Westboro Speedway
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 Westboro Speedway, circa 1984 | |
| Location | Route 9, Westborough, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°16′52″N 71°38′49″W / 42.281°N 71.647°W |
| Capacity | 7,500 (approx.)[1] |
| Opened | 1947 (78 years ago) |
| Closed | 1985 (40 years ago) |
| Construction cost | $100,000 |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1/4 miles (0.4 km) |
Westboro Speedway, also known as Westboro Sports Stadium,[1] was a one-quarter mile (0.40 km) banked and paved oval race track located in Westborough, Massachusetts, that operated from 1947 through 1985. It featured various types of racing including super-modified and midget cars.[2]
Incidents
The track was built by Allied Sports Association, a group of five former World War II soldiers, on land that had been part of a farm owned by the DeBoer family.[3] Construction cost was reported as $100,000 (equivalent to $1,408,197 in 2024).[4] The first race at the speedway was held on August 5, 1947.[1]
Notable drivers to race at the speedway included Joe Sostilio in the track's inaugural season,[5] and Geoff Bodine and Ron Bouchard in the mid-1970s.[6] In 1982, the track hosted two races on the NASCAR North Tour, one in June and one in September.[7] The final race held at the speedway was contested on September 14, 1985.[8]
In addition to its use as a race track, the facility was also a venue for musical performances. Boston-based Aerosmith played at the speedway on August 18, 1974,[9][10] and the Gregg Allman Band played at the speedway in 1983.[3]
After the track closed and was razed, a strip mall branded as Speedway Plaza was constructed on the site.[8][11]
- On May 25, 1962, a spectator from Gardner, Massachusetts, was killed at the speedway when a race car went into the crowd.[12]
- On June 19, 1965, a driver from Schenectady, New York, was killed during a race at the track.[13]
- On August 28, 1965, a driver from South Grafton, Massachusetts, was killed during a race at the track.[14]