Fremont Speedway


Fremont Speedway, also known as "The Track That Action Built" and "Home of the All Stars", is a semi-banked 1/3 mile clay oval speedway located at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds in Fremont, Ohio, United States. Races are typically held on Saturday nights. Regular events include 410 cubic inch sprint cars, 305 cubic inch sprint cars, and dirt trucks. The speedway also is hosting the American Late Model Series, and new for the 2012 season, is a Run What You Brung. The speedway has previously hosted the National Sprint Tour, and United States Auto Club, and World of Outlaws.

Track records

DivisionTimeDriverDate
410 Sprint Cars11.732 secondsLee JacobsMay 3, 2003
305 Sprint Cars13.286 secondsJohn IvyMay 17, 2014
Dirt Trucks17.672 secondsDan Roepke, Jr.April 26, 2014

History

The first automobile race was held at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds on Sunday, June 7, 1936 when the International Speedway Association leased the half-mile horse track for a Big Cars race. Big Cars, as they were known, were the forerunners to today's sprint cars. An estimated 7,000 people attended the first race as Clay Corbitt picked up the feature win. Despite the success of the first race, it would be 12 years before Fremont hosted another auto race. On September 19, 1948, the Tri-State Racing Association leased the fairgrounds for a racing program billed as the Tri-State Racing Association's Championship. Over 4,000 fans were in attendance to watch Red Bales win the feature event.
In the fall of 1951, Joe and Dorothy Stelter and Harry Maynor of Toledo, Ohio founded Fremont Speedway. Their original track was just over 1/10 of a mile in length and nearly flat. On September 30, 1951, a crowd of 1,500 attended Fremont Speedway’s first official race. 38 drivers took part in the 20 lap feature event, which was won by Leo Caldwell of Perrysburg.
In 1952, Maynor sold his interest in the speedway to Frank Jensen of Toledo, and Wayne Wall of Toledo purchased an interest in 1953. Wall sold out in 1954 and the Stelters and Jensen operated the track until 1957 when a local Fremont businessman, Don Emick, purchased Jensen's stock. This operation continued until 1960 when Emick sold out, leaving Joe and Dot as the sole owners. After Joe's sudden death in 1962, Dot decided to continue and became one of the first female promoters in the country. Dot later married Paul Szakovits and he helped to operate the track. Dot promoted the speedway until 1976 when longtime announcer Gary Kern purchased the facility.
During the 1990s, the facility changed hands many times. In 1994 Joseph Darr became a partner with Kern. Delphos, Ohio resident Ken Langhals operated the speedway in 1995. In 1996 Kelly Applegate purchased the speedway, followed by Ken Meggitt in 1997. The track then sat idle for two years until Jim Ford, a former driver and sprint car owner from Elmore, Ohio, leased the track from the Sandusky County Fair Board. Ford reopened the track in 2000 with many improvements. In 2007, Ford stepped down as promoter due to health issues. The fair board elected Rich Farmer and Andy James as co-promoters of the speedway in 2008. In 2010, Emods competed at the speedway for the first time ever.
The speedway has become a pioneer in dirt track racing over the years. It was one of the first tracks in the nation to run the now popular 305 sprint car division. In 2000, Jim Ford created the dirt truck division as an affordable entry level into dirt track racing. Similar divisions have since spread across the nation. The speedway was also the first dirt track in the nation to incorporate soft wall technology.
The speedway has hosted many nationally renowned race car drivers including Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Jeff Gordon, Dave Blaney, Kasey Kahne, Brad Doty, and Doug Wolfgang. "The Ohio Traveler" Rick Ferkel began his storied career with a victory at the speedway. The speedway has also hosted nearly 100 All Star Circuit of Champions events, earning it the nickname "Home of the All Stars."

