History
The track began as the Manzanita Park greyhound track and held its first car race, a quarter-mile jalopy event, on August 25, 1951. A half-mile track was added in 1954 and the name changed to Manzanita Speedway in 1965. It held three NASCAR Winston West races in 1974-75 and USAC sprint car events into 2009.
The final race was run on April 11, 2009. The property was sold to Southwest Rigging and became a parking lot and equipment storage yard.
Why it matters: Arizona's best-known dirt track, a USAC sprint car stop for decades.
Timeline
- August 25, 1951
A former greyhound track converted to a quarter-mile jalopy track held its first race before 3,923 fans; Roe Mounts won.
- 1954
A half-mile track was added.
- 1965Renamed Manzanita Speedway[2]
The track was renamed Manzanita Speedway.
- 1974NASCAR Winston West races[1]
The track hosted three NASCAR Winston West races in 1974 and 1975.
- 1992Slick 50 Sprint Car World Series[2]
The track hosted the 1992 Slick 50 Sprint Car World Series.
- April 11, 2009
The last race was held before the property was sold to Southwest Rigging.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
|---|---|
| Current use | Parking lot and equipment storage for Southwest Rigging[2] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Venue facts
| Other names | Manzanita Park (1951–1965) |
|---|---|
| Location | 35th Avenue and Broadway, Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona |
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Motorsports |
| Level | USAC, NASCAR Winston West, World of Outlaws |
| Opened | August 25, 1951[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | April 11, 2009[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Surface | Dirt[1] |
| Owner / operator | Martin family (sold to Southwest Rigging in 2009)[1] |
| Closure | Declining attendance and neighborhood complaints about dust and noise; the land was sold to Southwest Rigging. |
Documented details
Sources
- Manzanita Speedway, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, events, opened, owner operator, surface
- Racing fans mourn dirt tracks like Manzanita Speedway, Cronkite News. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use, events, opened
- OpenHistoricalMap/Projects/Ghost Tracks/US/AZ, OpenStreetMap Wiki. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, coordinates, opened
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.