History
Built in 1899 for horse racing at the Michigan State Fair, the one-mile dirt oval held AAA championship races from 1928 to 1933 and the Detroit 100 for Indy cars from 1949 to 1953 and in 1957. NASCAR's Grand National series ran the Motor City 250 there in 1951 and 1952.
The grandstand was declared unsafe in 1971 and demolished in 2001. No source gives a date for the last auto race.
Why it matters: Detroit's main oval for national championship Indy car racing in the 1920s-1950s and site of NASCAR's first races in Michigan's largest city.
Timeline
- 1899Built for horse racing[1]
The one-mile dirt oval was built at the Michigan State Fair for horse racing.
- June 10, 1928AAA racing[1]
AAA championship races were held at the track from 1928 to 1933.
- September 11, 1949First Detroit 100[1]
The AAA/USAC Detroit 100 for Indy cars was run 1949-1953 and in 1957.
- August 12, 1951NASCAR Motor City 250[1]
Tommy Thompson won the NASCAR Grand National Motor City 250.
- August 12, 1952Second Motor City 250[1]
Tim Flock won the second and last Grand National race at the track.
- June 23, 1957Last Detroit 100[1]
The last listed Indy car race at the fairgrounds.
- 1971Grandstand condemned[1]
The grandstand was declared unsafe.
- 2001Grandstand demolished[1]
The grandstand was demolished.
The site today
| Physical status | Status unknown[1] |
|---|---|
| Current use | A 2004 reader comment on waterwinterwonderland.com said the old track section was used by Chrysler to store new cars; not independently confirmed.[2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Venue facts
| Location | Detroit, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Motorsports, Horse racing |
| Level | AAA, USAC, NASCAR Grand National |
| Opened | 1899[1] |
| Physical status | Status unknown |
| Capacity notes | The grandstand held 5,000 by 1908, per Wikipedia. |
| Surface | Dirt[1] |
Documented details
- A 2007 response from the State Fair quoted on waterwinterwonderland.com said there were no future plans for racing at the fairgrounds.[2]
Sources
- Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: coordinates, demolished, events, opened, surface
- Michigan State Fairgrounds - Detroit MI, Water Winter Wonderland. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.