Most of know there are old runways crisscrossing the Talladega SuperSpeedway property. Here are a few neat old "before & after" photos and maps of the track found at www.airfields-freeman.com .
I figure our ghost track sleuths Bobby Williamson, Jim Wilmore and Dennis Andrews might need these various coordinates if ISC and NASCAR ever abandon the place.
Anniston Army Airfield, Talladega, AL
33.57 North / 86.06 West (East of Birmingham, AL)
Anniston AAF, as depicted on the November 1944 Birmingham Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the Army Airfield while in use has not been located.
How many auto racing fans know that the Talladega Superspeedway
was built on the remains of an abandoned WW2-era Army Airfield?
Anniston was opened on October 19, 1942 as a sub-field of Courtland AAF, with a 5,300' hard-surfaced runway.
However, Anniston Army Airfield was not yet depicted at all
on the March 1943 14M Regional Aeronautical Chart (according to Chris Kennedy) .
Anniston was used as part of the Basic Flying School headquartered at Courtland
which utilized Vultee BT-13s for the Air Cadets
as well as a specialized 4-engine flying school that flew B-24s,
and a school for transition from B-24s to B-29s school opened up in early 1945.
The airfield was also used by the Army Airways Communication System with the 108 th AACS Squadron being assigned to the airfield.
The March 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)
described Anniston AAF as having a 5,300' hard-surfaced runway.
The earliest depiction of Anniston AAF which has been located
was on the November 1944 Birmingham Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) .
The earliest photo of Anniston AAF which has been located
was a circa 1943-45 aerial view looking northeast from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock).
It depicted Maxwell Field Auxiliary #3 (Anniston AAF) as having 3 concrete runways with a concrete ramp on the east side.
Anniston AAF was still depicted as an active military airfield
on the 1945 Birmingham Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) .
Anniston AAF was closed on August 16, 1945 & was placed on standby status.
The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) descrbied Maxwell Field Auxiliary #3 (Anniston AAF)
as a 1,863 acre irregularly-shaped property having 3 concrete 5,300' runways,
and a single 160' x 120' steel hangar.
The field was said to be owned by the U.S. Government, and operated by the Army Air Forces, but to be Inactive.
At some point between 1945-47, Anniston was apparently closed by the military.
as it was labeled "Anniston Air Force Base (Inactive)" on a 1947 USGS topo map
(courtesy of Thomas Kallsen of the University of Alabama Map Library ).
A February 1949 USGS aerial photo (courtesy of John Cross) depicted Anniston AFB as having three 5,300' concrete runways, taxiways,
and a ramp & building complex on the northeast side of the field.
Anniston was reopened by the Air Force Air Training Command on July 1, 1949 as Anniston AFB
and conducted contract flying training until August 1, 1950
when it was transferred to Air Materiel Command as a support airfield to support the Anniston Army Depot.
Anniston AFB was closed for the final time on June 30, 1952.
The former Anniston AFB was eventually reused as the Talladega Airport.
It was described on the Aerodromes table of the August 1954 Birmingham Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
as a jointly operated (civil & Air Force) airfield.
The 1959 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Talladega Airport as having three 5,300' paved runways.
Taxiways led to a ramp on the north side of the field.
Only a single building was depicted.
Talladega Airport, as depicted on the 1961 Great Smoky Mountains World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described Talladega Municipal Airport as having three 5,300' concrete runways,
and listed the operator as Vinson Flying Service.
The former Anniston AAF was selected as the site for a new auto racing track by NASCAR founder Bill France & Bill Ward,
and the track was opened in 1969.
It "was built to be the biggest, fastest, and most competitive speedway in the world."
The date of closure of the Talladega Municipal Airport has not been determined.
At an unknown date,
a new airport, the Talladega Municipal Airport , was built to the east of the Speedway & former military airfield.
A new 6,000' paved runway was constructed for the new airport -
it did not reuse any runways from the former military airfield.
The majority of the length of the three runways of the former military airfield
were still clearly recognizable in the 1997 aerial photo.
Most of the former military building area also still existed, northeast of the former airfield.
A 2006 aerial view by Robert Morris looking northeast at the Talladega Superspeedway,
with the former military airfield just behind it, and the current Talladega Regional Airport at the top.
Robert observed, The old runways are used as roadways & RV/camper parking at the Talladega Superspeedway.
A 5/31/09 aerial view looking north at the remains of 2 former runways within the Talladega Superspeedway.
The site of Talladega AAF is located
southeast of the intersection of Superspeedway Boulevard & Jackson Trace Road.
Thanks to Peter Kodis for pointing out this former airfield.
____________________________________________________
--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM
