Notable special events at the track included trailer races,[2] endurance races,[2] the Spring Classic, ALl-Star 100, Bahama Bracket Nationals, and the National Short Track Championship.

[6] Despite a death in the pits at the speedway several weeks after opening, on June 16, 1948,[7] the track continued operation.

[5] Another one of Hugh Deery's innovations was to host a season-ending special event (which he titled the National Short Track Championship).

[4] Jody Deery was one of a handful of track operators on the 22-person nominating committee for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday nights it hosts The Road Runner Super Summer Series, Bandits, Winged Women on wheels, Figure 8's, Legends, Minicups, Bandoleros, and spectacular drags.

Travis Kvapil started racing at Rockford at age 16 and was the 1994 track champion in the American Short Tracker division.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series official John Darby got his start at Rockford in 1971 as an owner of a street stock.

[17] The event was sanctioned by ARTGO for several years,[6] and it became part of the CRA Super Series tour in 2004.

This was being dedicated to Jody Deery, the long time owner of the Rockford Speedway who passed away in July at the age of 97.

Joe Shear was the first driver to win eight NSTC Super Late Model features (currently the "Hugh Deery 150")[6] and Steve Carlson tied his record in 2011.

Other multiple winners include Jeremy Lepak, Dick Trickle, and Eddie Hoffman.

[6] The first event was won by Wisconsin short track racer Trickle by a lap over Chicagoland stock-car champion Roy Martinelli.

[6] Trickle was billed as the winningest short track driver in history[19] with estimates of his win total between 1,000 and 1,200 races.