Exploring an Abandoned 1950's NASCAR Speedway - Found old stock cars left behind
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- Опубліковано 26 лют 2023
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Today we are exploring a former raceway placed in the Southern United States. The land was first owned by the Occaneechi tribe, later sold and many years later it was a horse track. Years later Bill France, founder of NASCAR, was flying above the area when he saw the oval-shaped horse track. He later purchased the land, making it fit for stock cars and also making it one of the first 2 original NASCAR tracks. The speedway was opened in 1949 and was an extreme success, many famous racers looped the tracks, as well as the first woman race car driver, Louise Smith. The dirt track was also a dangerous track, many turns had a Cliffside as well as a creek beside that, many occasions cars would fly down the incline when taking corners too hard. Later, the track closed in 1969, as NASCAR was taking off thr owner Bill France abandoned the track for the Enormous newer tracks we have today.
If you enjoy the exploration please leave a thumbs up, and consider commenting your favorite part, and as well as subscribing for future explorations. Thanks for watching and have a good day! - Розваги
Thanks for watching guys ! If you enjoy the abandoned and defunct speedways let me know ! I want to know your favorite parts of these places also.
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Does America have song birds, as the woods you were walking in were very quiet. In Britain where I live you would at least hear birds in the trees, our woods seem very noisy compered to yours. Thanks for the explore, this was fascinating 🇬🇧❤️🇺🇸
It's not abandoned...don't lie for views dude!
I’m glad that instead of just tearing the track down they preserved it as a historical site
No crumble zones, no air bags, no fire suppression, no seat beats and probably a couple pre-race prep beers. Gnarly racing. NASCAR ain't is what is was.
No form of sport or motorsport is. Increase of safety and technology has done that and its necessary. We have cars that can drive and park themselves. Sucks but inevitable. People once thought horseless carriages were beyond comprehension.
It’s not was it was for a good reason
NASCAR racing pushed the automotive industry boundaries higher. A lot of these competitive races enabled car companies to make standard vehicles safer and more efficient. These racers played with timing, fuel/air ratios that are all computer controlled now. NASCAR racing was extremely unsafe, as shown here they can run off the cliff and that's game over.
There must have been too many deaths here which is probably why it was closed off. Of course the 40s was the beginning where people wanted faster, more powerful vehicles and car racing did that.
We still have this kind of racing. Everywhere they're are tracks with a class called factory stocks and its basically the same thing just a bit of safety requirement
Yeah, it's much faster and far safer than back then.
Fireball Roberts and Buck Baker WOW! Two huge NASCAR icons.
There's a few other very famous names up on that board too... Earnhardt, Petty, Yates...Just to name a few...There's a few Yates living in my town here in Oregon but their into boat drag racing...or at least was...
It's amazing that some places we see today may end up like this where nature takes it course. Blow my mind how quiet this forest would be now compared to when the cars raced round it
Well, it's been over half a century since this was abandoned. That's plenty of time, it takes a lot less than that for an open air place like this with a dirt track to get overgrown. In the middle of a forest, on top of it. What's left is beautifully preserved, all things considered.
I strongly suspect those aren't the original ads, that's fresh paint on those buildings. They definitely haven't been sitting abandoned since 1968. I'm guessing that historic group mentioned on one of the benches is maintaining everything. The cars were probably placed where they are as props also. Still it's great that they are maintaining it and keeping it open to the public, looks like a great place for walking and picnics.
The wheels on the Chevrolet are far more modern than the rest of the car, they probably were original race cars that were dragged out of a junkyard and given a tidy up. Pepsi logos are clearly painted by an enthusiastic amateur artist rather than ever being originals. They’ve made a nice effort with the place but it’s clearly had renovation in the recent past.
That is correct. The Historic Speedway Group not only repainted the signage, but repaired the steel fencing around the perimeter, rebuilt the flag stand, rebuilt at least one of the buildings on site, brought those cars in as props, and cleared multiple dump truck loads of trees and brush from the speedway as well as the grandstands. There were trees literally growing in the bleachers before the group started cleaning things up.
