Help Identify The Track & Drivers In These Old Photos

I came across these photos in a restaurant in Winston-Salem. They are labeled Peace Haven Speedway, but three extremely reliable sources told me they definitely are not Peace Haven.

The main clue is the fence. Peace Haven had a fence that spanned the edge of the track from the start of turn two, to the end of turn three, then went away from the track and around the back of the spectators areas from the start of turn four to the end of turn one. The fence had the bracing on the outside where it met the track, and only had bracing on the inside (like in these photos) where it went away from the track. There was no vegetation were the fence met the track at Peace Haven.

Also, there are drivers names written on the photos, but are they correct?

Regardless of where these are really from, they are very cool photos...

I agree with the Greensboro comment. With the pictures I have, they most resemble Greensboro Fairgrounds. I do know that they are not Lexington/Lakeview Speedway. I have several photos that show this.

It's been a while since I made this post, and since then I've become more convinced that these photos are from North Wilkesboro in 1947. The large open grandstand, and the details of the fence seem to match up well with other early photos I've come across of North Wilkesboro. Also, the #P-38 Ralph Hemric car and the #17 J.S. Pope car driven by Henry Weavil were prominent cars in the area that year.

I was actually looking at some of my other photos today and thought the same thing... The fence looks similar...

I think we have a winner but I'm going to go up to Mike Staley's next week and check out some of his photos just to be sure.

The man at the restaurant was adamant the photos were Peace Haven and wasn't too happy about me saying I didn't think they were. I certainly didn't want to make him mad, I just wanted to give proper credit to the track that they were from because they are awesome photos. It doesn't really matter in the end as long as people enjoy looking at them at the restaurant.

Here is some comparisonsof Peace Haven to these photos.

The backstretch showing Ed Samples in the #90 and Buddy Shuman in the #24-

At Peace Haven, April 10, 1950showing Alton Haddock in the #32 and Buddy Shuman in the #86. Note the difference in the fence, and the amount of trees on the outside -

Peace Haven had advertisment billboards on the fence in the middle of the backstretch and a tree covered hill on the other side-

The grandstand with Ralph Hemricdriving the P-38 from what I believe to be 1947-

The grandstand wasn't as deep at Peace Haven, and you could see the board fence at the top -

This shot shows Ralph Hemric again in the P-38 owned by Jake Daviswith Henry Weavil driving the J.S. Pope #17, both from Winston-Salem. Again, no similarities in the fence or landscape to Peace Haven but very reminiscent to North Wilkesboro in the late '40s-

I believe the #3 passing the overturned car might be Pap White of High Point. This looks like they're coming out of turn 2 and into the backstretch. Note the wood rail at the base of the fence that Peace Haven didn't have-

Turns 1 & 2 at Peace Haven showing the thick woodson the outside of the fence surrounding the track-

Randy, if you're near a computer when you see Mike, show him these photos. It would be great to find out what year and even what race it was. Also, ask him about that #24 car North Wilkesboro owned. I know Buddy Shuman drove it, but I've also seen Tim Flock driving it. Who else drove it, and what years were it it in action?

Certainly no question those are two different fences, is there?

Yeah, it's pretty obvious. If we could just prove what track it really is. It's terrible that people didn't label so many of these great old photos, but it sure is fun doing the detective work on them.

Following through on this old post - Mystery solved. My speculation was correct, it's North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1947 - September 14, to be exact.

And a couple of cool old ads from the magazine -

Red Vogt's Garage -

Hey Robert, the Peace Haven photo showing the wreck and sign boards on the backstrech you have here was edited and used on a Greensboro Fairgrounds program cover. I thought I recognizedit. I have the program cover on my photo page.

Just as an FYI, the wreck was part of a 12-car pile up during an amatuer race at Peace Haven that stopped the race.

Good eye, N.B. Thanks for pointing that out. I looked up the results for that race and it turns out a young driver named Kenneth Bowman went through the fence and rolled down a hill into a creekin that wreck. Got hurt pretty badly.

So glad you found the Speed Age.