I lived close to the track when I was young and can remember hearing the cars running races on Thursday nights. It made me want to be a race car driver. I have a couple of stories involving driver encounters. After I got my driver's license back in the late 1960's I would drive to the track, sit in the parking lot and watch the cars go by. Right before turn one was an infield gate you could see through as the cars flashed by. One day as I sat watching the cars go by there was the sound of tires screeching and smoke flying and I could tell the car involved had gone through the first turn guard rail and the fence. I sat there and all of a sudden the driver of the car came walking around the outside of the track on the dirt road that ran around the track. He was headed to the gate to reenter the track. I asked him if he was okay and he kind of smiled at me and said "sure, I'm okay". It was Dale Earnhardt. If I remember correctly the car was number 8. Another time me and a buddy was in his 1964 Chevelle and it was a Wednesday night prior to a 200 lap NASCAR race to be held on Thursday night. We heard a car running laps at the track and decided to investigate. We drove to the track and a short rain shower had wet the track prior to us arriving. We sat in the car at the viewing spot at the gate to see what was going on. As we sat there this very large guy came through the gate and to the car and politely asked us if we would be willing to drive out onto the track to help dry it out. We were teenagers so this was a big deal to us. We said of course we would. There were probably 10 or 12 cars including a guy in a Corvette out there making laps around the track. We probably ran something like 75 laps total and as the track dried out it turned into pretty much a race. The race car came out on the track and was racing along with us and of course running off from everyone. The guy in the Corvette actually spun out trying to keep up with the Dodge Charger race car, probably a 1968 or 1969 model. We slap wore the right front tire out on my buddy's car trying to keep up with him. After drying the track everyone parked in the infield and watched while the race car driver completed his practice session. After practice we were all invited to stick around for a few drinks with the crew and track personnel in a room under the bleachers. There was a bar setup with different types of adult beverages and everyone was having a good time. We were young and raised right so we didn't partake in the drinking but had a good time just hanging out with everyone. The driver was Tiny Lund.
Hunter Fitzwater Not many festivals and car shows can be held out there in Wilkes County. Columbia is big enough to where there can be other things in town that would use the track. For North Wilkesboro, NASCAR was it.
@@josephtunney8923 The town of North Wilkesboro has just approached NASCAR and ISI about rebuilding North Wilkesboro and not only making it a active track again but a "Active museum".
My grandpa went to his first stock car race here, and it made him cry a little when I showed him that this many people online care about this place. Thanks for giving me a little more of a connection with him through this video S1ap, it means more than you know.
I'm so glad I found this video! Jimmie Collins is my son. Sadly, he passed in 2020. I keep his spirit alive in my heart! It gives me chills to see the numbers he painted on the wall! Jimmie loved NASCAR with a passion! He had the best time of his life being involved with the Racer's Reunion. I'm so glad to know the plaque remains on the wall to honor all those racers and their numbers and the honorable mention of Jimmie. The work he did with his hands truly came from his big heart. Those days and deeds brought him so much joy and happiness! Did I mention the 00 belonged to my dad, Jimmie Fenn? He raced in the 50's in Alaska! One other memory is Jimmie met Dale Earnhardt, JR, got his autograph, then said "now I have something for you" and handed Junior a piece of asphalt from the Columbia Speedway! I surely hope he has it in a jar alongside his collection from other tracks! I love you and miss you very much Jimmie! See you in Heaven, my son...
@@AgtWashingtub dude what do you mean? Cleetus has really fixed up the track and he said he's interested in running races again, plus its his investment, let him do what he wants
John Carpenter It’s his track now, he can do with it as he pleases. Dudes passionate about what he does and wants to bring life back to the track. Don’t shit on someone’s dream just because you’re a miserable fuck.
I started watching all of his videos for an hour and was tired ofr hitting the refresh button. Thanks for the upload S1ap your one of the coolest youtubers out there.
I love this track. Discovered it in college, and somehow convinced a few of my classmates to film a documentary on it for a filmmaking course. I also made it for NR2003 several years ago. If anyone is interested in the documentary it’s on my channel somewhere. More important though, well done S1aps.
I just found your channel. And was shocked to see this track mentioned. My grandfather was a champion at this track. I was born and raised right here. Amazing. Still got a couple of his championship trophies. I have a funny story about my grandfather. He was racing Ralph Earnhardt. And got involved in a wreck with him. A young Dale Earnhardt tried to hit my grandfather in the head with a coke Pepsi bottle. My grandfather was a fan of Earnhardt when got into racing.
