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The Quad Cities is a region of cities in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are the center of the Quad Cities metropolitan area, a region within the Mississippi River Valley, which as of 2023 had a population estimate of 467,817 and a Combined Statistical Area (CSA) population of 474,019, making it the 90th-largest CSA in the nation.
Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 174,669, making it the third-most populous county in Iowa. The county seat is Davenport.
Hills is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 863 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Iowa City Community School District.
Walcott is a city in Muscatine and Scott counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 1,551 at the time of the 2020 census. Walcott's interchange on Interstate 80 is home to an enormous complex of restaurants, motels and truck stops, including the Iowa 80 truck stop, which is the world's largest.
The Daytona Beach and Road Course was a motorsport race track that was instrumental in the formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. It originally became famous as the location where 15 world land speed records were set.
Charlotte Speedway was the site of NASCAR's first Strictly Stock Series race on June 19, 1949. The Daytona Beach Road Course held the first race sanctioned by NASCAR in 1948. The track was a few miles west of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, on Little Rock Road. It was owned by Carl C. Allison Sr. and his wife, Catherine Montgomery Allison. The track was forced to close when construction of Interstate 85 took its parking area.
The 1950 NASCAR Grand National season was the second season of professional stock car racing in the United States. Beginning at the Daytona Beach Road Course on February 5, 1950, the season included 19 races. The season concluded at Occoneechee Speedway on October 29. Bill Rexford won the Drivers' Championship with a 26th-place finish at the final race of the season, racing for Julian Buesink.
Raleigh Speedway was a one-mile (1.6 km) oval race track which opened in 1952 one mile (1.6 km) 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 500 feet (150 m) apart and the straightaways about 1,850 feet (560 m) long. The turns were banked at 16° and the straightaways were flat.
Lorain County Speedway, also known as Lorain Raceway Park, is an auto racing track located in Amherst Township, Lorain County, near South Amherst, Ohio, USA opened in 1949 as a 1/3 mile dirt oval. It was paved between the 1960 and 1961 racing seasons. It is currently a 3/8-mile asphalt oval, with 12 degree banking in both turns, and slight banking on the straightaways. The track sits at 781 feet elevation.
Sharon Speedway is a 3/8-mile dirt oval race track located in Hartford Township, Ohio and named for the nearby city of Sharon, Pennsylvania. It opened in 1929, making it one of the oldest continuously running dirt ovals in the United States. The track is currently part-owned and operated by the Blaney family, which includes NASCAR driver Dave Blaney. Blaney's father and former driver, Lou Blaney, originally assisted in the operation of the track. Lou Blaney died on January 25, 2009.
The 1951 NASCAR Grand National season was the third season of professional stock car racing in the United States. Beginning at the Daytona Beach Road Course on February 5, 1951, the season included forty-one races. The season concluded at New Mobile Speedway on November 25. Herb Thomas won the Drivers' Championship with a 21st-place finish at the final race of the season.
Heidelberg Raceway was an American auto racing track which was built near Heidelberg, Pennsylvania in Scott Township, Allegheny County, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) southwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It held weekly races and numerous special events between 1948 and 1973. It held four NASCAR Strictly Stock/Grand National Series and one NASCAR Convertible Division race between the 1940s and 1960s. In 1960, Heidelberg became the first track to fall off NASCAR's tour. The land is now occupied by a shopping center called Raceway Plaza.
The Pappajohn Business Building houses the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Completed in 1994, it is home to the Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and Small Business Center.
The 1953 NASCAR Grand National Series began on February 1 and ended on November 1. Future NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Herb Thomas, driving his own No. 92 Hudson Hornet, won the championship and became the first repeat champion of the series. It is also the season with the most one-off races. 9 of the 37 races took place on racetracks that only held a cup race in the 1953 season.
Five Flags Speedway is a half-mile (0.8 km) paved oval racetrack in Pensacola, Florida. It opened in 1953 and is located on Pine Forest Road. It is christened after the nickname of Pensacola—"City of Five Flags."
The 1953 Wilkes 160 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on October 11, 1953, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
Riverfront Parkway is located along the Mississippi River in the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in the U.S. state of Iowa. The parkway is a bike and walking trail that extends for 11 miles (18 km) starting at Credit Island on the west passing through Davenport for 7.6 miles (12.2 km) before entering Bettendorf. It continues for another 3.4 miles (5.5 km) at its terminus on the east side of Bettendorf. On Credit Island the bike path circles the park for 2.62 miles (4.22 km). On its way east from Credit Island it passes through Veterans Memorial Park, which is being developed, Centennial Park, LeClaire Park, River Heritage Park that is being developed on the east side of downtown Davenport, and Lindsay Park. In Bettendorf it passes through Leach Park. There are plans to connect the park to the Duck Creek Parkway and Sunderbruch Park in the future. There are public art installations along the parkway at Credit Island, Lindsay Park and Leach Park.
The 1954 NASCAR Grand National season consisted of 37 races from February 1, 1954, and to November 1. Lee Petty, driving for Petty Enterprises, won the championship, his first of three in the series.
The 1956 NASCAR Grand National Season began on November 13, 1955, and ended on November 18, 1956, lasting slightly longer than a full year.
Palm Beach Speedway was a motor sports racing venue located in West Palm Beach, Florida. The speedway hosted a total of 7 NASCAR races between January 20, 1952 and December 11, 1956. Dick Rathman had the most poles at 3, and Herb Thomas captured the most wins with 4. The half mile dirt oval was built in 1949, paved in 1955 and torn down in 1984.
References
- ↑ Jurgens, Jerry (August 3, 1953). "Herb Thomas Wins 100-Mile". The Daily Times. Davenport, Iowa. p. 4. Retrieved July 12, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
