When people think about Indiana and its history in the racing world, 99.9% will more than likely immediately imagine the Indy 500, traditionally held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—arguably the world's most famous racetrack. However, there was once a racetrack that was just as popular (for its time, anyway) that most people don't even know ever existed, save for the racing enthusiasts (I see you, friends.)
It was known as Jungle Park Speedway, and to say it was a little bit dangerous is to intentionally misrepresent things - it was outrageously dangerous, and at the time, this was a well-known and accepted fact of life.
This track was built in 1926, and today, there's very little left of it to speak of. Some overgrown track, the grandstands, and little else remain; the looming, empty grandstands do nothing but remind anyone who views them of a time long past—a time when this racetrack was sort of a "no man's land," and people regularly died here.
At the time, this was just known and accepted as part of the racing world. Very few safety precautions were taken in building this racetrack; cars would eventually find themselves careening into nearby trees, a nearby creek, or the grandstands regularly. Perhaps miraculously, the first year of the track's existence was uneventful, but the second year brought with it all kinds of horror that would only worsen until the track's eventual closure in 1960.
During that second year, a racing official was struck by a racer while attempting to fix a divot on the track. Unfortunately, he did not survive the accident. Just a few months later, a spectator was killed. Two months after that, a driver by the name of Walter Ax was killed. Within the next two years, three more drivers would die.
Up to 5,000 people would sometimes attend races at Jungle Park Speedway, and they were often a rowdy bunch. Fights in the grandstand were a regular occurrence; alcohol consumption was a major contributing factor, as was an almost complete lack of safety procedures.
By the 1950s, Hoosiers had mostly moved on from the track in favor of greener pastures. In 1955, most racing at the track ended. Then, in 1960, the entire operation halted for good after a spectator in her 30s was struck and killed. The track then closed for good, and over the decades, was left for nature to reclaim. It's mostly gone now. A restaurant on site was allowed to decompose, and the grandstands are long gone.
What remains of Jungle Park Speedway is only a vague hint that it was there at all; it's on private property, and the current owner hopes to preserve what's still there. The dark history of one of the United States's first racetracks is still somehow fascinating, and today, the track is little more than a memory to the small handful of folks still alive who remember it.
Are you planning on adventuring around Indiana anytime soon? If so, get an RV - it's a blast. Our friends at RVShare can help. If you find you can't get enough of Indiana's amazingly intriguing abandoned places, be sure to explore more on our awesome abandoned places in Indiana road trip.
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