Historic Aerials--of Florida--

FLORIDA STOCK CAR RACING KARNAC's FLORIDA STOCK CAR RACING
#1

This Site wont let me copy the images without a charge, or forward it, or print it. So…

You guys, I have actually laid eyes on numorous old long-lost Raceways around Florida using this key-hole, and I am mighty proud to say that, you too, can lay eyes upon many/all of these gems/Raceways. I have seen:

–Sunbrock/Rocket Speedway–in Orlando, on Ferguson St. and Old Winter Garden Road. A 1/4 mile asphalt Raceway which existed from 1949 to 1957–
It now is a vacant field/semi-warehouses-- a bathroom still stands–behind the BP Gas-Station–

–Old Orlando Raceway, off of Landstreet Road, a 1/4 mile asphalt Raceway which ran from 1948 to 1971-- it’s now the site of a Car-rental agency–

–Ben White Raceway, in Orlando, off of Lee Road and Hwy 441, a 5/8 miler dirt drack in 1948 to 1951, ran staged-events. It now is Softball diamonds.
Alot of the old Raceway still stands today, most of it SoftBall Fields, though.

–and right across the street, on the south side of Lee Road, And I am looking at it now, are the famous 1/4 mile ovals(3 of them) that ran Midgets from back in the early 1960’s era.–the area is now 4 Baseball Diamands on top of where they once stood.

–Up on the north-side of Orlando, in Casselberry, is the old 1.1/4 miler dirt Raceway…1945 to 1954…if you look closely, it has been shortened to a 1 miler, with lights all the way around it on the inside. Fine looking facility, as it doubled as a horse racing and para-mutual venue at the time…Two oval practice tracks are in the background–It had a Dog-Track built upon it until 2002–It is now long plowed under, a housing development is on top of it called Legacy Park.–

Going south, looking on top of the old West Palm Beach Fairgrounds Speedway, a big 1/2 miler, and I hadn’t known that these wide-sweeping turns had such short straightaways. Man, are those some wide turns, the turns are longer than the straightaways, it seems. The Raceway lasted from1950 to 1983. The site is now a amphi-theatre, and warehouses, sadly.

– Up north, in the Jacksonville area

A) is the old Lenox Avenue 1/2 mile dirt track, which housed NASCAR events, and ran from 1947 to 1973-- now an Apartment Complex.–

B) the semi-old Jax Raceway on Pecan Park Road before it became a big 1/2 mile dirt track------looking now at the original 1/4 mile semi-banked asphalt surface, and the big old grandstand that hovered over it at the time in 1972–
After that, the asphalt track was plowed under to make way for a d-shaped dirt 5/8 oval, with mild success until 2008, at which time it was closed down for good to make way for a industrial yard. The industrial yard never happened, and the the land still sits vacant today, all gone, still vacant–

–The old Original Saint Augustine Raceway, a 1/4 mile paved oval on Hwy 1, actually 1750 S. US. Hwy 1, part of a local Hospital now, walking park and such, alot of the outlying area still exist today, mostly a shade-tree walking park.–You can still see the parts of the old raceway today–

Country-Boys Raceway, a 1/4 mile dirt track, between Lantana and Lake Worth on 83rd Ct.----------found it, and there aint’ much to see, except a 1/4 dirt track in the weeds----1979-1980-era. It is/was not all that much of a raceway, by todays standards–

Golden Gate Raceway, a fast 1/4 mile asphalt Raceway near Tampa, and ran from 1962 to 1984 off of Fowler Avenue, is now the site of of flea-market.

–And the Famous Florida City Speedway, a lightning-fast 1/8 mile semi-banked asphalt oval that was alive from 1961 to 1976. It is now a basball field.

