Rockingham Speedway

Rockingham Speedway, in Rockingham Park, Salem, was built as a 1 mile horse track in 1906 and opened on June 28th, only to be shut down by the state three weeks later as they halted open betting. It became the site of the state fair, and was holding motor-races by 1912. After World War I, Jack LeCain leased the track for racing in 1925, extending the track to 1.25 miles. After a successful event on July 4th, a 1.25 mile board oval was constructed, with corner banking of up to 49 degrees being used. Racing was held on the board oval between the 31st October 1925 and the 12th October 1928, the last race being cut short by Fred Comer's fatal accident on what was a deteriorating surface. The oval was returned to its 1 mile dirt oval form for 1930, and racing finally ceased in 1932. The venue remained in use for horse racing, although the grandstands for the track were burnt down in the 1970s.