HARVARD SPEEDWAY

Years of operation:  1947 - 1954

Location: southwest of downtown area of Harvard, just south (along) Route 173 (Brink St.) – south of Eastman St. and Ayer St.

Notes: Midgets and stock cars raced on 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile tracks, track closed after track owner/promoter Anthony “Tony” Domato of Chicago passed away in July of 1954, Harold “Dobby” Dobbritz of Marengo won the 1954 Midwest Stock Car Association100-lap season finale on 9/3/54 ahead of “Crazy Johnny” Tate and ’54 track champion, Jack Radtke of Grayslake, track might have been in operation as early as the 1930s.  Former driver Red Gates, who operates Red’s Tavern & Pizzeria in Harvard, remembers some times as many as 200 cars would be on hand for the weekly stock car races, born and raised in Harvard, Paul Tegtmeier remembers going to the races, recalling drivers like ’53 champion Lee Kiltz, Emil “Lucky” Luckstein “Wild Bill” Wise, Paul Burrow, Harry and Jim Bauman and “Corkey” Olcott racing there, at the end of the 1954 season the track was put up for sale by Mrs. Domato for $50,000 with the purchase to include the track, grandstands for 3,000, along with horse barns and tack rooms, for many years, the speedway was the site of the Harvard Milk Days.

Midgets warm  up at the Harvard Speedway in 1948
(Bob Sheldon Photo)