Belleville High Banks
category : Car Races
The Belleville High Banks is a historic dirt track built in the 1920's for racing events that encompassed everything from horse races to motorcycles. The track brings more than race cars and drivers to North Central Kansas, but rather an atmosphere of excitement and enthusiasm to the famed "fastest 1/2 mile dirt track in the world!" The Belleville High Banks is managed by a volunteer racing committee that host 10-12 racing events annually. The race track is FAST, allowing those who can hold on, an opportunity to run "wide open" the entire track!! The sweeping 1/2 mile oval is one of the most demanding tracks for drivers and engines in the country. This track plays host to the nations top owners and drivers including; Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Tony Stewart, Ken Schrader, Stan Fox and even 1990 winner Jeff Gordon.The track offers racing for Late Models, Sprint Cars, Midgets, and Modifieds. Built inside the acclaimed 1/2 mile track is a smaller 1/4 mile track which races mini-stocks, hobby stocks, T-Q midgets, and even Cruisers! The track's mainstay has been the annual "Belleville Midget Nationals" which are held every year - the first weekend in August. As one of the nations biggest races of the year for midgets, top owners and drivers trek to Kansas for the 3 day event. The "Belleville Midget Nationals" is an exciting race that brings the best equipment, owners, and drivers to the nation's richest midget race in the country. The city is transformed from a small rural community of
3500 to a racing meca of 30,000 plus people during August each year!
Driver Quotes:
"Every one tells you all these stories that scare you ... that they got these numbers on the turns because you don't know where you are. And it's true. You don't know where you are. Comin' into (turn) three you need to look at what's going on coming out of four or else you'll be in trouble." - Ricky Gray
"She's like the Daytona for Midgets. She's pretty awesome. They said it has a little bit of a straightaway down the front but I haven't found it yet. You gotta to know who you are racing with because one little bobble can cost you some time of a car or anything else." - Brad Noffsinger
"It's not like anything I had been to before. It's kind of an egg-shaped 'D' the way I look at it. I'd heard how high-banked and fast it was and they weren't lying. It's kind of a harder track to pass on because it is so fast. I think even the slower guys are pretty quick here. You've gotta really be sharp to do any passing. Everybody just said they run it up against the fence so I figured we could handle that part of it." - Jack Hewitt
"There's probably only a hundred feet of straight straightaway down the front but the backstraight is pretty much just a big sweeping curve. If you don't have respect for this race track, it's gonna bite you." - Greg Vernetti
"I mean everybody who was anybody was at Belleville, and they had their best cars ready to go there. It was a great race for me to win. I was on a tear there, running wide open and jumping the cushion and never lifting. I never stopped racing like that until the checkered flag flew." - Jeff Gordon
To experience racing at it's best, come to the "BELLEVILLE HIGH BANKS!"
Address: North on main street (M Street) and east on 12th.
Phone: 785-527-5691
Our Website:www.highbanks.org
Track Phone: 785-527-2488 (Race Day)
Come visit us in Belleville, Kansas