Went to many races here in the late 60s, with my dad .We lived about a hour away. Had some of the best hot dogs and a pepsi.Fireball was my man until the crash
This is my favorite abandoned explorer you HAVE EVER DONE
That old racing where they used real steel cars is the stuff I like just like Drag Racing they used the same cars and engines that you could go buy from a dealership. They were more done up then the engines in the street cars but the cars were the same and that's what I love about the old school racing. many guys if they blew the engine they would rip the engine out of their tow car or truck and use it to race.
First car seems to be a chev coupe ( not a Volkswagen), around a 38, epic video, thanks
Dale Earnhardt Jr featured this track on his Lost Speedways show. Its on Peacock. Great watch.
The number 72 car is driven by Weldon Adams their last race was 1964-02 at Augusta International Raceway on November 17th, 1964. They had 25 winless races in a row
Looks like a Plymouth or Dodge.
@@jamieryall8341 ..1956 Dodge..
@@01trsmar yeah. the Ram painted on the side should have given it away
@@01trsmar i almost thought the 72 car was a Studebaker Hawk,Until you said 'Dodge'
I think you are correct
@@getoffenit7827 LOL same
Really cool video. Your narration is excellent, and I love the way you incorporated past with the present. Thanks.
Thank you very much!
I can't agree more. When y usat on the stands and cut to the clip of the race starting. Gave me chills watching those big boats of a car drift around those corners! Its like the thrill and adrenaline never left, 60 years later!
But maybe cut way back on the use of 'actually'.
Thank you for the last look at a dying track. Back in the day, it was a jumping place 2 and sometimes 3 nights a week. Our local track, Manzanita Speedway is gone too. Humans like to go fast, which they will do one way or the other. No place to race, so take-overs were born. Thanks for the memory!
After WWII my Grandfather joined a racing and stunt car driving troop that traveled around the country. He likely raced at that very track.. Super cool video brings back memories of my Grandpa's stories. Thank you.
Amazing to hear that the track and video brings you back to your grandpa's memories
What was his name? Maybe you can find him here 13:22
NC girl here. Yep Pepsi is from here. And hope you looked up the history of Nascar racing. It got its start from moonshine running! I saw some very notable drivers on that list. Junior Johnson, Lee Petty. Lots more. Also, the lady sponsored from Greenville SC, that's also where Dukes mayonnaise got its start!! 💖
Thanks for the tour mate, I really enjoyed it. Yay 87 won 👏 Cheers 🍻 from Australia. ✌️
The Pepsi label is from a glass bottle. Before plastic bottles, individual sized bottles of drinks were usually in glass with a thin, polystyrene label shrunk onto the glass.
Congrats on the sponsorship! It's well deserved! Maybe Pepsi next?? lol
Great work on this one! The added footage and historical details was a nice touch. You're really killing it with the production and editing man! Never disappointed!
Haha one could wish, I'll take Coke though. Thanks for the never ending support Brad !
i would say that a lot of the stuff you saw hanging up be it a sign or what not looked like who ever is helping this as a park went over and helped preserve some things left behind..lime the poster for the events..it looked like it was behind son protective plastic...same for the driver line up..nothing left out in the elements would not have survived that long,or looked that new looking..just a guess..and those cars probably the ones tossed down by the river. brought up to the top for decoration...actually you were going opposite way they would have raced....nice vid..i'll SUB...its also amazing how nature takes back what is left to grow over!!
NASCAR stopped racing there because the town government hated the track, and did everything in their power to keep it from growing the way NASCAR wanted. NASSCAR wanted to pave the track and make it bigger, but the town passed ordinances forbidding it. This track was replaced on the schedule by the then brand new Alabama International Motor Speedway (now known as Talladega Speedway.) The local high school actually played their home football games in the middle of the infield for many years. And just to add, if not for the Historic Speedway Group, this track and park would not exist as you see it today. The DOT wanted to demolish this entire area and put a bypass thru it, and that plan had a lot of support from locals. But luckily the Speedway Group was formed basically to save the Speedway since it is the last remaining dirt track from the first NASCAR season, and they were successful.
Fabulous Hudson Hornet
Wow! I only live about 2.5 hrs away! I'm gonna have to check that place out!! The blue (72) car looks like a 56 or so Buick.
The number 44 was a 1940 Chevy Coupe Super Deluxe driven by Herbert Cates
I live super close by this raceway and it's one of our favorite places to go on a nice weekend. Loved this video, especially the videos of the old races and getting to see what the speedway looked like in its heyday.
