COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 711212

Racetracks

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

12companies1874–1994founding years12still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedChurchill Downs IncorporatedFoundedChurchill Downs Incorporated
1874
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
FoundedPenn National Gaming, Inc.FoundedPenn National Gaming, Inc.
1972
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedChampionship Auto Racing Teams, Inc.FoundedChampionship Auto Racing Teams, Inc.
1978
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedIsle of Capri Casinos, Inc.FoundedIsle of Capri Casinos, Inc.
1990
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedSpeedway Motorsports, Inc.FoundedSpeedway Motorsports, Inc.FoundedTABCORP Holdings LimitedFoundedTABCORP Holdings Limited
1994
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Churchill Downs Incorporated →
Active · founded 1874
Churchill Downs Incorporated is a horse racing company best known for hosting the Kentucky Derby, America's most…
Churchill Downs Incorporated →
Active · founded 1874
Churchill Downs Incorporated is a horse racing company best known for hosting the Kentucky Derby, America's most…
Penn National Gaming, Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Penn National Gaming, Inc.
Penn National Gaming, Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Penn National Gaming, Inc.
Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. →
Active · founded 1978
Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc.
Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. →
Active · founded 1978
Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc.
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., only a decade old in 2000, had by then already grown into one of the ten largest,…
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., only a decade old in 2000, had by then already grown into one of the ten largest,…
Speedway Motorsports, Inc. →
Active · founded 1994
Speedway Motorsports, Inc.
Speedway Motorsports, Inc. →
Active · founded 1994
Speedway Motorsports, Inc.
TABCORP Holdings Limited →
Active · founded 1994 · Australia
TABCORP Holdings Limited offers a variety of gambling products and services, such as sports and race wagering and…
TABCORP Holdings Limited →
Active · founded 1994 · Australia
TABCORP Holdings Limited offers a variety of gambling products and services, such as sports and race wagering and…
Build It Today

Starting a racetracks company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories for today's tools and capital.