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Macon Speedway

Macon, Illinois

By John Nelson, December 12, 2019

Continuously active since 1946, Macon is the oldest speedway in Illinois not associated with a fairground. Although it has weathered tough times, Macon Speedway has enjoyed long periods of prosperity under some of the most astute promoters in the racing business.

Born in Decatur in 1922, Wayne Webb caught the racing bug as a high school student attending “hobo” auto races at a track in Casner (just east of Decatur) in the late 1930s. The “hobos” probably were stripped-down Models T’s and similar vehicles. After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Webb purchased seven acres of farmland on the west side of Macon from Doc Miller and built a flat 1/8-mile dirt track for Midget racing. This opened to great acclaim on April 7, 1946. A throng of 5,000 descended on Macon Speedway, jumping the fences after staff ran out of tickets to sell. Clyde Dillow of St. Louis won the Midget feature on opening day.

         For the 1947 season a completely new high-banked clay track was constructed. L.E. Armstrong wrote for NSSN, “This oval measured a fifth mile on our Ford’s speedometer not on the pole but up about center track and if we was bright with a slide rule could give you the exact pole measurements - but we’re not.” Armstrong continued, “This track, completely renovated from the shabby looking, flat eighth mile it was last year, and resplendent with a new 200-foot grandstand, new lights and the highest banks in the Midwest - also among the cleanest we have ever visited, is going to make history before the season is far along.”  The five-man board comprised Art Shields, Wayne Webb, Bill Chapman, Kipp, and Dodson. The program now comprised Class A (Offy) and Class B (non-Offy) Midgets sanctioned by the St. Louis Midget Association. Among the leading drivers were Frank Burany, Ted Duncan, Rex Easton, Myron Fohr, Ray Knepper, Chuck Marshall, Elmer Noeth, Pete Romcevich, and Chuck Weyant. In his 1947 year-end summary for NSSN, Armstrong continued to praise the new owners and management, rating Macon “possibly the most successful of all downstate ovals.” He added that the builders of King City Speedway in Mount Vernon copied Macon’s track.

         Midget racing at Macon continued to boom in the 1948 season, with average weekly attendance close to 3,000 and total payouts of $31,000, better than some AAA tracks. Macon joined the Midwest Midget Car Owners and Drivers Association, which coordinated activities among more than a dozen tracks. 1949 saw an influx of top Midget pilots from out of state, notably the Texans Dick Word and Lloyd Ruby. However, a new form of racing was about to push the Midgets off the stage. As a prelude, in June 1949 Macon tried a couple programs of “hot rod” roadsters, which were catching on in many areas of the country, especially California. The real change came in mid-August when stock cars made their first appearance. Within a few weeks the “flip ‘em and flop ‘em” stock cars displaced Midgets from the regular weekly program.

         Macon Speedway almost vanished from the scene in late August 1949 as Art Shields announced plans to build a new speedway near Fans Field on the northeast side of Decatur. Shields planned to raze Macon Speedway and move its bleachers and other amenities to the new plant. However, this plan never came to fruition, because the county zoning board denied Shields a permit out of deference to local homeowners, leaving Macon Speedway in the capable hands of Wayne Webb.

         For 1950 Webb joined forces with Joe Shaheen of Springfield Speedway to organize the Illinois-Missouri Stock Car Racing Association. By 1951 the Webb-Shaheen circuit controlled nine speedways and presented racing every night of the week. In the beginning the cars were basically stock 1937 and newer sedans and coupes, with few modifications allowed except removing fenders and other excess weight. Most of the drivers had no previous racing experience and hailed from within a 60-mile radius of Macon. The large contingent from Springfield included Joe Brandenburg, Allen Crowe, Bill Griffith, Jim Mackay, Jim Moughan, brothers Pete and Coy Squires, and Ernie Strate. Representing Decatur were Bob Majors and Corky Myers. From Champaign came Lee Drollinger and Nelson Rice. The stocks proved highly popular and large fields of cars filled the pits weekly. Spectator turnout was typically 1,500 to 2,500 and topped 3,000 on several occasions. The single division of stock cars drew fields of 40 to 60 cars, necessitating a series of “dog races” for non-qualifiers. Wayne Webb made sure the weekly program never became stale. Circuses, rodeos, auto thrill shows, quarter-horse races, and fireworks displays were added attractions. He even brought the Midgets back from time to time, although fields of cars and spectator interest were disappointing.

         By 1955, stock car rules had been loosened to allow virtually unlimited modifications, and the lead division was renamed Modified. Any engine except an Offenhauser could be used, and bodies were increasingly trimmed and lightened. In 1960 Modifieds became Supermodifieds, generally having a homemade body with a four-point roll cage and vestigial roof. With virtually “anything goes” rules, Sprint Cars with full roll cages were racing as Supermodifieds as early as 1964, and such cars became prevalent in the division by the late 1960s. Leading drivers of the Supermodified era included Larry Cannon, Gene Henson, Herschel Jenkins, Johnny Myers, Ollie Runyon, and Wib Spalding. The same cars and drivers raced at Springfield Speedway, Champaign County Fairgrounds, and elsewhere in central and southern Illinois. Frequent extra-distance, extra-purse events peppered the schedule.

