Gravity Park USA

Gravity Park USA
Location Chilton, Wisconsin, United States
Time zone UTC-6 (UTC-5 DST)
Coordinates 44°3′30.41″N 88°10′0.27″W / 44.0584472°N 88.1667417°W / 44.0584472; -88.1667417Coordinates: 44°3′30.41″N 88°10′0.27″W / 44.0584472°N 88.1667417°W / 44.0584472; -88.1667417
Owner Bob Schneider
Opened 1999
Stock Car oval
Surface dirt
Length 0.33 mi (0.54 km)
Motocross
Surface dirt
Website gravityparkusa.com

Gravity Park USA is a motocross and Stock car racing facility near Chilton, Wisconsin in the Town of Chilton.[1] It hosts weekly motocross races between April and October, featuring motorcycles and quads. It also has a 1/3 mile stock car dirt oval which was enhanced in the middle of 2017. The world record for the greatest length traveled on a motocross track during 24 hours was set at the track.

History

Gravity Park opened in 1999 as a kart racing facility.[2]

Motocross / snocross track

A quad racing at Gravity Park USA in 2006

Gravity Park USA opened in 2000.[3] It was named Gravity Park until it was renovated in 2005.[3] When it originally opened, it held snocross races in the North American winter.[4] Flat track races were also held on an on-site dirt oval for several years before its 2017 renovation.[5] The track hosted the 2005 Kraft Amateur Stadiumcross Championship; 250 drivers competed in the event.[6]

The track has been used for special touring events, such as Badger State Quad Championship quad races.[7] The track has also been used for SCCA RallyCross and mud bogging.[8][9]

Stock car oval

Panorama for Gravity Park Speedway

The track has oval track at the edge of the site.[10] A front-stretch wall was built in 2012.[2] Owner Bob Schneider decided to not open a stock car track since he felt there were enough ovals operating in the area at the time.[2] Race tracks in Manitowoc and Oshkosh closed and he decided to work on the oval in 2017.[2] The oval's use was grandfathered in by the town board in May 2017.[11] New lights, concrete walls, retaining fences, and grandstands were built at the oval over the middle of 2017. The oval measures 1/3 mile around the outside.[2] A stock car "Mini-Invitational" was scheduled for the track's first stock car races on October 5, 6, and 7.[12] The races rained out and were rescheduled for a one day show on the following Saturday (October 14).[13] The day was also rained out and the inaugural stock car event was cancelled.[14]

Over the winter, a Friday night weekly racing schedule of six classes was developed (modified, stock car, sport modified, grand national, street stock, and 4 cylinder).[2] The first event was scheduled for May 4, 2018 but it was rained out.[2] A non-points opening event was scheduled for the following day. Two touring series are part of the inaugural season along with an end-of-season special event weekend.[2]

World record

Prichard during his world record attempt

On September 11 to 12, 2010, motocycle racer Perry Prichard attempted to break a world record at Gravity Park. He contacted the Guinness World Records to certify the record, and the attempt was to set "the most continuous laps on a motocross bike on a motocross track by an individual in 24 hours".[15] The record attempt was a benefit for Haitians.[16] He was allowed a 5-minute break each hour to refuel, refresh, and bike repairs.[17] Guinness certified the record 426.96 km (265.3 mi) distance as the "Greatest distance on a motocross in 24 hours (individual)".[18]

When asked why he did the record attempt, he replied "when I sat down to think of what I could do to raise money for Haiti, the first thoughts through my head were NOT to sell pizzas, Girl Scout cookies or anything like that, it was about, I love to ride motorcycles and how can I turn that passion into raising money?"[15]

Amenities

The track has a sports bar and lounge, called the Killsnake Clubhouse, that is open while there is racing on the track.[19] It features a Friday night fish fry.[2]

Images

References

  1. ↑ "Gravity Park USA". Travel Wisconsin. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Verdegan, Joe (May 2, 2018). "Stock car racing returns to Chilton at Gravity Park USA". Post-Crescent Media. Appleton Post Crescent. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "About Gravity Park USA". Gravity Park USA. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  4. ↑ "Gravity Park Host Their First PeeWee Oval ATV Racing Event". ATV source. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  5. ↑ "Gravity Park USA". NA-Motorsports. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  6. ↑ Emme, Pete. "Maier Slices Off Kraft Pizza Amateur Stadiumcross Victories". Cycle News. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "Badger State Quad Championship - Round 4 - Gravity Park USA". ATV Riders.com. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  8. ↑ "Gravity Park II". Ralley-America.com. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  9. ↑ "Race Sept. 25 Chilton WI". Racing Junk.com. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  10. ↑ "Town Board minutes". Town of Chilton. April 10, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Town of Chilton Meeting Minutes". Town of Chilton. May 15, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Facebook Post-Mini Invitational". Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Mini Invitational Rescheduled". Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Mother nature wins again". Gravity Park Facebook. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  15. 1 2 "About Us". 24 Hours for Haiti.com. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  16. ↑ Anderson, Cheryl (August 23, 2010). "A race to help Haiti has a motocross rider raising funds while attempting to set a world record". The Post Crescent.
  17. ↑ "Changing Lives One Lap at a Time". Motocross Action magazine. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  18. ↑ "Greatest distance on a motocross in 24 hours (individual)". Guinness Book of World Records. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  19. ↑ "Gravity Park USA". Chilton, Wisconsin. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
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