Celebration planned for Meadowdale International Raceway 50th birthday
Race car fans, historians, and just about everyone -- get ready for an exciting trip back in time.
On Sept. 13-14, organizers are planning a 50th anniversary celebration for Carpentersville's Meadowdale International Raceway -- a unique facility that attracted some of the nation's finest drivers from the late 1950s until early 1970s.
Planners are especially looking for former fans or drivers who have a vintage car or other memorabilia to display at this special event.
Those unfamiliar with this Meadowdale Raceway will find much of the area still preserved as Raceway Woods -- a natural area tucked in along the intersection of Route 31 and Huntley Road five minutes from Spring Hill Mall.
Among those leading the effort to save the area from development were neighbors Jack and Donna Redmer who are also part of the anniversary planning group.
The impetus behind the formation of the track in the 1950s was Leonard W Besinger, the Redmers said. Besinger had traveled to Europe and saw the popularity of race tracks there.
Such a venture could have a similar draw in the United States, he felt. Besinger who had various residential and commercial investments in the area felt the track would result in improved sales, they add.
The new course was 3.27 miles in length with steep banks at each end, according to an early 1960s program kept by William Freiberg of Elgin. It also boasted a 4,000-foot straight run -- one of the longest in the county at the time. Spectators had their choice of three entrances -- two off of Route 31 and one on Huntley Road. Almost all viewing space was safely above the track level for maximum crowd protection, newspapers advertised.
The most exciting feature of the course was the "Monza Wall," a section of the course banked at 45 degrees to help drivers navigate the course.
"You can see right down into the race car's cockpit as the driver fights to hold his car on the ragged edge of control," teased the early program.
The new track opened to much fanfare on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 13- 14, 1958, according to newspaper reports. Following practice and qualifying races on Saturday, the Sunday racing card kicked off with two 15-lap races followed by two 12-lap races.
There was also an antique car race followed by the main feature of the day which was a 35-lap race. Among the racing notables present were Lance Reventlow and Chuck Daigh, both driving Scarabs. Various other racing big names would appear in the years ahead, newspapers added.
But, not all who came that first day enjoyed themselves. The crowd clogged many area highways and streets, newspapers reported. Tons of soil was moved to build the new track and the grass seed had not really taken hold.
"Dust, dust, and more dust is what I remember," said Les Pace of Elgin who attended the inaugural races with his father.
These same sentiments were echoed by Don Devine of Palatine, who raced at the track several years later.
"Helicopters that were flying above the track to take pictures made the situation even worse," he noted.
In the years ahead the track would host both professional and amateur races including Grand Prix, stock cars, motorcycles, go-karts, snowmobile, Volkswagen races, and even economy racing where drivers competed to see how far they could go on a gallon of gasoline, according to Jack Redmer.
But the high hopes of earlier years did not continue, and in 1973 the media reported the track was up for sale.
The property languished for a time. Then a decade and a half ago, a major developer wanted to build houses on the property and moved forward with plans to rezone the land from industrial to residential.
Concerned citizens pushed for an open space referendum. While their first effort failed, they were eventually successful in influencing the voters of Dundee Township to pass a referendum that allowed for the purchase of various parcels including a portion of the former track, notes event planner Donna Redmer.
In more recent years the purchase of an additional 134 acres by Dundee Township and the Kane County Forest Preserve has brought the total area to over 300 acres. There has also been an effort to save the silo led by the Redmers with the cooperation of the village of Carpentersville, and much of the grounds have been restored by volunteers and District 300 students working under teacher Gary Swick.
Though the roar of speeding cars will not be heard during the 50th anniversary reunion, the memories of past years will abound. Former drivers, fans, and others will be on hand to talk about the track's glory years, while those that would like a picture taken by an older race car can do so.
Participants can also tour the track on a hay wagon, find various children's activities, or listen to one of a half dozen local bands who will perform that day. To help promote the event the Redmers arranged for the state to issue a special commemorative license plate for $25 which can be displayed until mid-September.
"We're still looking for people who would like to be part of this event, especially those who would like to display 1950s and 1960s cars," saidDonna Redmer. "We know it will be a great time."
Meadowdale Raceway reunion
What: Planners are seeking people with 1950s, 1960s cars, and track memorabilia for Meadowdale International Raceway 50th reunion event.
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 13 and 14.
Where: Raceway Woods, just west of Route 31 on Huntley Road, Carpentersville.
Admission: Free
Info: Call Jack or Donna Redmer at 847-428-2362 or visit http://meadowdaleraceway.homestead.com/50thAnnivFlyer01.html