The first automobile race at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds took place on 7 June 1936, when the International Speedway Association leased the half-mile horse track for a Big Cars race — the forerunner of today's sprint car competition. An estimated 7,000 fans attended and Clay Corbitt won the feature. Racing did not return to the fairgrounds for twelve years. On 19 September 1948, the Tri-State Racing Association staged a championship program drawing more than 4,000 spectators, with Red Bales taking the feature win.
In the autumn of 1951, Joe and Dorothy Stelter and Harry Maynor of Toledo, Ohio, founded Fremont Speedway. The original track measured just over one-tenth of a mile in length and was nearly flat. The first official race was held on 30 September 1951 before a crowd of 1,500, with 38 drivers entered; the 20-lap feature was won by Leo Caldwell of Perrysburg.
Ownership changed several times in the following years. Harry Maynor sold his interest to Frank Jensen of Toledo in 1952, and Wayne Wall of Toledo purchased a share in 1953 before selling out in 1954. Don Emick, a local Fremont businessman, acquired Jensen's stake in 1957 and subsequently became sole partner with Joe Stelter until selling out in 1960. After Joe Stelter died suddenly in 1962, Dorothy continued as promoter, becoming one of the first female track promoters in the country. She later married Paul Szakovits, who assisted with operations. Dorothy promoted Fremont Speedway until 1976, when longtime announcer Gary Kern purchased the facility.
Through the 1990s ownership changed hands repeatedly: Joseph Darr partnered with Kern in 1994; Ken Langhals operated the track in 1995; Kelly Applegate purchased it in 1996; Ken Meggitt took over in 1997. The track then sat idle for two years.
In 2000, Jim Ford, a former driver and sprint car owner from Elmore, Ohio, leased the track from the Sandusky County Fair Board and reopened it with substantial improvements. Ford created the dirt truck division as an affordable entry-level division; the concept was subsequently adopted at tracks across the country. The speedway was also the first dirt track in the United States to incorporate soft wall safety technology, a development that spread widely through the industry. In 2010 Emods (dirt modifieds) competed at Fremont for the first time.
Ford stepped down as promoter in 2007 due to health issues. The Sandusky County Fair Board elected Rich Farmer and Andy James as co-promoters in 2008. The speedway's Jim Ford Classic, a two-night All Star Circuit of Champions event held in Ford's memory, became a fixture on the calendar. Ford was inducted into the speedway's Hall of Fame in 2009 in the combined driver and promoter category.
The speedway has hosted more than 100 All Star Circuit of Champions events, earning the "Home of the All Stars" designation. Among the nationally recognised drivers who have competed at Fremont are Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Jeff Gordon, Dave Blaney, Kasey Kahne, Brad Doty, and Doug Wolfgang. Rick Ferkel, known as "The Ohio Traveler," began his career with a victory at the track. In 2024 the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returned to Fremont for the first time since 2016.
The track record for 410 sprint cars stands at 11.732 seconds, set by Lee Jacobs on 3 May 2003. The 305 sprint car record is 12.857 seconds, set by Bryan Sebetto on 25 April 2026. The dirt truck record stands at 17.672 seconds, set by Dan Roepke Jr. on 26 April 2014.
The all-time feature win leaders at Fremont Speedway, as of the end of the 2023 season, are Paul Weaver with 77 wins, Art Ball with 76, Shawn Valenti with 74, Gug Keegan with 62, John Ivy with 61, Mark Keegan with 59, Jim Linder with 58, Herbie Robinson with 54, Jim McCune with 45, and Wayne Maffett Sr. with 44.
The Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame was established with its inaugural class named in 2009, encompassing drivers, promoters, builders, and officials from across the track's history. Dorothy Stelter was inducted as a promoter, Jim Ford as a driver/promoter, and Leo Caldwell — winner of the track's first ever official race — was inducted in 2011. Rich Farmer, the current operator, was inducted in 2019 as a driver, owner, and promoter. Inductees from subsequent classes have been named annually, recognising contributions across every aspect of the track's operation.