New Smyrna Speedway is a 1/2-mile 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.

New Smyrna Speedway
"Clyde's Place"
Aerial view of New Smyrna Speedway in September 2020.
LocationS.R. 44 and County Rd. 415, Samsula, Florida
Time zoneEST/EDT (-0500/-0400)
Coordinates29°00′48″N 81°04′12″W / 29.0133°N 81.070°W / 29.0133; -81.070
Capacity8,000
OwnerHart family
OperatorRusty Marcus & Holli Hanna
Broke groundJanuary 1966
OpenedApril 23, 1967
Construction cost$183,000 Est.
ArchitectBenny Corbin
Former namesDaytona Raceway (1966-1967)
Websitehttp://www.newsmyrnaspeedway.org/
Oval
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.48 miles (0.77 km)
Turns4
BankingTurns: 23°
Straights: 7°
Race lap record(David Rogers, -, -, -)
Little New Smyrna
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.05 miles (0.083 km)
Turns4
Race lap record5.977 (Jackson White, -, -, LT WF)

Overview

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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

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Richie Evans competes at New Smyrna Speedway circa 1985

Daytona Raceway

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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

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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

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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]

Governor's Cup Winners
Year Location Winner[8]
1963 Golden Gate Speedway Dave McInnis
1964 Golden Gate Speedway Freddy Fryar
1965 Golden Gate Speedway Wayne Reutimann
1966 Golden Gate Speedway Bobby Brack
1967 Golden Gate Speedway Dumont Smith
1968 Golden Gate Speedway Gary Balough
1969 Golden Gate Speedway Robert Hamke
1970 Golden Gate Speedway Don Gregory
1971 Golden Gate Speedway Jack Arnold
1972 Golden Gate Speedway Ed Howe
1973 Golden Gate Speedway Wayne Reutimann
1974 Golden Gate Speedway Ed Howe
1975 Golden Gate Speedway Ed Howe
1976 Golden Gate Speedway Ed Howe
1977 Golden Gate Speedway Robert Hamke
1978 Golden Gate Speedway Dick Trickle
1979 Showtime Speedway Jim Fenton
1981 Golden Gate Speedway Mike Eddy
1982 Golden Gate Speedway Jimmy Cope
1983 Golden Gate Speedway Leroy Porter
1984 Showtime Speedway Butch Miller
1985 Showtime Speedway Butch Miller
1986 Showtime Speedway Butch Miller[9]
1987 Showtime Speedway Butch Miller[9]
1988 New Smyrna Speedway Dick Anderson
1989 New Smyrna Speedway Dick Anderson
1990 New Smyrna Speedway Bobby Gill
1991 New Smyrna Speedway Bobby Gill
1992 New Smyrna Speedway Bobby Gill
1993 New Smyrna Speedway Pete Orr
1994 New Smyrna Speedway Pete Orr
1995 New Smyrna Speedway David Russell
1996 New Smyrna Speedway Jack Cook
1997 New Smyrna Speedway David Rogers
1998 New Smyrna Speedway Billy Bigley, Jr.
1999 New Smyrna Speedway Wayne Anderson
2000 New Smyrna Speedway Jimmy Cope
2001 New Smyrna Speedway James Powell, III
2002 New Smyrna Speedway Mike Fritts
2003 New Smyrna Speedway Wayne Anderson
2004 New Smyrna Speedway Jeff Choquette
2005 New Smyrna Speedway Mike Fritts
2006 New Smyrna Speedway Jeff Scofield
2007 New Smyrna Speedway Jeff Choquette
2008 New Smyrna Speedway Wayne Anderson
2009 New Smyrna Speedway Tim Russell
2010 New Smyrna Speedway David Rogers
2011 New Smyrna Speedway Erik Jones
2012 New Smyrna Speedway Augie Grill
2013 New Smyrna Speedway Augie Grill
2014 New Smyrna Speedway Travis Cope
2015 New Smyrna Speedway Ty Majeski
2016 New Smyrna Speedway Ty Majeski
2017 New Smyrna Speedway Ty Majeski
2018 New Smyrna Speedway Jeff Choquette
2019 New Smyrna Speedway Matt Craig
2020 New Smyrna Speedway Bubba Pollard
2021 New Smyrna Speedway Sammy Smith
2023 New 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]

References

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  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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "Florida Governor's Cup". The Third Turn. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Westerman, Dave. "A historical look at the Florida Governor's Cup Race". Karnac Racing News. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
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