Located 40 minutes to the east of Pittsburgh, Steel City Raceway hosted pivotal championship races in the scenic valleys of Delmont, Pennsylvania. From 1988 to 2012, Steel City hosted one of the Keystone State’s two nationals. The venue unfortunately closed its doors for good just two short years after hosting its last round.
Venues
Steel City Raceway was named after Pittsburgh’s legendary moniker and sat near the small town of Delmont, which has a population of less than 3,000. For many years, Steel City hosted the season finale of the Pro Motocross Championship, being the backdrop for incredible triumphs and agonizing heartbreak.
Iconic Moments
McGrath vs Emig, Brown vs Langston, and Pastrana vs Roncada are some of the title fights that came down to the wire at Steel City. Here are some of the most iconic moments from the quarter century of history at the western Pennsylvania track.
1995-Completing A Comeback
Honda’s Steve Lamson won the first moto of the 1995 125MX championship at Gatorback, but a missing wheel in the second moto and an injury in Supercross put him 61 points down with just nine rounds remaining. The Californian put his head down and charged back to win five overalls and the championship. Lamson entered the last race with a slim three point lead, which was erased by Kawasaki’s Ryan Hughes as he took the first moto win. Entering the winner take all final moto, Lamson rocketed out to the lead with Hughes a few seconds back. As Hughes tried desperately to make up ground in the final laps, his chain broke. Lamson took the win and the championship as Hughes pushed his bike across the finish line, willed on by the vocal Pennsylvania crowd.
1996-Dethroning The King
A year after claiming his first 250MX title, Jeremy McGrath fired out of the gates in 1996 with a prime chance to win back to back championships. However, an injury thanks to a case at Millville swung momentum in the points race. McGrath entered the Steel City finale with a two point lead over Jeff Emig, who was determined to avenge his runner-up points finish from the previous summer. Emig rode flawlessly that day, securing both holeshots and winning each moto to stake his claim as the top motocross racer in the world, knocking The King of Supercross off the outdoor throne for good.
2001-Nailbiter
The 2001 125 class championship finale was a roller coaster of emotions, featuring a wild duel for the title. Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Mike Brown and Red Bull KTM’s Grant Langston were the two title combatants that day, with Langston holding a nine point lead heading into the race. Brown took the first moto win to cut the deficit to six as Langston took second ahead of 250MX champion Ricky Carmichael, who dropped down to take sole possession of first in the all time 125MX wins list and to help his fellow Kawasaki rider Brown.
As the second moto began, it looked as if Brown’s championship dreams were over. He made contact with Nick Wey early in the race, crashing and falling back to 15th. Carmichael held the lead with Langston behind, as Brown clawed his way through the pack. Late in the moto, Brown finally made his way into a podium position when Langston’s dreams were crushed. What was originally believed to be a flat tire for Langston ended up being a broken wheel, and the South African watched Brown ride away as his bike gave up on him. Carmichael took the victory and the top spot on the small bike wins list, with Brown celebrating his first professional championship and Langston ending the day with a DNF and no championship after entering the round in prime position.
2002-Unprecedented Dominance
Just a year after his first ride on a Honda, Ricky Carmichael created a new achievement in Motocross: the perfect season. Carmichael completed a flawless 24-0 season in his first summer on red. Entering the year as the favorite to repeat his 2001 championship victory, the G.O.A.T. added a whole new level to a title win with his incredible season. Carmichael held off a determined Tim Ferry in the final moto of the season to complete the first ever 24-0 mark in American Motocross.
2008-The Fastest (and Perfect) Man on the Planet
James Stewart made history in the 2008 finale, capping off the third ever perfect season in AMA Motocross history. Joining Ricky Carmichael’s 2002 and 2004 seasons, Stewart became the second rider to accomplish the feat with a stellar 1-1 day at Steel City. Stewart also made history with the longest laps led streak of all-time, holding first place for 221 consecutive circuits in the second half of the season. The perfect season was JS7’s last race with Kawasaki and Fox gear, switching to Answer threads and an L&M Racing Yamaha for 2009 and beyond.
This interactive table details the all-time leaders at Steel City. Who has the most starts, wins, podiums and points. Filter by class. On mobile, slide left to access more columns. To see all years of data, become a member of the We Went Fast Garage and help us continue (and expand) these unique views of the sport’s history.
This interactive table details the Steel City winners history. Who won in what year and what round was this venue. Filter by class. On mobile, slide left to access more columns. To see all years of data, become a member of the We Went Fast Garage and help us continue (and expand) these unique views of the sport’s history.