Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway in 2004
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| Location | Lower Nazareth Township, Northampton County, near Nazareth, Pennsylvania |
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| Time zone | GMT-5 |
| Owner | International Speedway Corporation |
| Opened | 1910 |
| Closed | 2004 |
| Former names | Nazareth National Speedway (1910-1984) Pennsylvania International Raceway (1987-1993) Nazareth Speedway (1993 - 2004 upon close) |
| Major events |
Firestone Indy 225 (1987-2004) Goulds Pumps/ITT Industries 200 (1988-2004) Chevy Silverado 200 (1996-2001) |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.946 mi (1.522 km) |
| Turns | 5 |
| Banking | Turn 1 and Straightaways: 2.7° Turns 2 & 3: 3° Turns 4 & 5 4° |
| Lap record | 0:18.419 (Patrick Carpentier, Forsythe, 1998, Champ Car) |
Nazareth Speedway was an auto racing facility in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania which operated from 1910 to 2004 in two distinct course configurations. In its early years, it was a dirt twin oval layout. In 1987 it was reopened as a paved tri-oval that measured just slightly under 1 mile.
The facility is often linked to local drivers Kenny Brightbill, Mario and Michael Andretti. The course was associated with Frankie Schneider in its earlier dirt track history.
The site began hosting motor racing events in the 1910s. Two separate racetracks that existed and operated on the site: an original 1⁄2 mile dirt track, and later a 1 1⁄8 mile dirt track was added. In 1987, the Penske owned paved speedway replaced the big track and the small track was demolished and the site was replaced by the expanding of a nearby grocery store in 1988.
The big track was opened in April 1966, as a five-turn 1.125-mile (1.811 km) dirt track named Nazareth National Speedway. The track featured modified races. Frankie Schneider had a clean sweep at the event - he had the fastest qualifying time, won his heat race, and won the feature event. That turned out to be the only event at the track in the season.
The track held nine events in 1967, which turned out to be the most the track hosted. Schneider won five of the events.
The track hosted five modified events in 1968, and Schneider won three of them. Al Tasnady started near last in the August 24, 1968 modified event, and won the race by lapping all drivers except Schneider. The USAC Dirt Champ cars raced at the track on July 13, 1968. The race was won by Al Unser, who beat local driver Mario Andretti.
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