Heidelberg Raceway was an American auto racing track located near Heidelberg, Pennsylvania, in Scott Township, Allegheny County, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) southwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It operated from 1948 to 1973, hosting weekly races and numerous special events over its 25-year history.
History
The track was conceived by Ike Wright, owner of the original Wrights Sea Food Inn, and was constructed between 1947 and 1948 with financial backing from Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney. It was originally built as a horse racing facility, but when horse racing was not legalized in Pennsylvania, it was converted for automobile racing. The original configuration was a 1/2-mile dirt oval, and a 1/4-mile dirt oval was later cut into the infield. In the final years of operation, a figure-8 course was also used within the quarter-mile section.
The first races took place in May 1948. Midget cars were the first weekly series, featuring drivers such as Jimmy Bryan and Bill Schindler. From 1950 to 1953, the track began hosting coupe racing under NASCAR sanction. In 1954, Ed Witzberger took over promotion and formed the Pittsburgh Racing Association (PRA), which raced coupes up to five nights per week. Both tracks were paved before the 1967 season. The track permanently closed at the end of the 1973 season, with the 1973 oil crisis and urban sprawl cited as contributing factors.
NASCAR Races
Heidelberg Raceway held four NASCAR Strictly Stock/Grand National Series races and one NASCAR Convertible Division race. The track's first NASCAR Strictly Stock race on October 2, 1949, was the seventh event of NASCAR's inaugural season. Lee Petty won that race—his first NASCAR victory—beating local driver Dick Linder by five laps, the largest margin of victory of the 1949 season. Sara Christian finished fifth in that race, which at the time was the highest finish by a woman driver in NASCAR's top level until 2011. Lee Petty also won the track's final NASCAR premier series race in 1960, with his son Richard Petty finishing second.
Notable Events
The track hosted the Tri-State 150, the Pittsburger 200 (later the Pittsburger 250 after paving), and the Gulf 100 in 1973, a NASCAR Grand National East Series event won by local driver Tom Colella. The 1973 Gulf 100 attracted NASCAR regulars including Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough, Buddy Baker, and Tiny Lund.
Closure and Aftermath
After the 1973 season, the track was sold in April 1975 to Center Associates of Youngstown, Ohio for $1.15 million. The land was redeveloped into a shopping center called Raceway Plaza, which now includes retailers such as Walmart, Lowe's Home Improvement, and Shop 'n Save. Many components of the track, including bleachers and fencing, were purchased by Nick Garin for use at the new Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pennsylvania.
Track Champions
Herb Scott won more championships at Heidelberg than any other driver, with a total of ten season championships (1956–1960, 1962–1965, 1967). Other champions include Buddy O'Connor, Dick Linder, Don Luffy, Harold Smith, Jim Bickerstaff, Tom Colella, and Ken Hemphill.
