Date & Location of 1st auto race in State of Va.
Stock Car Racing History
Here is my cut-down version of the article: "First race ---- big crowds expected" by Ray Schreiner, found in the August 2010 issue of Fifty Plus Magazine.
Date & Location of 1st auto race in State of Va.:
Afternoon of August 8, 1907 at the fairgrounds, the one-mile dirt track and wooden grandstand seating 3,000; located on 72 acres of the Bryant Estate, Richmond,Va.
Sponsored by Richmond Automobile Club to raised money for the Home of the Incurables.
Day before the races, at 8 mph legal speed limit, City of Richmond Police Chief Major Warner led the parade of the entered 50 cars down Broad Street.
50 cars entered and raced the individals races: Runabouts; Touring Cars Costing $2,000 And Under; Doctors; Free-For-All; and Obstacles.
Touring Cars Costing $2,000 And Under race was disappointing race: only 2 cars entered and one of them dropped out with motor problems.
Free-For-All race was an crowd pleaser: winning Buick driven by C.C. Coddington raced aroundthe race track (one-mile or five-mile) in just 7 minutes and 12 seconds?
In Free-For-All race; a Ford driven by Howard E. Van Lear, had the 1st auto race accident in State of Va., when during the race, he skidded into the back turn fence, knocking down a half dozen-posts. He was not hurt and asked the physicians to go away.
The Richmond event drew a enthusiastic crowd of estimated 300 race fans, whom had travel to the race meet by car or street cars.
Richmond Automobile Club planned another race meet for Sept., 1907.
103 years later, September 11, 2010, 7:30 PM EST., Air Guard 400, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway will have an larger crowd!!!
Some of above information was taken from Richmond News Leader (1907?) and August 2010 issue of Fifty Plus Magazine's Richmond First article by Ray Schreiner, is a volunteer at the Valentine Richmond History Center and the Virginia Historical Society.
http://www.fiftyplusrichmond.com/50_richmond_firsts.htm
www.fiftyplusrichmond.com
First race ---- big crowds expected.jpg
updated by @dennis-garrett: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
