Colorado Throwback: Remembering Races at a Popular Colorado Speedway

Nowadays, racing fans flock to Bandimere Speedway in Lakewood and the Colorado National Speedway in Dacono to watch the action as vehicles with faster-than-ever engines participate in various events on the tracks. But years ago, there was another popular place in Colorado known for hosting epic car racing competitions.

The Englewood Speedway operated from 1947 until 1978. The figure eight-shaped racetrack was located at West Oxford Avenue and South Federal Boulevard.

The very first race to take place at Englewood Speedway was held on Memorial Day in 1947, but a grand opening ceremony was held in June earlier that year. At first, the track was just a quarter-mile oval built on dirt but was eventually paved with asphalt around 1960. The shape change came about in 1964.

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In the beginning, most events at Englewood Speedway featured jalopies and midget cars racing around the track on Saturday nights.

The track was sold after the 1949 season and Charlie Codner bought the track in the early 1950s. The Codner family did an amazing job of operating the facility.

As the sport of racing caught on in the 1950s, fans consistently filled the seats on race nights at the speedway. At this point in time, faster stock cars began replacing the previous vehicles that were racing on the track. These entertaining evenings typically followed a lineup of time trials, a trophy dash, heat races, and finally the main event. The main contest was usually about 25 laps around the track, with approximately 20 to 30 cars participating.

According to the Englewood Herald, the facility also began hosting a variety of other action-packed events, including demolition derbies and stunt car tournaments.

The racing world has greatly evolved since the days at Englewood Speedway, but it's fun to look back at the memories that this former track provided for many Coloradans. The Englewood Speedway Facebook page is a fantastic place to find old photos and reminisce the good times had at the beloved racetrack.