New Smyrna Speedway

Last updated
New Smyrna Speedway
"Clyde's Place"
LocationS.R. 44 and County Rd. 415, Samsula, Florida
Time zone UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST)
Coordinates 29°0′47.88″N81°4′12.00″W / 29.0133000°N 81.0700000°W / 29.0133000; -81.0700000
Capacity8,000
OwnerHart family
OperatorRusty Marcus & Holli Hanna
Broke groundJanuary 1966;59 years ago (1966-01)
Opened23 April 1967;57 years ago (1967-04-23)
Construction cost$183,000 Est.
ArchitectBenny Corbin
Former namesDaytona Raceway (1966–1967)
Major eventsCurrent:
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (2022–present)
ASA STARS National Tour (2024–present)
Florida Governor's Cup (1988–present)
Former:
ARCA Menards Series East
Race to Stop Suicide 200 (2014–2022)
X-1R Pro Cup (2002–2004, 2010–2011)
Website http://www.newsmyrnaspeedway.org/
Oval (1967–present)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.500 miles (0.804 km)
Turns4
BankingTurns: 23°
Straights: 7°
Little New Smyrna
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.052 miles (0.083 km)
Turns4

New Smyrna Speedway is a 12 mi (0.80 km) asphalt oval racetrack located near New Smyrna Beach, Florida, that races the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series every Saturday night. It also has a smaller track, known as "Little New Smyrna Speedway" in the infield. This track races quarter midgets on Friday nights.

Contents

Overview

New Smyrna Speedway's sign New Smyrna speedway sign01.jpg
New Smyrna Speedway's sign

New Smyrna Speedway hosts the annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, featuring nine consecutive nights of racing that runs during Speedweeks every February. The World Series has seen many of the current and former top names in NASCAR competing on the high-banked half-mile including Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Geoff Bodine, Rick Wilson, Richie Evans, Jimmy Spencer, and Pete Hamilton, and continually draws the top talent from around the United States and Canada.

The event features NASCAR tour-type modifieds, "SK" type modifieds, Florida/IMCA-type modifieds, David Rogers super late models, late models, crate engine late models, winged sprint cars, and pro-trucks. Only Geoff Bodine and Ryan Newman have won a championship at the annual event, and gone on in their career to win the Daytona 500. The event included the Race to Stop Suicide 200, the ARCA Menards Series East season opener, from 2014 to 2022. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has a race during the event since 2022.

The racing surface was repaved in January 2007.

History

Richie Evans competes at New Smyrna Speedway circa 1985 RichieEvansModifiedNewSmyrna1985.jpg
Richie Evans competes at New Smyrna Speedway circa 1985

Daytona Raceway

In 1966, Auto Racing Enterprises, Inc., leased and broke ground on what was to become "Daytona Raceway", in Samsula, Florida. The organizations secretary, Benny Corbin, designed the half-mile dirt oval with 13 degree banks and construction was completed by the East Coast Paving Company out of Palatka. [1] After months of delays, leadership of Auto Racing Enterprises, Inc., shifted to Dan Epps and the track held its first event on April 23, 1967. The Sunday afternoon races provided space for 4,000 race fans with an admission price of $2 for adults, $1 for students, and free entry for children. [2] The opening heats and the feature sportsman division event were both won by 27-year-old Budweiser route salesman Jimmy Sapp of Gainesville. Charley Brown of St. Augustine took the win in the late model division. [3] Following the second week of operations, the track shut down for three weeks due to "powder dry" conditions of the track. Despite installing sprinklers systems, using water trucks, and starting races later in the day, dust issues persisted. [4] Facing an unrelenting drought, the dirt oval became asphalt and the first race on the new surface was held on Labor Day of the same year with a 200-lap feature. Racing continued through the end of the season in November.

New Smyrna Speedway

Aerial view of New Smyrna Speedway in September 2020. NewSmyrnaSpeedwayAerialpic.jpg
Aerial view of New Smyrna Speedway in September 2020.

Following disagreements with the members of Auto Racing Enterprises Inc., Benny Corbin and Dan Epps founded Florida Motor Speedways Inc., leased the property, and started the 1968 season with another major change. In an effort to avoid confusion with the nearby Daytona International Speedway (often referred to as the Daytona Raceway), the track changed its name to New Smyrna Speedway. [5]

Afterwards, Corbin partnered with racing promoters Bob Bartel and Ed Otto to launch the World Series of Asphalt Auto Racing at New Smyrna Speedway. [6]

The track's schedule traditionally starts the new NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series club racing championship. Drivers across the country participate in the track's annual Ally Red Eye held on the first weekend of January, where drivers can earn points towards the annual national and Florida state championships. The Ally Red Eye was traditionally a 100 lap super late model race, but is now split as twin 50-lap features for the late models and David Rogers super late models, as the track renamed the premier class in memory of a local racer and former NASCAR Weekly Series national champion who died of cancer in 2020.

