Speedway
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedAn American convenience-store and filling-station chain owned and operated by 7-Eleven.
Last updated October 14, 2026
Overview
Speedway is an American convenience-store and filling-station brand whose locations sell motor fuel, prepared food, packaged snacks, beverages, tobacco products, basic travel necessities, and other convenience merchandise. The chain developed from Speedway 79, a Michigan fuel business established in 1952. Its original name referred to the 79-octane gasoline sold at the time. Unlike many contemporary service stations, the early outlets did not emphasize vehicle repair; instead, they combined fuel sales with vending-machine and small-store retail, earning the informal nickname “Smokes and Cokes.” The Ohio Oil Company, later known as Marathon Oil, acquired Speedway 79 in 1959. Marathon initially converted the outlets to its own fuel branding, but in 1975 revived the Speedway name for higher-volume self-service stations with convenience stores. The concept expanded through organic development and the conversion or acquisition of regional chains including Consolidated Stores, GasAmerica, Starvin’ Marvin, Gastown, Wake Up, Bonded, United, Cheker, Port, Ecol, Value, Welsh Mart, and Crystal Flash. The chain’s “Moving S” logo was introduced in 1982. Speedway’s footprint broadened substantially during the 2010s. It acquired 88 GasAmerica stores in 2012, exchanged locations with Road Ranger the same year, and purchased Hess Corporation’s retail network in 2014. The Hess transaction added more than 1,300 eastern U.S. locations and made Speedway a much more significant national fuel-and-convenience operator. Marathon’s acquisition of Andeavor in 2018 brought former SuperAmerica and other western locations under the same ownership, extending Speedway’s presence into California, Utah, and the broader Southwest. Express Mart and NOCO Express locations were also converted or acquired during this expansion period. Speedway was historically a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation. Marathon announced plans to separate the chain in 2018, but the business was ultimately sold to Seven & i Holdings, the Japanese parent of 7-Eleven. The $21 billion transaction closed on May 14, 2021, following regulatory review and required divestitures. Speedway is now part of 7-Eleven’s U.S. convenience-store portfolio and is headquartered in Irving, Texas; its former Enon, Ohio headquarters became a store-support center after operational integration. The brand operates primarily through corporate-owned stores, although Speedway Express and certain divested or dealer-operated sites follow different operating and loyalty-program arrangements. Speedy Rewards, introduced in 2004, became a central customer-retention program for corporate Speedway stores. The chain also sells alternative fuel products at some locations, including E85 and a limited number of compressed-natural-gas sites. Its retail proposition combines fuel availability, extended hours, quick-service food and beverage purchases, and proximity-based convenience rather than premium specialty retail. Speedway locations operate across dozens of U.S. states, with concentrations in the Midwest, East Coast, and western and southwestern markets added through acquisitions.
