Racing on a dirt track, Belleville
Address:
8th and M Street, Belleville, KS 66935 [map this location]
Website:
www.highbanks.org
Phone Number:
785.527.2526
Rounding the track. Photo courtesy G T Miller Photos
Friday night races. Photo courtesy G T Miller Photos
Steve Lewis famed No. 9 cars at Belleville High Banks 2007. Photo courtesy Kenneth Naysmith
Belleville High Banks Hall of Fame. Photo courtesy Kenneth Naysmith
Jeff Gordon Winning Car at the High Banks Museum. Photo courtesy Kenneth Naysmith
One of the many exhibits at the museum. Photo courtesy Kenneth Naysmith
Custom: Racing on a dirt track. With the exception of the war years, 1942-1945, the track has
operated continuously. Belleville's
track is the fastest half-mile track in the world. It has a 23-degree bank and
is 80-foot wide. The sweeping clay oval is one of the world's most
demanding tracks for both drivers and equipment. Today, the track brings more than race cars and drivers to North Central
Kansas, but also an atmosphere of excitement and enthusiasm with fans from all
over the world attending their favorite races throughout the year.
Where can you see this custom take place? At Belleville's High Banks, the world's
fastest Half-Mile Dirt Track and the oldest continuously used dirt track in the
U.S.
The track is at 8th and M.
Learn more about High Banks at the High Banks Hall of Fame and National Midget
Auto Racing
Museum at 2022 "J"
Street (U.S. 81 and 12th) in Belleville.
Open Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 785.527.2526. 
THE HISTORY OF THE TRACK
High Banks is a historic dirt track built in the 1910 era for racing events
that encompassed everything from horses to motorcycles. In the 1930s a
limestone grandstand with a banked oval was built at the fairgrounds as a Works
Progress Administration (WPA) project.
Photo courtesy Kenneth Naysmith
The summer Belleville Midget Nationals is one of the nation's biggest and richest midget races. Racing stars use the Belleville Midget Nationals as a stepping stone to the top racing circuits like the Winston Cup and the IRL.
CAREERS START HERE
Belleville High Banks has launched many auto racing careers. Racing names such
as Andretti, Unser, Foyt, Bettenhausen, Grim, and Burdick raced here fifty
years ago. More recently, Jeff Gordon, Johnny Parsons, Tony Stewart, Kasey
Kahne, J.J. Yeley, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, to name a few, have raced here
LOCAL INVOLVEMENT
When you consider the numbers of local people who have "worked" that
half-mile dirt track with horses and now more modern machines to get it into
the condition fit for races throughout the years, the High Banks is a
long-standing tradition with a very special racing culture, involving many,
many people in and around Republic County.
It's long been tradition to accept ATV's on the Belleville streets. Many race teams don't bring additional transportation in addition to the haulers.
THE MUSEUM
To recognize the long-standing tradition and prestige of various racing events
held at the track, the High
Banks Hall
of Fame & National Midget
Auto Racing
Museum was opened in
2004. The museum was built to capture and remember racing personalities
and display memorabilia and race cars that influenced the historic racing
community. Cars and pictures along with
results and history represent all the years of racing from 1910 to the present
time.
The arched facade replicates the limestone grandstand at the Belleville High Banks race track.
Photo courtesy G T Miller Photos
Phone: 620-585-2374