         Citing a scarcity of quality cars and excessive purse demands, Webb dropped Supermodifieds from weekly competition in 1966. However, the Supers returned the following season, and headlined the program through 1971. After 1971, they raced at Macon on an irregular basis. Now properly termed Super Sprints, the cars were nearly identical to those running the USAC circuit except that Macon apparently had no engine size limit, as a few Supers carried big-block engines. Top wings, however, were disallowed.

         Introduced in 1966, the Super Stock division gradually displaced Supermodifieds at Macon. Original intent was to reduce racers’ costs compared to Sprint Cars. However, following national trends, Super Stocks morphed into Late Models, which became purpose-built racecars by the early 1980s. Integration of Macon Speedway into the national dirt Late Model racing scene, with central Illinois drivers following national tours and winning “crown jewel” races, came more slowly. The first step in this direction was inauguration of the annual Herald and Review 100 race in 1981. Sponsored by Decatur’s daily newspaper, the $10,000 payout, with $2,000 to the winner, was the largest seen at the time in the region, and began to attract full-time racers from out of state. Although national stars such as Billy Moyer, Scott Bloomquist, and Don O’Neal have triumphed in the H & R 100, more often than not local drivers, familiar with Macon’s tight confines, have carried off the trophy.

         Macon Speedway prospered under Wayne Webb through the 1970s and into the early 1980s. The 1977 season was declared the best in 25 years, averaging 70 cars per program in three divisions. 1981 was even better, setting a 30-year record for attendance. But facing increasing health problems, Webb was prompted to step away from speedway management. In 1985 he leased Macon Speedway to a trusted associate, Bob Sargent. The 22-year-old had a college degree in marketing management and had helped out at the speedway in various capacities since 1985. Sargent grew into his new role immediately, adding a new scoring tower and 1,000 bleacher seats for 1986 and still more seating in 1987. With Macon now under the United Midwest Promoters (UMP) organization, the Herald and Review race became part of the Summer Nationals “Hell Tour”. For 1988 Sargent dropped the Mini-Stocks and introduced the Modified Division. For several years these raced under IMCA sanction, whereas the other weekly classes at Macon continued under UMP rules.

         Sargent publicized Macon Speedway through multiple media. A pre-season racecar show at the Decatur mall became a staple event. In 1991 the track had weekly television and radio shows. Weekly attendance during this period was typically 2,000 to 4,000. For 1995, Macon switched from UMP to NASCAR sanction. This move brought increased insurance coverage and point funds for racers together with instant public recognition. Meanwhile, Sargent expanded his promoting activities beyond Macon Speedway. Under the banner of Track Enterprises, Sargent handled the ARCA and USAC races at the Springfield and Du Quoin State Fairs, earning the title of USAC Promoter of the Year in 1995. On top of this, Sargent took over weekly promotion of Farmer City Raceway.

         Finding his plate too full, Sargent sold Macon Speedway to Ron and Helen Tapp of Phoenix, Arizona in 1998. The Tapps continued the weekly program with a few changes, most notably adding Mini-Sprints. In their three seasons at Macon, Mini-Sprints introduced fans to a number of outstanding drivers, including Justin Allgaier (ARCA, NASCAR), Gary “Bubba” Altig (Midgets), Aaron Andruskevitch (who still races Minis), Blake Feese (Sprint Cars), Kaley Gharst (Sprint Cars), Derrick Rossio (Midgets and Sprints), Donny Walden (Late Models), Korey Weyant (Sprint Cars), and Mitch Wismiller (Sprint Cars). Meanwhile, Modified star Jeff Leka raced to the 1999 NASCAR Weekly Racing national championship, earning nearly $150,000.

         In order to be close to their aging parents, Ron and Helen Tapp returned to Arizona in 2001 and sold Macon Speedway to Rich Webb, son of the founder. Under Webb’s leadership, Macon returned to UMP weekly sanction in line with most of the other tracks in the region. Entering a difficult time for short track racing in general, Macon suffered a severe decline in weekly attendance. By 2006 it was down to less than 600 per show, and Webb ended the season early.

         Returning to save Macon from its worst crisis in history, Bob Sargent teamed with NASCAR celebrities Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace, and Tony Stewart, the latter of whom had just purchased Ohio’s Eldora Speedway from its legendary founder, Earl Baltes. The four undertook major upgrades of the physical plant coupled with spicing up the racing program. Most notably, they brought numerous fellow NASCAR stars to Macon for special programs of Modified racing combined with autograph sessions. Once again the bleachers rocked to capacity crowds at special events, and interest in the regular weekly programs bloomed.

Like most weekly short tracks nationwide, Macon has been forced to retrench a bit in recent years. Introduced in September 2014, the Pro Late Model class, running “crate” engines, replaced Super Late Models for regular weekly racing. Given the extremely tight confines of the fifth mile, the less powerful and less costly Pro cars make a lot of sense. Nationally known Super Late Model drivers still come to Macon for the annual Lucas Oil Late Model Series event and the Herald & Review 100, plus other occasional shows. The St. Louis-based POWRi National Midget Series makes several annual visits to Macon.

Primary source is the two daily Decatur newspapers, the Herald and the Daily Review, which merged in 1981 as the Herald & Review, accessed via www.newspapers.com. Additional sources include National Speed Sport News, Illustrated Speedway News, Area Auto Racing News, St. Louis Racing at https://www.stlracing.com/, and the Macon Speedway website, www.maconracing.com.