Route 66 Motor Speedway
If you’re interested in the racing scene and are a resident of Amarillo, TX, check out the Route 66 Motor Speedway located at 4101 TX-335 Loop, Amarillo, TX 79118. This clay, ⅜ of a mile-long track, has a venue that is able to accommodate 4,000 people during racing events. The track begins hosting events during the month of April to kick off the hotter months with some fun. Events are held until the month of September, and the track is closed to the public for the winter.
The motor speedway was opened in 1994 on June 25th when Bill Worthen wanted a place to host some summer racing fun. The first event was held on opening night which took place on a Saturday, and ever since, the track has been attracting a steady stream of visitors excited to watch the competitions. The track participates in charity events and has been a place where cars from 17 different states have come to compete in.
The track is where events encompassing the United States Modified Touring Services and the American Sprint Car Series are hosted. MavTV filmed races at the facility when the American Sprint Car Series had its first races at the track. Many older racers who reside in Amarillo and the surrounding communities come out to participate in the Route 66 Motor Speedway’s annual G.W. Elkins Memorial Sprint Show. The track has lent a helping hand to charities such as the Make-a-Wish Foundation and Meals on Wheels. The facility has also had the pleasure of working with Pokey the Clown.
A retired, local veteran decided to invent Pokey the Clown to raise money for charity in 1969 after attending a rodeo where he observed bored children with nothing to play with. He began putting on a rodeo in the year of 1996, where Pokey makes his own stick horses and rides them around. He hosted 18 of these events before retiring in 2015.
The Route 66 Motor Speedway is the perfect place to take your family for an evening of entertainment. You can find a schedule and a list of upcoming events on their website. On Saturdays, the track hosts a weekly race. Admissions for adults are usually $15, and for children between the ages of five and 11, they are $5.
The American Sprint Car Series is the largest sanctioning body for sprint car racing in the country and hosted a race at the Route 66 Motor Speedway in 2016 after 13 years of absence from the premises. They also held a race at the venue the following year.
The track hosts events encompassing five different styles of vehicle. Sprint cars, modifieds, limited modifieds, street stocks, limited late models, and tuners are the classes of cars the organization lists on its Facebook page as the kinds of cars they run. The complex also has a place for concessions when you feel snacky or thirsty and a shop to buy souvenirs to help you remember your visit. Races typically start at 7:00 pm, and the gates open at 5:30 so patrons can get in early if they please.
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