Columbus Motor Speedway
Encyclopedia
Columbus Motor Speedway or CMS, is a 1/3 mile asphalt oval and figure 8 racing
track located south of Columbus, Ohio
within the town limits of Obetz.
became more popular. Robert Roseberry sold his portion to John Nuckles after the paving was complete. The track was run by the late Nuckles for many years, and is still owned and operated by the Nuckles family today. Among the drivers to make their names at CMS are, Neal Sceva, Dick Freeman, Benny Parsons
and Ralph O'Day.
to be granted a NASCAR
sanctioning agreement, the other being Kil-Kare Speedway
. It hosts Whelen All-American Series
(formerly the Dodge Weekly Racing Series) races sanctioned by NASCAR. As of 2009, weekly race series are late model
s, modifieds
, stock cars and compact car divisions. Occasional race series include midgets
, legends, winged-sprint cars
, and go carts.
It also hosts many exhibition events, which are some of the most popular attractions, including trailer races, school bus figure 8 races, demolition derbies
, "roll over" contests, monster truck
stunt rallies, "powder-puff" races, and NASCAR "legends" races which feature famous NEXTEL Cup
drivers. Due to the relatively high compensation required to secure Nextel Cup driver participation in the NASCAR "legends" races, said events have not occurred for several years now and may not occur in the future. However, in 2011, the K&N Pro Series East will race for the first time.
A shocking video of the incident was captured by a viewer with a home video camera, and was played on new stations throughout the country that weekend. Currently said video exists on Youtube, and can be viewed by searching for "columbus motor speedway bus crash". It is the first video in the search results.
Figure 8 racing
Figure 8 racing is a form of racing that combines elements of oval racing, demolition derby, and road racing.-Track:Racing is done on a track shaped like an 8. The cars cross paths at the center of the 8, which is known as the "crossover". Because of this layout, crashes are inevitable...
track located south of Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
within the town limits of Obetz.
Track History
In 1945, John Nuckles & Robert Roseberry purchased 50 acres (202,343 m²) of land for site of the future race track. The track opened in 1946 as a dirt track for motorcycles. In 1950 the track was given lighting, and in 1957, the track was paved for the first time as car racing, specifically stock car racingStock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
became more popular. Robert Roseberry sold his portion to John Nuckles after the paving was complete. The track was run by the late Nuckles for many years, and is still owned and operated by the Nuckles family today. Among the drivers to make their names at CMS are, Neal Sceva, Dick Freeman, Benny Parsons
Benny Parsons
Benjamin Stewart Parsons was an American NASCAR driver, and later an announcer/analyst on TBS, ESPN, NBC and TNT...
and Ralph O'Day.
Track Facts
The track is one of two tracks in OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
to be granted a NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
sanctioning agreement, the other being Kil-Kare Speedway
Kil-Kare Speedway
Kil-Kare Raceway is a motorsports complex located in Xenia Township, Greene County, near Xenia and Dayton, Ohio, USA. It first opened in 1959 and features two separate tracks: Kil-Kare Speedway, a 3/8 mile asphalt oval for stock car racing and Kil-Kare Dragway, a 1/4 mile dragstrip...
. It hosts Whelen All-American Series
Whelen All-American Series
The Whelen All-American Series is a points championship for NASCAR sanctioned local racetracks around the United States and Canada....
(formerly the Dodge Weekly Racing Series) races sanctioned by NASCAR. As of 2009, weekly race series are late model
Late model
A "late model car" is a car which has been recently designed or manufactured, often the latest model. The term is broadly used in car racing, and often appears in common use, as in "The officer was driving an unmarked, late model sedan."There is no precise...
s, modifieds
Modified racing
Modified stock car racing, also known as Modified racing or simply Modified, is one of the oldest types of racing in the United States, dating back to the days of the post-World War II coupes. The name for modified racing cars come from the fact that they are not stock but, rather, modified...
, stock cars and compact car divisions. Occasional race series include midgets
Midget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
, legends, winged-sprint cars
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
, and go carts.
It also hosts many exhibition events, which are some of the most popular attractions, including trailer races, school bus figure 8 races, demolition derbies
Demolition derby
Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another...
, "roll over" contests, monster truck
Monster truck
A monster truck is a pickup truck, typically styled after pickup trucks' bodies, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension...
stunt rallies, "powder-puff" races, and NASCAR "legends" races which feature famous NEXTEL Cup
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
drivers. Due to the relatively high compensation required to secure Nextel Cup driver participation in the NASCAR "legends" races, said events have not occurred for several years now and may not occur in the future. However, in 2011, the K&N Pro Series East will race for the first time.
2009 platform collapse
The race track made national headlines on April 11, 2009, when the concrete platform that supported the announcer's box collapsed shortly after the gate opened. One person was temporarily stuck in the rubble, and six people suffered minor injuries at the season-opening event. Local rescue workers were called to the scene and the events were canceled for the evening. Since the incident the platform has been repaired and reinforced to prevent a similar episode from ever happening in the future.2009 bus crash
At approximately 10:35 pm on May 23, 2009, a school bus crashed head on at nearly 20 mph into the concrete wall in turn one during the evening's scheduled school bus figure 8 race. Minor injures were sustained to approximately one dozen spectators as small pieces of rubble from the wall flew into the grandstands.A shocking video of the incident was captured by a viewer with a home video camera, and was played on new stations throughout the country that weekend. Currently said video exists on Youtube, and can be viewed by searching for "columbus motor speedway bus crash". It is the first video in the search results.
Sources
- Columbus Motor Speedway at cityguide, Retrieved June 23, 2007
- Columbus Motor Speedway at na-motorsports.com, Retrieved June 23, 2007