Mobile International Speedway Explained
| Mobile International Speedway |
| Nicknames: | MIS |
| Location: | 7800 Park Blvd Irvington, Alabama 36544 |
| Coordinates: | 30.5136°N -88.2197°W |
| Capacity: | 9,000 |
| Owner: | Ida Fields/Eddie Shoemaker |
| Operator: | Jason Smith |
| Broke Ground: | 1964 |
| Opened: | 1965 |
| Architect: | Walter "Skip" Wetjen |
| Events: |
|
| Surface: | Asphalt |
| Length Km: | 0.8 |
| Length Mi: | 0.5 |
| Miles First: | True |
Mobile International Speedway is a 1/2-mile paved oval track along U.S. Highway 90 in Irvington, Mobile County, Alabama, United States. It was built by Walter "Skip" Wetjen,[1] [2] [3] and opened in 1965.
History
During the golden age of stock car racing, the track held races with the likes of Gene Tapia, Wayne Niedecken Sr., Phil Wendt,[4] [5] [6] and other NASCAR drivers.[7] Longtime stock car driver Red Farmer won his 500th feature race at the track.[8]
From 1966 to 1968 the track hosted open-wheel racing and held the annual World 300 race for Supermodified racing, which attracted competitors that included notable drivers such as Bobby Allison,[9] [10] Dale Hammac[11] and Armond Holley.[12]
In the 1980s, the track hosted races sanctioned by All Pro Stock, ASA, NASCAR Grand American, NASCAR All-American Challenge Series, and NASCAR All Pro Stock Car. They included drivers Donnie Allison, Rusty Wallace, Dave Mader III, Ronnie Sanders,[13] Mike Cope,[14] Freddy Fryar,[15] Junior Niedecken,[16] Jody Ridley[17] and others.[18] [19] [20]
More recently, the track has been home to a number of rising NASCAR and ARCA drivers including Rick Crawford, Kevin Swindell (a development driver for Ray Evernham),[21] Bubba Pollard (of), Cale Gale and Grant Enfinger. Kevin Swindell holds the all-time track record.[22]
The ARCA Menards Series held the ARCA Mobile 200 at the track from 2012 to 2015, all of them won by local drivers: 1 win for Cale Gale and 3 for Enfinger. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East held the Mobile 150 there in 2016. Also, the NASCAR Southeast Series hosted 9 races at Mobile International Speedway, between 1991 and 2001.
The CARS Hooters Pro Cup Series also had run three races at the facility, between 1998 and 1999.
Current races
July 15th, July 29th, Aug 12th, & Aug 26th. August 26th will be the Last race of the 2023 season.
Film and television
Opening scenes from the 2009 film The Final Destination were shot at the track.[23]
Notes
- Web site: USCS News . www.uscsracing.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060515211113/http://www.uscsracing.com/news2006/news24.html . 2006-05-15.
- National Sprint Car Hall of Fame website at http://sprintcarhof.com/article.aspx?id=178
- Walter "Skip" Wetjen, promoter of local sports and World War II Vet, dies, Mobile Register, December 2, 2008, online at http://bama.live.advance.net/news/press-register/featobit.ssf?/base/news/122821293669790.xml&coll=3
- Photos of Wendt and crew at http://www.genetapiaracing.com/philwendt.htm
- See, http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=wendtph01
- See Race Results for Wendt at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=5648
- See Race Results for Niedecken at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=5665
- See interview at, http://www.stockcarracing.com/featuredvehicles/scrp_0601w_charles_red_farmer/index.html
- See photo and note at http://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=8766
- See photos of more Supermodifieds from Mobile International Speedway at http://www.retrorockets.org/1/Volume38.htm
- See photos of Hammac at http://www.genetapiaracing.com/dale_hammac.htm
- See article about Holley at http://www.genetapiaracing.com/armond_holley.htm
- See race results for Sanders at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=4373
- See Race Results for Cope at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=825
- See Race Results for Fryar at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=187
- See Race REsults for Niedecken at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=5912
- See Race Results for Ridley at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=826
- See Composite Race Results at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist3.php?trackid=400
- See 1982 Race Results at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist.php?year=1982
- See 1983 Race Results at http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist.php?year=1983
- Official Web Site of Kevin Swindell, http://www.kevinswindell.com/cms.asp?Page=kevin
- Official track web site, http://www.mobilespeedway.net/trackrecords.php
- See, Starling, Bill, The Final Destination shoot scenes at Mobile International Speedway, Mobile Register, August 27, 2009, found online at http://photos.al.com/mobile-press-register/2009/08/final_destination_4_shoot_scen_9.html
External links