Hall of Fame

The following people have been inducted in Fremont Speedway's Hall of Fame.
InducteeCategoryYear
Auxter, Johnny "Gentleman"Driver2009
Ball, ArtDriver2009
Beale, RollieDriver2009
Billow, HaroldOwner/Builder2009
Ford, JimDriver/Promotor2009
Fosco, GeorgeDriver2009
Franks, AlvinDriver2009
Harrison, DarlDriver2009
Keegan, GugDriver2009
Linder, JimDriver2009
McCune, "Irish" JimDriver2009
McGilton, Harold "Mac"Driver2009
Notestine, GeneDriver/Official2009
Robison, HerbieDriver2009
Shilling, Dorthy "Dot"Promotor2009
Smith, WendellDriver2009
Strasser, PaulDriver2009
Beaber, JohnnyDriver2010
Burmeister, SonnyOwner/Builder2010
Genzman, DeDriver2010
Hemminger, WallyDriver2010
Keegan, MarkDriver2010
Kern, GaryOfficial/Promotor2010
Lowe, EarlOwner2010
Roepke, JimDriver2010
Sabo, JoeOwner/Builder2010
Sheets, RoyDriver2010
Caldwell, LeoDriver2011
Fleming, JimDriver2011
Gill, BudOwner2011
Hasselbach, DaleDriver2011
Kear, ShirleyLife Contributor2011
Kresser, HarryDriver2011
Leaser, TomOwner2011
Maffett Sr, WayneDriver2011
Miller, GeorgeDriver2011
Youster, LeroyDriver2011
Boos, RonOwner2012
Clark, KenDriver2012
Cook, JohnOwner2012
Emick, Bert/BrigiettePromotor2012
Ferkel, RickDriver2012
Forsythe, JohnSponsor2012
Griffith, EarlEngine Builder2012
Hewitt, JackDriver2012
Keegan, JimDriver2012
Linder, FredDriver2012
Linton, DonOwner2012
Ritter, GroverOwner2012
Sabo, TimDriver2012
Schemmer. TomEngine Builder2012
Smith, EdEngine Builder2012
Stelter, JoePromotor2012
Conger, SonnyOwner, Builder, Mechanic2013
Dewald, PaulDriver2013
Eckhardt, DonOwner2013
Ford, RandyDriver2013
Hahn, BillDriver2013
Holbrook, GordonDriver2013
Huss, Phil "Smokey"Ambassador2013
Keegan, LarryOwner/Crew Chief2013
Keegan, MervinBuilder2013
Liskai, AlexDriver2013
Liskai, DickDriver2013
Liskai, SteveDriver2013
Connors, L JDriver2014
Griffith, GaryDriver/Engine Builder2014
Keim, ClayDriver2014
Kemenah, HaroldOwner2014
Kiser, KenCommunications Provider2014
Leaser, BobOwner2014
Rankine, EricDriver2014
Vance, ToddDriver2014
VanNess FamilyOwner/Builder2014
Ward, JimDriver2014
Wright, JoeOwner2014
Berkley, RobertOwner/Mechanic2015
Cicanese, BillDriver/Builder2015
Drusback, TomOwner2015
Gordon, JackDriver2015
Holman, MikeOfficial2015
Kiser, ChrisDriver2015
Meyer, FritzWrecker Service2015
Naida, JohnDriver2015
Potter, LeeDriver2015
Steinmetz, FranDriver2015
Thompson, Howard Employee2015
Blaney, DaleDriver2016
Fisher, VinceOwner2016
Keegan, JoeDriver2016
Kistler, PaulEngine Builder2016
Leaser, RonDriver2016
Malloy, LenOwner2016
Nuber, LarryLife Contributor2016
Pierce, KeithOwner2016
Pierce, RoyOwner2016
Sears Jr, BobbyDriver2016
Willey, DickBuilder/Mechanic2016
Beechler, MikeBuilder2017
Burkin, LamarOwner2017
Ford, DougMechanic/Official2017
Hoffman, JeffDriver2017
Knoll, BobbyDriver2017
Kraylek, JackDriver2017
McComas, RonOwner/Builder/Mechanic2017
Nemire Sr, KenDriver2017
Neimire, JerryDriver2017
Phillips, EricOwner/Engine Builder2017
Root, Ken "Red"Mechanic2017
Smith, KenOfficial/Photographer2017
Willey, GaryDriver2017
Engler, JayOwner2018
Gill, BuddyMechanic2018
Gill, LarryMechanic2018
Hazzard, RichardOwner2018
Keegan, DonOwner2018
Keegan, RonOwner2018
Leaser, JimmyDriver2018
Miller, SkipDriver2018
Potter, LinDriver2018
Thompson, JoeDriver/Official2018
Thompson, ShirleyOfficial2018
Wisbon, John2019
Berryman, Bruce2019
Marko, Dave2019
Creeger, Jerry “Dude”2019
Farmer, Rich2019
Kear, Chuck2019
Slatter, FloydBuilder, Mechanic2019
Keegan, Chuck2019

Racers with three or more Championships (Active Divisions)

410 Sprint Cars/Super Sprint: 8 Championships; Mark Keegan. 5 Championships; Jim Linder. 4 Championships; Gug Keegan and Al Franks. 3 Championships; John Ivy and Byron Reed
305 Sprint Cars: 3 Championships; Bryan Scott and Stuart Brubaker
Dirt Trucks: 4 Championships; Steve Sabo

All-time win list

The following drivers sit at the top ten of Fremont Speedway's all-time feature win list.
RankNameWins
1Art Ball71
2Gug Keegan62
3Mark Keegan59
4Jim Linder58
5Herbie Robinson54
6Jim McCune45
7Wayne Maffett, Sr.44
8Harold McGuilton40
9Alvin Franks34
10Wally Heminger32