Paducah International Raceway
PIR | |
---|---|
Location | 4445 Shemwell Lane Paducah, KY |
Time zone | Central Time Zone |
Coordinates | 36°58′08″N 88°33′32″W / 36.969°N 88.5589°WCoordinates: 36°58′08″N 88°33′32″W / 36.969°N 88.5589°W |
Owner | Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Ken Schrader, , Tony Stewart |
Opened | 1972 |
Closed | 2018 |
Major events | , , |
Oval | |
Surface | Clay |
Length | 3/8 mi (6/10 km) |
Turns | 4 |
Paducah International Raceway (PIR) is a 3/8 mile, clay oval track located in Paducah, Kentucky. , , , , , and have raced at PIR. PIR also hosted Demolition Derby events.
The track was first opened in 1972 and was operated by numerous ownership groups until it was purchased by NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kenny Schrader along with promoter in 2005. This was Earnhardt Jr.'s first track while Schrader and Sargent both previously owned tracks in Illinois and Missouri. The group was joined by NASCAR driver Tony Stewart in late 2006, who also owned Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio and is part owner in Macon Speedway, Macon, Illinois.[1]
The track's signature race was the , billed as "The World's Richest 50-Lap Race". First held in 1978, the race featured Super Late Model racing cars.[2] The race featured drivers from the and the .
At the end of the 2016 season, the track went dormant, with no racing taking place in the 2017 season. The track reopened in April 2018, but was again shut down in May of that year. This led to a dispute between the owners and those who purchased season tickets, expecting a full racing season.[3]
References[]
- ^ "History". Paducah Racing. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
- ^ "USA World 50 at Paducah Int'l Raceway on August 22nd! – DIRTcar Racing". Retrieved 2020-10-07.
- ^ Shields, Leah. "Paducah International Raceway fans want to know when they'll get their money back". WPSD Local 6. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
External links[]
- Motorsport venues in Kentucky
- Buildings and structures in Paducah, Kentucky
- Tourist attractions in McCracken County, Kentucky
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Tony Stewart
- 1972 establishments in Kentucky
- Sports venues completed in 1972