| Location | 575 Fairgrounds Road, Spartanburg, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°57′34″N 81°57′17″W / 34.9595254°N 81.9547757°W [1] |
| Operator | Joe Littlejohn (1939–1966) |
| Opened | 1939 |
| Website |
piedmontinterstatefair |
| oval | |
| Surface | dirt |
| Length | 0.5 miles |
| Turns | 4 |
| Race lap record | 70.644 mph [2] ( Dick Hutcherson [2], , 1965, NASCAR Grand National) |
Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds is a half mile (0.8 km) dirt oval near Spartanburg, South Carolina. [3] The track held NASCAR Grand National races in the 1950s and 1960s.
History
An October 1908 program was found for a horse trotting and racing event at the fair. [4] The first car racing event was held at the track in 1939 and it was promoted by Joe Littlejohn; he promoted events at the track until 1966. [2]
Littlejohn was one of 35 people who attended Bill France Sr.'s 1947 meeting which led to the formation of NASCAR; [2] Piedmont was a major hub in NASCAR's first two decades. [2] It held 22 Grand National Series races between 1953 and 1966 as well as two NASCAR Convertible Series races (1956 and 1957). [3] Afterward the NASCAR races ended, the track held races during the fair in (North America) autumn. [4] The track was regraded in 2002 for a legends race to benefit a local racing museum; by 2005 the idea of a museum was scrapped. [2] According to the local visitor's bureau website (in 2017), the track hasn't held a regular schedule of races for many years (although some of the racing surface remains visible). [4]
Results
NASCAR Grand National Series
results [3]
| Date | Winner | Length (miles) |
|---|---|---|
| July 4, 1953 | Lee Petty | 100 |
| July 3, 1954 | Herb Thomas | 100 |
| July 6, 1955 | Tim Flock | 100 |
| July 7, 1956 | Lee Petty | 100 |
| August 23, 1956 | Ralph Moody | 100 |
| April 27, 1957 | Marvin Panch | 100 |
| June 29, 1957 | Lee Petty | 94 |
| April 12, 1958 | Speedy Thompson | 100 |
| June 5, 1959 | Jack Smith | 100 |
| May 28, 1960 | Ned Jarrett | 100 |
| August 16, 1960 | Cotton Owens | 100 |
| March 4, 1961 | Cotton Owens | 100 |
| June 2, 1961 | Jim Paschal | 100 |
| May 19, 1962 | Ned Jarrett | 100 |
| August 21, 1962 | Richard Petty | 100 |
| March 2, 1963 | Richard Petty | 100 |
| August 14, 1963 | Ned Jarrett | 100 |
| April 14, 1964 | Ned Jarrett | 100 |
| June 26, 1964 | Richard Petty | 100 |
| February 27, 1965 | Ned Jarrett | 100 |
| August 14, 1965 | Ned Jarrett | 100 |
| June 4, 1966 | Elmo Langley | 100 |
NASCAR Convertible Series
results [3]
| Date | Winner | Length (miles) |
|---|---|---|
| September 29, 1956 | Curtis Turner | 100 |
| May 25, 1957 | Curtis Turner | 100 |
References
- ^ "location". Google Maps. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Wood, Perry Allen (2012). Silent Speedways of the Carolinas: The Grand National Histories of 29 Former Tracks. McFarland. ISBN 9781476602615.
- ^ a b c d "Results at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds". Racing Reference. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Spartanburg has a long and strong connection with stock car racing". Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. July 10, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
External links
- Race results at RacingReference.com