ONA, WV-When you look at the 1963 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, you will see that over half of the races were conducted at speedway’s that no longer exist. As the dynamics of the motorsports industry have changed and cities have grown closer to the once rural land speedways sit on, keeping a race track operational has become increasingly more difficult over the past 60 years. It’s a simple fact, most speedways in America never live to see 60 years.
The fact that Ona Speedway is one of only half the tracks on the 1963 NASCAR Cup Series schedule to still be in operation is quite a feat in itself. When you consider the fact that Ona Speedway was closed for nearly 20 years until Donnie Chapman reopened the speedway in 1995, it’s even more incredible that the speedway has stood the test of time.
When you look at the history of Ona Speedway, it can be split into two main eras; the early days in the 1960’s and 1970’s and the current era from 1995 on. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, Ona Speedway, then called West Virginia International Speedway and International Raceway Park, was part of the early growth of motorsports. Nearly 20,000 spectators would file into Ona to watch the NASCAR Cup Series, ARCA Menards Series, and USAC racing. All of the biggest names in stock car racing in those days, and some of the greatest drivers of all time, raced at Ona in that era.
As NASCAR continued to grow, the sport continually went away from smaller speedways to expand to the large speedways that make up a majority of the NASCAR schedule today. Ona was once poised to become one of those large speedways, with blueprints and plans to build a 1.3 mile speedway on the property similar to Darlington Raceway. Those plans never materialized and the speedway shut down and was seemingly a lost speedway. Hope wasn’t lost however, as 20 years later Donnie Chapman reopened the speedway in 1995. Ona Speedway has been a staple for local short track racing ever since.
It’s incredible to think that the NASCAR Cup Series raced multiple times at Ona, Richard Petty visited victory lane, and Dick Clark once owned the speedway. The early era and the incredible fame the speedway had in that time is enough to make Ona Speedway hallowed ground for motorsports enthusiasts.
While it may not have the glitz and glamour of the early era, for many people, it’s the modern era from 1995 to now that makes Ona Speedway and this 60th anniversary season so special. Hundreds of drivers have raced at the speedway in this era. Some of the best short track series have visited Ona. Short track legends in our area have been born. Local people have made their way to NASCAR not only as drivers, but as workers in the industry. We are now seeing families into their third generation of spending Saturday nights at Ona Speedway.
You don’t have to be around Ona Speedway very long to see that it’s not just the thrills of the heart-pounding racing action that make this place so special. It’s about the relationships built. People have found their lifelong spouse because of this place. Families have built some of their greatest memories because of this place. Lifelong friendships have been born because of this place. We’ve seen more than one person not be able to talk about how much Ona Speedway means to them without choking up.
We’ve all seen staples of our communities go away over the years. But 60 years later, this staple of our community, Ona Speedway, is still alive and thriving. Thrilling racing action is happening. Affordable family fun is being had. A new generation of race fans and drivers are being born. In a place dubbed “Where Legends Are Born”, we are seeing a new crop of legends being born in front of our eyes, all while some of the legends already made are still competing on track.
As we enter the start of this 60th Anniversary Season, we are reminded again about how special a place Ona Speedway is. While remembering our past, we look forward to this racing season that will no doubt be another fun, thrilling season of racing that everyone has become accustomed to seeing at Ona. We encourage everyone to invite friends and family to a race this season. There is no doubt if we can get someone to the speedway once, they will want to come back. Let’s make this 60th Anniversary Season one of the best seasons yet!
