Daytona’s annual Firecracker 400 for Grand National cars used to be billed as “America’s Largest Independence Day Celebration” back in 1966 when it was still run on the 4th of July. That event was still 2 ½ weeks away the night I saw my favorite NASCAR race ever – a race that could have been billed as "INDEPENDENTS DAY", even though it was run at night.
The magnificent ½-mile asphalt Beltsville Speedway in Maryland ran its regular show of NASCAR Modifieds and Late Model Sportsman cars on Wednesday nights back in 1966. Many of our Richmond area favorites ran their Modifieds there every Wednesday. It was only fitting that the first of two 1966 NASCAR Grand National races scheduled for Beltsville would be scheduled for a Wednesday night also.
