Jump to content

South Sound Speedway

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

South Sound Speedway
Speedway in May 2009
LocationThurston County, near Rochester, Washington, USA
Coordinates46°49′26″N 122°57′47″W / 46.82389°N 122.96306°W / 46.82389; -122.96306
Capacity4,000
OwnerButch and Nick Behn
Former namesOlympia-Tenino Speedway
Major eventsFormer:
NASCAR Winston West Series (1991–1993)
NASCAR Northwest Series (1985–2002)
Oval
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.375 mi (0.604 km)
Turns4

South Sound Speedway is a 0.375 mi (0.604 km) oval race track with a Figure 8 course located near Grand Mound and Rochester, Washington.

History

[edit]

The racetrack, originally called the Olympia-Tenino Speedway,[1] was constructed in 1971 by Dick and Wanda Boness.[2][3] The track was later be owned by Jerry Cope, the uncle of Derrike Cope.[1] The racetrack was sanctioned for use as a NASCAR site from 1989 until 2002, when the partnership ended due to rising costs.[4]

The track was purchased from Mickey Beadle[5] in 1995 by the Behn family, and an auto racing parts and tire store was opened on the site in 2002, with a repair shop eventually added.[2][6]

Butch Behn, who remained owner into the late 2010s, purchased a $5 million set of five, self-cleaning public toilets originally for use in Seattle. After the restrooms became an immediate nuisance in the city, Behn paid over $12,000, equivalent to $17,944 in 2025, in 2008 for the German-made commodes during an online auction. Planning to use the facilities at the speedway, the installation costs prevented the toilets from ever being implemented. Remaining in storage, Behn first attempted to sell the toilets in 2016.[7]

Geography

[edit]

South Sound Speedway is located west of Tenino, Washington on Old Highway 99. The track is listed under a Rochester address.[8]

Racetrack and site

[edit]

The oval track is 0.375 mi (0.604 km) in length and the course is in a Figure 8 configuration.[2][9] The track was repaved and the backstretch wall was moved back before the start of the 2001 season. Track times were noticed to immediately fall, placing the lap record of 14.28 seconds at 94.537 miles per hour (152.143 km/h), set by Dan Press of Vader, in jeopardy.[10][11]

The track is mentioned in a 2003 report to accommodate 4,000 people.[4] A wall on the front stretch of the track was raised by one foot before the 2007 season as a safety measure for spectators.[12]

Events

[edit]

South Sound Speedway hosts several racing divisions including late model, street stock, Legends, NW baby grand, NW Vintage Modified, and asphalt sprint cars. In the past it hosted the NASCAR Winston West Series and has hosted the Northwest Super Late Model Series once or twice a season.[citation needed]

A signature event at the track was the Miller 200, an annual late model super stock race. The first Miller 200 was held in 1995[13] and lasted into the early 2010s.[14][15] Another competition, under the NASCAR Northwest and Raybestos Brakes Northwest series, was the Pepsi 125 held in the early 2000s.[16][11]

Lower-level, street car races, which included Bumblebees, were introduced by the mid-2000s to help increase attendance.[5] Also introduced during the late 2000s was the Dennis Smitham Memorial 100, a street stock car race showcased annually during Labor Day weekend. Held in honor of Smitham, the first race was held a week after his death in 2007.[17]

Drivers

[edit]

Notable drivers, such as Greg Biffle,[6] have raced at South Sound Speedway. Other drivers of note from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series are Rick Carelli, Ron Eaton,[18] Ron Hornaday Jr., Robert Sprague, Dirk Stephens, and sisters Angela[19] and Amber Cope.[20] The Cope sisters began their careers by training at South Sound Speedway as teenagers.[21]

Images

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "Spanaway Speedway was king of race scene". Eatonville Dispatch. October 19, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 McClurg, Dian (April 19, 2010). "South Sound Speedway Gives Fast-Paced Experience for Visitors and Racers". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Dick Boness put the pedal to car racing". Senior Scene. April 20, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Dian McClurg; Mark Lawton (September 25, 2003). "NASCAR track looks like a long shot". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Murphy, Craig (May 27, 2008). "He is now out of the business of running a race track, but Jamie Guenther is rooting for a change". The Olympian. NewsBank 120EFA94BA68ED38. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via NewsBank.
  6. 1 2 Teixeira, Cindy (April 6, 2016). "Season of Speed is Underway at South Sound Speedway". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  7. ↑ Hobbs, Andy (March 27, 2016). "County racetrack owner has fancy toilets for sale". The Olympian. p. A3. NewsBank 15BE2678C55A6838. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via NewsBank.
  8. ↑ The Seattle Times staff (May 9, 2004). "Washington tracks - Until Washington lands a track capable of hosting NASCAR races, these are the best spots for racing in the state". The Seattle Times. p. C8. NewsBank 10281A81D07FAAFD. Retrieved March 5, 2026 – via NewsBank.
  9. ↑ The Chronicle staff (May 15, 2014). "South Sound Speedway Revs Up for Racing Season". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  10. ↑ Milles, Todd (May 11, 2001). "Bethel grad races from college to home to the track". The News Tribune. p. C9. NewsBank 0EFA5ED966DE5214. Retrieved March 5, 2026 – via NewsBank.
  11. 1 2 Klaas, Mark (May 10, 2001). "Lewis back in the hunt: Shunned by BGNteam, Bothell driver picks up speed for another title run". King County Journal. NewsBank 1003FD174366F6DA. Retrieved March 5, 2026 – via NewsBank.
  12. ↑ The Chronicle staff (March 29, 2007). "Things Speeding Up at South Sound Speedway". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  13. ↑ Runyon, Kristy (March 18, 2005). "South Sound ready for new season". The Chronicle. NewsBank 10A572DEA363A28F. Retrieved March 5, 2026 – via NewsBank.
  14. ↑ Runyon, Kristy (July 22, 2005). "Miller 200 brings drivers out from all directions". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  15. ↑ Hansen, Brandon (August 3, 2012). "Chehalis' Hubbert Ready for Miller 200". The Chronicle. NewsBank 14075C7248A97010. Retrieved March 5, 2026 – via NewsBank.
  16. ↑ Milles, Todd (August 13, 2000). "Lewis wins NASCAR NW race". The News Tribune. p. C11. NewsBank 0EFA5B442B905744. Retrieved March 5, 2026 – via NewsBank.
  17. ↑ McCorkle, Rick (August 31, 2011). "Rochester readies for annual street stock car race". The Daily News. NewsBank 13CF9EF0D08A7B58. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via NewsBank.
  18. ↑ The Chronicle staff (May 10, 2007). "Home Sweet Home". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  19. ↑ Palmer, Kristy (June 23, 2004). "Sports news brief - Bumblebees swarm to race". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  20. ↑ Palmer, Kristy (August 5, 2003). "Presley tops the field in the Miller 200". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  21. ↑ Spruill, Scott (August 3, 2002). "Auto Racing - The Fast and the Feminine - Teen-age girls making it in man's world". The Yakima Herald-Republic. p. D1. NewsBank 0FCE4C5F6E172CB4. Retrieved March 5, 2026 – via NewsBank.
[edit]
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to South Sound Speedway at Wikimedia Commons
  • Official site
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Sound_Speedway&oldid=1344991590"