My papa raced here for a nascar race in 1955, driving the #15. Since I wasnt born until 2003, I never saw him race. I never even met him. But I think about him alot and I wish I had met him. From what I know, he finished 10th during that race. His name was Jimmy Roland
Yessssssssss. Somebody made a video on it recently but S1ap would do an even better job. Only one of two asphalt ovals to ever have existed in my state.
when i was younger my grandpa would tell me stories of going to columbia speedway as he is a native to Columbia (as am i). my favorite story is when he would tell me how he would climb the tall pine trees on the back stretch to watch the race
The Chevy Dealership I work for sponsored the Racer's Reunions held there. A lot of work went into that first one in 2009. I worked the parking lot that morning and the crowd was overwhelming. The parking lot filled within an hour and it spilled into the surrounding businesses and Church. People were literally coming out of the woods. Week's prior, Little Bud Moore dropped off a Vintage 55 Chevy race car at our Dealership for us to get running for the show. He said it was one of his old race cars that had been stored in a museum in Ga. for years. We got it running and when we delivered it to the track I was able to take it around for a few laps (at a safe speed ). Later that evening I was able to have a beer with David Pearson while he and several other Legends from that era told racing stories on the tailgate of a pickup in the infield. Some great memories that I will cherish forever!
I have watched most of your videos and enjoy them. I would recommend on this video to add a high pass filter to cut out the wind noise. I have a subwoofer and the wind noise blocks out your voice. Otherwise keep it up!
Cool, I was there at age 8 in 1970 and got to see the future "king" run a race. My uncle Frank built cars in the 60's and knew most of the drivers. I got Richard Petty's autograph and kinda took it for granted, wish I still had it.
Id still consider this track to be dormant until a race is held on it. To have it being used as a fairgrounds during the off season is fine. But racing absolutely needs to take place here. It wouldn't take much to put up new barrier walls and get some fuel in there. Or even just have a few 20 lap races with regular cars. I think folks would really enjoy that.
I got to visit north Wilkesboro recently. Live 40 minutes from it. Also got to go on property (with permission) they guy was really nice. Love your vids
Same here. Moved from 15 south out to wedgefield. Can hear em run on Saturday nights out here, work for the man that owns the place. It's been packed the last few weekends
Even though they ain't Racing, it's GREAT to see one saved!!! The history is still there, and its a great place for RacersReunion and other groups to have car shows, etc. Thanks for showing us!! Also, another track for you "on location", not too far away, is Middle Georgia Raceway, in Byron, just outside Macon. Track, bleachers, and stuff are still there, and it was used in a Dodge Durango commercial a few years ago. The track was closed when they found a moonshine still UNDERNEATH turn 3!!! Interesting story there. Anyway, great stuff...keep em coming, PLEASE!!!!
Great Video S1ap! One thing I notice in the vid was the reason many short tracks were dropped after 1971. The reason why they were dropped was because Winston took over official sponsorship of the series, and NASCAR dropped any race that was less that 250 Miles for 1972. At the time only Richmond, Nashville, Bristol, Martinsville and North Wilkesboro ran short track races that length, so they stayed on the schedule.
I wished RJ Remolds tobacco company.Winstons parent company put blue paint on the wall of the track in 1976 in honor of the United States Bicentennial.
Great Video and a Salute to everyone that brought it back for future generations to see learn about. We're getting ready to lose our last drag strip/dirt track/motorcycle track here in Sacramento and it makes me sad. All to make room for more overpriced houses that a majority of the community can't afford. Nowhere for the kids to legally race so you know where they are going, right back to the streets. My Dad raced there, My Son raced there and I did too.
You should visit the old road course of Augusta International Raceway in Augusta, GA, I took a trip there once and it's cool to see most of it is still there, and when I was leaving I took a piece of concrete with me home so now I can look up and the same piece of concrete in my room.
At 8:31. This type of railing is called K rail. At 8:43, I think the red and white paint themes of NASCAR tracks is Winston $$$. Keep up the good work.
Yes as Winston was going to over sponsor Cale in his number 11 car in late 1970 during the off season for the 1971 season, but he found out how much the company was going to spend so he sent the guy over to then president of NASCAR to help give money to NASCAR. NASCAR was starting to lose spectators/TV viewers when showing most of the race on TV to other car racing events mostly Indy Car and the sport needed some big sponsor to help bring NASCAR to being a more modern sport. If it were not for Winston sponsoring NASCAR in the 1970's it might be ARCA and NASCAR both being the vary top non open wheel Racing Circuits in USA today.
@@caseysmith544 I heard this story. However on a video floating around on RU-vid Jr. Johnson states that He is the one who sent Winston to NASCAR. Thank you for commenting on my comment Casey, it is fun to toss things around on RU-vid!
@@lencost1 That is how I got part of the story wrong. I saw it on the introdution story for Cale Y but he failed to mention who his owner was at the time in that story, then in Junior Johnson the story of Winston was glossed over more but was mentioned that at the same time as the Cale Y story he was the owner of the car he drove.
