The Aurora History Museum presents a new exhibit, “Aurora’s Short Track: The Century 21 International Speedway”
The Aurora History Museum and Historic Sites invites the public to rediscover a thrilling, fast-paced chapter of local history with its newest exhibition, “Aurora’s Short Track: The Century 21 International Speedway,” on view from June 17 to Nov. 2.
From 1971 to 1974, the grasslands just south of present-day Denver International Airport rumbled with the noise of dragsters, stock cars and thousands of cheering fans. The Century 21 International Speedway once promised to place Aurora at the heart of the regional motorsports’ scene.
“Century 21 is one of those almost-forgotten tracks that tells a much larger story about local and state history,” said Christopher J. Shackelford, exhibits curator at the Aurora History Museum. “It was a fascinating history to research; this was a golden era for motorsports in Colorado, and it deserves to be remembered.”
With a quarter-mile drag strip, a paved oval and a figure-eight circuit, Century 21 was a bold and ambitious venue. It hosted major races like the AHRA Spring Nationals and NASCAR’s Grand National West Mile High 150, drawing top-tier drivers and packing its 10,000-seat grandstand with racing fans. Many of the racers who competed there are now honored in the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame. Ultimately, bad luck, financial challenges and geopolitics led to a short life for Aurora’s short track.
Visitors to the exhibition will learn about other iconic Front Range tracks and prominent local drivers of the early 1970s. Historic photographs, newspaper archives and personal stories paint a vivid picture of the once-thriving racing culture in Aurora and throughout the region. As part of the exhibition, the museum will host a Car Meet from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at the Aurora Municipal Center, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, inviting local car enthusiasts to showcase their vehicles and celebrate the legacy of car culture in Aurora.
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission to the Aurora History Museum is always free. For more information, call 303.739.6660 or visit AuroraMuseum.org.
About the Aurora History Museum
The Aurora History Museum opened in 1979. In 1990, it moved to its present location, reopened in 1991 and became a part of the city of Aurora Cultural Services Division, the largest single provider of arts and culture programs in Aurora. To stay up to date on related programming, call 303.739.6660 or visit AuroraMuseum.org.