That second car you thought was a Chevy is a 1956 Dodge Coronet.
Even more specific, it's the Lancer variant of the Coronet. 😉
this was the best exploration video ever !!!! the old videos of classic races AT THAT track was amazing . so cool how you took that extra mile to find those videos and edit them in .
I think the cars movie that McQueen finds doc's old friends is pretty cool too
NASCAR has changed throughout the years. What a rad historical place. I love the old speedway. ❤😀👍 Awesome video & history!
Ok....the added touch of the vintage racing clips was absolutely epic. Like a "chef's kiss" for this video. You literally couldn't have done this video better. I can't believe they raced those big boats back in the day....and kept them (mostly) on the track to-boot... It's also rather interesting that we're talking about the generation where having a vehicle at all was really still considered a luxury in itself, but having one just dedicated for sport I can imagine was not very common at all. Almost makes you think that racing in those days was only for the rich. I mean, racing today is still an extraordinarily expensive hobby, but at least money is far more plentiful today than it was then. Still an absolute treat to see - fantastic job on this video.
Cost of living and inflation was low and high paying jobs were everywhere back then. Also with the thriving economy it was much easier to get sponsorships and the stand were full so the tracks could afford to pay larger payouts. Fuel, cars and parts were cheap and travel was affordable. In the 50s and 60s auto racing like drag racing and stock car racing was very affordable and most teams were just friends and or family members. Yes you always had the rich and the corporate teams but most teams were mom and pop and car counts where huge back then too! Way bigger than today could ever dream of. Wasn't till the early 70s when the economy started to slow, inflation and the cost of living increased and fuel prices sored, that auto racing in America and Canada became the rich mans sport that it is today.
@@RWO555 That's actually really insightful! Thank you for explaining that. I was born in the early 90's, so my knowledge or understanding of what things were actually like in that era is rather limited, so that's really interesting!
Someone still maintains that. Doing their best to keep a memory alive, kudos!
Thanks for the tour Devin!
🤠👍
I would love to have that place and those cars
Man if that track could talk the stories it could tell. I love seeing these videos
So awesome adding the old videos of the track to give some context. Excellent narration providing the history of the track as well and overall great production! Love the channel and content and much appreciated.
So glad the track is a park. At least it shouldn't get bulldozed.
I remember seeing this track being featured on Dale Jr's Lost Speedways.
Thanks for sharing this location,Devon🏁
I've always thought that I needed to live in those eras but I can still have those items in modern day.
I love it. I’ve always love old racing history but unfortunately I’m too young to have experienced it in person but that’s great man loved the video
Ladies and gentlemen let’s start your engines!
That 56 dodge , man they sure mad great cars back then , from right before WW2 through the early , to mid 70’s , that old car is either a
Chevy or a oldsmobile , but them was the day to own a fleet of cars !
As always awesome content thanks for your time to do this video big fan of your channel
Michael, and Amy Are glad that Barney's here in 1988.
great Video.. I can I.D. your stock cars # 44 is a 1938 a Buick 2 door coupe (vents on side of hood)...and #72 is a 1956 Dodge custom..(roof line..rear Fins and tail lights..in 1954 my dad was the stock car champ at our Local track..it's in the blood..those were fun days..
Thankyou for taking us along. Your videos are beautifully put together. Watching from Melbourne Australia. 🥰
From France also .
@5:25 it is a 1956 Dodge....
The paint has a Ram on it as for the RED RAM HEMI engine they came with..
Very cool 😎👍 place I'm an old racer that old footage was awesome 😎 cool explore dude
actually that was in a time when small towns focused on hot rods and speed racing ,the earlier footage from the 50s was great and what people dont realize is that when most of those things would take place was during the day, the entire town would participate the building you came across was ,the men and women bathrooms situated together,but the graffiti type marking you were referring to was saying " NO COLOREDS," the segregation of the South taking place in the 50s and 60s
WOW! I was thinking that but didn't want to write it.. probably right! I commented before I read any of these. yes, almost certainly said that as that's the way things were back then...
I may be commenting about the other building that had the word "allowed" with other words blocked off by the boards covering etc. but same thing. No "coloreds" or said no "negros" allowed.. sad but true facts of the time..
