Continental Divide Raceways
 1978 aerial photo | |
| 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 |
| Major events | NASCAR Winston West Series Colorado Winston 200 (1982) USAC Championship Car Rocky Mountain 150 (1968–1970) Trans-Am Series (1967–1968) United States Road Racing Championship (1963, 1965) USAC Road Racing Championship (1960–1961) SCCA National Sports Car Championship (1960) |
| Road Course (1959–1983) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.802 miles (4.510 km) |
| Turns | 10 |
| Race lap record | 1:48.700 ( Jerry Hansen/ Tony Adamowicz, McLaren M10A/Eagle Mk.5, 1969, F5000) |
| Oval (1959–1983) | |
| Length | 0.500 miles (0.805 km) |
| Turns | 2 |
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 2.802 mi (4.510 km) road course, 0.500 mi (0.805 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.[1] 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.[2] There was a motocross track called CDR Tech Track on the property where an AMA Motocross National was held in 1981 and 1982.[3]
Lap records
The fastest official race lap records at the Continental Divide Raceways are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Course: 4.510 km (1959–1983)[4][5] | ||||
| Formula 5000 | 1:48.700[6] | Jerry Hansen[a] Tony Adamowicz[a] |
McLaren M10A[a] Eagle Mk.5[a] |
1969 Castle Rock F5000 round |
| Sports car racing | 1:55.500[7] | Bud Morley | McLaren-Elva Mk II | 1967 Continental Divide SCCA Regional race |
Race results
USAC Champ Car "Rocky Mountain 150"
| 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 |
| [8] | ||||
Sports car races
| 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 |
| [9][10] | |||||
Trans-Am
| Year | Date | Driver | Car | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | August 27 | Jerry Titus |
Ford Mustang | |
| 1968 | August 25 | Mark Donohue |
Chevrolet Camaro | |
| [9][10] | ||||
Notes
References
- ^ 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".
- ^ "Castle Rock - Motor Sport Magazine". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "Continental Divide - RacingCircuits.info". RacingCircuits.info. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "1969 Castle Rock F5000". Motor Sport Magazine. 8 June 1969. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "SCCA Regional Continental Divide [CSR+ESR+FSR+AP+BP+AS+BS] 1967". 14 May 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.