Measurements of the

Half-Mile Racetrack at the

Cowley County Fairgrounds in

Winfield, Kansas

The Winfield racetrack is 2,623 feet long when measured as far to the inside as possible or right down around the very bottom of the racetrack.  When measured that way, the racetrack is thus 17 feet short of a half-mile in length.

Richard E. “Dick” Gardner, referee for the AMA (American Motorcycle Association) officially measured the racetrack 18 inches out into the racetrack from the bottom for races the AMA ran there from 1962 to 1972 and found it to be 2,692 feet in length when so measured or 52 feet over a half-mile long.   Gardner also found the racetrack to be 55 feet wide but it is unclear where that measurement was taken.  The racetrack actually measures 80 feet wide on the front straightaway, only 40 feet wide on the back straightaway (which is very narrow for automobile racing), and 63 feet wide in the turns.

In addition to the measurements above, Gardner recorded the following in his notebook:

Surface – sandy clay

Track requires a lot of water.

Wheel Pack – Pebbles work to surface during use.

Water careful and watch for slick spots.

Calcium has not worked.

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The History of Motorcycle Racing at Winfield, Kansas