i was just killing time on teh googles, trying to find any old pics or info on the racetrack that used to be here in my home town when i was a kid- at the Wright County fairgrounds in Howard Lake, MN if anyone happens to know anything about it- and i stumbled across this image of what looks to be the perfect solution to every traffic problem ever:
well, ok, maybe not every traffic problem, but i would have so much more fun if i had an almost perfect replica of Martinsville speedway to play on for a couple of laps every day..
They need to install a lap timer along the back straight. 
Stands so we can sit and watch.
T.J.
UltimaDork
11/16/15 8:39 a.m.
Howard Lake, MN is only 2 hours from me, but working 12+ hour shifts doesn't leave much time for sight seeing.Looks like a cool road.
It's nice to see the pedestrian access to the middle. That way you can bring a cooler and chair to watch a few laps...
I like it. But it looks like a cyclists nightmare.
Ian F
MegaDork
11/16/15 10:35 a.m.
Judging by the stopped traffic on two of the incoming roads, it looks like it ther are metering lights. Sort of defeats the whole point of a circle, no? I drive through a circle in NJ on my commute and they just installed metering lights, although they haven't been activated yet. I can't wait... let's add even more time to my commute.
My town happens to have the busiest circle in Ohio, and let me tell you, many people drive on it like they are racing. "Can't let that one car in because it will make me late to wherever I am going!!!
T.J. wrote:
Howard Lake, MN is only 2 hours from me, but working 12+ hour shifts doesn't leave much time for sight seeing.Looks like a cool road.
The roundabout in the first post isn't in Howard Lake, it's somewhere else.
Looking at the Wright County fairgrounds in Howard Lake on Google Maps, it appears there may be the ghost outline of a former track in front of the grandstand but I can't be sure.
bravenrace wrote:
My town happens to have the busiest circle in Ohio, and let me tell you, many people drive on it like they are racing. "Can't let that one car in because it will make me late to wherever I am going!!!
I'll take that over the sightseeing retirees putt-putting 20mph down a main thoroughfare when the lights are timed to 34mph.
stuart in mn wrote:
T.J. wrote:
Howard Lake, MN is only 2 hours from me, but working 12+ hour shifts doesn't leave much time for sight seeing.Looks like a cool road.
The roundabout in the first post isn't in Howard Lake, it's somewhere else.
Looking at the Wright County fairgrounds in Howard Lake on Google Maps, it appears there may be the ghost outline of a former track in front of the grandstand but I can't be sure.
yeah, the circle isn't here in Howard Lake... i think it was actually propsed for Washington DC.. but yeah, looking at the fairgrounds you can kind of see where there used to be a 1/2 mile dirt oval- the front straight and grandstand is still there for tractor pulls and demo derbies, turns 1 and 2 used to be right up against county road 6- with only a fence made out of wood poles with corrugated sheetmetal there to keep the cars off the road... sometimes the fence failed.. talking to a guy at work that used to race there, he said that there was a dogleg on the back straight that made the track really fun and really fast compared to every other boring oval in the area.. the track got tore up and turned into parking for the fairgrounds about 15 years ago, before they bought the land and added all that parking on the northwest corner. about 25 years ago, there was talk of the county buying up a bunch of land and putting in a state of the are NHRA 1/4 mile drag strip, but the old people on the city council shot that down because of all the hoodlums and ruffians that it would have brought in, then they tore the dirt track up after there was a HUGE Harley rally and flat track event there and all the locals got scared by all the dirty biker dudes with their tattoos and what not that came into town and spent millions of dollars at the local bars, restaurants, and gas stations while causing absolutely no problems at all..
Knurled wrote:
bravenrace wrote:
My town happens to have the busiest circle in Ohio, and let me tell you, many people drive on it like they are racing. "Can't let that one car in because it will make me late to wherever I am going!!!
I'll take that over the sightseeing retirees putt-putting 20mph down a main thoroughfare when the lights are timed to 34mph.
I have to go through that circle a minimum of twice a day. I'll take the retirees any day.
novaderrik wrote:
about 25 years ago, there was talk of the county buying up a bunch of land and putting in a state of the are NHRA 1/4 mile drag strip, but the old people on the city council shot that down because of all the hoodlums and ruffians that it would have brought in
I remember that. There's been several other attempts since then to build tracks in the area but they never get past the initial study phase, due to lack of funding as well as lack of public support.
It still irritates me that they tore up the 1/2 mile track at the Minnesota state fairgrounds.
slefain
UberDork
11/16/15 2:13 p.m.
They put in two roundabouts near my house. If your car is narrow enough they are barely a chicane. Gotta hit the curbs a little but you carry good momentum.
novaderrik wrote:
stuart in mn wrote:
T.J. wrote:
Howard Lake, MN is only 2 hours from me, but working 12+ hour shifts doesn't leave much time for sight seeing.Looks like a cool road.
The roundabout in the first post isn't in Howard Lake, it's somewhere else.
Looking at the Wright County fairgrounds in Howard Lake on Google Maps, it appears there may be the ghost outline of a former track in front of the grandstand but I can't be sure.
i think it was actually propsed for Washington DC
This is the intersection:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8693365,-77.0090337,528m/data=!3m1!1e3
