By Jim Foose – Speedway Action Magazine
For years, the corner of Crall Road and State Route 13 sat in somber silence, a legendary Ohio facility waiting for a green flag that many feared would never come. This past weekend, Mansfield Speedway officially roared back to life with a two-night Monster Truck double-header that tested both the machines and the newly renovated dirt.
Friday’s opener was a great, emotional reunion for the local motorsports community—but it was Saturday’s show that truly wowed the capacity crowd.
Friday: Surviving the Storm
The anticipation for Friday night’s grand reopening was sky-high, but Mother Nature decided to throw a wet blanket on the festivities. Non-stop rain throughout the evening turned the freshly laid track into a slick, muddy battleground.
While the fans still cheered the triumphant return of their beloved speedway, the conditions severely handicapped the mechanical beasts. The heavy mud bogged down the 10,000-pound trucks, forcing drivers to slow their speeds and keep the high-flying stunts to an absolute minimum. It was a gritty, grinding exhibition of survival rather than a showcase of horsepower. Friday was great for the soul, but the crowd left hungry for the real mayhem.
Saturday: A Hands-On Owner and Sunny Skies
What a difference a day makes. Saturday brought gorgeous, 60-degree weather and beaming sunshine, drying out the track and setting the stage for an absolute masterclass in vehicular chaos.
But the incredible experience for fans started long before the first engine fired. Those arriving at the front gate to start the day were greeted by an unexpected sight: former NASCAR driver and new track owner Matt Tifft personally selling tickets. Tifft, who rescued the 67-year-old facility from ruin, wasn’t just managing from a luxury suite; he was right in the trenches, welcoming the community back to their home track.
Later, Tifft took to the microphone to address the packed grandstands, speaking with visible emotion about the massive revitalization project, including the state-of-the-art 70-by-40-foot Jumbotron towering over the grounds.
“We wanted to offer a venue that attracts the best drivers in the country while remaining a community asset.” — Matt Tifft
With the track perfectly prepped and the sun shining, announcer Robbie Devore hyped up the crowd. It was time to let the monsters off their leashes.
Rough and Rowdy: The Outlaw TruckCross
With the slippery slop of Friday gone, the dirt track was put to the ultimate test during Saturday’s Outlaw TruckCross races. If the fans wanted action, the Outlaw class delivered it in spades.
These races were rough, rowdy, and relentlessly aggressive. Competitors traded paint, slammed fenders, and launched their rigs over the jumps with zero hesitation. The tacky, sun-baked surface provided the perfect playground for the drivers to push their machines to the absolute limit. It was an intense, door-to-door brawl that perfectly primed the arena for the heavy hitters.
High-Flying Chaos: A Freestyle for the Record Books
Freed from Friday’s weather constraints, the Monster Truck lineup—featuring the 2,000-horsepower Raminator and the Pagliarulo family dynasty of Jester, Kraken, Excaliber, and the debuting Missfire—came ready for war.
Saturday’s side-by-side drag racing saw trucks clearing tabletop jumps with shocking agility, but it was the Freestyle competition that cemented the night in Mansfield history.
The drivers pushed the envelope, utilizing every inch of the dry track. Kraken brought the house down with a blindingly fast, dirt-slinging cyclone of donuts that would have been impossible the night before. Excaliber utilized its raw, unbridled power to effortlessly clear a massive stack of school buses, catching the kind of massive air the fans had been waiting all weekend to see.
As the dust settled and the final scores were tallied, the arena was treated to an absolute rarity in the monster truck world. The judges, deadlocked by the sheer magnitude and perfection of the runs, delivered a ruling that sent the fans into a frenzy: an unprecedented three-way tie for the Freestyle victory!
The Verdict: The Roar is Restored
If the weekend was a proof of concept for Mansfield Speedway’s new “Fast Affordable Fun” mantra, Saturday proved the experiment is a massive success. Friday’s rain may have slowed the pace, but it only made Saturday’s sun-drenched, high-flying action that much sweeter.
Perhaps the most defining image of the weekend, however, didn’t involve a monster truck at all. As the epic show came to a close Saturday night, the unpredictable Ohio weather returned, bringing late-night showers. Yet, as the thousands of highly satisfied fans headed to their cars, there was Matt Tifft once again—standing in the rain, shaking hands, and personally thanking the crowd for coming out.
Between the ground-pounding action on the dirt and the unmistakable passion from ownership, one thing is abundantly clear: Mansfield Speedway isn’t just “back”—it has reclaimed its crown.
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