West Sacramento's Last Race Track

— 1947-1980 —

A quarter-mile "bullring", it was a whirlpool of horsepower as short track racers in jalopies and specially-built, high-horsepower machines, flew around the oval chasing the checkered flag in close, wheel to wheel action. It was a "tacky" place with clay as sticky as Mississippi mud to harness the fast, "hook-em up" action. For fans, the facing was up close and their lap, sometimes with dirt in their beer.
Known originally as Capitol Stadium, later Capital Speedway, and finally West Capital Raceway, the track continued a Sacramento racing tradition that began at Lazy "J" Raceway and Hughes Stadium. With its national reputation, it attracted some of the country's best short track racers as one of the most well known dirt tracks this side of Indiana.
Fans would watch their friends and neighbors, "weekend warriors", pit their high speed driving skills against one another on a track that required precision and left little room for error. Crewmen in starched white pants tended to fender-less "jalopy" coupes and mighty midgets cars in the beginning. Super-modified sprint cars, stock cars and motorcycles followed. Sometimes in special, multi-day events when the track was temporarily expanded to a half mile.
Thrills and spills, horsepower-flung clay against the fence, fans saving their traditional seats by spreading blankets on bleachers. It was Saturday night at West Sacramento's last great place to race.

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