the loan for the first paving which took place in the middle 80''s. Moved to
South Carolina in 88, went to work with NASCAR. Big politics, big headaches, mostly fun, good experience, glad it''s done. Sure miss the Saturday night bullring.

1/6/2010 - Ron Hourigan

I spent the best years of my life and racing days 1963-1966 racing at the Whittemore Speedway. I won the Road Car (Street Stock) championship in 1964 and the Stock Car (Modified) Championship in 1966. I was a 18-21 year old Oscoda Air Force mechanic who was adopted by the Rick Zettle and Bob Kingen families and cherish still today the home away from home they provided along with sharing all their racing knowledge and beer drinking . I had the pleasure of racing some of the great local pioneers of Whittemore Speedway such as the late Gary lutes, Ron Colvin, another Irishman Archie Flannigan, Moe Margraves, Bob Kingen, Rick Zettle, Moe Server, and many others whose faces I can clearly remember but sadly their names I can not without hearing them again. I certianly miss the outstanding respect every competitor had for each other which is missing in todays racing circles. Everyone shared their resources and were part of a racing family. I can remember having problems at the track and Ron Colvin would invite me and many others down town to his Shell Station and open the garage to anything we needed just so the racing was enjoyed by the fans. Unbeleivable as this may seem, back in those days all the local racers just drove their race cars from town out to the racetrack. The chills are starting just talking about this period in my now 66 years. My sincere thanks to all the Whittemore Speedway officials and the wonderful City of Whittemore citizens who made these particular years of my life so fulfilling!

1/1/2010 - BILL MURAWSKI JR

does any one have any old dirt pics to post ?? thanks hope to see some soon !!!!

8/19/2008 - Sean Fitzgerald

Kris, good to meet you to. It''s actually Gary''s site, he does an amazing job!!!! Will make it up to Whittemore asap!

8/16/2008 - Kristin Edmonds

Sean it was nice to meet you at Auto City Speedway. Kris Edmonds 1st year of racing has been amazing 1st in points by over a 100. KJ. Edmonds my husband finished 1st in the mods last week. Excellent racing at Whittemore hope to see you there soon. Enjoy your web site tremendously .

8/2/2008 - Sean Fitzgerald

I met a very nice lady at AC who said her son and husband raced here. I think her last name was edmonds. I will definitely make the drive to this track this year.

7/24/2008 - MOE MEIERS

Whittemore was paved I believe in 1988. The old dirt surface was always full of bomb craters by half way through the evening. Its a fast track with pretty good banking in the corners. Four classes of cars, with modifieds and late models switching every other week. Check it out some saturday nite. They have a website. whittemorespeedway.net with all the info you need.

1/25/2008 - Rick

we used to race whittemore speedway every week. i think it was around 1955-1957, maybe a little before or after. our car was 12x Ron STADSKLEV was our driver. we ran well . i remember Rick Zettle 16, who also i think he owned 46 driven by Dick Bachalder. also Porky Burkholder 32. i was 12 years old at the time. i can remember going to Ricks house and working on our car. i now live in roscommon and on DONA AND DONNIE MARCOULLIER''S RACE TEAM AS A MECHANIC. I''M NOT A GREAT TYPIST. AND PROBABLY THE SPELLING OF THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE COULD BE INCORRECT

1/18/2008 - Randy

A little historical note:
Whittemore Speedway opened in 1948 as a rather informal 1/3 mile dirt oval. In 1951, the track was reduced to a 1/4 mile dirt oval and banking was added. The track was apparently paved around 1994.

10/2/2007 - Nate

..i was there bob..all the racing was excellent..some of the best racing i seen all year..i watched my buddy tim come from 14th to 4th.in the fs.the late models were also greatright down to the last lap..the track is pretty fast but looks kinda slow in the corners..but then again i was not driving..the track was unbelevably clean..mi wife would of gave them 2 thumbs up for the rest rooms...jeff and the club have a great thing going there.and i will run that race with my car next year

9/28/2007 - Bob W.

