Continental Divide Raceways was a race track located in Castle Rock, Colorado, about 30-mile (48 km) south of Denver. Built in 1959, it featured a 2.8-mile (4.5 km) road course, half-mile (.805 km) oval, and 4,200-foot (1,300 m) drag strip. The land was intended to be used for a multi-sport spectator venue, but a racing complex was built after a hill climb was staged on the property.[2] The track saw its most active time in the 1960s, hosting the USAC National Championship, major sports car races, and Trans-Am. On July 30, 1972 Evel Knievel successfully jumped 11 Dodge vehicles on his motorcycle at the track. The track closed in 1979 due to a fatal accident but reopened in 1981, holding a NASCAR Winston West Series stock car race in 1982 before being sold to real estate developers in 1983.[3] There was a motocross track called CDR Tech Track on the property where an AMA Motocross National was held in 1981 and 1982[4]
| Location | Castle Rock, Colorado |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°20′0″N 104°53′05″W / 39.33333°N 104.88472°W |
| Broke ground | 1958 |
| Opened | 1959 |
| Closed | 1983 |
| Road course (1959–1983)[1] | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.8 miles (4.51 km) |
| Turns | 10 |
| Race lap record | 1:44.700 ( Al Unser, Colt 70, 1970, USAC IndyCar) |
| Oval | |
| Length | .5 miles (.805 km) |
| Turns | 2 |
| Drag strip | |
| Length | .8 miles (1.3 km) |
Lap records
editThe fastest official race lap records at the Continental Divide Raceways are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Course: 4.510 km (1959–1983)[5] | ||||
| USAC IndyCar | 1:44.700[6] | Al Unser | Colt 70 | 1970 Rocky Mountain 150 |
| Formula 5000 | 1:48.700[7] | Jerry Hansen Tony Adamowicz |
McLaren M10A Eagle Mk.5 |
1969 Castle Rock F5000 round |
| Sports car racing | 1:55.500[8] | Bud Morley | McLaren-Elva Mk II | 1967 Continental Divide SCCA Regional race |
Race results
editUSAC Champ Car "Rocky Mountain 150"
edit| Year | Date | Driver | Team | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | July 7 | A. J. Foyt |
Sheraton-Thompson | Coyote-Ford |
| 1969 | July 6 | Gordon Johncock |
Gilmore Broadcasting | Eagle-Ford |
| 1970 | June 28 | Mario Andretti |
STP Oil Treatment | McNamara-Ford |
| [9] | ||||
Sports car races
edit| Year | Date | Driver(s) | Team | Car | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | June 26 | Carroll Shelby |
Meister Brauser | Scarab-Chevrolet | USAC Road Racing Championship |
| July 17 | Bob Holbert |
Porsche 718 RSK | SCCA National Sports Car Championship | ||
| 1961 | July 2 |  Ken Miles |
Crandall Industries Incorporated | Porsche 718 RSK | USAC Road Racing Championship |
| 1963 | August 18 | Augie Pabst |
Meister Brauser | Scarab-Chevrolet | United States Road Racing Championship |
| 1965 | August 15 | Hap Sharp |
Chaparral Cars Inc. | Chaparral 2A-Chevrolet | United States Road Racing Championship |
| [10][11] | |||||
Trans-Am
edit| Year | Date | Driver | Car | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | August 27 | Jerry Titus |
Ford Mustang | |
| 1968 | August 25 | Mark Donohue |
Chevrolet Camaro | |
| [10][11] | ||||
References
edit- ^ "Castle Rock". Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ Galpin, Darren. "Continental Divide Raceway Track Info". The GEL Motorsport Information Page. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ "Continental Divide Raceways". North American Motorsports Pages. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ "CDR Tech Track".
- ^ "Continental Divide - RacingCircuits.info". Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "1970 Castle Rock Indycars". Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "1969 Castle Rock F5000". Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "SCCA Regional Continental Divide [CSR+ESR+FSR+AP+BP+AS+BS] 1967". Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "Continental Divide Raceway". Champ Car Stats. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Continental Divide - List of Races". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Continental Divide Raceways". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- Hylton, Pete (2007). Ghost Tracks. Benton, KY: Legacy Ink Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9796976-1-6.
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