Stock Island Speedway Florida

Dear Johnny,Thanks for the info.I've been to the Key's years ago but didn't know about this track.Johnny this isn't a trivia question;is $500.00 to much to pay for a 39 Plymouth Coupe?Please write me back.Thanks Mike Ray.

Dear Johnny,Thanks for the info.I've been to the Key's years ago but didn't know about this track.Johnny this isn't a trivia question;is $500.00 to much to pay for a 39 Plymouth Coupe?Please write me back.Thanks Mike Ray.

Hi,

In the early 50's I was in the Navy, stationed at Key West. And being a young racer, I wanted to race. So, when the people wanted to build a race track, I was right there. I raced at Stock Island Speedway the opening day ,,,,and for about 2 years. Then got discharged, and went north. Loved that track

although i grew up in michigan, i was born in key west, fla. and still have a lot of family down in the keys. my grandfather raced at the old stock island speedway back in the day, and held a championship or two. my grandmother as well raced the powder puff division there. my pops name was cecil black and drove what i believe was an old ford (white #54) with an old flat head v8.i posses one of the only remaining pics of his car, as well of a clipping from the key west paper of my grandmother (jane black) winning the powder puff championships. my question is i have had a hard time over the years finding much history on this track and its drivers, let alone pics. i know it was there i have family that was raised on that island, and i have walked on the remains of that track in my youth. if anyone has any history i could see or learn, i would love it. thanks for reading. -tony weakley

Wow,they say things don't happen by accident,but- I was looking some things up about Stock Island Key,mostly the history of it,trying to find old pictures and and old map from around 1964,my dad was stationed here on NAS KEY West at Bocca Chica,we lived ON Stock Island '63-'64...as a kid I loved living down here.I have been trying to remember things about living here,but really limited. I remember a radio station,and near there was a Beer warehouse (almost drowned while swiming there,guy saved my life) and shrimp boats, as a kid my friends and I would go by they would give us free shrimp to fish with. Lots of water near by and the racetrack. My buddies and I would take old car gas tanks tie them together,make a raft and play Hug Finn, or Robinson Cruruso, on the weekend ,Saturday aft.i think we would go up to the track to watch the Demolition Derby,wow! What great memories,I think they let us in free,we all
worked up there picking up papers before and after the race started, seems like there was some pony stables around there also that we worked in,cleaning stables for turns riding...can anybody refresh my memory about this? So many child hood memories I need to recall,thanks you,a definite map of that time would help me.. I do remember hurricane Dora,we were there in a mobile home and survived it,thank you again,Ken

I found this of the old speedway -- it was taken in 1965 looks like the back stretch

If you look close you can see a race car at speed on the backstretch,looks like a 55 or 56 Ford or Chevy #6

here is the front stretch with grandstand also in 1965

HEY JOHNNY, SOMETHING HAPPENED YOUR "LOST" RACE PHOTOS?

HEY JOHNNY,
I FOUND (3) PHOTOS OF Stock Island Speedway in the Florida keys - around 1965 !
PHOTO #1. front stretch with grandstand also in 1965
View of the grandstands at Stock Island Speedway in the Florida keys - around 1965 (State Archives of Florida)

http://www.floridastockcars.com/gallery3/d/5577-2/View+of+the+grand...

PHOTO #2. Aerial view of the backstretch of Stock Island Speedway in the FL Keys around 1965 (State Archives of Florida)

http://www.floridastockcars.com/gallery3/d/5575-2/Aerial+view+of+th...
PHOTO #3. CLOSE-UP view of the RACE CAR ON THE backstretch of Stock Island Speedway in the FL Keys around 1965?

LOOK LIKE Stock Island Speedway HAD AN WATER LOGGED backstretch INFIELD WITHOUT GUARDRAILS.
MAYBE THE RACE DRIVER'S WAS EQUIPPED WITH STANDARD TOM PISTONE'S AQUA-LUNGS/SCUBA TANKS THAT WAS USED AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ?

I can remember not wanting to lose it in the turn for fear of getting stuck in the lake in the infield. It almost happened a few times generally with a little help from the guy behind. I raced a 50 Ford flathead eight. What we raced would not even be let in the gate today, but it was fun and very competitive.

At the drags on the front straight, I raced a green 55 chev. Short race but it was well attended and was all we had.

Memories, I drove at Stock Island Speedway in the very beginning, I was in the first race there. And yes the infield was wet, ended up there several times. John

[quote=" @subfinders "]

Can anyone tell me if they have any Key West Stock Island Speedway photos? My father ( John Gendron) used to own this track when we were living in Key West, Fla from 1955 to 1970. I've been trying to find photos from my childhood for years 

http://racersreunion.com/bobby-williamson/gallery/36375/stock-island-speedway

https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/90677

https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/99489

http://racersreunion.com/gallery/ss="stock%20island"

https://www.floridamemory.com/solr-search/results/?q=%28Stock%20island%20OR%20tt%3AStock%20island%5E10%29&query=Stock%20island

http://racersreunion.com/rhonda-masters/gallery/63913/stock-island-raceway-remains#gallery_img

There is a good aerial on HistoricAerials.com from 1970

Robert Garner Turner, II

BIRTH  8 Feb 1936
Florida, USA
DEATH  12 May 1963 (aged 27)
Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA
BURIAL
Southern Keys Cemetery
Big Coppitt Key, Monroe County, Florida, USAMEMORIAL ID156861925 ·  View Source
Stock Car accident at the Stock Island Raceway in Key West, FL on May 12, 1963 at 8:30pm. Worked as an Electrician for his father's company, Turner Electric in Key West.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156861925/robert-garner-turner

[quote="Dennis Garrett"]

Robert Garner Turner, II

BIRTH  8 Feb 1936
Florida, USA
DEATH  12 May 1963 (aged 27)
Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA
BURIAL
Southern Keys Cemetery
Big Coppitt Key, Monroe County, Florida, USAMEMORIAL ID156861925 ·  View Source
Stock Car accident at the Stock Island Raceway in Key West, FL on May 12, 1963 at 8:30pm. Worked as an Electrician for his father's company, Turner Electric in Key West.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156861925/robert-garner-turner

[/quote]

This was my grandfather. Did you know him??

I was there in 1966 and 67.  I was stationed in Key West and went to the races almost every week.  I mostly remember an out of town car numbered 0X that everyone called the ox.  He came from upstate FL and was pretty hard to beat.  My memories of Stock Island include cars spinning out into the lake, cars going through the wall and driving back to the pits to re enter the track and cars driving outside the track to the welding shop during red flags and still getting back to the race.

This is the earliest high altitude aerial that I have found dated -9 DEC 59

StockIslandFla.jpg  •  207KB