Florida Governor's Cup

New Smyrna Speedway began hosting the annual Florida Governor's Cup in 1988 each November. Initially known as the Florida State Late Model Championship, the Governor's Cup was commissioned by former Governor Haydon Burns to pay tribute to Al Keller, long time promoter of Florida short-track racing. Originating at Tampa's Golden State Speedway in 1963, the event was held at the Showtime Speedway in Pinellas Park as the Cup in 1979 and then as the State Championship from 1984 to 1987. It is one of the most sought-after short-track awards in the country. [7]

In 2025, the race will be ran with the ASA Southern Super Series, acting as the championship finale for the series and the track.

Governor's Cup Winners
YearLocationWinner [8]
1963Golden Gate SpeedwayDave McInnis
1964Golden Gate Speedway Freddy Fryar
1965Golden Gate Speedway Wayne Reutimann
1966Golden Gate SpeedwayBobby Brack
1967Golden Gate SpeedwayDumont Smith
1968Golden Gate Speedway Gary Balough
1969Golden Gate SpeedwayRobert Hamke
1970Golden Gate SpeedwayDon Gregory
1971Golden Gate SpeedwayJack Arnold
1972Golden Gate SpeedwayEd Howe
1973Golden Gate SpeedwayWayne Reutimann
1974Golden Gate SpeedwayEd Howe
1975Golden Gate SpeedwayEd Howe
1976Golden Gate SpeedwayEd Howe
1977Golden Gate SpeedwayRobert Hamke
1978Golden Gate Speedway Dick Trickle
1979Showtime SpeedwayJim Fenton
1981Golden Gate Speedway Mike Eddy
1982Golden Gate SpeedwayJimmy Cope
1983Golden Gate SpeedwayLeroy Porter
1984Showtime Speedway Butch Miller
1985Showtime SpeedwayButch Miller
1986Showtime SpeedwayButch Miller [9]
1987Showtime SpeedwayButch Miller [9]
1988New Smyrna SpeedwayDick Anderson
1989New Smyrna SpeedwayDick Anderson
1990New Smyrna Speedway Bobby Gill
1991New Smyrna SpeedwayBobby Gill
1992New Smyrna SpeedwayBobby Gill
1993New Smyrna Speedway Pete Orr
1994New Smyrna SpeedwayPete Orr
1995New Smyrna SpeedwayDavid Russell
1996New Smyrna SpeedwayJack Cook
1997New Smyrna Speedway David Rogers
1998New Smyrna Speedway Billy Bigley, Jr.
1999New Smyrna Speedway Wayne Anderson
2000New Smyrna SpeedwayJimmy Cope
2001New Smyrna SpeedwayJames Powell, III
2002New Smyrna SpeedwayMike Fritts
2003New Smyrna SpeedwayWayne Anderson
2004New Smyrna Speedway Jeff Choquette
2005New Smyrna SpeedwayMike Fritts
2006New Smyrna SpeedwayJeff Scofield
2007New Smyrna SpeedwayJeff Choquette
2008New Smyrna SpeedwayWayne Anderson
2009New Smyrna SpeedwayTim Russell
2010New Smyrna SpeedwayDavid Rogers
2011New Smyrna Speedway Erik Jones
2012New Smyrna Speedway Augie Grill
2013New Smyrna SpeedwayAugie Grill
2014New Smyrna SpeedwayTravis Cope
2015New Smyrna Speedway Ty Majeski
2016New Smyrna SpeedwayTy Majeski
2017New Smyrna SpeedwayTy Majeski
2018New Smyrna SpeedwayJeff Choquette
2019New Smyrna SpeedwayMatt Craig
2020New Smyrna Speedway Bubba Pollard
2021New Smyrna Speedway Sammy Smith
2023New Smyrna Speedway Stephen Nasse
Race was branded only as the Florida State Late Model Championship, and the Cup was not awarded these years. [7] [8] [9]

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References

  1. "To Be Called Daytona Raceway: Half-Mile Dirt Track to Open". The Orlando Sentinel. January 18, 1966.
  2. "Daytona Raceways to Open". The Orlando Sentinel. April 21, 1967.
  3. Meriam, Morry (April 27, 1967). "Pit Stop". The Orlando Sentinel.
  4. "Dry Spell Hinders Raceway". The Orlando Sentinel. May 18, 1967.
  5. Meriam, Morry (January 18, 1968). "Raceway Becomes Speedway". The Orlando Sentinel.
  6. "Volusia County's Benny Corbin Loves Dirt Track Racing". Daytona Beach Morning Journal . Feb 11, 1982.
  7. 1 2 Kelly, Godwin (November 16, 2013). "Strong entry list for Saturday's Governor's Cup at New Smyrna Speedway". The Daytona Beach News-Journal . FL. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Florida Governor's Cup". The Third Turn. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 Westerman, Dave. "A historical look at the Florida Governor's Cup Race". Karnac Racing News. Retrieved September 8, 2024.