I recently took my son and a friend to dads slot car racing where they had the best time racing…read morecars - and eating ice cream! My son wanted to take 2 other friends back on a Thursday evening. Unfortunately, dads was closed but I saw that mid- America was open for business score! This is way bigger than dads. They had the "professional" racers up front and put us on the beginner track on the back. Lurie set up my kids and also had them racing for 30 min. They all had a fun time despite a few meltdowns, but usually the case with a group of 1st grade boys. The cars and tracks here were in much better condition than dads where everything kept breaking. So if choosing between the 2 locations I'd probably come back here next time. It's a great way to kill some time (especially on a rainy or winter day) and a pretty affordable activity too! I also think would be a fun spot for a kids bday party!

Owner Roger Schmitt operates "Mid-America Raceway and Hobbies"…read more Mid-America Raceway and Hobbies is one of the last surviving electric model car (slot) raceways open to the public. There were thousands of 'commercial' slot car tracks in the USA in the late 1960's and 1970's; there were a half dozen racing centers in the greater Atlanta area alone. A lot of things caused the slot racing centers to close one by one- people not being as interested in hobbies and the rise of computer video games being a couple of reasons. In the last few years, there has been a revival of sorts with a certain amount of people who were glued to computer screens in the 1980's and 1990's playing "adventure" and "virtual reality" games discovering it was actually more fun "playing" in 3-D. So hobbies like model railroading, R/C airplanes, and yes slot car racing have made a comeback. For a change, more new raceways have been opening in the last few years in the USA than have been closing. All that having been said- Mid-America Raceway and Hobbies is one of the best equipped and run model car raceways in North America. Mid-America Raceway and Hobbies is about people having fun and inviting their inner child to come out to play. Rental racing cars are available so that you and your buddy can pretend you are Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. to "Shake and Bake" around their awesome 8-lane Oval track. By the same token children are invited for hours of family fun-Mid-America Raceway and Hobbies can even arrange a memorable racing birthday party for children aged 6 and up. Call them for special package deals for a day of fun for any sized group. Does your company want to encourage team building? How about a team racing event? Drivers, pit crews, team leaders... miniature racing teaches the same working together for success lessons that "pro" racing instills. Call the raceway now to plan and schedule your corporate event. Stop in sometime and check it out for yourself- but keep an open mind that this is something intended to be a pre-digital age entertainment. It may not be the right sort of thing for impatient or short attention span children or adults.

It's been several years since I've visited a dirt race track so this was quite an event!…read more Everything about our visit was wonderful. The evening started st 1815 and was filled with fun until about 2230. Thir lineup included standard racing but also a powder puff race, demolition, and spectator races. The confessions were reasonable price and their drink selection was fair and also listed at a reasonable price, i.e. $4/beer. A delight for families, couples, or friends. (:

All types of races from demolition dirby to circuit racing & stock racing and more. Yummy food,…read moremaintained well by the staff. Cold beer as well. Always a fun time here.

The in house knowledge is incredible. It was my first time at CKT and I immediately felt like a…read moreregular and welcomed to the family. Jim was fantastic and so helpful. Huge inventory and pricing is on point with competitors. Definitely recommend.

Knowledgeable, friendly, family oriented business that wants you to succeed, and knows how to help…read moreyou get there! Loves kart racing and supports the community!

best track. love this track met some nice people employees are very friendly make you feel at home…read more I recommend this track

Great time for carb racing good food drinks and bands sometime ill give it a 10 little pricey thoread more

This place USED to be a great time... every year it gets worse and worse... owner is more than…read morehappy to take (and refuse to refund) your money for shows she knows will not deliver what she's promised... runs out of water on hot days... starts hours past listed time without communication to the crowd... will make you sit for hours in cold rain (after you pay for non refundable parking, food, and booze) then ultimately cancel... team demo has dwindled down to 4 teams instead of the advertised 8... it's a shame what she's turned this place into... it really used to be a highlight of the summer..

This place took our money for tickets then canceled the event and there was NO WAY to get our money…read moreback. Scummy.

Fun track with a variety of technical corners. Race fuel, showers, camping and food onsite. Every…read moreevent is very well run and safe.

Beautiful campus, fun track, great accommodations and friendly staff! I visit BHF regularly with my…read moreBFF who races here. It's home track for his club and having been to lots of other (non oval) tracks in the area, is clear why this place is their favorite. Easy to traverse, dog friendly ; ) and a nice place to camp. You don't have to be a racer to have fun here.

Always a good time and family oriented! This year the speedway event was the most fun we've ever…read morehad!

Yelp deleted my review for no reason! Thanks! I visited this place a few times over the summer for…read moresome racing events and it was honestly one of the best and affordable times about my summer. The crowd here is great! Good food! Even watching the planes periodically land. This place is very well maintained too. I'm not even a person that's into cars but it's an incredibly fun time!

