TITUSVILLE - COCOA SPEEDWAY - TITUSVILLE FL
NASCAR made one trip to race in Titusville FL. It was the makeshift Titusville Cocoa Speedway in the 3rd race of the 1957 season. The track was a 1.6 road course that used a good bit of an airport runway. One-third of the cars were fielded by Pete DePaolo's Ford team, and Petty Engineering took two Dodges to the race for Lee Petty and Tiny Lund. Yet even with half the field being comprised of two teams, Paul Goldsmith won the pole in his Smokey Yunick Chevy. As the green dropped, Goldsmith took off and led the first half of the race - 27 laps. He was a third of a lap ahead of the second place runner; but he broke a fan belt and overheated. He pitted for repairs and went back out; returning in third place. But his engine overheated again and he was forced out of the race, done for the day. Joe Weatherly lasted only 17 laps and was
the first DePaolo carto fall out of the event. Fireball picked up the lead from Goldsmith and led the remaining 29 laps. Fortunately for his team, Weatherly's exit was an anomaly. His remaining teammates followed him across the line: Fireball Roberts, 1st - Curtis Turner 2nd, - Marvin Panch 3rd, - and Ralph Moody 4th - the only cars to finish on the lead lap.
All Photos copyright and are property of their respective owners