Springport Mid-Michigan Speedway

Springport Mid-Michigan Speedway is a 3/8th mile, high-banked, oval short track located northwest of Springport, Michigan.Springport Mid-Michigan Speedway opened in the fall of 1989 under the name of Michigan Ideal Speedway. Built to replicate the dimensions of Michigan International Speedway, but on a 3/8th mile scale.Seating 5300 spectators at maximum capacity, the track sits in the countryside of Calhoun County, a 45-minute drive from the Irish Hills and Michigan International Speedway.HistorySpringport Mid-Michigan Speedway opened in the fall of 1989 under the name of Michigan Ideal Speedway.Michigan Ideal Speedway was the dream of Russ Densmore. Densmore owned a local propane company in Springport, Michigan, and he was on the fire and safety crew at Michigan International Speedway. In 1988 Russ Densmore was the fire crew chief at Spartan Speedway, a position he had held in previous seasons under the ownership of Paul Zimmerman. After an evening of racing, Densmore and new Spartan owner Russ Cowper (Cowper also owned the Galeburg Speedway) had a conflict over some facet of track operation, Mr. Cowper challenged Densmore "If you think you know so much about running a race track, why don't you go get your own".Mr. Densmore purchased 68acre farm & farm house in the extreme North East corner of Calhoun County and build his dream short track and called it Michigan Ideal Speedway.One of the major contractors/builders was also a local racer named Jim "Barney" Barnhardt. Not only did Barney help build the track, he was the first ever driver to take a race car onto the speedway and held the track record for 6 years. He was also the first driver to wreck a car on the speedway.