{{short description|Racetrack}}{{More citations needed|date=May 2026}}{{Infobox motorsport venue |name = Stafford Speedway |nicknames = Stafford |location = Stafford Springs, Connecticut |coordinates = {{Coord|41|57|19.08|N|72|19|13.44|W|display=inline,title}} |image = |image_caption = |capacity = 10,000 |operator = Mark Arute |broke_ground = 1868 |opened = 1870 |former_names = Stafford Motor Speedway (1979–2022)<br />Stafford Springs Motor Speedway (1959–1978)<br />Stafford Springs Speedway (1946–1958)<br />Stafford Springs Agricultural Park (1870–1945) |events = '''Current:'''<br />'''NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour''' (1985–1987, 1989–2021, 2026)<br />'''Formula D''' (2026)<br />'''Former:'''<br />Camping World SRX Tour (2021–2023)<br />NASCAR K&N Pro Series East<br>''Stafford 150'' (1987, 1991, 1993–2008, 2016)<br />NASCAR North Tour (1979–1982, 1985) |miles_first = True |layout = Oval |surface = Paved |length_km = 0.805 |length_mi = 0.500 |turns = 4 |banking = Turns 1-2: 7° <br> Turns 3-4: 8.5° |record_time = |record_driver = |record_car = |record_year = |record_class = }}
'''Stafford Speedway''' (formerly known as '''Stafford Motor Speedway''' and '''Stafford Springs Motor Speedway''') is a {{cvt|1/2|mi|km|abbr=on}} paved oval located in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. Stafford Speedway holds weekly racing every Friday night May through September. This track is known as the home of the SK Modifieds and drivers such as Ryan Preece and Ted Christopher. The track hosts weekly events throughout the season previously including 3 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events yearly. Stafford Motor Speedway is the track that had hosted the second most ever races in the modern era of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour with 135 races from 1985 to 2021.
The speedway also had hosted 5 NASCAR North Tour events from 1979 until 1985 and 30 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races, between 1987 and 2016.
Stafford Motor Speedway was the site of the first ever Superstar Racing Experience event on June 12, 2021. The main event was won by track regular Doug Coby.
In December 2020, the track announced that it would end its 60-year affiliation with NASCAR, "due to a conflict regarding ownership of streaming and broadcast rights of weekly racing events".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Running |first1=Scott |title=Stafford Speedway Leaving NASCAR Weekly Racing Series in 2021; Track to Race Independently; Modified Tour Events Unaffected for 2020 season |url=https://staffordmotorspeedway.com/stafford-leaving-nascar/ |website=Stafford Motor Speedway |access-date=29 March 2021 |date=21 December 2020}}</ref> Stafford began live streaming on FloRacing in 2021.<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Opening Night|episode-link= |url= |access-date= |series=Stafford Motor Speedway |series-link= |first= |last= |network=FloRacing |station= |date=April 24, 2021 |season= |series-no= |number= |minutes= |time=13:54 |transcript= |transcript-url= |quote= |language=}}</ref>
==History== thumb|right|Start of the 2019 Fall Final 150 Originally known as the Stafford Springs Agricultural Park,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wollschlager |first1=Mike |last2=Ofgang |first2=Erik |last3=Yuravich |first3=Albie |title=Summer Fun 2018: Outdoor Family Entertainment |url=https://www.connecticutmag.com/arts/summer-fun-outdoor-family-entertainment/article_39082f82-593d-11e8-9b36-038037c0a658.html |website=Connecticut Magazine |access-date=10 July 2019 |date=18 May 2018}}</ref> the facility was used as a half-mile horse racing facility up to the end of World War II when it switched to automobile racing.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Courchesne |first1=Shawn |title=STAFFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY |url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2003-04-25-0304252128-story.html |website=Hartford Courant |access-date=10 July 2019 |date=25 April 2003}}</ref> The facility became a NASCAR track in 1959 as a dirt track, under the ownership of Rockville auto dealer Mal Barlow, Barlow paved the track in 1967. It was purchased by the Arute brothers, Chuck and Jack Arute in 1970. Jack's son Mark Arute continues to own and manage the track with his wife Lisa, and two sons Paul and David.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://localracing.nascar.com/nwmt_advance_092512_Analyzing%20The_CARQUEST_Fall_Final_At_Stafford|title=Whelen Modified Tour Stat Advance: Stafford - NASCAR Home Tracks}}</ref>
== Notable drivers == thumb *Geoff Bodine<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist3.php?trackid=370|title=Stafford Motor Speedway}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flickriver.com/photos/blue65pv544/2994342631/|title=Geoff Bodine – a photo on Flickriver}}</ref><ref name="near">{{cite web |url=http://www.near1.com/HALL-OF-FAME/index.htm |title=New England Antique Racers |access-date=2010-06-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209094636/http://www.near1.com/HALL-OF-FAME/index.htm |archive-date=2011-02-09 }}</ref> *Brett Bodine *Ron Bouchard<ref name="near" /> *Ken Bouchard *Greg Sacks *Doug Coby *Jerry Cook<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.staffordspeedway.com/Pages/News/40-YEAR-1974.htm |title=SMS Online: A Look Back in Time at the 1974 Stafford Speedway Season |access-date=2013-01-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110108040150/http://staffordspeedway.com/Pages/News/40-YEAR-1974.htm |archive-date=2011-01-08 }}</ref> *Dale Earnhardt<ref>{{cite web |title=August 6: Dale Earnhardt Smokes the Competition in Stafford |url=https://todayincthistory.com/2018/08/06/august-6-dale-earnhardt-wins-in-stafford/ |website=Today in Connecticut History |access-date=10 July 2019 |date=6 August 2018}}</ref> *Richie Evans<ref name="Bourcier">Bourcier, Bones. ''RICHIE!: The Fast Life and Times of NASCAR's Greatest Modified Driver'' (1st ed., 2004). Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA: Coastal 181. {{ISBN|0-9709854-6-0}}.</ref> *Jimmy Spencer<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racing-reference.info/rquery?id=spencji01&trk=332&series=N|title=Driver Jimmy Spencer's NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results at Stafford Motor Speedway – Racing-Reference.info}}</ref> *Mike Stefanik *Ted Christopher *Don McTavish *Ryan Preece *Donny Travaglin *Martin Truex Jr. *Steve Park
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Stafford Motor Speedway}} *[http://www.staffordspeedway.com/ Stafford Motor Speedway website] *[http://www.racing-reference.info/tracks/Stafford_Motor_Speedway Stafford Motor Speedway archive] at Racing-Reference
{{NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racetracks}} {{ARCA Menards Series East and West racetracks}} {{Superstar Racing Experience}} {{PASS Super Late Model Series racetracks}} {{Valenti Modified Racing Series racetracks}}
Category:NASCAR tracks Category:Superstar Racing Experience tracks Category:Motorsport venues in Connecticut Category:Stafford, Connecticut Category:Sports venues completed in 1870 Category:1870 establishments in Connecticut