Last updated on March 16, 2026
The Illiana Motor Speedway is a closed race track located in Schererville, Indiana.
Illiana Motor Speedway was a race track in Schererville, Indiana, and for decades was one of the best-known short tracks in the Chicago region. Its origins date back to 1943, when Harry Molenaar acquired the wooded property and developed it into a racing facility. 2 3 Motorcycle races were held there in 1945, and the first stock car race followed in 1948. The original speedway was a large ½-mile dirt oval, though other track configurations were also used at various times. Over the years, Illiana became a fixture in Midwestern stock car racing and hosted major events such as the Tony Bettenhausen Memorial 100, as well as later appearances by series including ASA and HOSS.
Illiana’s reputation grew in the early 1960s as top regional and national drivers competed there. During the 1962 season, Molenaar established the first Tony Bettenhausen Memorial, a season-ending stock car race created in honor of Tony Bettenhausen, the popular open-wheel driver and Chicago-area racing figure who had been killed the year before. 2 The event soon became the speedway’s signature race and one of the region’s most prominent annual short-track contests.
As the 1961 season ended, plans were made to modernize the facility by paving the ½-mile oval. That work was completed before the 1962 racing season, ending Illiana’s years as a dirt track and helping the speedway transition to a stronger paved-track program. 2 3 Weekly late-model stock car racing became the track’s main attraction by 1963, and Illiana remained a major stop for Chicago-area racing talent for decades afterward.
A major rebuilding campaign followed Mike Mikuly’s purchase of the speedway in 1999. 2 3 During the winter of 1999 and 2000, the ½-mile track was repaved, a paved ¼-mile track was laid out inside it, and the facility received new retaining walls, safety fencing, and lighting. 2 Illiana also adjusted its weekly divisions during this period. Turbo Stox debuted in 2000 on the quarter-mile. 2001 marked the final season for Street Stocks. Limited Late Models were added in 2003, 4-cylinder Pure Stocks followed in 2004, and Legend cars joined the weekly program in 2007.
After nearly seven decades as part of the region’s racing landscape, Illiana reached the end of its run in 2016. Citing poor weather, decreasing attendance, and poor reviews, the speedway did not open for the season. 3 On June 24, the Town of Schererville announced that it had purchased the property for $1.67 million, bringing Illiana Motor Speedway’s long history to a close. 1 3 It is expected to become part of Rohrman Park.
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Sources
- Franklin, Lu Ann. “Schererville to buy Illiana Motor Speedway.” The Times, 14 Oct. 2024.
- Kalwasinski, Stan. “Illiana Motor Speedway History Collection.” Kal Racing.
- Town Buys Illiana Motor Speedway.” PRI, 24 Jun. 2016.
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