RANDY DID YOU GO TO THE RACE? THE PICS OF THE TRACK LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE FAST. I HAVEN''T BEEN THERE SINCE THE EARLY 70''S. IT WAS DIRT THEN. I THINK IT WAS WHEN THE CARLING SERIES WAS AROUND, I WENT THERE AND THEY HAD TONS OF GOOD CARS THERE. PROBLEM WAS THE TRACK GOT TORN UP AND THERE WAS AT LEAST 13 CARS BROKE THEIR TIE-RODS.

9/20/2007 - Randy

CHECK THIS OUT:

Whittemore 2007 INVITATIONAL

Saturday Sept 22nd, 2007

Racing begins at 2:30pm this day and it''s only $12 to get in

Michigan''s Oldest Speedway

On M-65; 3.2 Miles South of M-55, and 15 Miles North of US-23

7/7/2007 - Janis

My mother grew up in Whittemore. She moved to Flint after she married my dad. I remember visiting my grandmother and hearing the races from my grandmother''s house. Sometimes we would sneak in the back way.

3/12/2007 - Jim Jacques

I grew up in Tawas and enjoyed the track while I was growing up in the late 60''s and 70''s. It was dirt then and didn''t have bleachers. You''d have to bring in lawn chairs or sit on your coolers that you were allowed to bring in. Many a nite I remember going to the races and leaving filthy from the oiled dirt track being thrown up into the crowd and pretty sloshed from all the beer we brought in with us. I visited last summer for the first time in about 30 years. WHAT A BLAST. Even watch a high school buddies son win the race and championship. However, I did stay substantially sober this time. I recommend this track to anyone that wants to see a real slice of small town USA and Michigan at its finest!!

3/9/2007 - Tom Haas

Factory Stock times are 14.90 to 15.50''s. Thats on Goodyear Regatta''s. Mod''s and LM''s are in the 13.''s with Hoosiers. Hope this helps, come on up and run, fast track. Tom.

1/29/2007 - Terry Wilber

As a driver/owner we compete at Dixie and Auto city. We turn 17.80 sec quarter mls. What are the lap times being turned there at whit?

12/20/2005 - Sean Fitzgerald

Thanks for the info. Perhaps you have opened my mind to legends as well.

12/19/2005 - Dave DeHem

Whittemore Speedway is a medium to high banked paved quarter mile oval. I have raced there 3 times in our Legends Car and the place is a blast to drive at. The fans have always treated our series great. When we have a new driver in our series and they ask about Whittemore and what it is like we just tell them it is a mini "Bristol". Place is nice and wide and is a great track to race on.

12/14/2005 - Sean Fitzgerald

What is the length of the present asphalt track and is there a website. This place look cool. I cant wait to check it out.

12/13/2005 - Ron Brown

I remember being there a few times in the 70s when it was still dirt. Raceland was our home track, but when one track got rained out a number of drivers would tow to the track running that night. It made for some great rivalries and exciting racing!

5/24/2005 - Cactus Bob (Bobby Peacock)

It is a paved oval. Ive been there, I should know.

5/23/2005 - Sean Fitzgerald

Looks like a paved oval to me by the photos.

12/9/2004 - Rick Miracle

Whittemore Speedway started racing operations in 1948 when a traveling carnival was unable to make to town. The men from the local fire derpartment got together and decided to have car races for entertainment. A 4/10ths mile track was laid out using tires to mark the turns. A couple of furrows were cut across the track to slow the cars down and racing began. A yellow blouse with the price tag still on it was used as the first yellow flag!

The men that started the track became founding members of a non-profit race club that still owns and operates the track today. In 1951 the track was redesigned to its present shape and size of a quarter mile and banked starting at 12 degrees on the bottom groove. The track was paved with asphalt in 1988. The track has raced on Saturday continuously since 1948 and is known as "Michigans Oldest Speedway." The track is a modern facility with aluminum bleachers that seat approximately 1500, a walk-in concession stand that was built in 2003, heated modern restrooms, concrete walkways and a completely paved pit area. The track is located on M-65 in the village of Whittemore.

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