Happy Birthday---Long Lost Speedways.

[Todd McCreary]

Collier Co. Speedway, in Naples, Florida, way the heck down low, lower than Charlotte or Ft. Myers area. Probably the most southern raceway in Florida.

um, Stock Island? Hialeah? Fulford?

probably the southernmost track on the west coast, i wouldn't go any further than that.

Big Coppitt Island--The location of this old raceway is most likely, unknown.

and it looks likely to remain unknown unless we can find an aerial photo from archives. from the satellite shots, it appears that every inch of buildable land on Big Coppitt has a house on it now.

[Todd McCreary]

new business opportunity:
AB195's "Chasin Florida Racin" old Speedway tours


for the other mods:
AB has requested that this be taken off sticky.

[AB195]

Two More Old Lost Raceways--

Frass118 and myself traveled from Georgia brought us by---Jax Raceways.
And reporting back to anyone who gives a hoot, that it, along with all the other dragstrips, moto-cross, gocart tracks, and grandstands......
are all gone, completely!
Not a trace of anything is left of any of the facilities, all 4 of them.....flattened out and plowed under, and a FOR SALE sign stands above the property. It is ready for any developer to have his way with the land.

And St. Augustine/ST. Johns Motorsports Complex--
was next on the list, and let me tell you folks, this Raceway is ready to go racing right now, maybe a week of sprucing up, and it will be the finest of all asphalt Raceway facilities around, at least in Florida. A super sleek, 1/2 mile D-shaped asphalt oval, still has the the great aluminum grandstands, the giant Pressox, all the light poles, pits cleared, and restroom and concession facilities all top-notch ready to go......now!
Razor-Wire engulf's the entire Grounds now, and I don't know why, but this is a Raceway that is ready to go again. Something has to be up, as to why this Raceway isn't alive and thriving as it should.

[Todd McCreary]

Razor-Wire engulf's the entire Grounds now, and I don't know why, but this is a Raceway that is ready to go again. Something has to be up, as to why this Raceway isn't alive and thriving as it should.

i've always been told it's noise and zoning.

[Frasson118]

Strangely enough, there was a Mud Bog race going on at the time we were there. It's not ON the Speedway property, but directly next to it. Now, "zoning" doesn't seem to be the right reason, and I couldn't see where "noise" would be a problem either... there is nothing close to there (save for 1 single house).

I've seen a bunch of speculation about this track, but I wonder what the bottom-line truth is.

As AB195 said, it looks like it could be open in a month or less.

[northfloridajoyce]

You guys need to write me a story about all these tracks.Come on you can do it.

[AB195]

Joyce, I think that most of the stories are already here, in this thread. All you have to do, among other things, is assemble them into thier proper categories/tracks. Right now it's somewhat random. I doubt if you can start 40 seperate threads for 40 old Raceways, though.

[AB195]

Jimmy Mckinnley--

this final post is for you, as you have participated--and you inquired upon the other board. Alot of info here, if it is for your good at all.

Listen up, I have found that if you Google Earth a Raceway up and focused down upon it, a small "clock" is on the toolboard above it. Click that time clock, and it will present a timeline, and upon that timeline, you can click down almost 15-20 years of previous downsights from time back then, and maybe even see the layouts, and even actual tracks that were once remaining at that time. I had done this with numorous Raceways now;dig.....

Deland Speedway on Mcgregor Road in Deland,
Beaches Speedway in Panama city on Allison Road,
St. augustin Speedway on Oak Raod,
Eau Galle Speedway in Melbourne on Whicham Road,
Hialeah Speedway off Okachobee Hwy,
Jax Raceway in Jacksonville of of Pecan Park Road,
Golden Gate, in Tampa, off of Flowers Road,
Old Lakeland 1/4 and 5/8 on Hwy 33,
Gainesville Speedway on Williston Road,
Old Punta Gorda Raceway on Radio Road
Sara-Mana Raceway on hwy 41, Bradenton, Sarasota
Tampa Fairgrounds Speedway off of ? I-4?
West Palm Beach Speedway at the Fairgrounds,
Vero Beach Speedway, but you'll only see a gravel pit,
Boss-Hog Speedway in Bay County in Panama City,
We-Wa Speedway north of Panama City of of Hwy 79?

You sort-of have to know where they had been at one time, and If you cannot find the old layouts, I'll try to dial you in with addresses and markings.
I hope this helps, somewhat.

