A Sports Fan’s Guide to Route 66

Get Your Balls, Bats, and Sticks on Route 66!

Immortalized in countless books, songs, and movies, Route 66 is a timeless icon of American culture. Until now, however, no guide to this historic byway has focused on another beloved part of American culture: sports. That all changes with A Sports Fan’s Guide to Route 66. In this groundbreaking new book, sports writer and lifelong sports fan Ron Clements goes beyond nostalgic buildings and classic cars to highlight historic sports venues, storied sports professionals, and current sports events along the Mother Road.

State by state

Illinois

Rolling 301 miles through Illinois, Route 66 is dotted with small towns that embrace their Mother Road heritage. In addition to NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB teams, you’ll find auto and horse racing tracks. And don’t forget the magnificent lineup of high school and collegiate sports programs to check out along the way.

Missouri

The Missouri stretch of Route 66 has a little bit of everything for sports fans. Professional teams, a pair of NCAA Division I universities, multiple D-II schools, elite high school teams, and a handful of golf courses are just the beginning.

Kansas

Take a trip back in time on the 13-mile non-Interstate stretch of Route 66 through the small towns of Galena, Riverton and Baxter Springs. All three towns inspired characters and settings in the 2006 Disney Pixar film Cars. They also have high schools with competitive teams, especially on the diamond.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is home to many sports legends who have roots on Route 66. Towns along the Mother Road boast baseball hall of famers, football stars, Olympic medalists, and one superstar who won the most enduring foot race of all time. Oklahoma is also home to an NBA team, a Triple-A baseball club, and–perhaps surprisingly–thriving rugby and rowing scenes.

Texas

We all know the movies and television shows about Texas high school football. Route 66 travelers can experience it for themselves while traveling from Shamrock to Adrian. Discover high-scoring six-man football and a unique golf course with sand greens in McLean. Amarillo has successful minor league baseball and hockey teams in addition to a thriving high school sports scene. And check out one of the nation’s biggest rodeos!

New Mexico

Rodeo is an especially big deal in the Land of Enchantment. Soccer and basketball are two other extremely popular sports in New Mexico, where you’ll also find an iconic college basketball venue and one of America’s best sports bars.

Arizona

The Arizona segment of Route 66 begins and ends in the desert, but between Holbrook and Oatman, you’ll discover pine-covered mountains, an NCAA Division I university, multiple rodeo venues, an elite ski resort, and dynastic high school cross-country, wrestling, and football programs.

California

On your way to the edge of the continent where Los Angeles has teams in each of the major four professional sports leagues, you’ll also find major league soccer clubs, minor league baseball teams, iconic venues like the Rose Bowl and Dodger Stadium, famed horse racing, numerous golf courses, and elite high school and college sports programs.

A Sports Fan’s Guide to Route 66 will be in bookstores and online on August 3, 2021.

***Every month, the author posts an article about his travels along historic Route 66. These articles are posted around the 5th of each month on “A Sports Fans’s Guide to Route 66.”***