This is the online historical record for The Time Travelers, a history club for middle and high school students. As a group chartered by the North Carolina Museum of History, we strive to learn, preserve, and share the state's rich history.
Exploring the Occoneechee Speedway
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Recently, we decided to explore an outdoor location that racing enthusiasts love: historic Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
The location was originally a quarter-mile horse track on a plantation. This one-mile race track was built in 1947 and the track was one of Nascar's first dirt tracks. The first race had twenty-eight cars and was won by Bob Flock. Manyfamous people, like Richard Petty, his father Lee
Petty, Junior Johnson, the Flock brothers, and others raced there. The last race was won by Richard Petty in 1968.
Expansion plans were made but the birth of the Talladega Speedway killed the income for the track owners. The track soon became abandoned and was left to rot.
Eventually Hillsborough turned the track into a walking track but kept much of the historic integrity, such as the grandstands.
Photo credit AB
Two of the original racecars remain on the location. This site still holds significant historic value. An example of this is when the producers of the cartoon movie Cars 3 visited to research dirt tracks. Junior Johnson told them in an interview about going into the river when he took a turn too fast.
Watch this video to learn more about the history of the Occoneechee Speedway.
Footage of actual racing
Aerial view of Occoneechee Speedway in 1955...
Walking track map. Photo credit AB
Today, you can walk the track and imagine how it once looked. With the grandstands in place, the flag tower rebuilt, and natural beauty everywhere, it's a great place to visit.
Have you visited the Occoneechee Speedway? Share your thoughts and memories in the comments below!
Cruze, Sidney. “Kickin' Up Dust Again at the Orange Speedway.” Carolina Country, 4 June 2008, www.carolinacountry.com/carolina-stories/kickin-up-dust-again-at-the-orange-speedway.
This is Part One of a series of posts exploring The Colonial Inn 's past and present. Click here for the introduction and full list of posts. Enjoy! The Colonial Inn in Hillsborough was so much more than a dilapidated building.
History is coming to life on King Street in Hillsborough, North Carolina; it's face a welcoming white facade. The large structure has sat abandoned for over fifteen years, but now the grounds are bustling with men and women determined to make it shine again. Members of the Time Travelers standing in between the old and new on The Colonial Inn grounds. The Time Travelers History Club was honored with a sneak-peek tour of the historic Colonial Inn, possibly well over 200 years old, that is currently undergoing restorations to become a gorgeous boutique hotel and event center. Though there is still work to be done, the beautiful combination of historic style, modern touches, and elegant atmosphere promise that long-lasting memories will be made there. Join The Time Travelers as we continue to Explore Past and Present with a series of posts featuring The Colonial Inn. Learn the Inn's rich history , how the Inn was saved fr...
This is Part Two of a series of posts exploring The Colonial Inn 's past and present. Click here for the introduction and full list of posts. Enjoy! The Colonial Inn has stood on King Street in Hillsborough for 180-260 years (see this previous post about the rich history of the Inn) and now is undergoing careful restoration to become a boutique hotel and community event center. But did you know that the Inn would not be standing today if it hadn't been for the bravery of one woman during the nineteenth century?
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