I was looking at photos on SI.Com and came across this interesting fact.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1008/nascar.firsts/content.6.html (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1008/nascar.firsts/content.6.html)
First Victory By An African-American:
Dec. 1, 1963
NASCAR's early tangles with racism -- the Frances were once avid supporters of segregationist Presidential candidate George Wallace -- came to an ugly head on Dec. 1, 1963. In a 100-mile race on a half-mile dirt track in Jacksonville, Wendell Scott (pictured) bested Buck Baker to the line by two laps. But Baker was initially flagged the winner, a "scoring error" NASCAR reversed days later in a move some said was to keep a possibly rowdy Southern crowd from attacking the rightful victor. To this day, Scott's win remains the only one by an African-American in any of NASCAR's top three divisions.
I started trying to find some information about Speedway Park, but was pretty unsuccessful.
I did find some photos from its past at http://www.floridastockcars.com/gallery3/v/Jax/ (http://www.floridastockcars.com/gallery3/v/Jax/)
I had heard about this race and its outcome but never knew the track was here in Jacksonville... Sounds like another piece of Jacksonville history that should be explored more...
This probably was the racetrack at Moncrief Park. Many of the homesites in Moncrief today were originally platted as the subdivision of Speedway Park, which was constructed over the old racetrack.
QuoteCompleted in 1874, Moncrief Park included a baseball field, bathhouses, a restaurant, bowling alley, dancing pavilion and a mile long racetrack. Developers constructed Moncrief Road, as a toll road, to connect the large park with the city of Jacksonville. Soon, the Jacksonville Traction Company extended their trolley line to the park, which then began to stimulate residential growth in the area.
In 1909, a new horse racing track was constructed at the park and the races that took place there, were just as popular as the races at Saratoga, New York. However, the park would meet its demise in 1911, when the Florida Legislature passed a law prohibiting professional horse racing. In 1914, the popular old racetrack grounds became the residential community, known as Moncrief Park.
Today, Moncrief Park and Speedway Park, an adjacent early 20th century development, combine to make up the 29th & Chase neighborhood. This community is bounded on the north by the railroad, I-95 on the east, MLK Parkway to the south and Canal Street on the west.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2008-sep-urban-neighborhoods-moncrief-park
(http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/1008/nascar.firsts/images/1963-wendell-scott.jpg)
According to this picture, it looks like it was corner of Lenox and Plymouth
(http://www.floridastockcars.com/gallery3/d/3324-2/Jacksonville+Speedway+ad+from+1968___.jpg)
The track was at Lenox Ave. and Plymouth St. from the late '40s until the mid-'70s. The facility played a big role in the early years of NASCAR with many of the early superstars racing there on a regular basis.
www.jacksonvillestockcarracinghalloffame.com/
1960
(http://imgur.com/IPT9Zl.jpg)
2009
(http://imgur.com/LE1gLl.jpg)
Cool comparison. Looks like the racetrack got a few wrinkles over the years ;)
I cannot believe this! I just recently moved to Lenox Court (the apts shown above) Thanks for posting those pics!
^ Now you can run circles (slowing for speed bumps) and feel just like a NASCAR racecar driver!
^ I'll make sure to keep turning left :)