[carolwicks]

Roger!

Congratulations! This is one of the most interesting informative threads ever started on Karnac... Great job of research done by many! so much more fun than listening to people bitch and complain all the time! I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the posts and learned alot! Thank you so much!!!
carolwicks aka OZ

[RobRoy]

Sunbrock Speedway

To the person that posted the message about the Sunbrock Speedway of old. I recall that old racetrack that was on Old Winter Garden Rd. somewhere about where Hughes Supply is or was. I recall the greats Harry Pullen, Don'l Burchalter, Wild Bill Holman, and Ernie Alderman race in many races there and later at the racetrack over east of S. Semoran. I guess it's the Landstreet property you speak of. However, you mention that the last race at Sunbrock's was in 1957. We moved here in September 1959 and my pop started taking me out to the Sunbrock Speedway soon after. I don't recall when it closed and the Orange Co. Speedway opened out on Landstreet, but obviously it was well after 1957........Bobby Brown

[AB195]

Jeezus Krist--talk about pulling an old thread long, long down the pike.

Yes, Sunbrock Raceway/Rocket Raceway was on the N/W corner of OldWinter Garden Road and Feguson Street, behind the now current B/P Gas Store/gas-up.

If more questions should happen, I will gladly point you in the right direction of any and all, old Florida Raceways from way back when.

[Mav]

A couple more missed tracks

There were the races at Lake Okeechobee Motorsports Park not mentioned too. I had been told some races were run with cars at Ben White Raceway off Lee Rd in Orlando and the Zephyr Hills Fairgrounds also on limited occasions. Putnam County Speedway still races some. Seems to still be another 1 or 2 not mentioned yet too. Really scares you to think how many are gone though doesn't it ? Future sure does not look promising for race tracks at this rate. Most of the youngsters just do not have much interest in it now if it does not jump things, destroy things or burn the tires off while setting still or slowly moving. Makes you wonder what they are going to do with their future too !

[jacko241]

I know this is late in coming, but I believe the old Saint Augustine Raceway ran from '68 or '69 to '71. Originally dirt, it was paved at the end. Years after it closed as a 16 year old I used to take my old Dodge pickup down there and my brother and I would time each others laps. The gate was always open, and no one ever bothered us. The good ole days! I went there several times as a kid with a guy and his family that worked for my dad. Great memories, it stoked my already burning passion for racing. I hold it very special. It sat approximately where Staples on US1 is. The new St. Augustine Speedway (originally called St. Johns County Motorsports Complex-I hated this name!) Ran from 1993 to 2002. I remember having my car all ready to go on opening night in March, and a weird storm blew thru just a few days before and destroyed some of the grandstands and did other damage, and postponed the opening. I was so disappointed!

[AB195]

a few more from florida--(from Allen Brown Book)

Bradley Field Raceway (jan. 1953 to 1955) was a 1/4 mile paved oval near the Fort Lauderdale area.

Camp-Foster Raceway/Jacksonville area--was a 1 mile brick/dirt oval on an old army/navy base......the races were run on two parellel roads, and a brick-lined curves at each end.


City-Park Raceway/Daytona Beach, Fl---A 1/5 mile dirt track for midgets Racing, all the way around the current Baseball Diamond for the Cubs single A Baseball team................they call it Jackie Robinson Stadium now.

Florida Speedway Park--(1939 to 1942) Ralph DePalma was the promoter in 1940. was a 1/4 mile pave oval in the Miami area, located near Flagler Street and 72nd Avenue. Was also called Princess Park Raceway at one time.

[AB195]

10 month old thread that has been dead---

back to life again, as new sightings have been found and/or dead;

Some other types of raceways to consider;(not entirely stock car)
-Ocala-Micro Raceway
-Lake Whipporwill Raceway, Narcoosee, fl
-Sharpes/Hurricane Raceway, near Cocoa
-Claircona-Horsemans Parc-Lochart

The Sarpes, Fl, go-cart raceway is still currently located next to the once historical, big 5/8 miler dirt horse track known as Cocoa Raceway, which raced stock cars in 1947-48, have an old b/w photo of the dust, not the cars. The scoring tower of this raceway was still intact up to a few years ago, when a major renovation was made to the property, making it into a big park and soft-ball fields-------some may remember that in the mid-eightys, numorous dirt tracks for cross-country and off-road type races were run ontop of that very same area, underneath what is now huge power lines.