GREENVILLE - PICKENS SPEEDWAY - EASLY SC
a race track located in Easley, SC, just west of Greenville, SC. The track opened in 1940 as a half mile dirt track. It was closed the following year for World War II like most all race tracks in the United States. It reopened on July 4, 1946 in a race promoted by Bill France Sr. It was the race the third of the day after two horse races. NASCAR began racing at the track in 1955. The track was paved as an asphalt track in April 1970. The first race saw the field run 200 laps around the 1/2 mile dirt track. It has an unusual finish. Tim Flock started on the front row and led the first 199 laps. Jim Reed who was running second accidently spun Flock out on the final lap and crossed the finish line first. But Reed REFUSED to take the victory and asked to be disqualified. So NASCAR DQ'ed Reed and handed the win to Flock. Junior Johnson was second and Bob Welborn was third; both two laps back. Buck Baker won the following year; and became the first two time winner
in 1959. Emanuel Zervakis would win in 1961; the first of his two career Cup wins. Many of the all stars of NASCAR have won at the speedway. Tim Flock, Buck Baker, Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, and Jack Smith just to name a few. Beginning in 1966 three drivers made this their own personal battle ground. David Pearson, Richard Petty and Bobby Isaac. Beginning in 1966 Pearson won three consecutive races. Not to be outdone; Petty won the next three. Then to top them both, Bobby Isaac won the next four events. Isaac would be the final driver to win on dirt here (1969) and the first on asphalt (1970). Everyone seems to think the 1979 Daytona 500 was the first NASCAR Cup race in TV. Turns out that honor falls to Greenville-Pickens. The April 10, 1971 race at Greenville-Pickens
Speedway was the first NASCAR race nationally televised from start to finish, on ABC Wide World of Sports. The win was claimed by Isaac. The next race was the final Cup race at the track was in 1971, when NASCAR began cutting small tracks from its schedule. Petty would beat Tiny Lund to the checkered flag by more than a lap. Not to be overlooked the NASCAR's convertibles held four races here. The first was in 1956 and saw Curtis Turner beat Joe Weatherly and Glen Wood. The next year Turner would win again, this time Possum Turner would be second, and Weatherly third. In 1958, Bob Welborn bypassed Ken Rush to take the win. Rush had led the first 189 laps before Welborn got by. Larry Frank finished
second and Rush third. The final convertible event ever at the track would have Lee Petty in victory lane. Weatherly looked strong early as he led the first 35 laps before his steering developed problems. Smith, Petty and Welborn would swap the lead for many laps, with Smith leading at the 170 lap mark when he developed oil pressure issues. The problem would eventually put him out on lap 177. Petty would take advantage of Smith's problems and get the win by more than a lap. Capacity of the track is 35,000 including the Dale Earnhardt backstretch, a three-tiered parking area where fans can take in races while tailgating or camping. Many major and popular race series have raced at the track. NASCAR's convertibles, and Xfinity series raced here along with the Whelen Modifieds and K&N Series. The Upper South Carolina State Fair has been held at the fairgrounds adjacent to the race track since 1964. The track still hosts weekly racing events along with specials event of the CARS race Series and Monstor Truckz
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