History
Speedway began in 1952 as Speedway 79, a Michigan fuel chain named for the octane rating of its gasoline. Its early outlets were distinctive because they did not operate conventional repair facilities. Instead, they emphasized self-service fuel and small-scale retail vending, particularly cigarettes and soft drinks. Marathon’s predecessor, the Ohio Oil Company, purchased the chain in 1959 and converted the locations to Marathon branding in 1962. As self-service fuel became more widely permitted, Marathon reintroduced Speedway as a name for higher-volume stations combining gasoline sales with convenience stores. Beginning in 1975, the company removed “79” from the name because 87 octane had become a more common standard. The format expanded throughout the Midwest and parts of the Southeast, including through the conversion of Consolidated Stores locations and the absorption of a number of smaller fuel and convenience chains. The current “Moving S” identity dates from 1982. In 1997, Marathon and Ashland Petroleum combined their refining, marketing, and transportation operations in Marathon Ashland Petroleum. Marathon’s Speedway and Ashland’s SuperAmerica businesses were brought together under Speedway SuperAmerica LLC. The combined organization inherited additional brands, including Rich, and later integrated stores from Total Petroleum. Speedway acquired Welsh Mart in 2001 and Crystal Flash in 2002. In 2003, the company sold its southeastern stores to Sunoco and withdrew the Speedway name from parts of Pennsylvania and the southern Appalachian region for a period. Speedway introduced Speedy Rewards in 2004. The program benefited from the chain’s largely company-operated store base, which allowed more consistent implementation than Marathon’s earlier loyalty effort for independently operated fuel stations. After Marathon bought Ashland’s interest in 2005, the business became part of Marathon Petroleum. The SuperAmerica brand was later sold to Northern Tier Energy in 2011, separating it from Speedway until Marathon’s later acquisition of Andeavor. The chain entered a major expansion phase in 2012. GasAmerica added 88 stores in Indiana and Ohio, while an arrangement with Road Ranger exchanged selected Kentucky and Ohio locations for a Chicago-area truck stop. In 2014, Speedway purchased Hess’s retail business for $2.6 billion, adding approximately 1,342 stations in the eastern United States. Marathon’s 2018 acquisition of Andeavor returned SuperAmerica locations to Marathon ownership and extended Speedway’s geographic reach to California, Utah, and the Southwest. Marathon subsequently converted many inherited sites to Speedway or Speedway Express. Express Mart locations were rebranded after Marathon completed its acquisition, and 33 NOCO Express locations in western New York were acquired in 2019. Marathon announced in 2018 that it intended to separate Speedway from the petroleum company. A proposed sale to Seven & i was discussed and abandoned in early 2020, but the parties later reached a revised $21 billion agreement. The transaction closed in May 2021 despite antitrust concerns, with mandated divestitures of hundreds of stores. Following the acquisition, Speedway’s operations were progressively integrated with 7-Eleven in Texas. The Enon, Ohio site continued in a support role, especially for information technology. The post-acquisition chain has retained the Speedway identity, although the long-term relationship between Speedway and 7-Eleven remains a matter of portfolio management. Some legacy Rich stores have been phased out, while Speedway Express locations in western states may be dealer-operated and have different loyalty and app participation rules. The brand has also faced ordinary operational challenges, including protest-related property damage, local concerns about crime and loitering, and technology disruptions affecting stores that had not yet migrated from legacy Marathon systems.
- 2021
Seven & i completes acquisition
[1]Speedway becomes part of the 7-Eleven group after the $21 billion transaction closes.
- 2018
Andeavor acquisition broadens western presence
[1]Marathon completes its acquisition of Andeavor, bringing additional western sites and SuperAmerica locations into the portfolio.
- 2014
Hess retail acquisition
[1]Speedway purchases Hess Corporation’s retail business for $2.6 billion, adding roughly 1,342 eastern U.S. locations.
- 2012
GasAmerica and Road Ranger expansion
[1]Speedway acquires 88 GasAmerica stores and completes a separate location exchange with Road Ranger.
- 2004
Speedy Rewards launches
[1]Speedway introduces a chain-wide loyalty program for purchases and fuel activity.
- 1997
Speedway SuperAmerica LLC formed
[1]Marathon and Ashland Petroleum combine their refining, marketing, and transportation operations in Marathon Ashland Petroleum, bringing Speedway and SuperAmerica together under Speedway SuperAmerica LLC.
- 1982
Moving S logo introduced
[1]Speedway adopts the logo that became its long-running visual identity.
- 1975
Speedway name returns for self-service stores
[1]Marathon begins using Speedway without the “79” for higher-volume self-service fuel stations with convenience stores.
- 1959
Acquisition by the Ohio Oil Company
[1]The Ohio Oil Company, later Marathon Oil, acquires Speedway 79.
- 1952
Speedway 79 is established
[1]A Michigan fuel chain is founded under the Speedway 79 name, referencing the octane rating of its gasoline.
Products and positioning
Mainstream, convenience-led fuel-and-retail chain focused on broad accessibility, quick transactions, everyday pricing, and loyalty rewards.
