COLUMBIA SPEEDWAY - CAYCE SC
This was a 1/2 dirt dirt oval located in Cayce SC; just outside Columbia. The track had a long NASCAR history as it hosted Cup races from 1951-1971. For most of its history, the racing surface was dirt. The races in April and August 1970 were two of the final three NASCAR Cup races ever held on a dirt track. The track was paved as NASCAR was moving from racing on dirt to competing on asphalt. It was hope that moving to a paved surface would convince NASCAR to keep racing at the Facility. But that would not be the case and the track would host its last two Cup races in 1971. April 25, 1948 was the first race held at the track. Bob Flock would win the event. The first Cup race held there saw Frank Mundy
wheel his 1951 Studebaker to the win leading 167 of the 200 laps. This would be Mundy's first Cup win, and he would go on to collect two more that season. All the great drivers won at Columbia. Mundy, Tim Flock, Buck Baker, Curtis Turner, Fonty Flock, Speedy Thompson, Jack Smith, Junior Johnson, Lee Petty, Ned Jarrett, Rex White among others. But starting in 1963, Petty, Bobby Isaac and David Pearson made this their own personal battle ground. Out of the final 18 races held at the track, one of these three drivers would win 16 of them. Petty bested Pearson with seven wins, while Pearson got five and Isaac four. NASCAR also raced their Convertible Division here at Columbia. They ran two races per year all four years the Convertible Division was in operation. Richard Petty ran his first ever race at Columbia Speedway in 1958 in the convertible
series, and he returned in 1959 to capture his first win. This was the tracks final convertible event. Jimmy Massey won the first convertible race held here, followed by two Curtis Turner victories. Bob Welborn would also win twice here in a convertible. Others to claim a win included Joe Weatherly, Billy Carden and Petty. Other races were held, but then around 1980, the track went silent; and just 'sat' for 30 years. In 2009, an effort to reclaim the property for historic gatherings was made by Jeff Gilder, founder of Racersreunion.com. In February 2009, a small group of volunteers met to clear brush, old cable and trees. From this small group grew a larger all volunteer work force; and local contractors donated time and materials to the project. The first gathering was April 25. Over 30,000 fans from 17 states attended the "First Annual Historic Columbia Speedway Spring Festival". The facility now hosts a variety of events. The RacersReunion® event has become an annual occasion along with the Tartan Day South event. There have been drive-in movies, a carnival, a BBQ cook-off, car shows, concerts, a giant yard sale, and bicycling activities among the recent uses for Historic Columbia Speedway.
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