Building demolition begins at Colorado's former Bandimere Speedway
Since the end of its final racing season, Colorado's historic Bandimere Speedway has been slowly dismantling as it prepares to open a new racetrack in Hudson. Now, demolition has begun on one of its most iconic buildings.
In a social media post, the Bandimeres expressed mixed emotions as they watched the demolition. While they hold dear memories of the speedway's 65-year history as a staple of Colorado's racing community, they say they're also looking forward to the future.
"It is really hard to put into words the feelings and emotions that we are all experiencing as we watch one of the most iconic elements of Thunder Mountain be torn down. However, we can say this, it is possible to feel heartbroken reminiscing over all the memories that surrounded this building. While at the same time feeling excited for the future and anxious about what the new tower will look like," they shared. "These planning stages take a lot of time and decision making to ensure we exceed not only our own expectations, but those of racers and race fans alike. We want to thank everyone for their continued patience, support and prayers throughout this entire process.
The current track first opened in 1958 after John Bandimere St. purchased a parcel of land on the west side of Denver. He constructed a small drag strip that augmented his family's auto parts business, hoping the speedway would provide a safe place for young people to learn about cars and race off the streets.
It grew to nearly 10 times its original size over the years and hosted many racing events, including the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. The speedway was also home to popular events such as the Colorado State Patrol "Take it to the Track" Test Nights, "Pink Saturdays" to raise breast cancer awareness, the "Rock N Roll Car Show," and the "Christmas in Color" drive-through light show.
The speedway celebrated its 65th anniversary in 2023. That October, the track held its "Last Blast" event before it began to auction off items in preparation for the move.
"Surrounding development has become more prevalent in the past several years," Bandimere Sr. explained in 2023. "And once again, our family is prepared to surrender the location we have called home for six decades. Truly, the mission and vision of the facility has not changed over the years. The place has never been ours; it belongs to God."
Since then, the family has been working on the annexation and zoning for a new location in the Town of Hudson.
In April, they announced, "As of last night, Wednesday, April 1, we are thrilled to share that we received a unanimous 'yes' vote for both annexation and zoning. This moment would not have been possible without your encouragement, your voices, your attendance at meetings, and your continued belief in what we are building together."
They added that they're looking forward to the journey ahead, alongside Colorado's racing community.
