Forum Activity for @robert-mitchell

Have you seen this picture before? Lexington's Lakeview Speedway 1948

Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks

Wow, nice clear shot of the car. Thanks, Jack. Does Marty Little have any more from Lakeview?

Have you seen this picture before? Lexington's Lakeview Speedway 1948

Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks

How the heck do you survive that?

Fantastic photo, thanks.

Have you seen this picture before? Lexington's Lakeview Speedway 1948

Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks

That's awesome, Dave. Google newspaper archives is a goldmine. I can get carried away and lose track of time staying up half the night looking up early track info on there.

Here's an ad for the inaugural race -

I like to cut the photo out and tweak it a little -

Have you seen this picture before? Lexington's Lakeview Speedway 1948

Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks

Eric, I thought you were B.S.ing me but you came through. I'd never heard of "The NASCAR History Book" but I got out my "NASCAR CHRONICLE" and there it was on page 30!

The caption says: " Ed Southers' battered #13 Ford rests on the outskirts of Lakeview Speedway in Lexington, N.C., after crashing through the wooden fence during the inaugural event at the 5/8 mile dirt track. Southers was unhurt in the accident. Red Byron won the 30-lap contest."

Scan of the book photo -

The way I found it in the newspaper archives -

Thanks, Eric!

Have you seen this picture before? Lexington's Lakeview Speedway 1948

Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks

Thanks, Tim. Even after doctoring it up as best I could, it's still terrible quality but I guess it's better than nothing and at least we know the date and location.

Have you seen this picture before? Lexington's Lakeview Speedway 1948

Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks

I got this terrible quality image from a newspaper archive and could swear I've seen it in good quality photo form here on RR or somewhere on the internet. It is from Lakeview Speedway, Lexington, NC on May 2, 1948.

Have any of you seen this picture in good quality form and know where to find it? I may be imagining it, or thinking of a similar photo but I thought I'd give it a shot.

updated by @robert-mitchell: 12/05/16 04:08:38PM

What Fairgrounds is in this photo? Is this Spartanburg?

Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks

Awesome! Thanks Dave, and thanks Perry for identifying the photo. Misidentified and unidentified photos have always bothered me a lot, kind of a pet peeve of mine, but it's a fun and rewarding project to find their true identity.

What Fairgrounds is in this photo? Is this Spartanburg?

Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks

This photo was labeled Greensboro Fairgrounds but I don't think it is. The buildings behind the grandstand aren't in any other known Greensboro photos or aerials. Also, the grandstand roof at Greensboro didn't have an overhang like this one does. Judging by the cars in it, it appears to be around 1950-51. I see Joe Weatherly and Buddy Shuman in the front, then Cotton Owens and Fireball Roberts. It looks like the #91 of Tim Flock behind Fireball.

What other Fairgrounds tracks looked like this? Is this Spartanburg Fairgrounds? I couldn't find any Spartanburg photos to compare it to. I know it's not Danville Fairgrounds because it was hilly and didn't have a covered grandstand in the photos I've looked at.

Now compare it to some early and later photos of Greensboro -

1947 or 48-

Early to mid '50s before the grandstand burned down -

1948 aerial of Greensboro showing no buildings behind the grandstand -

1953 Map of Greensboro showing no buildings behind the grandstand -

updated by @robert-mitchell: 12/05/16 04:08:38PM

Tri-City Speedway in High Point, NC - 1948 Aerial

Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks

Here's an aerial of Tri-City Speedway in it's early days, with an added bonus of the ghost of the 1 mile High Point Speedway to it's south -

And a nice low aerial of the track, date unknown but it looks early -

updated by @robert-mitchell: 12/05/16 04:08:38PM

Thank You

General

Dave, it's a big relief to see you back and posting! Thanks for the update, sorry to hear about the recovery scare. Rest up and heal up and get back here on a regular basis. It's just not the same without you around here.