And these are only those Raceways that I could catch on THIS site. However, many more have been shot down by this-here eagle eye over the web on other sites: looking directly down upon these areas, I have also seen:

– Miami-Hollywood Speedway,1/3mile asphalt oval-1950 to 1983–
–Old Lakeland 5/8 miler asphalt–1971–
–Eau-Galle Speedway 1/4 mile asphalt–1957 to 1978–
–Ft. Pierce, Angle Road, 1/4 mile asphalt–1958 to 1974–
–Hollywood, 3940 Pembroke Road, 1/4 mile asphalt,'55 to’69–
–Gainesville Speedway, williston road, 3/8 mile dirt 1965-67–
–Stock Island Speedway, 1/3 mile asphalt 1956 to 1967–
–Vero-Beach Speedway, 1971 to 1977–
–Beaches Speedway, Panama City, 3/8 mile asphalt 1970 to 1979–
–Miami-Hollywood Speedway–1/3 mile asphalt oval–1969-1984–
–Cross City Speedway, behind the Davis Family Junkyard on Hwy 19–
–Deland Raceway Park–1966 to 1973–

Not that I have only typed-in to see these Raceways on the internet, I have also stepped-foot on most of these grounds.

#2

Great post!

Thanks for the imfo. Came by the junk yard in Cross City yesterday on my way home from p-cola, also went by old Deland Raceway Park on McGregor Road.

#3

[QUOTE=AB195;57494]This Site wont let me copy the images without a charge, or forward it, or print it. So…

You guys, I have actually laid eyes on numorous old long-lost Raceways around Florida using this key-hole, and I am mighty proud to say that, you too, can lay eyes upon many/all of these gems/Raceways. I have seen:

–Sunbrock/Rocket Speedway–in Orlando, on Ferguson St. and Old Winter Garden Road. A 1/4 mile asphalt Raceway which existed from 1949 to 1957–
It now is a vacant field/semi-warehouses-- a bathroom still stands–behind the BP Gas-Station–

–Old Orlando Raceway, off of Landstreet Road, a 1/4 mile asphalt Raceway which ran from 1948 to 1971-- it’s now the site of a Car-rental agency–

–Ben White Raceway, in Orlando, off of Lee Road and Hwy 441, a 5/8 miler dirt drack in 1948 to 1951, ran staged-events. It now is Softball diamonds.
Alot of the old Raceway still stands today, most of it SoftBall Fields, though.

–and right across the street, on the south side of Lee Road, And I am looking at it now, are the famous 1/4 mile ovals(3 of them) that ran Midgets from back in the early 1960’s era.–the area is now 4 Baseball Diamands on top of where they once stood.

–Up on the north-side of Orlando, in Casselberry, is the old 1.1/4 miler dirt Raceway…1945 to 1954…if you look closely, it has been shortened to a 1 miler, with lights all the way around it on the inside. Fine looking facility, as it doubled as a horse racing and para-mutual venue at the time…Two oval practice tracks are in the background–It had a Dog-Track built upon it until 2002–It is now long plowed under, a housing development is on top of it called Legacy Park.–

Going south, looking on top of the old West Palm Beach Fairgrounds Speedway, a big 1/2 miler, and I hadn’t known that these wide-sweeping turns had such short straightaways. Man, are those some wide turns, the turns are longer than the straightaways, it seems. The Raceway lasted from1950 to 1983. The site is now a amphi-theatre, and warehouses, sadly.

– Up north, in the Jacksonville area

A) is the old Lenox Avenue 1/2 mile dirt track, which housed NASCAR events, and ran from 1947 to 1973-- now an Apartment Complex.–

B) the semi-old Jax Raceway on Pecan Park Road before it became a big 1/2 mile dirt track------looking now at the original 1/4 mile semi-banked asphalt surface, and the big old grandstand that hovered over it at the time in 1972–
After that, the asphalt track was plowed under to make way for a d-shaped dirt 5/8 oval, with mild success until 2008, at which time it was closed down for good to make way for a industrial yard. The industrial yard never happened, and the the land still sits vacant today, all gone, still vacant–

–The old Original Saint Augustine Raceway, a 1/4 mile paved oval on Hwy 1, actually 1750 S. US. Hwy 1, part of a local Hospital now, walking park and such, alot of the outlying area still exist today, mostly a shade-tree walking park.–You can still see the parts of the old raceway today–

Country-Boys Raceway, a 1/4 mile dirt track, between Lantana and Lake Worth on 83rd Ct.----------found it, and there aint’ much to see, except a 1/4 dirt track in the weeds----1979-1980-era. It is/was not all that much of a raceway, by todays standards–

Golden Gate Raceway, a fast 1/4 mile asphalt Raceway near Tampa, and ran from 1962 to 1984 off of Fowler Avenue, is now the site of of flea-market.

