The Owosso Speedway, also known as “The Big O” started with four men, a tractor and some free time after work in 1937, not so different from a small business in today’s world. After the work “paid off” in 1939 the racetrack held its first race, making it Michigan’s oldest speedway. Shortly after, this hard work would be halted by World War Two when the track would then be used as a POW camp. After the return of Motorsports in the US “The Big O” would complete its Half mile dirt oval that made it a nationally known dirt track. The half mile track was later changed to the layout it would remain today, a 3/8th mile banked oval.
With the purchase of The Owosso Speedway in 2022 by Rex and Sarah Wheeler it was quickly realized the immense amount of effort, planning, and change that would soon come to the property. Some of the improvements included new parking spaces, new facilities for both teams and spectators and the 21,000 yards of concrete poured to resurface the track. The track quickly saw an increase in weekly attendance as well as the reach of the drivers it would bring in for each event! The efforts didn’t stop there, with Rex and Sarah looking towards the future this was just the start. The speedway in 2024 purchased six sets of bleachers from the Rockford Speedway in Illinois that announced its closing in 2023 and installed an additional set of bleachers with the final capacity expected to be around 20,000 when completed.
The 86th anniversary night at the Owosso speedway was nothing short of spectacular. My eyes wide open taking in all of the crews getting ready and prepared for the day on the newly paved paddock area. I immediately walked over to Jack Attack Racing from Auburn Indiana. A father and two sons in the same class would make for an action packed night of racing for the Late Model Sportsman lineup. The race was nothing short of thrilling, Brent Jack held onto first place from beginning to end to finish the first race of the season with a win. This was not before a few hard fought battles with one of his sons, Hunter Jack who ended up in third behind Trevor Berry. This wasn’t the only father son battle for victory. Matthew Elsey Jr. from Otsego Michigan faced the self elected challenge of starting in the back of the pack. Time winding down, fans on their feet with anticipation, only a couple laps to go and Elsey Jr. still yet to pass his dad.
On one of his last opportunities Elsey Jr. took the open space and passed Matt Elsey Sr. to win the Sport Compacts class for the night and claim the thousand dollar bonus for starting in the back. Both the Pure Stocks and the Center Modifieds would prove to be an incredible action packed night of racing for the fans. Lonnie Saumier would battle from eleventh to first in the number fifteen car with the crowd loving every passed car and opportunity taken and take the win in the Pure Stocks. The Center Modified win would be taken home by David McManus of Birch Run Michigan. To step back and think that this is only the start of the racing season, and the beginning of a 180 million dollar expansion project is truly incredible. I will be sure to be back to Owosso Speedway this season to see even more updates.
