The track entrance and exit road down the fronstretch and off of turn 2 is all still there as well, as is the former pit road and trailer parking areas. Other areas we did not get to that I would like to during perhaps a warmer time of the year include off of turn 2 and down the backstretch, as well as in turn three where the tunnel for pit entrance and exit is located. Unfortunately that may happen soon, so what is left of Nazareth could be completely taken away from us. Hopefully I can make it back there before any developers touch the property.
While it was kind of unique to see snow cover the surface, I definitely want to get some photos without it. The snow covered the race track enough where I did not get some of the ground level shots I wanted. Had we had more time, I would have loved to see if we could’ve got further inside the infield and photograph the exterior and possibly interior of the buildings that are still intact. The iconic turn 2 pedestrian bridge has been completely demolished, also in ’07.ĭue to the temperatures being under zero degrees, we were only able to walk from the exit of turn 2 to the start finish line and back. The infield care center still stands as well and the small victory lane area and helipad in the infield are still intact too. There is also a bathroom building still standing in turn 2. The area is not as overgrown as you would think for literally just sitting there for more than a decade.Īs expected, none of the billboards or signs that once laid over or above the race track exist nor does the flagstand although there are three infield buildings that still stand including what was once the infield media center. Several concession stands, restrooms and souvenir shops still stand with the signs attached, making for some pretty incredible photo opportunities. As I mentioned the entire grandstand area is gone and has been since 2007 when they were erected at Watkins Glen and Michigan. Nazareth and its walls still stand, but the entire facility is in awfully rough shape, despite only being closed for just over a decade. With the grandstands gone and all of the fencing down, we were able to climb over the wall and access the entire race track with relative ease, yes, even with just a little bit of snow on the ground. Turn 1 is technically located on the frontstretch. When I say turn 2, remember that Nazareth is similar to nearby Pocono Raceway in the sense that there is no turn 4. We walked up the ramp to the grandstand area in turn 2.
We parked in the lot where the original Nazareth dirt track once stood and walked up a hill behind a Dollar General store on Nazareth Pike right straight through a relatively large hole in the fence. However, according to Wikipedia, any access within the race track is very much “restricted.” Uh oh! For those wondering, there were no trespassing signs whatsoever, at least in the area we entered. It appears there may have even been people living within the race track at one time or another. The trespassing rules are rather unclear, although the walls of the speedway have been absolutely blasted with graffiti. Although the entire facility was locked and gated, there are several holes in the fences surrounding the property, and all we had to do was just walk in. Getting to the speedway was not very difficult. The Andretti compounds can be found a mere 2 miles away from the Nazareth Speedway site.
#Napa autocare 200 1999 truck series driver#
The family has lived there ever since, with Mario, Michael and current Verizon Indy Car Series driver Marco still calling Nazareth their home today. The legendary Andretti family moved to Nazareth from Italy when brothers Mario and Aldo were less than 18 years old. Once a very much booming factory and business town and still home to some major businesses today, Nazareth is known for being surrounded by cement factories as well as serving as the global headquarters for Martin Guitar. Nazareth’s population is only about 6,000 and with the speedway now closed for some 13 years, tourist traffic around the area has dwindled drastically. Nazareth Speedway is located in Northern Pennsylvania in the town of Nazareth. If you asked yourself “which Nazareth” when you read this headline, you know your history, because there were in fact three “different” Nazareth Speedways built on the same property in this small town located in Northampton County, P.A. It was certainly a bittersweet experience and it’s taken me awhile to completely put together all of my thoughts. More than a week ago now, I had the opportunity to stop at the abandoned Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylavania on the way to the Indoor Auto Racing event at Allentown.
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