Palm Beach Fairgrounds or New Smyrna?

[Boneman]

So which place was faster? I've raced on both and suspect that it was Palm
Beach. However, it has been shuttered for 25 years, so maybe the memory morphed a little.

Palm Beach was almost more rectangular than oval. The corners were longer and the straights shorter, so I think the average speed was higher. On the other hand, New Smyrna has those big ole' straights that really wind out whatever you are driving. It probably has higher peak speed, but PBFS was probably faster overall.

So to all of you race history fans, does anyone have qualifying results from both tracks that reflect the same cars in the same period? The qualifying from the Orange Blossem 100 or the Working Man's 100 for example, that we could compare with the times from whatever big race NSS held in those days.

It would be interesting to hear from drivers who did well at both tracks in late models. Like Larry Rogero, for example.

This photo of Jim Fenton, Bobby Brack and Mike McCreary was stolen from Dave Westerman's site. http://www.floridaracinghistory.com/

[Jim Fenton]

I can't remember the times we turned back then between the two Boneman, I've slept too many times since then.

However, there was no comparison in the speeds we carried in & out of the corners between the two. WPB was faster, hands down.

JF

[Tweety16]

We ran the same gear ratio at both tracks

I raced with Bobby Brack for many years and we ran both places. I am not sure which was faster but I do know that we ran the same gear ratio at both tracks. West Palm probably was a little faster in the corners, but the straightaways were a little shorter than New Smyrna.

[AB195]

Working Man's 100----right on, what a title.
And whatever happened to the Florida Cracker 200?

[georgep]

Never been to Palm Beach BUT a driver I spoke to many times was and he, Herbie Tillmen, compared Palm Beach to Flemington NJ as far as layout and speed. With that input I would say Palm Beach. A track you can stab the brakes and sweep the corner is always faster than a paper clip even if it is banked.

[Rusty the 50/50 Guy]

WOW the Working Man ...there is one that I forgot!

Remember the days!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH

[ronabneysr]

both tracks were fast

trust me palm beach was fastest i will never forget gary balough hope i spelled his name right the day he was lapping a car and the guy spun him and the offical tried to put gary to rear of the field

and he would not go and they had bunch cops and some tow trucks chasin him and they finally let him alone

i know he was only driving a 50 model chevy man that was long time ago

i would have loved to have seen rod perry drive the blue super modified sponsered by panamerican airlines on that track i think he won ever feature at hollywood speed way that year boy was'nt those fun days