Convenience retail · 1975
Speedway convenience stores
The core retail format combines packaged food, drinks, coffee, prepared items, tobacco, automotive necessities, and other small-ticket goods with a fuel forecourt. Stores are designed for fast, frequent purchases and commonly operate for extended hours.
Loyalty program · 2004
Speedy Rewards
Speedy Rewards is Speedway’s customer-loyalty program, introduced in 2004. It supports rewards and promotional engagement at participating corporate Speedway stores, while certain dealer-operated Speedway Express locations may not participate.
Fuel retail sub-format · 2018
Speedway Express
Speedway Express is used primarily for dealer-operated or inherited western fuel sites where the Speedway name may apply to the forecourt while an independent convenience-store operator continues to run the adjoining store. These sites can differ from corporate Speedway stores in loyalty and mobile-app participation.
Alternative fuel
E85 fuel
Selected Speedway locations offer E85 ethanol fuel. Availability has historically been concentrated in particular regional markets, including parts of Tennessee and the greater Pittsburgh area.
Brand decisions
2021
Regulatory divestiture of storesOtherBackground
The Federal Trade Commission required store divestitures in connection with the Seven & i acquisition of Speedway.
Action taken
291 Speedway stores and two 7-Eleven stores were transferred to Anabi Oil, CrossAmerica Partners, and Jacksons Food Stores.
Aftermath
The divestitures reduced overlap concerns and imposed restrictions on reacquisition of the affected stores for five years.
2020
Sale to Seven & i HoldingsM&ABackground
Marathon Petroleum had announced plans to separate Speedway, while Seven & i sought to enlarge the 7-Eleven group’s U.S. convenience-store network.
Action taken
Marathon agreed to sell Speedway to Seven & i Holdings for $21 billion; the deal closed in May 2021.
Aftermath
Regulatory concerns led to divestitures, and Speedway operations were gradually integrated with 7-Eleven’s U.S. organization.
Acquisition price. $21 billion (Announced August 2020; completed May 2021)
2014
Purchase of Hess retail operationsM&ABackground
Speedway sought to expand its geographic scale and eastern U.S. presence through Hess Corporation’s retail network.
Action taken
Speedway announced and completed the acquisition of Hess’s retail business for $2.6 billion.
Aftermath
The transaction added approximately 1,342 locations and substantially increased Speedway’s national footprint.
Acquisition price. $2.6 billion (2014)
Recent events
- 2024
Speedway locations affected by CrowdStrike-related technology outage[1]
Other
Some locations using legacy BlueCube and Radiant Site Manager systems experienced payment disruptions or closures during the worldwide July 2024 CrowdStrike-related outage; stores already migrated to 7-Eleven’s RIS system were generally unaffected.
- 2023
Some Speedway stores use opera music to deter loitering[1]
Other
Several locations facing crime and loitering concerns played opera music continuously as a deterrent, prompting mixed and sometimes negative reactions from nearby residents and businesses.
- 2021
Speedway acquisition closes[1]
M&A
Seven & i Holdings completed its purchase of Speedway on May 14, bringing the chain into the 7-Eleven corporate group.
- 2021
FTC-required divestitures follow Speedway transaction[1]
Regulation · M&A
The Federal Trade Commission, Marathon, and 7-Eleven agreed to divest 291 Speedway stores and two 7-Eleven stores to Anabi Oil, CrossAmerica Partners, and Jacksons Food Stores.
- 2020
Seven & i Holdings agrees to acquire Speedway from Marathon Petroleum[1]
M&A
Marathon Petroleum announced that Seven & i Holdings would acquire Speedway for $21 billion after an earlier proposed transaction was abandoned.
- 2020
Looting and arson damage Speedway stores during 2020 protests[1]
Other
As many as 30 Speedway locations in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area were damaged during unrest connected with protests following George Floyd’s death, with nine reportedly suffering extensive fire damage.
Sources2 sources
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