Santa Fe finish line.
Photo by Larry Graff, July 27, 1977
Stock cars head down the straightaway at the Santa Fe Speedway in suburban Willow Springs. In the 1940s and 1950s, car races were held at Soldier Field, O’Hare Stadium, Raceway Park and Santa Fe. The speedway opened in 1895 — for horse racing. A half-mile clay track was built for car racing in the early 1950s. The track also hosted races for motorcycles and midget cars, as well as demolition derbies. It was replaced by a housing development in the 1990s.