{"id":2357,"date":"2013-03-23T19:32:17","date_gmt":"2013-03-24T01:32:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lagoonhistory.com\/project\/?page_id=2357"},"modified":"2026-02-24T22:52:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T05:52:36","slug":"speedway-sr","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lagoonhistory.com\/project\/attractions\/speedway-sr\/","title":{"rendered":"Speedway, Sr."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Opened: Apr 1960
Closed: 2000
Location: South Midway
Original Cost: $100,000
Track Length: ~ \u00bc mile<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ORIGINAL CARS, 1960-1968<\/strong>
Manufactured By: Streifthau Manufacturing Company – Middletown, Ohio
Ride Model: Streco Turnpike Cruiser<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four years after the children’s Speedway ride opened as part of Lagoon’s Mother Gooseland, a larger version was built south of Roller Coaster that the whole family could enjoy. Many parks at the time were banking on the popularity of Disneyland’s Autopia that opened in 1955. When Lagoon announced the opening of their Speedway in 1960, the newspaper ads left no doubt they were following the trend as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Detail from a 1960 newspaper ad.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just like Autopia at Disneyland, Lagoon’s Speedway started out with no center guide rail. Instead, there were bumpers along both sides of the road and cars with bumpers that wrapped all the way around the vehicle. And just like at Disneyland, the original cars wore out fairly quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Local Boy Scouts drive Lagoon Speedway cars through downtown Salt Lake City in the annual Days Of ’47 Parade in 1960. Photo: Lagoon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One major difference was that Lagoon’s Speedway cars were from Streifthau – a small Ohio manufacturer. The Streco Turnpike Cruiser was their best-selling product and the owner, Edgar, and his wife, Nellie, often delivered them personally. Each car cost $1,600 – “nearly the price of a good used family car,” according to park manager Robert Freed in a 1963 interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GALLERY<\/h5>\n\n\n