–And the Famous Florida City Speedway, a lightning-fast 1/8 mile semi-banked asphalt oval that was alive from 1961 to 1976. It is now a basball field.

And these are only those Raceways that I could catch on THIS site. However, many more have been shot down by this-here eagle eye over the web on other sites: looking directly down upon these areas, I have also seen:

– Miami-Hollywood Speedway,1/3mile asphalt oval-1950 to 1983–
–Old Lakeland 5/8 miler asphalt–1971–
–Eau-Galle Speedway 1/4 mile asphalt–1957 to 1978–
–Ft. Pierce, Angle Road, 1/4 mile asphalt–1958 to 1974–
–Hollywood, 3940 Pembroke Road, 1/4 mile asphalt,'55 to’69–
–Gainesville Speedway, williston road, 3/8 mile dirt 1965-67–
–Stock Island Speedway, 1/3 mile asphalt 1956 to 1967–
–Vero-Beach Speedway, 1971 to 1977–
–Beaches Speedway, Panama City, 3/8 mile asphalt 1970 to 1979–
–Miami-Hollywood Speedway–1/3 mile asphalt oval–1969-1984–
–Cross City Speedway, behind the Davis Family Junkyard on Hwy 19–
–Deland Raceway Park–1966 to 1973–

Not that I have only typed-in to see these Raceways on the internet, I have also stepped-foot on most of these grounds.[/QUOTE]

I pretty sure Old Lakeland 5/8 mile is on the same foundation as former USA international Speedway, When Lakeland Speedway was 5/8 mile then til add smaller track to 1/4 mile plus figure 8. While 5/8 mile track was still there, around the outside. 5/8 mile track was not being used while they races on the 1/4 mile track and figure 8 races. I still see it today on the map, bird eyes.

#4

fscr27-

You are correct about the old Lakeland 5/8, and 1/4 mile asphalt oval inside of it. It did lay upon the original foundation, somewhat: the new 3/4 miler was laid out on the exact frontstretch wall of the old Raceway, utilizing the old wall and grandstands, and concourse facilities, which were/was(?) the new backstretch for the new Lakeland 3/4 miler.

#5

I went to the site but I didnt see a gallery with any race tracks on it, did you have tyo email them to see them or am I missing something?

#6

kind-of/sort-of—here is why.
That historical site has only limited areas as of right now, which are photographed back to the 1940’s ara. The are the dark green colored areas of the united states, and alot of the dark green areas are in the Miami area, all the rest are only mapped out to only 1980 or so, like the Tampa area, so you kinda have to know somewhat where to poke around, and where to sneak a peak, like landmarks, roads, etc.
No, the site really doesn’t have a complete list/memory of where anything is, only aerials of vacant/green undeveloped lands back in the day, maybe from 1940-50-60 or 70’s. Limited areas are mapped from back then. Again, you might need an address or something to dial you into a certain area, and then you zoom out, scope around, and find the easter-egg oval you’re looking for. They say the site is always being updated for the old stuff, and it’s a work in progress.
good luck!

#7

Golden Gate flea market

I read what you wrote there, I live in Tampa, there was Golden Gate Speedway there, now it named Big Top Flea Market there today since 1991. I moved from NY in 1990, Guy I know told me there was a race track while back then. I didn`t know, now I know.:sprachlos020:

#8

golden gate was not a 1/4 mile

it was i think a 3rd mile and what a track is was also it was asphalt

#9

ab195

hey, check out this site, its show all the track you wrote down in the history, www.floridastockcars.com ,, its show old picture and aerials in some old track which were not there today, some are there today. you may have familiar of some peoples you know, I know Tom Stimus from Desoto Speedway way back in the 90. Bill Hills in Sunshine Speedway also in 90., anyway, go check it out,

DJ:huepfen024: