Oglethorpe Speedway Park

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OSP: A Track Rich in History Oglethorpe Speedway Park celebrates it's 55th Anniversary in 2006. The half mile speedway has entertained race fans since March of 1951 when championship motorcycle racing debuted in Savannah. The first stock car race took place at the historic half mile in May of 1951. Johnnie Parsons was the first winner. Parsons was the defending Indy 500 winner that year.

The half mile clay speedway hosted the NASCAR Grand National Series (today's Nextel Cup Series) in March of 1954 and 1955. The winner of the race on March 28, 1954 was Al Keller in a 1954 Hudson. Keller won $1000 for winning the 200-lap race while Buck Baker took home $650 for finishing in second place. The Flock brothers (Fonty and Bob) each won $25 for finishing 11th and 12th.

The other NASCAR Grand National race was held on March 6, 1955 and was won by Lee Petty. His son, Richard Petty, signed in as a crew member that day. Herb Thomas competed that day along with Curtis Turner, Junior Johnson and Buck Baker.

Many of today's most recognized racers have turned laps at Savannah's famous speedplant. Former NASCAR Winston Cup champions Ned Jarrett, Glenn "Fireball" Roberts, David Pearson, Joe Weatherly, Buddy Baker, Dale Earnhardt and Speedy Thompson have competed at Oglethorpe Speedway Park.

Current owner, Emory Stone, purchased the speedway in 1977. Since then, Oglethorpe Speedway Park has led the way for many tracks in the area. Stone was the first promoter to offer dirt racers a purse of over $45,000. He was also the first dirt track to sign on with the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series in 1984. Finally, through Stone's guidance the Enduro Series was born. This affordable division of racing took the short track industry to new levels. Many races had over 125 competitors racing for 150 to 300 laps with purses as high as $10,000 to win.

In 1984, Oglethorpe Speedway Park re-entered the NASCAR record books. Oglethorpe Speedway Late Model champion David Into became the first national champion for NASCAR's short track series. Into took home a $25,000 pay day for his 1984 efforts.

Oglethorpe Speedway Park developed a number of drivers through it's weekly racing program. David Into dominated the Late Model scene winning an unprecedented ten track titles between 1984 and 1994. The only driver to knock Into out of the title spot was Robert Elliott in 1987. Since that time, "Flying" Brian Turner (1995), Donnie Bazemore (1996 & 1997), Hal McGraw (1998), Kent Strickland (1999 & 2000), Bobby Oglesby (2001, 2002 & 2003), Bobby Morris (2004) and this past season (2005) 20-year-old Robert Diekemper became the youngest driver to have captured the prestigious Late Model crown at OSP.

In 2005, OSP entertained over 600 competitors. Many of the stars of tomorrow cut their teeth at the speedway in February during the first ever Coca-Cola Young Guns Shoot-Out. Bodine Massengill and Zack VanDerbeek claimed the honors for late models and modifieds. The trend of younger drivers continued in the regular season as over a dozen drivers under the age of twenty competed on a weekly basis at OSP. The future is bright for OSP race fans!

The historic half mile speedway has sprouted careers and entertained hundreds of drivers for the past half century in the Late Models, Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Pure Stocks, Go Karts, Enduro Series, Powder Puff, 440 Series and Queen Bees.

In April of 2000, veteran short track promoter Ted Austad was hired to spearhead enthusiasm at the speedway. Since that time, the speedway has developed programs for the Super Late Models, Open Wheel Modifieds, Sprint Cars, Concerts and Festivals. He has also been instrumental in the tremendous growth of the "Showdown on the Coast" in October of each year. The speedway hosts hundreds of race cars and thousands of race fans each year in October for a full four days of racing action, carnival rides, fireworks, car shows, vendors and more!

The tradition of championship racing in a family oriented facility lives on as Oglethorpe Speedway Park runs weekly NASCAR sanctioned events on Friday nights at 8:00pm. Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Pure Stocks and 440s make up the weekly schedule.

Plus, the track has become known for the "crazy races" that take place. You may bring the family to see the "Matress Race" or the wildly popular "Outhouse Race". There is also the "Bed Races"; "Waterless Boat Races"; Jet Car Burns; Demolition Derbies; School Bus Races; Stunt Shows and lots, lots more!

Oglethorpe Speedway Park...always fast...always fun!

http://www.ospracing.net/

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