Numerous tracks for all levels of mx practice. Plenty of open trails to just ride your bike just…read morefor fun and enjoyment. Plenty of pit parking with shade, picnic tables and trash bins.

This place is awesome! I drove an hour from Arlington Heights, IL so my 8-year-old son and his…read morefriends could ride their e-dirt bikes on a dirt track instead of sidewalks and grass, and the kids had a blast. They rode on the beginner course for close to 3 hours, taking breaks in the shade around a picnic table and while their bikes were charging during lunch. The course and property are very well maintained and the lake is beautiful. Also, the staff is super nice. I highly recommend this place and we can't wait to go back!

Review 500 had to be special…read more "I took up racing because I was too lazy to work and too chicken to steal" -Kyle Petty "You win some, you lose some and wreck some" -Dale Earnhardt We all have a back story a past that formed who we are. Some experiences touch us, some move us. On a few rare occasions we are so inspired by an experience that it literally has the ability to guide our future. I am the only girl; growing up with four brothers was truly something. We would gather around our old floor model tv and watch Nascar with my dad. My brothers loved it. I had no idea what I was watching. My dad would yell "pick a car baby girl". I would yell back "7 or 13". My dad wanted us to experience Nascar in person but there was never enough money for all of us. In 2023 when Nascar came to Chicago, I was so excited! I know I had to be one of the first ten to purchase my ticket. Unfortunately, due to torrential rain I still missed it. I stood at the gate for over an hour in the rain. We were told that because of the lightning, they had to reset the clock on letting us inside. NO umbrellas allowed. I thought they were kidding until I was made to toss it. I walked to my section and was not allowed inside because it flooded. They were waiting for the fire marshals to approve entry. I walked to one of the food vendors and paid 9$ for a hotdog, 10$ if you add mustard. Food and drink were included with my ticket. We were let in a bit after 2. There were drinks but NO food. Frustrated, soaked and starting to feel sick, I left. This year's experience was priceless! I wish my dad was alive to see it. The weather was nice and sunny. Not too hot. My seat was perfect, even better than what I had last year. Made it in time for lunch and there was plenty of GOOD food. Drinks were also in abundance. Loads of snacks including Garrets popcorn. There was a beautiful lounge set up outside with Jack Daniel's seats and our private bathrooms were plentiful. When I was about to leave, they were serving dinner so I stayed and enjoyed a plate. So much to see, so much to do. Games to play, booths to visit, samples to try. Meet new people and enjoy the concerts. This was my first time seeing Buddy Guy in person. He was such a character, loved him. Yes, Nascar. I will be waiting for my email to return next year.

First, I want to say that I'm a big fan of NASCAR. I attended my first race when I was just 16…read moreyears old in Sonoma, California. Once you hear the sounds of those roaring engines you fall in love with the chaos that is about to ensue. I've attended the Phoenix NASCAR event for 4 different years, including 1 year I had pit passes, so I'm a very big fan of NASCAR. Also worked Joliet NASCAR race the summer of 2006. This is my second year volunteering at the NASCAR experience street racing in the city of Chicago. When I saw this opportunity was going to be available for the residence of Chicago to see how awesome NASCAR is...I couldn't wait to be involved. What a joy that this is actually legal street racing. I ended up volunteering last year as I taking a break from work and it was such a good experience that I thought a why not volunteer again. Last year I volunteered on Saturday and was able to see a lot of qualifying races and have a good time, unfortunately they were rained out and I did not get to see the NASCAR event on Sunday last year. This year I have volunteered on Saturday and it was nice to be a part of the NASCAR community and hear live concerts said see demo and get free paraphernalia related to NASCAR racing. This year the weather was beautiful on Saturday and I got to hear, Buddy Guy live, and then also the Black Keys. The food, the energy, the community cannot be understated for this NASCAR event. NASCAR is very diverse and everyone feels welcome. I will say as a person that has attended other NASCAR around the country. What was missing was the tailgating aspect. Hanging out in the parking lot and sharing beers and stories of NASCAR with others is pretty cool element of the NASCAR community. Probably hard to accomplish when you are actually street racing and not at a standup venue however, the fact that you were street racing along the very streets that we drive every day is just undone, especially with the skyscraping views of the city of Chicago. Hands-down, I would buy tickets for this event and just prepare to spend all weekend hanging out with the NASCAR family. If you like cars, if you like live music, if you like good food, this is a place for you. Safety was a priority here and was such a nice place to be. If you plan on getting tickets for 2025 I highly recommend you spend the extra money and get reserve seating as there are no guaranteed seats with general admission. Tip: if you plan on coming to this event, I would highly recommend that you take the Metra as that is the closest entrance to getting into the park.