The site traces its origins to a horse racing track established in the 1850s as the Northampton County Agricultural Fairgrounds. Around 1900, a 0.5-mile dirt oval was laid at the current location between Route 191 and 248, and the site began hosting motor racing events in the 1910s.
A second, larger 1.125-mile dirt track opened in April 1966 as Nazareth National Speedway, hosting modified car races. Driver Frankie Schneider dominated the inaugural event, sweeping the fastest qualifying time, the heat race, and the feature — a pattern he would repeat many times. Over the track's dirt years, Schneider accumulated eleven victories there, more than any other competitor.
The large dirt track hosted USAC Championship Dirt Car events, with Al Unser winning the 1968 race and Mario Andretti taking the 1969 race. The large track closed in 1971. The small 0.5-mile dirt oval continued weekly racing through 1982, during which Buzzie Reutimann accumulated 33 victories and claimed the 1972 and 1973 track titles.
In 1982, promoter Lindy Vicari purchased the property, cleared eleven years of overgrowth, refurbished the facilities, and shortened the large dirt oval to one mile. He staged high-profile events for USAC Championship Dirt Cars and Modifieds that drew large crowds, but maintaining two dirt tracks proved financially unsustainable. The last race under Vicari's direction was a 125-mile Modified contest on October 9, 1983, won by Brightbill with a $50,000 purse.
Roger Penske purchased the facility and surrounding property in 1986. He built a new paved oval on the footprint of the old 1.125-mile dirt track, opening it in the fall of 1987 as Pennsylvania International Raceway. The new circuit measured 0.946 miles — slightly under the advertised one mile — with banking varying between 2.7 and 6.0 degrees and a significant elevation change, the backstretch dropping roughly 30 feet. It was the first oval to feature a warm-up lane for pit entry and exit, a design developed in part by Rick Mears.
The track was renamed Nazareth Speedway in 1993. In 1997, CART remeasured the facility and officially listed it at 0.946 miles, increasing the race distance from 200 to 225 laps to maintain time value. The track hosted the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix as part of the CART schedule. The unofficial all-time qualifying record was set by Patrick Carpentier in a Reynard 98I during 1998 qualifying with a lap of 18.419 seconds.
In 1997, the facility received improvements including a new retaining wall, catch fencing, and updated grandstands. A notable quirk — the track's inaccurate measurement — was reportedly exploited by teams for fuel strategy, knowing they were covering shorter distances than officially stated.
Penske Motorsports merged with International Speedway Corporation in 1999, bringing ISC control over Nazareth along with Michigan, Fontana, and Rockingham. ISC closed Nazareth in late 2004, replacing its race dates with events at Watkins Glen. The dismantled grandstands were transported to Watkins Glen and Michigan International Speedway.
Beyond CART, Nazareth hosted NASCAR Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series events. Jack Sprague won three consecutive Truck Series races at Nazareth (1996, 1997, 1998), and Greg Biffle also claimed two wins there. The IRL used the facility from 2002 to 2004 following the CART-IRL split. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour raced at Nazareth annually from 1991 through 2004, with Mike Stefanik winning three times.
The track's connection to the Andretti family gave it particular local resonance: both Mario and Michael Andretti had roots in the Lehigh Valley and competed at Nazareth across its various eras. An IROC round was also held in 1989, won by Danny Sullivan.
After ISC shuttered the facility, access was restricted and the grandstands were removed by May 2007. Large earthen berms were subsequently placed at points around the track surface to prevent use of the racing surface. The site was purchased by Raceway Properties LLC in November 2015, with the sale including a clause permanently prohibiting the return of sanctioned racing. Plans have included converting sections to residential zoning and constructing a warehouse for C. F. Martin and Company, the guitar manufacturer headquartered nearby.
Mark Knopfler wrote the song "Speedway at Nazareth" about a racing season concluding at the track. It appears on his solo album Sailing to Philadelphia.