Dodge City, Kansas’s auto racing history is almost as legendary as its reputation as the ‘Queen of Cowtowns.’ In 1934, a dirt track for automobile racing was built in Wright Park at the Ford County Fairgrounds, on the South side of Dodge City. Named McCarty Speedway, the ½ mile dirt track in the park operated consistently there through the fall of 1941. After various revisions in size and a major flood in 1965, the track was rebuilt into a 3/8th mile banked dirt oval that was open from 1966 until it closed its doors for good in 1994. Missing the action, acceleration and entertainment that auto racing provides, the community of Dodge City, voted to bring auto racing back to the historic city.
In 2000, leaders broke ground to build a state-of-the-art facility for auto racing on the southern outskirts of town. Originally constructed as a paved surface venue, it wasn’t but a few years later the facility returned to its roots and popularity as a dirt venue. Dodge City Raceway Park, as part of the “Why NOT Dodge” initiative brought affordable family entertainment to the city, and took the title as the Premier Kansas Dirt Track. With a seating capacity near 3,500, Dodge City Raceway Park features a multitude of motorsports entertainment events. Including, 5 International Motor Contest Association, (IMCA) classes, Sooner Late Models, the United Rebel Sprint Series, flat track motorcycles, and a newly added, grand national tractor pulling event with the National Tractor Pulling Association. DCRP rounds out its season in the fall with the ‘Steve King Memorial’ a 3-day special event featuring sprint car and midget classes.