Dale Jr did a series on lost tracks a few years ago called "Lost Speedways". It's on Peacock. S1 E6 covers this track.
I truly enjoyed seeing so much of track left in a really good state. No so much a Pepsi guy but now I want one.
This cool! Its close to our house. It was covered by a local tv station awhile back.
Cletus McFarland channel bought an old Florida race track and brought it back. The Freedom Factory
I followed the beginnings of that track revivals. Some UA-camrs that started out with vehicle revivals such as Vice Grip Garage and Junkyard Digs went to the Freedom Factory.
That place was awesome thanks i enjoyed watching
This is one of my fav videos from you! This was such a cool find. Thank you ❤
You did an outstanding job on this video. I love how you inserted the historic races.
Great video, Devin! Love the historic footage you edited in
I love the beautiful cars❤Great video
You're my favorite explorer ever!
Thank you for sharing! your channel is amazing Sir !
What a beautiful day to go exploring listening to the birds chirping, I'm glad it's not been destroyed and everyone can still enjoy, the word on the toilet hut was "allowed" presumably no women allowed loved the vintage footage. Watching from the UK
yes I just commented same before reading these. Pretty sure it was saying no women, only men. I was thinking perhaps whoever ran the place may have intended to prohibit some other people.. if you get my drift.
I really enjoyed that. Especially the old footage commentary and songs. Very evocative.
Amazing place! Thanks for report!
Cool, cool, cool! Big thumbs up & a thank you.
I loved this. Can't wait for more in the future
Love it still standing.
#44 - 1940 Chevy coupe
#72 - 1956 Dodge Coronet - Possibly with Red Ram Hemi engine judging by the livery
Crazy to realize that back then, there wasn't any separation of the pits from the track. That's some sketchy stuff right there. Great vid and good editing. Thanks
Love to see more old tracks. Thanks for the te spent on this video . ❤️ it
37 Chev and 56 Dodge.
TY 4 posting the race vid. Here is stock car history, 1957.
57 Black Widow F I 283 Chevs vs Supercharged 312 Fords
I am not far from this place at the moment. I'm going to visit here soon. See some interesting places on the map near this place also. Thanks for the video!!!
Great video I like what you did when you threw in the old black-and-white videos and the old Pepsi ads and the old cars thank you for taking us around the track really enjoy this video great job until next time stay safe take care love from upstate New York
Really great video of an old school racetrack that unfortunately closed long before it should have
Agreed.
"You never know what could be right in your backyard and this place was right on my alley" Don't know it that was on purpose, but it's a great line!
So pretty.. i love learning a bit of history of Nascar.
The second car is a Dodge from 1955 or 56. Correct me if I’m wrong please. But it definitely is not a Chevy. It is a Chrysler Group model. You can tell from the back lights. Great video. Thank you for sharing.
Great video, thank you!
Nice to see you supporting the run for the cure. I hope you carbo loaded.
Thanks for continuing to bring the heat 🔥🔥
As a Northcaronian , I’ll have to check this place out
It's a beautiful area. You can see that old 72 car in the footage.
Amazing footage!
That was nice. Good job.
That's so cool to see some of the old cars
I like things being left alone but that sign needs to be preserved
Awesome video!👍
Wow this is fantastic getting to see the old track and just say Pepsi please It brings back old memories I really like how you even showed the old outhouses Great 👍 job
Fireman 🔥🔥🔥
7:20 thats what my high school football stadium looked like, lot more safe than the dangerous design of today, too steep and narrow and short stepped.
Old car designes are the best
Cool video!Thank you 😀
Such a cool place and story. Couldn't help but lol when you mentioned the first female driver and then show a pic of her car totally smashed up 🤣
8:24 I wonder if he's referring to Glen "Fireball" Roberts who was involved in a horrific crash in 1964, Could very well be the same driver
This is pretty cool. It is turned in to a walking park.
Amazing
I hope one day someone restore this track
Kinda cool seeing Ralph Earnhardt on the list of drivers.
Wasnt this the place where they had a massive moonshine operation? Just on the outside of the field but underneath. 95% sure it was.
Cool place.
you can see some of the abandoned cards in the videos of the raceing the once were in
On your way to 500.000 subscribers!
Magnificent
Pretty sure all those trees were not there around the ticket both and other places when the track was open. No walking through the woods to get to the ticket booth.