Mansfield Motorsports Park

Mansfield Motorsports Park

250px Mansfield Motorsports Speedway Logo.
Location	Mansfield, Ohio
Capacity	25,000
Owner	Grant Milliron - Milliron Industries
Address	100 Crall Road, Mansfield, Ohio 44903
Major events	ARCA RE/MAX Series
Oval
Length	0.44 mi (0..704 km)
Banking	Turns - 16° Front Straight - 8°

The former Mansfield Motorsports Park (known as Mansfield Motorsports Speedway prior to 2007) closed in 2010. The facility is a half-mile oval racetrack located in Mansfield, Ohio, United States. Featuring moderately high banks and a wide racing surface, it is suitable for close racing and passing. The track hosts an ARCA RE/MAX Series race in 2009. It also hosted the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from 2004 to 2008.

On January 18, 2013 Grant Milliron of Milliron Industries, a local facility specializing in waste, recycling and scrap metal, purchased the former Mansfield Motorsports Park for $800,000. The facility was up for auction at a Sheriffs sale due to back taxes.

Former events

Mansfield formerly hosted a wide variety of events, most notably the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (formerly Craftsman Truck Series), which raced at Mansfield on Memorial Day weekend since 2004. Mansfield was the shortest track on the Camping World Truck Series schedule and was the only track in the United States to be on the Camping World Truck Series schedule as well as being Dodge Weekly Series sanctioned. This ended in 2007 when the weekly race program at the track was discontinued.

In addition, Mansfield hosted two annual rounds of the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series as well as the NASCAR Camping World East Series and Whelen Modified Tour, the ASA Late Model Series, ISMA and MSA Supermodifieds and HOSS sprint cars.

The facility received a safety upgrade in 2006 when SAFER barriers were installed in the turns.

During pre-race ceremonies, a custom at the track was to play the Godsmack song, "Awake", over the public address system as backing music for driver introductions. This is likely a nod to the video for this song which was filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory, also located in Mansfield. In December 2008, it was announced that Mansfield Motorsports Park will give up its future Camping World Truck Series race, and close its doors. The Camping World Truck Series race date was moved to Iowa Speedway.

During early 2009, Music City Motorplex authorities announced a new promoter for the Nashville .596-mile (0.959 km) speedway, who chose to remove all "upper level" touring series races (NASCAR and ARCA) and decided not to renew its NASCAR sanction. Track officials were contacted by former Nashville promoter Joseph Mattioli III about having their major touring series races moved to Mansfield. In February 2009, the track replaced Nashville on the ARCA RE/MAX Series tour, with the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA Re/Max 200 scheduled to be held on June 20, 2009.

At the Summer Firestorm on Labor Day weekend it was hinted by the announcer that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event would return in 2010 along with weekly racing, NASCAR has since announced the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule and Mansfield is not on the schedule. No further details or dates were announced.

Drag strip

A drag strip has been planned for the facility since 2006, following the decision by Summit Motorsports Park (located roughly 35 miles (56 km) north in Norwalk) to discontinue their affiliation with the IHRA and join the NHRA. It was intended to have Mansfield replace Norwalk as the venue for the IHRA World Nationals by 2007 and to host a Live Nation IHRA eMax Nitro Jam event as part of the drag strip's opening festivities.

The opening date for the drag strip has been revised several times. The Nitro Jam event was announced in September 2006 but on March 2, 2007 the track issued a press release moving the IHRA World Nationals from its previously announced June date to September, bumping a previously scheduled Pro-Am Tour event on that date to 2008.

As of September 2008, no opening date has been announced for the drag strip.

Former NASCAR Races

• NASCAR Camping World Truck Series - Ohio 250 (2004-2008)

Track NASCAR Records

• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying: Ron Hornaday Jr., 16.277 sec. (110.585 mph), 2005
• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race: Bobby Hamilton, 1 hr. 55 min. 37 sec. (65.907 mph), 2005
• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race record for most caution flags: 18 (2006)

External links

• Mansfield Motorsports Park Official Site
• Mansfield Motorsports Park Page on NASCAR.com
• Article about track's closing
• Sheriffs Sale