Interstate Speedway

About Interstate Speedway

Interstate Speedway is a small high banked dirt oval at 33327 484th Avenue in Jefferson, South Dakota, visible from I-29 about twelve miles northwest of Sioux City. Racers have called it The Action Track since the 1980s and the name has stuck. Racing runs Sunday evenings from April through September, with a full slate of IMCA classes.

Built Out of Farm Ground

Cecil and Joyce Beauchene built the track out of farm ground in the fall of 1969, and the first race was run on June 7, 1970. The idea from the beginning was family affordable entertainment, and that has stayed the guiding principle ever since.

By the early 1980s the track was running late models, sportsman, roadrunners and street stocks, with more than 100 cars checking in on a given night. In 1986 it adopted IMCA divisions to give local racers a more affordable car, beginning a relationship with IMCA that continues today.

The Action Track

The nickname came from what happened between the races as much as during them. The track built a reputation for car jumping, some of it ending in spectacular crashes, and at one point hosted a man who claimed to be the heaviest rider ever to jump a motorcycle. Successive promoters have kept those traditions going deliberately, because the people running the place grew up watching them.

The facility has carried other names across the years, including a stretch as Raceway Park, before returning to Interstate Speedway.

Sunday Night IMCA Racing

The weekly program runs five IMCA divisions: Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts.

Sport Compacts and Hobby Stocks get particular attention here, since there are a lot of those cars in the area and the track has made a point of doing something extra for them. That focus on entry level classes is what keeps car counts up at a small track.

Special nights bring in more. IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars visit several times a season, the Tri-State Late Model Series appears, and the calendar has also included vintage full bodied stock cars and 600cc winged micro sprints. The Dave Riley Memorial Race has become an annual fixture in midsummer.

Racing starts in the early evening on Sundays, earlier than most tracks in the region.

Getting There

The track is on 484th Avenue in Jefferson, in Union County in the far southeast corner of South Dakota, easily seen from I-29. Sioux City is about twelve miles southeast.

That corner of the state has an unusual concentration of racing. Park Jefferson International Speedway is only a few miles away and races a different night, so a weekend in the area can cover both. Both tracks sit low enough that flooding has closed them in past seasons, so check before traveling in a wet spring.

Schedules, results and points run through the track’s Facebook page and its MyRacePass listing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What night does Interstate Speedway race?

Sunday evenings, from April through September, with an early evening start time.

Why is it called The Action Track?

The nickname dates to the 1980s, when the track paired racing with car jumping and other stunt entertainment. Later promoters kept those traditions going.

What classes race there?

Five IMCA divisions: Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts, with RaceSaver Sprint Cars and Tri-State Late Models on special nights.

When did the track open?

Cecil and Joyce Beauchene built it in the fall of 1969 and the first race was held on June 7, 1970.

How long is the track?

Sources differ, listing it as both 3/8 mile and 3/10 mile. Either way it is a small, high banked bullring.

What is the Dave Riley Memorial Race?

An annual midsummer memorial event that has become one of the biggest nights on the track’s calendar.

Is there another track nearby?

Yes. Park Jefferson International Speedway is a few miles away and races a different night, so both can be seen on one weekend.

Where is Interstate Speedway located?

33327 484th Avenue, Jefferson, South Dakota 57038, alongside I-29 about twelve miles northwest of Sioux City.

More information on Interstate Speedway; Click here https://www.facebook.com/interstatespeedwaysd/

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