Greenville-Pickens Speedway

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Greenville-Pickens Speedway
Location Rural Greenville, South Carolina
Capacity over 20,000
Opened 1940
Major Events Whelen Southern Modified Tour
NASCAR Grand National Division
Whelen All-American Series
NASCAR team test sessions
Oval (1946 - 1969)
Surface Dirt
Circuit Length 0.500 mi (0.805 km)
Lap Record 70.359 mph (David Pearson, Holman Moody, 1969, NASCAR Grand National)
Oval (1969 - present)
Surface asphalt
Circuit Length 0.500 mi (0.805 km)
Lap Record 82.557 mph (David Pearson, Holman Moody, 1971 NASCAR Grand National)

Greenville-Pickens Speedway is a race track located near Greenville, South Carolina. The track hosts weekly NASCAR sanctioned races. Several touring series visit the track each year, including the Whelen Southern Modified Tour and the NASCAR Grand National Division. NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series teams frequently test at the track since testing is allowed only at non-current NASCAR tracks.[1] The Upper South Carolina State Fair has held at the track since 1964.[1]

The track held 29 races on the NASCAR Grand National (now NEXTEL Cup) tour between 1951 until 1971. It also hosted two NASCAR Busch Grand National (now Busch Series) tour races in 1983. The April 10, 1971 race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway was the first NASCAR race nationally televised from start to finish.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

The track opened in 1940 as a half mile dirt track. It was closed the following year for World War II like all race tracks in the United States. It reopened on July 4, 1946 in a race promoted by Bill France, Sr.[1] The race the third of the day after 2 horse races. NASCAR began racing at the track in 1951. The track was paved as an asphalt track in April 1970. The last NASCAR Grand National race was held at the track in 1971,[2] when NASCAR began cutting small tracks from its schedule.[1]

The NASCAR Grand National Division's Busch North Series name was changed to Busch East Series in 2006 after the series' first Southern race, held at this track.

[edit] NASCAR race winners

[edit] Grand National

  • 1951 Bob Flock[3]
  • 1955 Tim Flock
  • 1956 Buck Baker
  • 1958 Jack Smith
  • 1959 Junior Johnson
  • 1959 Buck Baker
  • 1960 Ned Jarrett (Greenville 200)
  • 1961 Emanuel Zervakis (Greenville 200)
  • 1961 Jack Smith (Pickens 200)
  • 1961 Junior Johnson
  • 1962 Ned Jarrett (Greenville 200)
  • 1962 Richard Petty (Pickens 200)
  • 1963 Buck Baker (Greenville 200)
  • 1963 Richard Petty (Pickens 200)
  • 1964 David Pearson (Greenville 200)
  • 1964 LeeRoy Yarbrough (Pickens 200)
  • 1965 Dick Hutcherson (Greenville 200)
  • 1965 Dick Hutcherson (Pickens 200)
  • 1966 David Pearson (Greenville 200)
  • 1966 David Pearson (Pickens 200)
  • 1967 David Pearson (Greenville 200)
  • 1967 Richard Petty (Pickens 200)
  • 1968 Richard Petty (Greenville 200)
  • 1968 Richard Petty (Pickens 200)
  • 1969 Bobby Isaac (Greenville 200)
  • 1969 Bobby Isaac (Pickens 200)
  • 1970 Bobby Isaac (Greenville 200 - first NASCAR race after track was paved)
  • 1971 Bobby Isaac (Greenville 200) - Televised on ABC in prime-time.
  • 1971 Richard Petty (Pickens 200)

[edit] Busch Grand National

[edit] NASCAR Grand National Division, East Series

[edit] List of late model track champions

Track officials began writing its track champions on the wall in 1971, and they went back to 1957.

  • 1957 Grady Hawkins
  • 1958 Elmo Henderson
  • 1959 David Pearson
  • 1960 Floyd Powell
  • 1961 Floyd Powell
  • 1962 Floyd Powell
  • 1963 Dub Nelson
  • 1964 Jeff Hawkins
  • 1965 Ralph Earnhardt
  • 1966 Ralph Earnhardt
  • 1967 Jeff Hawkins
  • 1968 Jeff Hawkins
  • 1969 Jeff Hawkins
  • 1970 Jeff Hawkins (first track champion on pavement)
  • 1971 Johnny Allen
  • 1972 Butch Lindey
  • 1973 Don Miller
  • 1974 Don Miller
  • 1975 Bob Jarvis
  • 1976 Don Sprouse
  • 1977 Buddy Howard
  • 1978 Buddy Howard
  • 1979 Buddy Howard
  • 1980 Buddy Howard
  • 1981 Donnie Bishop
  • 1982 Gene Morgan
  • 1983 Donnie Bishop
  • 1984 Donnie Bishop
  • 1985 Roy Chatham
  • 1986 Donnie Bishop
  • 1987 Larry Hines
  • 1988 Robert Pressley
  • 1989 Larry Ogle
  • 1990 Marty Ward
  • 1991 Marty Ward
  • 1992 Donnie Bishop
  • 1993 Randy Porter
  • 1994 Donnie Bishop
  • 1995 Mardy Lindley
  • 1996 Steve Howard
  • 1997 Dexter Canipe (NASCAR Weekly Series national champion)
  • 1998 Pete Silva
  • 1999 Dennis Southerlin
  • 2000 Gene Morgan
  • 2001 Pete Silva
  • 2002 Marty Ward
  • 2003 Marty Ward
  • 2004 Kenneth Headen
  • 2005 Blair Addis
  • 2006 Randy Porter
  • 2007 David Roberts (state champion plus eleventh in national NASCAR points)

[edit] Other notable local track regulars

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Long history hugs racetrack's curves, March 17, 2005; Ed McGranahan; The Greenville News; Retrieved November 1, 2007
  2. ^ Greenville Pickens Speedway; na-motorsports.com; Retrieved November 1, 2007
  3. ^ a b Track winners, racing-reference.info, Retrieved November 1, 2007
  4. ^ Notable Greenville-Pickens Speedway drivers; March 17, 2005; The Greenville News; Retrieved November 1, 2007

[edit] External links

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