Seminole Speedway
Seminole Speedway was a dirt oval racetrack, located in Casselberry, Florida (near Orlando in central Florida), that opened in 1945 and hosted some of the first stock car racing events following the end of World War II. Roy Hall, Red Byron, and Fireball Roberts were known for competing at the racetrack. Seminole Speedway closed in the mid-1950s and was eventually redeveloped as a residential subdivision.
| Location | Casselberry, Florida |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 28.678°N 81.301°W |
| Opened | 1945 |
| Closed | c.1954 |
| Oval (1945–c.1954) | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | 0.25 mi (0.4 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Oval (1946–c.1948) | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | 1 mi (1.61 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
History
Developed by a group of local investors and promoted by Bill France, Sr., who would later become the founder of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR),[1] Seminole Speedway was a quarter-mile (0.4-kilometer) dirt oval track, located in Casselberry, Florida, near Orlando,[2] and held its first racing event on December 2, 1945,[1] with Roy Hall beating France in the track's inaugural event.[2] The track hosted the 1945 season finale for the Southeastern States Championship.[3] A one-mile (1.6-kilometer) track was opened at the site in 1946.[4] Red Byron, who would go on to become the first champion in NASCAR's premier series in 1949, won his first stock car event following World War Two at the track, beating Hall, France, and others, driving a Raymond Parks-owned car in February 1946.[5] It was the first race that Byron had entered after 27 months of rehabilitation following being injured by flak as a tail gunner in a B-24 Liberator during the war.[6]
In addition to stock car racing, motorcycle events were held at the track; the 1947 Florida All-Star Motorcycle Races saw a 72-bike starting field and had a $1,500 purse for the event.[7]
Racing events continued at Seminole Speedway during the remainder of the 1940s and into the 1950s. Local driver Fireball Roberts competed regularly at the track in both stock cars and modified events.[8] Seminole Speedway closed around 1954;[9] the location of the track was still visible into the 2000s, but is now a subdivision.[10]
References
- Citations
- "Stock Car Races Returning Dec. 2". The Miami News. Miami, FL. November 24, 1945. p. 6.
- Thompson 2006, p. 179
- "Big Race Date For Seminole Speedway". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, FL. December 16, 1945. p. 13.
- White, Will. "Seminole Speedway". Auto Racing Records. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
- Pierce 2010, p. 70
- Duskey, Gaylen (February 6, 2002). "Red Byron: The original 'good ol' boy'". NASCAR Online. Turner Sports. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
- "Four Orlando Riders Among 70 Entered In Sunday Cycle Races". Orlando Morning Sentinel. Orlando, FL. February 26, 1947. p. 6.
- Christmas, Jack (February 15, 2008). "Apopkans considered Glen 'Fireball' Roberts as one of their own". The Apopka Chief. Apopka, FL. p. 6A.
- Brown 2003, p. 209
- "Casselberry, Florida". Google Maps. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
- Bibliography
- Brown, Allan E. (2003). The History of America's Speedways Past & Present (3rd ed.). Comstock Park, MI: America's Speedways. ISBN 978-0931105616.
- Pierce, Daniel S. (2010). Real NASCAR: White Lightning, Red Clay, and Big Bill France. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0807833841.
- Thompson, Neal (2006). Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 978-1-4000-8225-4.