Ok...The meeting place will be the Menards parking lot on Higgins and Barrington Road next to Buona Beef. We roll out of the parking lot at 7:20 sharp...Route will be Higgins (72) to route 31 then left towards Tollway and Cracker Barrel....estimate 7:40 am at intersection of 72 & 31...all hell(o) breakes loose from there...
Maybe 9:30am we set out for Meadowdale Raceway Woods.
History:
Meadowdale, near Chicago, was a major road course built in 1958. The hilly 3.27 mile course featured The Monza Wall, a steeply banked 180 degree turn that led to a 4,000 foot main straight. USAC, USRRC, TransAm, ARCA, AMA and club races were run there. It closed in 1969”. The property remains intact, not taken over by sub dividers or shopping center developers. A portion of the property is now a nature preserve called Raceway Woods. The park provides a gateway to hike the old race course.
Directions:
Visiting Meadowdale International Raceway (MIR)
The public gateway to Meadowdale Raceway is now about a half mile north of the old main gate. The Raceway Woods nature preserve entrance is located on IL Hwy 31, about 4 miles north of the I-90 tollway, about 1.75 miles north of IL Hwy 72. The entrance is on the west side of the highway. Watch for it…It sneaks up on you”. There is parking for about 20 cars, a shelter and picnic table and a modular restroom. Trails at the back of the picnic area lead to the track.
And by the way, Ross Fosbender, a historian and host of "THE" web page on Meadowdale Raceway (
http://www.meadowdaleraceway.homestead.com/) will be joining us at the track, and will give us a guided tour.