Earl Padgett built the track with his oldest son. He always wanted to make a "fun park" for people to go to and have a good time. He also loved racing, so he decided to build a race track. He looked at a big chunk of woods off of a dirt road, which is now Highway 41. When he saw the land he stated "This place sure looks like a jungle". He purchased the property and the work began. Padgett and his son got to work blowing boulders up, removing trees, and making the track bit by bit.
After a lot of work, Jungle Park Speedway and Resort opened in 1926. The property consisted of a 12 mile oval, if you can call it that, track with a tar and gravel surface and a four-tiered wooden grandstand. The Jungle Park Hotel and guest cabins were right next to the track. The cafe and filling station, which is designed to look like a windmill, and the garage sit about 1/4 mile down the road.
The track opened for racing on July 5, 1926. It was sanctioned by the Wabash Valley Racing Association and was won by Fred Roberts. After racers came, they became scared of the track. The racing surface always needed upkeep, and there were no walls besides the ones at the grandstands and a wood plank wall that divided the track from the road. If a racer crashed, they would either wind up in Sugar Creek or hit a tree, which often proved fatal.
The first fatality at the track came one year after it opened. On August 15, 1927, track manager Earl Parker was repairing a rut in the racing surface during parade laps before a race. Driver Don Peters was trying to catch up to the field and was going fast. Parker did not see the car coming, so he was not able to get out of the way. Peters struck Parker, killing him instantly.
The next death come on July 8, 1928. Spectators Charles Kiger and his wife decided to attempt to cross the track during a green flag run. Back then, this was common. Driver Howard King was not able to avoid them in time, and he struck them. Mrs. Kiger was killed instantly. Mr. Kiger survived, but suffered from two broken legs and five broken ribs. King's car flipped over, but he was not seriously hurt.
The first driver fatality was on September 2, 1928. Driver Walter Ax was attempting to pass Ira Hall when he lost control. His car skidded off of the track and hit the wood plank wall and landed in a ditch. He died instantly.
Russel Greneard, a driver was killed on June 5, 1930 when his car caught fire on turn two during the May 4 races. He jumped out, but died from his injuries on June 5.
Frank "Teenie" Johnson suffered what is probably the most gruesome death at the track. On July 27, 1930 his right spindle broke, causing him to careen off of the track. He crashed into trees and his car folded literally in half, right at the cockpit, causing him to die instantly.
Edward Leeper's fatal accident on August 28, 1932 has been called a suicide by many people. Before he got into his car for the warm up laps, he reportedly said "Nothing would suit me better than to go down there and end it all today". During the warm up lap, his car sped up in between the grandstands and turn one. His car ramped the embankment, causing him to wreck into trees, killing him.
The track went eighteen years without a fatal accident until October 1, 1950. Stock car races were being held on this day, which is different from the usual sprint cars. Driver Donald Salladay lost control of his car in turn three and it flipped and hit a tree, killing him instantly.
The final driver fatality came on September 28, 1952. Ralph Scott lost control of his car and flipped end over end into the infield.
October 9, 1960 would prove to be the final race day at Jungle Park. Spectator Annabelle Sigafoose was sitting in the infield on a picnic blanket watching the race, being held on the 1/4 track, which cut into the infield of the original 1/2 mile track. Arlis Marcum's midget car hit a rut and careened into the infield. Mrs. Sigafoose was struck and drug several feet under the car. She died at Culver Union Hospital in Crawfordsville. This accident shut down the track.
The track went into a state of disrepair. The racing surface quickly became overgrown and by the 1970s, all the grandstands were demolished besides one, an added fifth tier built in 1947. Today this section of grandstands, the original grandstand walls, and the outline of the track are still there. If you look very carefully at a patch of racing surface sticking through the grass on the front stretch, you can still faintly see the start/finish line.
The track operated from 1926-1942. Racing was banned during World War II. The track re-opened in 1945 and shut down again in 1955. It reopened for one race in 1960.
The track also hosted many Indianapolis 500 champions and racers including Crawfordsville native "Howdy" Wicox, Ira Hall, "Dutch" Baumann, Rex Mays, and so many more. Today, the Sentman/Chaplain family own the track. They host the "Rumble in the Jungle" in October, which is a big car show and a day to honor the track and its history. It was last held on October 9, 2016 which marked sixty years to the day that it shut down. The Indiana Memorial Racing Association (IRMA) unveiled a historical marker right outside the grandstands. The guest cabin is a private residence now. The cafe is shut down and in a state of disrepair. The garage is used as a private garage today, and the hotel burned down in 2005 during restoration.
This place is a very special place. I have been there three times and I still get goosebumps when I even just go by. If you are able to, pull over and take a good look at this place. Just ask for
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