PRATHER FIELD (aka  Prather’s track, Prather Speedway)
DeKalb , Illinois

½ mile dirt track

Operated 1949/1950 (roadster races)

…track was north of Highway 38 and northwest of the airport a short way (per Jim Corbin of Killen , AL 7/9/2010)

…Roger Frank died 6/19/49 from injuries suffered in a crash

…In October of 1949, Bill Seaman, 55, of Joliet, a veteran of over 20 years of racing, died from injuries suffered in a hot rod crash.  According to Jim Corbin of Killen , AL , “Bill Seaman was lapping the field and some green horn kid kept cutting him off. They flagged the kid over and Bill I guess thought all was well for a pass. Just as Bill went around, the kid cut him off again and they jumped wheels. Bill's car went up on end and went into a row of railroad ties buried on end. He was smashed down into the cockpit and killed. The guy had buried the ties to keep the race cars out of his orchard! I remember Bill as a nice guy who had been around and had nothing to prove.

…College baseball held there in 1950

Photos from the Jim Corbin Collection