RacingNation.com
Home / Columns / The Dirt Guy / Welcome To the Jungle-2007

Welcome To the Jungle-2007

HAMMOND, IN: As yet another season of motorsport
begins to fade in the Midwest, the annual Jungle Park
Reunion gives nostalgia buffs one last chance to
recapture their lost memories before winter sets in.

Located roughly 30 miles north of Terre Haute, IN just
off scenic, old Highway 41 near Turkey Run State Park,
the Jungle Park race track remains as link to the
past. Last used for racing in the early ’60’s, the
outline of the nearly round, half asphalt-half dirt
3/8 mile oval and one of the ancient, wooden
grandstand are still clearly visible.

Sometime in the early ’70’s, we happened to
accidentally stumble on the old speedway while
driving home from a USAC sprint car show at Terre
Haute. After stopping and poking around for a while,
we wondered if anyone else even knew about this little
artifact of racing history. Not long after, a new,
quicker route to Terre Haute opened, which bypassed
the section of Highway 41 where Jungle Park was
located. Slowly, the memories began to fade once
again…

And then, a few years ago, we heard that there was
going to be a “semi-official” gathering of racing
buffs at the site of the old speedway, and the first
annual Jungle Park Reunion was born. And, blessed with
beautiful, Indiana fall weather, the reunion has been
considered a great success since it’s inception.

This year’s event once again featured plenty of
beautifully restored cars from “back in the day”; a
swap-meet of amazing, ancient race car parts, plenty
of vendors offering great, collectible “stuff”, and
enough bench-racing to last through another long, cold
Indiana winter. And, once again, Jungle Park was
blessed with perfect fall weather.

Hopefully, the Jungle Park Reunion will go on for many
more years. But, if you’re a student of auto racing
history, don’t wait too long to attend…because
nothing lasts forever…

Share Button