There were 2 tracks near me. One (Sanatoga speedway) was turned into a public park with much of the track still there and the history of that track is well known and still celebrated. The other (Pottstown speedway) met a sadder fate and worst yet few even remember it. Pottstown Speedway was a 1.4 mile track that was originally built as a horse racing track in the very early 1900s. By the 1920s they were racing cars there (when it was called Pottstown driving park). Races continued until the late 1930s. The outbreak of WWII ended all use of the track. By the early 50s the track was still there but was in disuse. In the mid 50s the track became doomed. A housing development was built next to the south side of the track and a company started using one of corners for storage, destroying that corner (turn 3). Then the death blow came with the Interstate Highway Act. The state decided to not expand the original State Route 100 and build a new State Route 100 and ran the highway right through the track the one side of the track (through turns 3 and 4). Now there is a Walmart on the rest of the track than wasn’t destroyed by the highway. Not one road in that shopping center even follows any part of the old track. Nowadays there is but only one piece of evidence that there used to be a race track there in the form of a children’s playground that is called Speedway Playground and a small plaque in the playground that mentions the former Speedway. But beyond all that, there is very little known or written about the track.
Funny you mention how Richard Petty got his start here and then wom his first cup race in Toronto. The old oval at the CNE was kind of like Bowman Gray with a CFL football field in the middle. On that same property a Stadium was built, which later was the first home of the Blue Jays and the Argonauts of the CFL. It was later torn down and the Stadium for Toronto FC lies to the north on the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) grounds and yes, the Toronto Honda Indy does run AROUND all of this history.
Just finished watching all of your videos in order, amazing channel. It's easy to see the time and effort you put into these videos. Can't wait to see more.
Slap....just saw this.....I really wish that maybe someday that iRacing could scan this place and preserve it in a virtual format (like they did w/ North Wilkesboro), to preserve what history is left out there of NASCAR and racing in general!
Speaking of nearly forgotten race tracks in the South I just learned about High Point Motor Speedway. The track itself is gone and has been turned into a modern housing development but you can still see the banking for turns 3 and 4 on Google Maps. The track itself is north of High Point just off of Johnson St. The banking isn't obvious at first but if you switch to street view you can see the banking for turn 4 behind the houses on the south side of Hampton Park Dr. near Johnson St. The banking for turn 3 can be seen in the back yards of houses between Claybrooke Ct. and Park Springs Dr. near where they intersect with Hampton Park Dr. Some of the residents have turned the section of the banking in their back yards into multi-tiered gardens. The track has the dubious honor of being the host of the only known motorsports fatality in 1941 and the last fatality before America's entry into WWII. On May 11th 1941 Eldridge Tadlock was killed in qualifying when his right rear wheel came off in turn 3 and his car flipped. He was catapulted from his car and ended up being pinned underneath it. He was rushed to Burrus Memorial Hospital in High Point but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The High Point History Museum has a virtual exhibit called "When Racing Was Racing" that has four photographs of the track including a picture of Eldridge Tadlock's wrecked car. You can see the exhibit here: spa2dmz.highpointnc.gov/MUSEUM/Exhibits/Racing/index.htm. High point has also posted a historical marker near the track's old location: www.highpointnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/13737/High-Point-Speedway
Thanks for another great film really interesting to hear about the history of these old tracks, (watching from London and enjoying learning more about NASCAR’s history).
I'm from germany, we don't really get NASCAR. I think we only ever had it on sports subscription networks and i don't think i never saw more then a few rounds at my step dad's place. But i must say, i like your stuff, keep it up.
NASCAR Racing 2003 RU-vidrs need to become more popular and use these videos to make more older tracks! Love the vids S1AP. Especially the stories behind old historic moments, like your 79 Daytona video!
Ik it’s not a nascar track but there is an interesting turn of events for Desoto speedway down in Florida. A RU-vid that goes by Cleetus McFarland actually bought it and is turning it in to the car guys holy grail. I think you should check it out or something.
A lot of people don't know or either forget Richmond the old half mile Fairgrounds Raceway was on the chopping block for Cup racing in the late 80's if the then owner and founder Paul Sawyer didn't make any major changes to the old half mile itself or build a completely new track in the Richmond VA area. Where the now Virginia Motorsports Park was built for drag racing in the early 90's where NHRA races at off and on thru the years was supposed to be the site of the new Richmond Raceway 45min south of the city. It fell through in the mid 80's and that's how the current 3/4 mile action track got built on top of the old Fairgrounds Raceway. I like the current track but I miss that old half mile track, the Cup cars would slide through the turns like bandits evading the police!
Seeing this video makes me wanna drive a go-cart, it looks like a nice track for that because looks like cars would lose grip from those imperfections in the track
