What does speedway mean?
Speedway is a noun for a motor-racing track—usually an oval or similarly shaped circuit—and, by extension, for the racing held there. In British English it is especially associated with motorcycle speedway, a discipline in which riders race on compacted dirt and use controlled slides through corners. In American English, speedway also commonly refers to oval-track automobile racing, while track racing may be the clearer term for the corresponding motorcycle discipline. The word therefore names both a venue and the sporting activity associated with it. It is standard in sports reporting and is less suitable when a generic term for any racing circuit is needed, since speedway can carry the stronger implication of fast, oval competition. Many speedways are distinguished by banked turns and broad, durable surfaces, although their layouts and construction vary.
nounA motor-racing track, typically an oval circuit; also the sport of racing on such a track. In British English, the term is especially associated with motorcycle speedway.
- A motor-racing track, especially an oval track used for motorcycle or automobile racing.
- The sport or activity of racing on a speedway.
"The riders competed on the dirt speedway under the bright lights of the stadium."
"After the gates dropped, the riders accelerated around the speedway."
"The local speedway hosts stock-car racing on Saturday nights."
The plural is used for distinct tracks or venues and may refer to a group of speedway circuits collectively.
"The regional speedways have different licensing rules."
The signature move in motorcycle speedway is the slide: riders skid their rear wheels through corners while accelerating hard out of the turn.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does speedway come from?
Speedway is a 19th-century English compound formed from speed and way. It came to denote courses and tracks associated with fast driving and organized racing, and its modern sense is especially prominent in motorcycle and oval-track motor racing. The first element descends from Old English spēd, meaning success, prosperity, or haste, and also underlies speedy and speedometer; way comes from Old English weg.
Related word forms
How speedway is actually used
The word is standard in British and American English, but its dominant association differs regionally. In Britain it often denotes motorcycle racing, whereas in the United States it also strongly denotes oval-track automobile racing; American English may use track racing for the motorcycle discipline.