CANADIAN TRACK DATABASE FEATURE ARTICLES GHOST SPEEDWAYS PHOTOS
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Nilestown Speedway
Nilestown, ON

Status
Closed

Years in Operation: 1952-1975

Name History:
Nilestown Speedway (1952-1957)
London Auto Raceway (1958)
Nilestown Speedway (1959-1975)

Track Configurations:
1/4 mile dirt oval (1952-55)
1/4 mile paved oval (1955-1975)

Ghost Track Photos


This is how Nilestown Speedway looked in November, 2003.

In the super-modified years some of the key drivers were Jimmy Howard, Ted Hogan, Vic Parsons and Harvey Lennox. Nilestown switched to late model body styles in 1967 and the classes included Diamonds, Rat Sedans, Amateur Sportsman, Powder Puff and even Figure 8 racing in the ensuing years. Diamonds were also known as Diamond Late Models and would be similiar to today's Late Models. The Powder Puff class was for women only and ran the same rules as Rat Sedans, which were like a Thunder Car or Pure Stock today. Rat Sedans were full size sedans with 6 cylinder engines. Amateur Sportsman ran in-line six cylinder engines with home-made bodies. They looked something like a wingless sprint car with a roof. Nilestown ran Tuesday and Saturday nights at 8:00pm.

The grandstands were built into a natural hill, similiar to Delaware. The track appears to have been fairly narrow with a low banking. The pits were off the back straight.

After the track closed, it sat idle for a short time before the property was purchased in 1977 by the Polish National Association and they built the Polish-Canadian Recreation Centre on the property.

The track's infield is now a soccer field. The track surface itself is in great shape and is used for parking for soccer games. Almost nothing else racing-related is left. There is no sign of the start-finish line and no walls, fences, lights, starter stand, grandstands, buildings, etc to be seen either. Only a few pieces of timber that might have part of the grandstand remain on the hill. Then again, it may have been scrap thrown there sometime recently.

Archived Discussion

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A Lap Around Nilestown Speedway
On the front straight, near the start/finish line.
Farther down the front straight, coming up on corner 1.
Corner 1.
Entering corner 1.
In corner 1.
Entering corner 2.
Coming out of corner 2, looking down the back straight.
Corner 3.
Entering corner 4. The access road at the right was there during the track's stock car days.
Coming out of corner 4, looking down the front straight.
Other Photos
On the spectator hill, looking at the corner 3-4 end.
On the spectator hill, looking at the west end of the track.
On the spectator hill - front and back straight are in view.
On the spectator hill, looking at the corner 1-2 end.
In corner 1, looking back toward the front straight and the specatator hill.
On the outside of corner 3-4, looking toward the spectator hill.