 NORTHFIELD
PARK
Location
 Northfield Park is located 15 miles southeast of downtown Cleveland, Ohio,
USA on Route 8 (Northfield Road), off the Forbes Road exit of I-271. It is
widely acknowledge as one of the Cleveland area's top sports and entertainment
venues.
Northfield Park is the only race track in the world with its own Microbrewery.
The brewery is just one aspect of a $10 million renovation project that began
in early 1997 and culminated in its June 1998 grand opening.
Northfield Park Track Facts
| Track
Size |
: |
Half-mile |
| Speed
Rating |
: |
2:00.1 |
| Length
of Homestretch |
: |
440' |
| Width
of Homestretch |
: |
80' |
| Starters
Behind Gate |
: |
8 |
| Hub
Rail |
: |
None |
| Passing
Lane |
: |
Yes |
Northfield Park
Northfield, Ohio
Exciting Events
Some of the major annual events held
at Northfield Park include:
- the Miller Lite Cleveland Classic, a major stakes
event for three year-old pacing colts
- the Courageous Lady, an event for
3-year old pacing fillies
- the Battle for Lake Erie, a highly-anticipated annual
tourney that has been
been held for almost two decades now
History
First constructed by Chicago mobster Al Capone in 1934, the track, then known
as Sportsman Park, was intended as a greyhound track. When this plan failed,
ownership changed and the focus was switched to midget car racing. After 20
years as a successful car racing facility, interest began to wane and in 1956,
Sportsman Park was demolished to make way for what would eventually become
one of the nation's premier harness racing tracks, Northfield Park.
In 1984, the track's owners spent nearly $20,000,000 to renovate the facility,
elevating it to a position of prominence within the industry. The glass-enclosed,
climate-controlled grandstand and adjacent clubhouse, together, can seat over
5,800 people.
|
