Track History & Records
Mansfield Motor Speedway, built by eras
A living timeline of Mansfield, pulled from past souvenir guides and preserved for the next generation. If you spot a detail that needs corrected or you’ve got a missing moment, submit it in The Vault.
History timeline
Major milestones
Track records
Souvenir guide archive
History of Mansfield Motor Speedway
Key milestones from 1959 to 2018.
1959 Mansfield Raceway opens as a 3/8 mile dirt track.
1972 Track converts to 1/2 mile with 5,000 seat bleachers and press box.
1998 Dean Bolton buys the track and begins a shift toward pavement.
1999 Converted to 1/2 mile asphalt and renamed Mansfield Motorsports Speedway.
2002 Major upgrades, new lighting, reinforced walls, 16 ft catch fence, pit lanes, infield go-kart track, grandstand, suites, press room, race control, and new concourse and restrooms.
2003 First asphalt race in April. USAR Hooters Pro Cup hosts a national event. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series announced for Mansfield.
2004 Temporary bleachers expand capacity near 20,000. Inaugural UAW-GM Ohio 250 draws a sold out crowd.
2005 More temporary seating, campground, and parking acreage added. NASCAR truck race returns with another major crowd.
2006 NASCAR truck series returns again. Major crowds continue. Souvenir guide publication expands.
2007 Drag strip construction issues and delays. NASCAR broadcast milestones. Schedule changes due to construction and weather.
2008 Final NASCAR truck series event at Mansfield. Later announcements cancel portions of the 2009 schedule due to financing.
2009 ARCA and MMP plan an event; the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 is held (souvenir guide reference).
2010 ARCA returns for what would become the final event under that era.
2013 Ownership changes hands following a sheriff’s sale. Grant Milliron purchases the speedway.
2014 New promotional deal announced to bring events back to the speedway.
2015 Events are canceled; promotional relationship removed.
2016 Spitzer Motor Speedway era forms with efforts to restart a full schedule.
2017 Mansfield returns to dirt under new multi-year direction. National-level events return, including major late model and sprint car shows.
2018 Mansfield slated for major events including big money sprint car and late model showcases (souvenir guide reference).
Note: This timeline is compiled from older souvenir guides and may be refined as more documentation is added.