Mansfield Motor Speedway (formerly Mansfield Motorsports Park and Mansfield Motorsports Speedway) was a
dirt track located in
Mansfield, Ohio
Mansfield is a city in Richland County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 47,534 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located approximately from Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, Columbus via Interstate 71, it i ...
, United States. Former
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver
Matt Tifft purchased the facility in 2025, with hopes of reviving the track.
History
The former Mansfield Motorsports Park (known as Mansfield Motorsports Speedway prior to 2007) closed in 2010.
With its moderately high banking and a wide racing surface, it was suitable for close racing and passing. The track hosted an
ARCA RE/MAX Series race in 2009–2010, and it also hosted the
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock car racing, s ...
from 2004 to 2008.
On January 18, 2013, Grant Milliron of Milliron Industries, a local facility specializing in waste, recycling and scrap metal, purchased the former Mansfield Motorsports Park for $800,000 in an auction held by the Richland County Sheriff's office following the property's seizure by the county in lieu of unpaid property taxes.
For 2017, it was announced that the track would undergo a transition from asphalt to dirt. The track had previously been dirt until 1999.
The track name was also changed from "Spitzer Motor Speedway" to "Mansfield Motor Speedway" for 2017.
With the new dirt surface, Mansfield Motor Speedway hosted series like the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions.
The track closed following the 2019 Dirt Million event. Demolition of the grandstands began in late 2020 as portions were donated to a
local high school.
The track walls were torn down in 2022 and portions of the fencing and
SAFER barriers were sold to the
Nelson Ledges Race Course.
On June 1, 2025, former
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver and teamowner
Matt Tifft announced he had purchased the facility, and plans to rebuild the track.
Former events
Mansfield formerly hosted a wide variety of events, most notably the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (formerly
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock car racing, s ...
), which raced at Mansfield on
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May.
It i ...
weekend beginning in 2004. Mansfield was the shortest track on the Camping World Truck Series schedule and was the only track in the United States to be on the Camping World Truck Series schedule as well as being
Dodge Weekly Series sanctioned. This ended in 2007 when the weekly race program at the track was discontinued.
In addition, Mansfield hosted two annual rounds of the
USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series as well as the NASCAR
Camping World East Series and
Whelen Modified Tour
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) (previously the NASCAR Winston Modified Tour and NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series from 1985 until 2005) is a modified stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified Division. The Mod ...
, the
ASA Late Model Series,
ISMA and
MSA supermodifieds and HOSS
sprint cars.
The facility received a safety upgrade in 2006 when SAFER barriers were installed in the turns.
During early 2009,
Music City Motorplex authorities announced a new promoter for the Nashville speedway, who chose to remove all "upper level" touring series races (NASCAR and ARCA) and decided not to renew its NASCAR sanction. Track officials were contacted by former Nashville promoter Joseph Mattioli III about having their major touring series races moved to Mansfield. In February 2009, the track replaced Nashville on the ARCA RE/MAX Series tour, with the
Tim Richmond
Timothy Lee Richmond (June 7, 1955 – August 13, 1989) was an American race car driver from Ashland, Ohio. He competed in American Championship Car Racing, IndyCar racing before transferring to NASCAR's Winston Cup Series. Richmond was one o ...
Memorial ARCA Re/Max 200 scheduled to be held on June 20, 2009.
Drag strip
A drag strip had been planned for the facility since 2006, following the decision by
Summit Motorsports Park (located roughly north in
Norwalk) to discontinue their affiliation with the
IHRA and join the
NHRA
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a governing body which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsport sanction ...
. It was intended to have Mansfield replace Norwalk as the venue for the IHRA World Nationals by 2007 and to host a
Live Nation
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American multinational Entertainment industry, entertainment company that was founded in 2010 following the Mergers and acquisitions, merger of Live Nation (events promoter), Live Nation and Ticketmaster. It ...
IHRA eMax Nitro Jam event as part of the drag strip's opening festivities. The drag strip was never completed after construction was delayed and once started almost immediately halted.
Former NASCAR races
*
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock car racing, s ...
''
Ohio 250'' (2004–2008)
Track NASCAR records
* NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying:
Ron Hornaday Jr.
Ronald Lee Hornaday Jr. (born June 20, 1958) is an American former professional stock car racing driver and businessman. He currently owns Team Hornaday Development, a driver development program, as well as Hornaday Race Cars, a Modified racing, D ...
, 16.277 sec. (110.585 mph), 2005
* NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race:
Bobby Hamilton, 1 hr, 55 min, 37 sec (65.907 mph), 2005
* NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race record for most caution flags: 18 (2006)
References
External links
Mansfield Motor Speedway Official Siteo
NASCAR.comMansfield Motor Speedway archiveat Racing-Reference
Sheriffs Sale
{{World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series race venues
NASCAR tracks
ARCA Menards Series tracks
Motorsport venues in Ohio
Buildings and structures in Mansfield, Ohio
Tourist attractions in Richland County, Ohio
NASCAR races at Mansfield Motorsports Park