Images credit: Motion Raceway

It’s that time of the week again as we cash our paychecks, count down the hours until the weekend, and visit yet another long-lost quarter mile strip of asphalt that didn’t quite stand the test of time. This week our travels take us to nearly smack dab in the middle of the state of Illinois in the small town of Assumption, where racing machines driven by a laundry list of legends once roared on the track known as Motion Raceway.

The story behind the creation of the Motion Raceway is an interesting one, as Assumption native John Jones, who had recently been discharged from the armed forces, had the idea to lay a strip of asphalt on a parcel of his land to allow locals a place to safely and legally race their vehicles. The track would have a coin-operated gate so that racers could come and go as they wished and race without getting in trouble with the law.

However, after visiting other area racing facilities, Jones opted to build a full fledged drag racing facility and surveyed the land and drew up the blueprints himself before the track was constructed. Room was also made within the property to house a circle track, although that never came to pass.

Motion Raceway was completed in November of 1970 and officially opened for competition in 1971. The track was originally a quarter mile, but later was shortened to 1,000 feet to allow for more shutdown room. The entry fee to race was a scant $6. Jones and his brother operated the track through the 1979 season, and John himself presided over it through 1983, when it closed its gates after 13 successful seasons.

During its years of operation, Motion Raceway played host to the greats, including “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Ronnie Sox, Bill “Maverick” Golden, the Chi-Town Hustler AA/FC, Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, Della Woods, Steve Carbone, and a host of others.

The remains of Motion Raceway are still there in a field in Assumption, with the strip of pavement still in relatively good condition compared to many of its shuttered counterparts.