Heidelberg Raceway featured in book published by Chartiers Valley 2nd graders

The history of the Heidelberg Raceway has been introduced to a new generation.

Students in Shelley Territ’s second grade class at Chartiers Valley Primary School recently published a book, “The Story of the Heidelberg Raceway.”

The Heidelberg Raceway held weekly races and other special events between 1948 and 1973. It was located in what’s now known as Raceway Plaza in Scott Township.

“It’s one of the historical landmarks in our area,” Territ said.

In May 2023, Territ’s class published a book on Chartiers Valley history. After that book published, many people asked Territ when the next book would be coming out.

She set her sights on doing a book with her class on the Heidelberg Raceway and posted a request for information and pictures on a Facebook fan site. It didn’t take long for contributions to start rolling in, she said.

Each student wrote a page of the book. Students not only learned local history but also gained experience with writing skills and proofreading, Territ said.

Through the research process, student Allison Sprankle learned that her grandfather was a racer at the speedway. Territ also had a connection: her father, Bob Mulig, won a trophy from an amateur race he won at Heidelberg.

The book touches on the preparation and opening day of the raceway, May 31, 1948. Opening day welcomed 27,683 fans.

Lee Petty, the father of well-known Nascar driver Richard Petty, got his first Nascar win at Heidelberg in 1949.

Student Olivia Coulter pointed out that race would have another big winner: Sara Christian. Christian, the first woman driver in Nascar, came in fifth place in that race and was the first woman to record a top-five finish in Nascar history.

The raceway also hosted the last performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus on July 16, 1956.

The venue’s final race would occur Oct. 7, 1973. Two reasons for the closure were the need for more space for other places in the area, and the oil crisis in 1973.

The venue became a state historical monument in 2012.