High Point Speedway – 1941

Here’s some early racing for you history buffs … High Point Speedway – May 11, 1941.

It was a spectacular 1 mile ovalon the outskirts of High Point, NC that hosted pretty much a ‘who’s who’ of pre-war stock car racers.

I believe this is the second race held at the track.

Good work, Robert. We had Bill Blair, Jr. on “Racing Through History” (3/8/11) to discuss the High Point and Tri-City speedways. High Point speedway could have been a very significant player in (ultimately) NASCAR and stock car racing, had not World War II intervened.

Great info… track was dirt, not asphalt according to stories and posters. Noted Tadlock fatality. That is one of the great family racing names in eastern VA / NC.

A lot of interesting info on this track, as well as others in the area, is found in “The Piedmond-Triad’s Role in Early NASCAR History:1940-1958, a 2004 Senior Thesis at UNC Asheville by William Tate.

Bobby, I really enjoyed the interview with Bill Blair. I’d just found the articles and when I heard Mr. Blair would be on the show I posted them thinking it might be relevant. It’s sad to think such a nice track only got to see four races, but it’s an interesting story in racing history.

Dave, thanks for the correction. I also have the articles for the next race at the track which they had put down something called “liquid asphalt”, and I confused the two dates. And even then, it wasn’t really paved…more like coated.

And thanks for the interesting article by William Tate. Here’s the link if anyone else is interested –

http://toto.lib.unca.edu/sr_papers/history_sr/srhistory_2004/tate_william.pdf

Hello All! Will Tate here. The William Tate refered to earlier in the posts! Why it took me so long to find this website is beyond me! Thank you all for seeing my thesis and considering it for your reference! I will be the first to say that it is somewhat incomplete and has many unknowns in it due to lack of records, but it was what I found at that time. I have since worked some on expanding my work, and hope to get more in depth. I do have a lot of articles from newspapers in the area regarding many races… Spent a lot of time scanning them. If there are questions about a race from that era, please ask and I will see what I have!

Also – Forgot to say this…My research shows that the 5-11-1941 race was the FIRST STOCK CAR race at the track. An open wheel car race was held on Oct. 20, 1940. World War II caused the track to go silent, rationing and racing ban. Upkeep costs were the primary reasons for the Baity Brothers (owners) putting the track and land up for auction. Dealess Hedgecockbought the track and land, tore down the grandstand and sold the lumber. The land today has a housing development on it.

Will, let me welcome you here. I have enjoyed reading your research papers.

According to the book Driving With The Devil in chapter 7 (page 123) in 1940Lloyd Seay and Bill France had collided and France flipped seven times. The pictures attached were copies given to me several years ago by

Raymond Parks and were from High Point 1940(it is dated on somome of them).The car wasthe Graham Paige

that Bill France drove that day.

By the way the first picture is a young Bill France sitting on top.The third picture is l-rJoe Epton,Bill France,

and Joe Little John(looks like a photo shoot after the fact to me)

Will, I also enjoyed your research alot. Up until Barbara Taylor did her excellent booklet and High Point Museum exibitabout the earlytracks of the Piedmont there hasn’t been alot of credit to the area for stock car history, and your thesis was a very nice contribution. I learned a good bit about how deep the history of Greensboro Fairgrounds Speedway is from your research. I had no idea the stock cars raced there as early as 1940.

You forgot to mention Peace Haven, though! 🙂 It dated back to 1940 for motorcycles, and 1947 for stock cars.

I look forward to your contributions here at RR, and pleasepostyour early racing photos if you’ve got’um.

Wow, these are awesome! Thanks, Laverne! That last photo shows just how nice the grandstands where. It really was a beautiful track.

Here is a shot of first time racer Hugh “Curly” Lunsford of Winston-Salem after taking second place behind winner Harley Taylor and ahead of Bill France in third. Not bad for his first race, and still wearing his Sunday church service clothes.

I found this aerial showing the ghost of both High Point Speedway and Tri-City Speedway. I never knew they where literally right next to each other. And check out the smaller track inside Tri-City…My guess is that was the motorcycle track-

Great research! Very interesting finds! Lloyd Seay won what I believe was the last race on August 23rd (I think) 1941. I have never seen the grandstands before, but they look like they were 15 or so years ahead of it’s time!!

Thanks for sharing Robert!

-Cody

SIMPLY AMAZING! I looked for many hours for pictures of the High Point Speedway, and here they are! Simply amazing! And from Raymond Parks of all people! What a treasure. I will say that I do not show a race on August 23, which was a Saturday.

The final confirmed race I had was one week later on Sunday, August 31st. It was featured as the “National Championship”. The race was 100 miles and Promoted by Lindsay Baity. The race was won by Lloyd Seay. Intrestingly, Seay was killed thetwo dayson 9-2-1941 by his cousin in an argument over Moonshine.

Immediately after he won at High Point, he left the track and drove to Atlanta to compete in the race at Lakewood Speedway on 9-1. He missed qualifying, and was forced to start at the rear. He drove his way to the front quickly and won the race. Collected $450.

He then spent the night at his brother’s house. He was confronted by his cousin the next day over a sugar order (moonshine) and was shot and killed.

I also have evidence of another race at High Point Speedway to be held on September 7th, 1941, but only have found the advertisments leading up to the race. No results or stroies were found during inital research.

This race was slated to be 100 laps, and was to be called “Championship Stock Car Racing”.

May or may not have occured.

In the time I had for this paper, I was simply bogged down with just a select few tracks to try and highlight. From what I see, you are the guru of Peace Haven! I am sure that in the coming research times, I will find more on Peace Haven.

I will put it on the list to research more in-depth!

Great research !Jack