Videogame build plots modern-day NASCAR on Hanford Motor Speedway

Fans of the NASCAR Racing 2003 Season computer game have had the chance to download a “fictional modernized build” of Hanford Motor Speedway, and drive 2003 Model NASCAR Cup cars around the 1.375-mile tri-oval. 

The build was created by @gone-sovereign, self-described as a “​​Trans woman. Aspiring graphic designer, digital artist and musician. Avid motorsports fanatic. Otherwise just your average emo/punk rock bitch.” 

The video here is of Version 2 made available in October 2003. A subsequent Version 3 has undergone 16 revisions, the most recent in December 2024. 

@gone-sovereign's rendering of Hanford Motor SpeedwayThis build is only the second known video or computer game featuring Marchbanks and/or Hanford Motor Speedway. An Xbox game titled Indianapolis 500 Evolution released in 2009 included Hanford Motor Speedway among its track options. 

In adding a Hanford build to the NASCAR Racing 2003 Season options, @gone-sovereign wrote, “I assembled this build based on photo and video reference, Google Earth, and this track's appearance in Indianapolis 500: Evolution for the XBOX 360, which I own a physical copy of, and is in fact how I came to know about this track's existence! My goal in doing this was simply to try and preserve this track's memory in whatever little ways I could.” 

@gone-sovereign nicely credited me for research that went into her build, writing, “This track is a 1.375-mile tri-oval (though it was billed as 1.4 miles in the 60's). Turn 1 is progressively banked from 17 to 22 degrees, with Turns 2 and 3 being banked 8 and 12 degrees, respectively. There's also an infield lake that was used for drag boats, which I had scaled down slightly. If anyone wishes to make a period-accurate version of this track, I would endorse it, but be aware that this layout is roughly accurate to the tri-oval configuration that existed prior to 1967, after which point the first turn had been reconfigured and the track was widened to 90 feet.” 

Well done, @gone-sovereign!

Table of contents

I've posted several dozen different "chapters" on the history of Marchbanks Speedway, aka Marchbanks Stadium and Hanford Motor Speedway, so have decided to put together a Table of Contents to help readers find topics of interest, particularly the interviews with racers who knew the track first-hand, including legends like Andretti, Unser and Kenyon.

These are listed in the order I originally posted them (some, particularly the main history, have been updated multiple times). 

1. History of Marchbanks Speedway, aka Hanford Motor Speedway
2. 1967 Champ Car race program
3. More photos from the 1967 Champ Car race
4. 1970 stock plan tried to keep Hanford Motor Speedway alive
5. March 1968 Champ Car race program
6. Second death at Marchbanks/Hanford speedway
7. November 1968 Champ Car race program
8. April 1969 Champ Car race program
9. Additions to Marchbanks Speedway history
10. "The Fabulous Mr. Marchbanks"
11. Cool photos of the Marchbanks road course
12. Reader: Hanford 250 "the best auto race I have ever seen"
13. My interview with Gary Marchbanks
14. My interview with Tommy Trader
15. Details of 1957 death at Marchbanks
16. Updates to Marchbanks history
17. Readers share recollections of racing at Marchbanks, Hanford
18. My chat with racing legend Mel Kenyon
19. My chat with Bobby Unser
20. My interview with George Benson
21. My interview with Mario Andretti
22. Hanford through the lens of a teenager
23. More great photos from 1968-69 Champ Car races
24. Fresh updates to Marchbanks Speedway/Hanford Motor Speedway history 
25. 1967 George Snider feature story
26. Marchbanks inducted into West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame
27. Video of 1968 Champ Car race at Hanford
28. Map of Marchbanks road course, circa 1960
29. Sept. 1960 Road Race Program
30. Interviewed by "Valley Edition"
31. Poster from 1964 USAC stock car race
32. Video from 1961 NASCAR race
33. Photo of 1951 NASCAR race
34. John Isom photos from 1967-68 Champ Car races
35. More John Isom photos from 1967-68 Champ Car races
36. Local news video of March 1968 Champ Car race
37. Program from 1964 CRA 'Big Car' race
38. Videogame build plot modern-day NASCAR on Hanford Motor Speedway

Hanford museum opens Marchbanks exhibit

I’m thrilled with the news that the Carnegie Museum of Kings County in Hanford has unveiled an exhibit on Marchbanks Speedway, which runs through Dec. 19, 2021. 

The exhibit is a long time coming, and I’m happy museum President Jack Schwartz has finally gotten this effort to the finish line. I have communicated with Jack several times over the past year regarding this exhibit, and I know how passionate he is about shedding light on Marchbanks in all its incarnations. 

It’s unlikely I’ll be able to get to the exhibit before it closes (I live in Colorado) but I encourage all race and history fans to stop by the museum and let me know what you think. 

And if you see Jack, be sure to pass along your thanks for doing his part to preserve an important part of Kings County and auto-racing history. I know he relied heavily, as I have, on grassroots support to help tell the track’s history. 

Admission is free, but the museum is encouraging donations and for you to bring a new unwrapped toy, which will go to the Marine Reserve’s Toys for Tots program. 

Here are two news articles on the exhibit: 

• "Marchbanks exhibit gives glimpse of Hanford’s wild past," from the Hanford Sentinel

• "The Carnegie Museum of Kings County presents an exhibition celebrating the history of the Marchbanks Speedway," from Valley Voice