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Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds

Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds
Location575 Fairgrounds Road, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Coordinates34°57′34″N 81°57′17″W / 34.9595254°N 81.9547757°W / 34.9595254; -81.9547757[1]
OperatorJoe Littlejohn (1939–1966)
Opened1939
Websitepiedmontinterstatefair.com
oval
Surfacedirt
Length0.5 miles
Turns4
Race lap record70.644 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

  1. ^ "location". Google Maps. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b c d "Results at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds". Racing Reference. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  4. ^ 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.
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