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  *Comments on Memphis-Arkansas Speedway:*
  View the most recent comment <#8> | Post a comment <#post>


  1.   Cooper posted:
  03.28.2010 - 12:59 pm
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Memphis-Arkansas Speedway was a 1.5 mile high banked dirt oval located
west of West Memphis, Arkansas. The track opened on October 9th, 1954,
and operated until 1957, when it was sold to a local farmer. The owners
intended to pave the track but could not afford the $100,000 price tag,
and the dirt surface proved to be unmanageable.


  2.   Chriswo posted:
  02.22.2015 - 3:43 pm
   Rate this comment:      (1)      (0)

The trackwas closed when major highways were built in the area, blocking
all access to the track. It never reopened following the completion of
the highway project.


  3.   Aldo posted:
  08.20.2015 - 9:50 am
   Rate this comment:      (2)      (0)

The track is still there perfectly conserved on the Turns Drive.


  4.   @Statscrash posted:
  07.05.2018 - 10:18 pm
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Site of 2 fatal crashes both in 1956. Clint McHugh in qualifying and
Cotton Priddy in the race.


  5.   Mike posted:
  09.06.2019 - 12:07 am
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I've driven there and seen it's reminants myself


  6.   Timothy_Eklund posted:
  04.11.2020 - 1:39 pm
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I've been through LeHi and I can confirm that the outline of the track
is still there on I-40


  7.   possum posted:
  04.11.2020 - 5:08 pm
   Rate this comment:      (2)      (0)

@6 - it shows up well on Google Maps satellite view, too. It rather
looks like the farmer uses the track as an access road; the infield
appears to be planted in rice.

I'm not surprised the original owners couldn't make it work as a dirt
track. The soil in that area would not seem very suitable for racing,
they would have had to bring in clay which would have likely been quite
a long haul - or, of course, pave it. It would have been an interesting
track, paved - long and thin, very different from the 1.5 mile
cookie-cutters of today.


  8.   A posted:
  07.12.2020 - 7:15 pm
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It seems like from what I can find that the track closed before
freeways/interstates were completed in the area, though I can't find
very good information on dates.

Besides it would have been accessed from one exit 4 1/2 miles to the
west and another 1 1/2 miles to the east, and quite visible from the
freeway, which would seem to make it a rather good location in terms of
highways, would it not?

Just wondering if it's really true that highway location was considered
as a factor in it's demise.


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