Before the Rockford Speedway was demolished, one photographer was able to grab some haunting and bittersweet photos of what the beloved racetrack looked like right before it came down.

Rockford Speedway Memories

The Rockford Speedway was a beloved place for families and racing fans all over Northern Illinois and beyond for more than 70 years, and many people in this community are still grieving its closing.

Rockford-Speedway
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It was definitely weird to not hear the sounds of revving motors and squealing tires when you drove near 173 and Forest Hills this summer, and its even weirder to see a big open space when the Speedway used to sit.

So many people have cherished memories of spending a summer Saturday night sitting on the Rockford Speedway bleachers, and I found something today that you may love seeing, or it may make you cry.

Final Photos of the Rockford Speedway

Whenever I get a second to scroll social media, I usually end up spending way too much time looking at all the fascinating photos of abandoned places that Decayingmidwest shares on Facebook. Today I saw this post and it shot me straight in the feels...

Honestly, seeing them refer to the Rockford Speedway as "abandoned" is what got me the most, but just seeing those pictures brought me back to the smells of popcorn and rubber and so many great summer nights spent at that track.

New Rockford Speedway Exhibit

Back in March of 2024 a bunch of cool Rockford Speedway memorabilia was auctioned off, and I just learned today, (thanks to a comment on Decayingmidwest's post), that a a lot of it now lives  at Historic Auto Attractions in Roscoe, Illinois.

Historic Auto Attractions in Roscoe bought a LOT of this and recreated the speedway for those who want to know! It is an amazing reproduction and brings in all the feels. They took the whole front part! So awesome, check it out- amongst other awesome stuff.

Do you recognize anything in this picture?!?

Historic Auto Attractions via Facebook
Historic Auto Attractions via Facebook
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What do YOU miss most about the Rockford Speedway? Send us an app message and share you story!

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