Stardust International Raceway

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Stardust International Raceway
Stardust Intl Raceway.png
LocationSpring Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Coordinates36°6′28″N 115°15′9″W / 36.10778°N 115.25250°W / 36.10778; -115.25250Coordinates: 36°6′28″N 115°15′9″W / 36.10778°N 115.25250°W / 36.10778; -115.25250
OwnerStardust Racing Association
Broke groundJuly 25, 1965
Opened1965
Closed1971
Major eventsUnited States Road Racing Championship
Can-Am
Trans-Am
USAC Champ Car
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3 mi (4.830 km)
Turns13 (10)
Race lap record1:29.63 (Bruce McLaren, McLaren M8A-Chevrolet, 1968, Can-Am)

The Stardust International Raceway was an auto racing track in present-day Spring Valley, Nevada, in the Las Vegas Valley. It featured a flat, 3-mile (4.8 km), 13-turn road course, and a quarter-mile drag strip. Some track maps depicted the road course with 10 numbered turns. Stardust International Raceway was developed in 1965 by the Stardust Racing Association, a Nevada corporation headed by the primary owner of the Desert Inn and Stardust hotel-casinos.[1] The track was developed ostensibly to attract high rollers to the Stardust hotel.[2] The Stardust Racing Association also owned the property and functioned as event promoter. In 1966 it began hosting the season finale of the Can-Am championship. In 1968 the USAC Championship Car series held a race at Stardust. The drag strip hosted the NHRA Stardust National Open in 1967, 1968, 1969, and 1971. The Stardust Racing Association was dissolved on April 1, 1968, 1 day after the USAC Stardust 150. The hotel and raceway were sold in January 1969 to the Parvin-Dohrmann Corporation, and the new ownership closed the track shortly thereafter. , the track's manager, re-opened the drag strip in August 1970 and ran drag racing events until October 1971. Real estate developers Pardee Homes acquired the Stardust International Raceway property and related adjacent properties in August 1970 and built the Spring Valley community. Pardee commenced residential development on a portion of the property as drag racing events were still in operation directly adjacent. A subsequent racing facility, the Las Vegas Speedrome, opened in 1972 across from Nellis Air Force Base. The Speedrome property was later redeveloped into the current Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Results[]

Sports car[]

Year Driver Entrant Car Distance/Duration Championship Report
1965 United States Hap Sharp United States Chaparral Cars Chaparral 2A-Chevrolet 200 miles (320 km) Competition Press & Autoweek Series
1966 Canada John Cannon Dan Blocker -Chevrolet 180 miles (290 km) United States Road Racing Championship
1966 United Kingdom John Surtees United Kingdom Team Surtees Lola T70 Mk.2-Chevrolet 210 miles (340 km) Can-Am
1967 United States Mark Donohue United States Roger Penske Lola T70 Mk.3-Chevrolet 183 miles (295 km) United States Road Racing Championship
1967 United Kingdom John Surtees United Kingdom Team Surtees Lola T70 Mk.3-Chevrolet 210 miles (340 km) Can-Am
1968 New Zealand Denny Hulme United Kingdom Bruce McLaren Motor Racing McLaren M8A-Chevrolet 210 miles (340 km) Can-Am

Trans-Am[]

Year Driver Entrant Car Distance/Duration Report
1967 United States Mark Donohue United States Roger Penske Chevrolet Camaro 350 miles (560 km)

USAC Champ Car[]

Season Date Race Name Winning Driver Chassis Engine Team Report
1968 March 31 Stardust 150 United States Bobby Unser Eagle Ford

References[]

  1. ^ Cannon, Randall (2018-09-18). Stardust International Raceway : Motorsports Meets the Mob in Vegas, 1965-1971. Gerry, Michael. Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 978-1476673899. OCLC 1016962048.
  2. ^ "Stardust memories". Las Vegas Sun. May 22, 2003. Retrieved 7 December 2009.

External links[]


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