Aldo, the piece you quote is from the blog series "Bench Racing from the Volunteer State" by our own RacersReunion member and contributor, TMC-Chase:
http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/profile/toomuchcountry?xg_source=activity
In 1963, after a successful referendum in both Virginia Beach and Princess Anne County, and with the approval of the Virginia General Assembly , Virginia Beach and Princess Anne County merged to form the present-day independent city of Virginia Beach. About the same time, Norfolk County merged with the small independent City of South Norfolk . The independent city that resulted from that merger, Chesapeake , became Virginia Beach's new neighbor to the southwest.
Most of the area formerly in the County of Princess Anne when it was formed in 1691 is now located within the independent City of Virginia Beach. The only exceptions are some territory of the northwestern portion which became part of the City of Norfolk through annexation and a land swap agreement between the two cities in 1988.
The text below is excerpted from the book, Norfolk, Virginia: Evolution of a City in Maps -
The new Agricade Fairgrounds, which opened around 1947 was apparently the site of Princess Anne Speedway and Princess Anne Park. First auto races there were midgets promoted by Sherman "Red" Crise.
In 1954, Princess Anne Speedway beat the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In the condensed judge's ruling, however, he made a statement (hi-lited) that could apply to most racetracks of the era:
54-2 USTC 9627] United States of America , Plaintiff, v. Princess Anne Speedway, Inc., Jordan A. Pugh, III, Earl W. Johnson, Defendants
In the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division, Civil Action No. 1767, September 28, 1954
[1939 Code Sec. 3710--same as 1954 Sec. 6332]
Distraint: Necessity for notice of levy and demand.--The United States did not use the proper form for final notice and demand prior to distraint. The District Court held that the failure of the government to levy upon funds in the hands of a creditor of taxpayer precluded it from collecting, under 1939 Code Sec. 3710, certain excise, withholding and social security taxes.
L. S. Parsons, Jr., United States Attorney, 307 Post Office and Court House Building, Norfolk, Virginia, for plaintiff. P. A. Agelasto, Jr., 502 Citizens Bank Building, Norfolk , Virginia , for defendants Jordan H. Pugh, III, et al.
Before HOFFMAN, District Judge.
Opinion from the Bench
(At the conclusion of the evidence and after the arguments of counsel, the Court gave the following oral opinion):
THE COURT: Civil Action No. 1767, in which the United States of America seeks to recover from Princess Anne Speedway, Inc., Jordan A. Pugh, III, and Earl W. Johnson certain taxes alleged to have been due by the corporation known as Princess Anne Speedway, Inc., it appears that the Court has heretofore entered judgment against Princess Anne Speedway, Inc., on the 20th day of May, 1954, same having been by default. Process was never served upon the defendant, Earl W. Johnson, sometimes referred to, I think, as W. Earl Johnson, and he, therefore, is not before the Court. This proceeding remains against Jordan A. Pugh, III, who is alleged by the Government to be the stakeholder of the sum of $800.00. It appears that the corporation known as Princess Anne Speedway, Inc., operated in a very loose manner ever since its incorporation and that it was the lessee from William F. Hudgins and others for certain property located in Princess Anne County, where stock car races and other similar events were held.
Don't forget, also, there were two other tracks that ran NASCAR Grand Nationalraces in the Hampton Roads / Tidewater area that included Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Just south, across the Virginia/North Carolina border was Moyock Dog Track Speedway and to the north, across Hampton Roads Harbor was Langley Field Speedway, originally known as Dude Ranch Speedway. And not far to the west of Norfolk and Virginia Beach, the "outlaw" dirt Peanut City Speedway operated in Suffolk.
Dennis, there is no way the proposed Isle of Wight County, Virginia racetrack would have carried the Richmond name. 8 Hampton Roads localities under the umbrella of the Hampton Roads Sports Authority in 1986 pledged $20 million for a 1-3/4 mile track to be operated by promoter, Paul Sawyer.
In a meeting with the 8 localities, NASCAR president, Bill France, Jr. refused to offer more than a year-to-year sanction and the entire deal collapsed. Paul then built Richmond International Raceway which opened in September 1988.
Dennis, I don't know. I wish I knew more about the history of the Norfolk and Virginia Beach tracks.
A couple of items from the website LittleJoeWeatherly.com regarding Norfolk & Virginia Beach tracks:
Virginia Beach Speedway: A 3/8 mile sand oval built on the intersection of Witchduck Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard in 1948. It was used through until 1960, and was also known as Joe Weatherly Speedway and Chinese Corner Speedway.
Chinese Corner Speedway. Thats a track that Joe Weatherly and Paul Sawyer (of Richmond International track fame) promoted.
Norfolk had two racetracks in the '40s: Virginia Beach and Princess Anne speedways. About this time Paul Sawyer started building race cars with an early NASCAR star and fellow Norfolkian and Virginia native, Joe Weatherly. In the early '50s, Weatherly asked Sawyer to invest in a speedway in Wilson, N.C. and Virginia Beach. With a $5,000 investment, Sawyer took the raceway ownership, management and promotional plunge. Sawyer bought Joe Weatherly out in 1956.
Sawyer also became involved in the Virginia Beach Speedway on Virginia Beach Boulevard near Witchduck Road, and in 1955, Sawyer joined Weatherly as co-owner of Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway (aka Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds") - the humble dirt-track precursor of today's 83,000-seat facility. The Virginia Beach speedway was also promoted as the Joe Weatherly Speedway.
By 1960, events conspired to cause Sawyer to sharpen his focus on Richmond. On Easter Sunday 1958, a fire wiped out the Wilson track, and by 1960, escalating rents at the Virginia Beach speedway and lack of expansion space for parking made its continued operation unfeasible.
