| Location | 575 Fairgrounds Road, Spartanburg, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°57′34″N 81°57′17″W / 34.9595254°N 81.9547757°W / 34.9595254; -81.9547757 |
| Operator | Joe Littlejohn (1939–1966) |
| Opened | 1939 |
| Website | piedmontinterstatefair |
| oval | |
| Surface | dirt |
| Length | 0.5 miles |
| Turns | 4 |
| Race lap record | 70.644 mph (Dick Hutcherson, , 1965, NASCAR Grand National) |
Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds is a half mile (0.8 km) dirt oval near Spartanburg, South Carolina. 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. 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.
Littlejohn was one of 35 people who attended Bill France Sr.'s 1947 meeting which led to the formation of NASCAR; Piedmont was a major hub in NASCAR's first two decades. It held 22 Grand National Series races between 1953 and 1966 as well as two NASCAR Convertible Series races (1956 and 1957). Afterward the NASCAR races ended, the track held races during the fair in (North America) autumn. 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. 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).
Results
NASCAR Grand National Series
results
| 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
| Date | Winner | Length (miles) |
|---|---|---|
| September 29, 1956 | Curtis Turner | 100 |
| May 25, 1957 | Curtis Turner | 100 |
References
- "location". Google Maps. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- ^ Wood, Perry Allen (2012). Silent Speedways of the Carolinas: The Grand National Histories of 29 Former Tracks. McFarland. ISBN 9781476602615.
- ^ "Results at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds". Racing Reference. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- ^ "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