Bobby Williamson
Stock Island Speedway
Long before Jimmy Buffett, Key West was in to stock car racing with the 1/3 mile paved "Stock Island Speedway" On two different occasions, 1955-56 and 1960-'67 Stock Island provide the Conch Republic with the best in stock car racing!
Ah ha you found it too i see. That was the only logicial point I could find that allowed the room to place a track. Only difference I see is you say its a 1/3rd mile and I found two different descriptions of it, one being a 1/2 mile and the other saying it was a 1/5th mile but both cases saying it was paved. I only found one photo of the track that had any bearing of the description of track and thats the one I put on R/R a short time back. Use it to show the track if you wish. The track deal is your show ....
Johnny, according to a long-time Key West resident, it was originally a dog track.
My father owned the buisiness of the Stock Island Speedway in 1966 and 67. His name is Jim Burbage. Him and my mother raced on that track as well. His numbers were J14 and J89. I don't know for sure what car numbers my mom raced as she usually either ran my fathers car or one that a friend of my fathers loaned her. She ran in the powder puff races. I recall a women named Highla Sweet that she raced against. I also recall a man named Mike Dozell who drove car number 12 and also another car number OX. I was just a little kid at the time but for 2 summers I recall having to pickup trash under the grandstands and sometimes finding change which was a very big deal for me. We used to put the trash in a burning 55 gallon trash barrel and once there was a hot rod that had fallen out of it and I stepped on it with my bare feet as us kids never wore shoes then. I recall real well how that hot piece of metal left I blister across the bottom of my foot. If anyone is intrested I will talk to my Mom and Dad and get more information about the track. As of now I can tell you for a fact that it was a 1/3 mile track as I recall my father talking about it many times and I have asked him about it as well. Also, the apartment in the picture were built on the infield which was a pond with water in it. I saw a friend of my Dads flip my dads J14 car upside down in that pond and my mom thought it was my father in the car so of course she washysterical about it because she did not know that my father and his friend has swapped cars befor the race. IF you look at the picture with the apartments the back stretch is at the top of picture the part of the pavement at the top of the picture, which is indeed the original track in which the top of the picture where the track is visible is turn 3 and ofcoarse the paved turn at the bottom of the turn is turn 4. The front stretch of the track is at the bottom and the pits were located on the outside of the track in turn one which it at the corner of 3rd street and 3rd avenue in that part of the parking lot. people who came to watch the races parked in a gravel parking lot at the bottom of the picture. There was a 12 foot wooden fence in turns one and two behind this fence there was some old junked stock cars and then the road. My father went through this fence one night and made his way back to the main road and then turned to the right and then back to the right again into the pits which were on the back side of turn one and then back out on the track. They had already stopped the race and were looking for him when he showed up on the track. Anyway as I said if anyone is interested I will certainly talk to my father and get the information you might want. Also I can remember a few more stories as well. Thanks, Don Burbage
Don, thanks for sharing ! I'd appreciate any additional info or stories from your father. ThanksBobby Williamson
https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/90678