FLORIDA (USA)
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1903 - DAYTONA BEACH ROAD CIRCUITThe first known motor racing at the circuit is believed to have been around 1903, The original length of the track was 3.2 miles but was increased to 4.1 miles in the late 1940's.
The track started on the pavement at 4511 South Atlantic Avenue, the cars raced south for two miles parallel to the ocean to the end and then accessed the beach at the South Beach Street approach, They then raced the two miles back along the beach returning back onto South Atlantic Avenue from the North Beach access.
Photographer unknown. |
|
By 1948 Bill France senior had introduced NASCAR to the motor racing world, The Daytona track would play a roll in the rise of NASCAR, running sanctioned event's from 1948 through till 1958.
|
Along with the car racing, motorcycle racing event were also held at the Daytona Beach - Road course.
Spectators would flock to the beach for these well run events
As time passed France saw the need for a much better facility that was more controlled as far as the paying public went, and one that the cars could reach there full potential.
|
|
The motorcycle racing continued through until 1960 before that ended. The course was also known as Ponce Inlet Beach Road Course.
Photographer: unknown.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1929 KAYE DON SUNBEAM SILVER BULLETT
The Sunbeam Silver Bullet was the last ettempt on the Land Speed record by Sunbeam of Wolverhampton.
The car featured two Sunbeam Supercharged engines, each measuring 24 litres in capacity.
Allthough a big effort was put in the Silver Bullit failed to delivier for Don and the team fell short of the record.
Photo: Richard Le Sesne. |
1929 Kayne Don Photo: unknown. |
1929 - DAILY NEWS NEWSPAPER REPORTED
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1931 - MALCOM CAMPBELL NAPIER BLUEBIRD II
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1935 - MALCOM CAMPBELL
The new Bluebird machine at Daytona Beach.
|
Mechanic Leo Villa with Malcom. |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1935 DAILY NEWS NEWSPAPER REPORTED
*********************************************************************************************************************************
|
|
Photo's unknown |
|
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1953 - DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY IS BORN
By 1953 Bill France Senior decided it was time to build a modern speedway complex that would cater for the ever increasing speeds and large crowds that wanted to watch American Stock Car Racing.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1954 - JOHNNY ROBERTS
Turn 5 Turn Around facebook Photo feature
1954 - Johnny Roberts on the sand at Daytona Beach. Photo: Brian Tidball collection.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1955 - DAYTONA BEACH ROAD CIRCUIT
France began construction of the new 2.5mile Super Speedway in 1956 while the street and beach circuit continued to hold events.
1960 DAYTONA BEACH CIRCUIT LOCATION
|
1958 DAYTONA SPEEDWEEK
With the closure of the Daytona Beach road circuit in 1958 and the opening of Daytona Speedway in 1959, racing in the form of distance and speed records over the standing quarter mile did continue on the beach only until 1961.
|
Photo's: unknown.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1958 - DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY OPENS
With the closure of the road and beach circuit Daytona International opened on the 23rd of Febuary 1958, with the running of the first Daytona 500 on the 22nd of Febuary 1959, this was won by Lee Petty in an Oldsmobile from Johnny Beauchamp and Charley Griffith in third, the race distance was two hundred laps.