Raleigh Speedway was a one-mile oval race track which opened in 1952 one mile north of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake County. It was the second superspeedway ever built. It was also the first lighted superspeedway and the first track on which NASCAR sanctioned night-time races. The track had a long and narrow shape, like a paper clip, with the front and back straights about apart and the straightaways about long. The turns were banked at 16° and the straightaways were flat.
History
The track opened in 1952 as Southland Speedway. Its first major event was a AAA sanctioned IndyCar race held on July 4, 1952. That race was won by Troy Ruttman in an Offy powered Kuzma. From 1953 the track was known as Raleigh Speedway. NASCAR races were held at the track from 1953 to 1958. On the 1/4-mile infield track there were weekly Modified an Sportsman races on Fridays. Occasionally, the Sportsman and Modified's ran on the one-mile track. The Grand National series ran 100, 250, and races yearly. The final three Grand National races were held on July 4, 1956, 1957, and 1958. When the Daytona International Speedway opened, the July 4 Grand National event moved to that track. Shortly thereafter, the Raleigh Speedway closed due to noise complaints from residents of nearby neighborhoods. The track was demolished in 1967. Most of the track site is now The Seaboard Industrial Park with the Seaboard Coast Line Railroadsiding occupying the former location of the front straight. About 90' of the backstretch remain in the woods just southwest of the Progress Energy substation on Tarheel Drive.
† 1954 Memorial Day, then always celebrated on May 30, fell on a Sunday. So, the 1954 Grand National race was held on Saturday, May 29.
Fatalities
The only fatalities at the track occurred during a night race on September 19, 1953. Drivers Bill Blevins and Jesse Midkiff were killed during the start of a combined Modified and Sportsman race. Blevins car would not start as the 60-car field took off. He got a start from a push truck, but stalled and came to a stop in the racing line at the exit of turn two on the backstretch — perhaps under the mistaken assumption that he would get another push-start. Blevin's dark maroon car went unnoticed by race officials as the green flag waved. Some in the crowd noticed the stalled car and yelled and pointed, but the flag man never noticed. The remaining 59 cars exited turn two at full speed. One car ran into the back of the stalled car starting a chain-reaction crash. Blevin's car burst into flames, and with only two fire extinguishers at the track it took considerable time to get the fire put out. There was no way to get the driver out of the car with flames shooting into the air. Blevins and Midkiff were killed, and several other drivers suffered lesser injuries. At least 15 cars were severely damaged. It took about 1 hour and 20 minutes to clear the track, after which the race was shortened to and won by Buddy Shuman.
Trivia
Fonty Flock started 43rd in the 1953 Grand National race and won. This record for the worst start by a race winner in NASCAR's top series still stands as tie to Johnny Mantz' win from 43rd at the 1950 Southern 500 in Darlington.
Jocko Flocko, Tim Flock's pet monkey, accompanied the racer in-car for the final time at the 1953 Grand National race. Somehow Jocko got loose from his seat harness and began exploring the race car. He found a string that lifted a trap door where the driver could check the condition of the right-front tire. As Jocko opened the door, a pebble flew up and struck him in the head. The monkey went berserk and Tim, who was leading the race at the time, had to pit to have the crazed primate removed from the car. Tim finished third as a result.
In December 1953, Nash held a series of test for the Metropolitan including a 24-hour endurance and speed tests. One Metro completed in 24 hours at. Another averaged 41.57 mpg at 35 mpg for 24 hours.
Herb Thomas and Buck Baker had the most top ten finishes.
Buck Baker ran the most laps.
Fireball Roberts lead the most laps and earned the most money.
Lee Petty and Speedy Thompson finished the most races.
If any driver "owned" the Raleigh Speedway it was Herb Thomas. Of the six races he ran at the track, he qualified in the top ten every time and in the top five five times. He finished in the top five five times with his 1957 DNF for brakes being his only finish out of the top five. Herb also has the most lead-lap finishes.
