Portsmouth Raceway Park flooded this week from Ohio River crest (Video)

Portsmouth Raceway Park went underwater with an Ohio River crest of 53.3 feet

Long before dirt racing, Portsmouth Raceway Park was the home of Shawnee Indians. The ‘white man’ forced them out of the area until several floods arose and forced everyone out. That was 200 years ago.

The area hasn’t changed in that regard. On Monday, the Ohio River invaded Portsmouth Raceway Park.

View the Portsmouth Raceway Park flood video and photos below.

On February 19th, the city erected the flood gates in Portsmouth, Ohio. It was the first time that call has been made since 1997.

This week, the Ohio River hit a crest of 53.3 feet. The highest level in the last 20 years.

In 1997, the Ohio River reached 64.7 ft. That was the highest level ever recorded.

The last time the track flooded, it changed the track rather dramatically. Not from a visual point of view, but the track surface itself.

The current track owner has big plans for the speedway. He recently sold his other business and Portsmouth Raceway Park has become his primary focus. I attempted to speak with him about those plans back in October but the schedules didn’t align.

They had to bring in additional temporary seating for the 2017 DTWC. The 2017 Lucas Oil Dirt Series finale was the highest attendance ever record for the event at PRP. It marked the debut of the ‘throwback dirt late model weekend’. Most teams participated by using wrap designs from earlier portions of their racing career.

The water levels began to decrease on Monday. But, for many families, they have lost their homes or business.

“Our thoughts are with all of those being affected by the recent flooding,” Portsmouth Raceway Park shared ahead of the river crest on Monday.