Eagle Raceway for sale

The dirt race track has been listed for sale

Eagle Raceway is a 1/3-mile high banked dirt oval. A 1/8-mile dirt karting track is also on the property. The track is located in Eagle, Nebraska.

Dirt tracks were already under strain heading into 2020. Kids are spending more time indoors, before the government required it. Then in March, the whole world was set on fire. Now, things are surfacing from the ashes.

Rumors circulated that the NE track would be closing. But, that’s not the case, they will continue to operate but the track is listed for sale.

Eagle has not yet opened for racing in 2020. “Every week of our season that we miss cut large percentages out of our chance of survival,” track owner Roger Hadan told 1011 last month.

Haden added, “There’s not really much choice right now, we’ve got to try something because with only 10-12 weeks of the season left to try and pay the bills, it won’t work. Someone else will end up owning this place.”

But, that changes today. And someone else could end up owning the place as well.

Saturday June 6th, the Nebraska dirt track is set to host their season opener. The tracks welcomes a limited number of race fans due to local health restrictions and guidelines.

More rumors suggested the purse would be cut for today’s season opener. That’s also not the case as the track confirmed via a social media post.

Eagle Raceway: History

The track was born in 1963 as Dale Halvorsen and Harvey Kropp went to work carving the track out of farm land owned by Halvorsen. The high banking came from the hills that surrounded the landscape.

The landscape sort of sits in a bowl. The grandstands sit above the race track. That came from the natural shape of the land.

In 1976, Jim Golden prematurely removed his seatbeats to celebrate after a heat race win at the speedway. His car then flipped into turn one and Golden lost his life in the crash. Track officials elected to suspend the rest of the 1976 season.

The track sat dormant until 1982.

In 1984, the track was purchased by John Beecham. They began racing twice a week on Friday and Saturday nights.

Soon after, the track became NASCAR sanctioned. They also welcomed the World of Outlaws and USAC Nationals Series. USAC’s Midsummer Midget Classic was won by names like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon before they rose to NASCAR Cup Series champions.

In 1997, the track was sold to Craig Cormack and Dean Orth. In 1999, Cormack took full ownership of the dirt track. Wooden bleachers were replaced with the current concrete bleachers.

In 2005, Cormack put the track up for sale, citing poor attendance. The track was then leased to Roger Haden, a dirt late model driver at the time.

The track is currently owned by Slacker Investments LLC. Haden is listed as the only owner of the company but it’s run by the entire family.

Amid financial pressure from a pandemic, the track is for sale once again. The Nebraska property listing on several websites was shown as created in May and others show updates as recently as a Thursday.

Eagle Raceway: Property Listing

Track address: 617 S 238th St, Eagle, NE 68347

Lot Size: 52.00 AC

Building Size: 12,122 SF

When it comes to race track properties, this one comes with all the amenities:

-Grandstands hold 8200 people
-Surface Parking to support 2700 cars
-Pit Parking supports 200 cars with rigs
-3 well built restroom facilities
-12’ high Radius Catch Fence w/ Cable around entire Track

13 buildings on the site consisting of:
-Main VIP/Scoring/Concession Bldg
-Announcers Booth/Restroom facilities/Adult Beverage Window Bldg
-Hospitality Tent – 30’x60’
-East Concession/Restrooms/Adult Beverage Window Bldg
-Souvenir Stand
-Electrical Control Bldg
-Pit Ticket Booth
-Main Entrance Ticket Booth
-Maintenance Bldg (2 tied together)
-Pit Concession Bldg
-Pit Garage w/ Restrooms & Showers
-Machine Shop
-Quonset Hut 40’x80’

-Aluminum High Rise Seating w/4500 Seats
-Aluminum & Concrete Stadium Seating w/3100 Seats
-Metal/Wooden Bleachers w/ 600 Seats
-ATM Owned System
-Musco Lighting
-1/3 Mile High back Oval Dirt Track
-1/8 Mile Oval Dirt Kart Track

Note: Owner has explored and secured plans to build a Commercial Building along Hwy 34 (“O” Street) This is in the overflow parking area used for the large National event at the end of the season.

Track Price: $3,900,000

Learn more about the NE property here.