Cedar Lake Speedway was founded in 1957 by Elmer Cook and his oldest son, Bob. A field of 12 cars and 85 spectators were on hand for the opening show on a flat clay oval. Over the years, the Cook family continued to expand and improve the raceway and the grounds. In 2001, five new partners came on board: Ron Bernhagen, Brad Both, and three brothers – Bob, Chuck, and Steve Kaufman.

In addition to having one of the most successful weekly racing programs on Saturday evenings, the track also hosts many nationally-sanctioned and premier racing events including:

Two of the nation's most prestigious dirt Late Model events each year - the Masters event in June and the USA Nationals in August.
Outlaws sprint cars brought to you by the World of Outlaws (WoO) - the most prestigious Sprint Car Series in the country!
IRA (Interstate Racing Association) sprint cars, one of the strongest 410 racing groups in the nation. They traditionally bring 35-40 cars to our track.

Today, Cedar Lake’s state-of-the-art 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval has developed into one of the nation's leading short track facilities. The weekly Saturday night racing program features Late Models, Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, and Sprint Cars taking to the track. The show features some of the finest dirt track drivers in the Upper Midwest and fans regularly witness fields of over 120 entries each week.