Occoneechee Speedway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Occoneechee Speedway

Aerial view of Occoneechee Speedway in 1955
Location	Elizabeth Brady, 0.3 N of US 70 Business, Hillsborough, North Carolina, United States
Owner	Classical American Homes Preservation Trust
Opened	May 5, 1947
Closed	June 1968
Former names	Orange Speedway
Major events	Hillsboro 150 (1949–1968)
Oval
Surface	Dirt
Length	0.9 mi (1.5 km)
Turns	4
Occoneechee Speedway
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in North Carolina
Area	44 acres (18 ha)
NRHP reference No.	02000435
Added to NRHP	May 2, 2002

Occoneechee Speedway was one of the very first tracks where NASCAR races were held. It closed in 1968 and is special because it's the only dirt track left from NASCAR's first season in 1949. You can find it just outside Hillsborough, North Carolina.

The Story of Occoneechee Speedway

The horse racetrack on Occoneechee farm, 1938

Long ago, in the late 1800s, the land where the Speedway sits was part of the Occoneechee farm. The farm got its name from the Occaneechi Native American tribe who lived there centuries ago. The farm's owner, Julian S. Carr, loved horse racing and built a half-mile track for his horses.

Later, Bill France, who helped start NASCAR, saw the old horse track and the open land from his airplane. He decided it was a great spot for car racing! In September 1947, just two months before NASCAR officially began, he built a 0.9-mile dirt track on the site of the old horse track.

In the early days of the Speedway, famous drivers like Fonty Flock and his brothers, Bob and Tim, were often the winners. In the fall of 1949, Louise Smith made history at this track by becoming NASCAR's first female driver.

Occoneechee Speedway hosted many other racing legends. Drivers like Fireball Roberts, Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett, and Junior Johnson all raced here. For many years, it was considered a very important track in NASCAR.

However, the Sunday racing schedule caused some disagreements in Hillsborough. Because of this, the final race was held on September 15, 1968. Richard Petty won that last race.

After Occoneechee Speedway closed, Bill France looked for a new, bigger, and faster track location. He eventually found a spot in Alabama and built the Talladega Superspeedway. Talladega opened just one year later and took over Occoneechee's race date on the NASCAR schedule.

Today, the Occoneechee Speedway site is covered with pine and sycamore trees. You can still see parts of the old grandstands and much of the oval track. The site is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It covers 44 acres (about 178,000 square meters) and has over 3 miles (about 5 kilometers) of walking trails. A special walking trail was built in 2003 that goes across the old clay track.

A local group called The Historic Speedway Group works hard to keep the track and trails in good shape. They also collect old videos, photos, and information about the Speedway's history.

The Occoneechee/Orange Speedway, along with North Wilkesboro Speedway, helped inspire the Thomasville Speedway in the Pixar movie Cars 3. In the movie, Richard Petty even voices the character Strip Weathers!

Race Winners at Occoneechee

Here's a list of some of the winners at Occoneechee Speedway over the years:

Gallery

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  Former ticket office

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  Former outhouse location

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  Pepsi coolers at the concession area

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  View of the grandstand lights

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  Stairs leading from the track level through the grandstands

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  Overgrowth covers the remains of the grandstand

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  The track around the start/finish line

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  Revitalized flag stand - 2010 Car Show

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  Grandstands back in use – 2010 Car Show