Charlotte Speedway (board track)
| Location | Pineville, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°05′53″N 80°53′17″W / 35.098°N 80.888°W |
| Opened | October 25, 1924 |
| Closed | September 19, 1927 |
| Construction cost | $380,000 |
| Major events | AAA Champ Car |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Wood |
| Length | 1.25 miles (2.01 km) |
| Banking | 40° |
Charlotte Speedway was a wooden board track in Pineville, North Carolina, near Charlotte. It operated from 1924 to 1927,[1] hosting AAA national championship trail races.[2]
History
[edit]Financed by local businessmen, the speedway cost $380,000. Nearly 30,000 spectators attended the inaugural event in October 1924, which was won by Tommy Milton.[1] A fatal accident had occurred in practice for the 250-mile race when Ernie Ansterburg lost control of his car at 106 miles per hour (171 km/h).[3]
The May 1925 event drew 55,000 people, but attendance figures had dwindled to 7,500 by November 1926[1] when the AAA national championship trail visited the track for the third time that season.[2][4] The final races were held in September 1927.[1][2] Today, the Southland Industrial Park is situated at the former site of the racing plant, which Charlotte Motor Speedway has replaced as the area's predominant racing venue.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Moxley, Christopher (September 21, 2018). "Fact Friday 166 – The original Charlotte Speedway". 704 Shop. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16.
- ^ a b c "Charlotte Speedway". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03.
- ^ "Auto driver is killed on new Charlotte track". The Spartanburg Herald. October 17, 1924.
- ^ "Charlotte board track 1926". First Super Speedway. Archived from the original on 2019-11-04.