The legendary Curtis Turner beat the '47 NCSCC champ Fonty Flock for the win, averaging over 70 mph in the main event. Even though the race wasn't NASCAR sanctioned, almost all the top drivers were in attendance. The newly renovated track, described as the State's fastest, reopened under the name "Winston-Salem Speedway" at 2:00 pm on Monday Jfor it's first professional Stock Car race. That led to the track and grounds being updated again in early '48 at the cost of $35,000 with a widened and banked full half-mile track, grandstands for 5000, a 7 foot tall board fence, an infield announcer's observation tower with flagstand, plus concessions stands to accommodate large events for both NASCAR Stock Cars, and AMA Motorcycle racing. At least one representative of Peace Haven Speedway attended the meeting. The racetrack continued in 1947 with AMA circle track Motorcycles, SSRA Midget Cars, and outlaw (non-sanctioned) Stock Car races, and became known as Peace Haven Speedway.Īfter a meeting in December of '47 at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach that included promoters, track owners, and drivers, Bill France and partners formed NASCAR. Many of these drivers started their careers before the war as moonshine runners, motorcycle racers, and midget car racers, then on to stock car racing as it's popularity gained. Stars like Herman Owens, Fred Reid, Buddy Shuman, Jackie Holland, Johnny Grubb, Dutch Culp, and Henry Weavil drove the fast Offenhauser and Ford V8 powered hand-built open wheel machines. ![]() In August of '46, Southern States Racing Association Midget Car racing was added to the bill at the new oval. The first post War race was for motorcycles on Easter Monday April 22, 1946. The TT track inside the oval was done away with. After the end of WWII the track was reconfigured into a half-mile oval around the old TT track so it could host both motorcycles and automobiles. was on May 17th 1942, followed by a three and a half year shutdown of all racing everywhere for the war effort. The last race before WWII was in full swing for the U.S. Some of the old park is still there today with it's stone walls, staircase, and spiral terrazzo patio behind Peace Haven Pool on Hearthside Drive. The actual park was just north of the track and had a man-made lake for swimming. Early on, it was known in newspaper articles as Old Peace Haven Lake Race Track or Peace Haven Park Race Track. The track had twists & turns, and a creek crossing for the big Harley-Davidson and Indian race bikes. Wade Beauchamp, President of the Twin City Ramblers, with other club members started clearing the land and breaking ground in the Spring of 1941*. ![]() It started out in 1941 as a Tourist Trophy "TT" motorcycle track built by racing enthusiasts in the local Twin City Ramblers Motorcycle Club. The speedway was off Peace Haven Road accessed by Lynhaven Drive. Click the link below to see the albums - is a 1958 street map of Winston-Salem, NC showing the location of Peace Haven Speedway. You'll see lots of rare photos, artifacts, and newspaper articles that I'm periodically adding to as I find new things. Please view my collection of albums I've arranged by year about Peace Haven Speedway, in chronological order the way it should be seen.
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