NASCAR speedway in Pennsylvania abandoned for 20 years now stands as a ghost track

This Pennsylvania ghost track was once a NASCAR speedway, but now it’s sat abandoned for more than two decades.

Nazareth Speedway shut down in 2004 after a century of hosting races.

A YouTuber called Past Life Explorer has paid a visit to the site, which has been over-run by nature in the years since it shut up shop.

NASCAR, CART, and IndyCar events have all played out here in years gone by, but all of that is a distant memory now.

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Taking a closer look at this abandoned NASCAR speedway

If you were to look at this racetrack, it’d be hard to imagine that it was once so vibrant and full of life.

With weeds growing up through the tarmac, it’s not making anybody think of fast cars and nail-biting finishes.

Back in 1900, this site got its start as a venue for horse racing before transitioning into motor racing the following decade.

In 1986, Roger Penske, the owner of IndyCar, purchased the facility and reopened it as the Pennsylvania International Raceway one year later.

At the height of its operation, this track was constantly playing host to NASCAR, CART, and IndyCar events, helping build the racing careers of Mario and Michael Andretti.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to last forever, as it closed in 2004.

Its races were relocated to Watkins Glen in New York, which is where its grandstands went in 2007.

Large mounds of dirt were left on the track to prevent unauthorized racing.

Things haven’t gotten much better in the years since, as vegetation has grown wildly out of control.

The buildings left on the site aren’t looking too great either, with graffiti plastered all over them.

What is the future of this racetrack?

This property was sold back in 2015 to Raceway Properties LLC, with a legal clause stating that racing was permanently banned on this site.

Fast forward to 2025 and it remains zoned for commercial use.

Proposals for warehouses or housing have been put forward over the years, but nothing has come to fruition – as the Past Life Explorer’s video demonstrates.

“It should be reopened as a local track,” he said.

“Gives kids and family something to do.”

Hopefully, it sees new life soon, in one way or another.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a track being left to gather dust.

Whether it’s in Arizona or Kentucky, we’ve seen plenty of these incredible facilities being left to the sands of time.

Some are so forgotten that not even the locals know about them, as was the case with the Meadowdale Raceway in Chicago.

To see this abandoned NASCAR speedway for yourself, visit Past Life Explorer’s YouTube channel.

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