History Daytona Beach - Early Land Speed & Stock Car Racing

Lloyd Seay up on two wheels ...........

 

Coming out of the north turn and onto highway A1A ......

 

Roy Hall

 

Look no air cleaner.. Just how long did that Red Vogt engine last?? Thanks for posting I have enjoyed...

 

This is a still shot from a 16mm film I have of Daytona Beach 1950.

 

Great shot.

 

For those who have not been to Daytona before, or if it's been a long time, here are two photos for comparison to see how things have changed over the years ..........

Here's a photo taken in 1956 of the paved portion of the old beach road course (Hwy. A1A) .......




Here's how the same stretch of road looks today ...........



Here's the beach portion. This is the same stretch that Malcolm Campbell and others set land speed records .............

 

Actually that current day photo is not where they raced. They raced further north near ponce inlet. They did run LSR cars on the stretch of beach near main street.

 

Thanks for the correction, Greg.

It's been a long while since I've been down to Daytona, and I didn't take those shots. I was relying on the source information. I need to go down there and shoot my own photos of the area.

(Does anyone have a fairly recent photo of the section of A1A that was part of the course?)

 

Neat thread,wish I could add something...

 

"White Lightning"....

 

Rick, I'm glad you posted something about Smokey Yunick. I almost forgot that his shop was in Daytona ..........


Smokey in front of his shop ...

 

I'm not a NASCAR guy so you'll have to help me out here. A good friend of mine used to pit for a guy who raced at Daytona in the late 50's, early 60's. I believe the driver's last name was White and he was from Missouri(?). You are speaking of Don White from Keokuk Iowa corn fed.

 

Here's a photo I found on the net of Don White's Starliner in Milwalkee ..............

 

That is my Grandfathers radiator shop sponsoring Fireball's car.

 

Had I get time at the Keokuk racers reunion 1 more picture of Don Whites car.
Don White #3.jpg (74.0 KB)

 

The Simplex Piston Ring Special raced on the beaches of Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra and Ormond

I went to a talk on beach racing by Bill Warner the co owner of the car



Joseph B. "Bert" Moyers built the Piston Ring Special with a 1928 Chevrolet four-cylinder engine on a shortened and narrowed 1927 Essex frame

http://jacksonville.com/autos/2009-07-22/story/museum_offers_glimpse_into_beaches_racing_history


And here is a picture I took At the Amelia Island Concours

 

^^^ Thanks for posting.

 

When I last spoke with Bill Warner he said that he was doing a lot of reserch on racing on the beaches of North Florida.
At the recent Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance had three cars that set world speed records on Jacksonville's beaches - the 1910 Buick Bug, which set a 20-mile speed record from Atlantic Beach to Pablo Beach (Jax. Beach), and back again. Also, a Wisconsin Special driven by Sig Haugdahl, who is now buried in Jacksonville. He was the first man to go three miles a minute on Daytona Beach, but set the world speed record on Pablo Beach. The huge 1909 Blitzen Benz was there and it was the first time all three had been together since they shared the beach back in the old days. The 1923 Simplex Piston Ring Special, from the picture above raced on Jacksonville's beaches It was discovered in Arlington area of Jacksonville.
Bill has lots of pictures that I will try to track down.

 

^^^ ".... Bill has lots of pictures that I will try to track down." ^^^


Man, that would be great.

 

There is a restaurant at the north turn (called "Racing's North Turn") which shows exactly where they raced. Actually the same building where it is located was standing back in the fifties.

http://www.racingsnorthturn.com/

 

Here's another couple pics from the 1950 film I have of a Lincoln advertising the Mason Dixon Speedway?

If anyone is interested, I have a dvd for sale that has that whole Daytona film in it on ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/19059919256...LX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_608wt_1141

 

I went to the 50th Daytona 500 with former racer Jim Vandiver a few years ago who raced at Daytona many times. He took me to that restaurant. It is located where the original beach course is which is south of Daytona Beach and remarkably undeveloped compared to Daytona. It is filled with Beach Course memorabilia. If you are interested in Daytona history you MUST visit this place. Be prepared for long waits and good food. For those going to The Turkey Rod Run it is only a short trip from the Speedway.

 

Stop by theoldmotor.com as we have many early photos of both Daytona Beach and also as it was called earlier Ormond Beach.

 

T-Head....The Old Motor is one of the best old car websites there is thanks for the link.

 

There's a lighthouse down by the old track. there is a great view of where the old track was.
Clark

 

Good stuff guys. I appreciate all of your posts. Not only did I want this thread to appeal to those who appreciate Daytona Beach racing history, but to also inform readers who were not aware of the importance of early land speed racing at Daytona and the significance of the old road course. Everything in the early days of Daytona ties into what the HAMB is all about. Land speed racing at the "beach" even predates our beloved Bonneville and El Mirage events by a good number of years. In addition to that, people like Smokey Yunick and Ray Giovannoni, well known among hot rodders, operated out of Daytona.

 

Rode right past the north turn restaurant and never had a clue - now i have to go there.
Great thread