You can still go and walk this track. It was converted for cars from horse racing. There are trees in the center now, but they still have the old stands and a few old cars. Known as the "Occoneechee Speedway" now.
I'm very familiar with Hillsborough, NC today. It's delightful to see places I know very well as they were long ago. The race commentary in these old videos provides more corn than a boxcar full of Doritos.
Actually they've done a lot o it. Have you been there in the last few years? They even have some old cars on Display along the track. They have Weldon Adams number 72 there and a couple others.
6:10 "It looks like a brake cylinder has caught fire!" Good Lord, racers haven't had drum brakes (with brake cylinders) since JFK was alive! Great video! These were real racers, and those big old crocks were fire-breathing monsters.
Ahhh yes. These were the good ol days when NASCAR raced on dirt and officials dressed EXTRA informal! These were the days when racing was at its best (not saying it's bad now). Wish NASCAR would bring back more tracks like these. There are some YT vids of what this track and many others look like today.
A modern version of this track paved for NASCAR would be amazing , a one mile track in this style would be fun to see and not a boring Modern Charlotte style that copied the old Texas shape or the Kansas style.
Lee Petty would not let the leaders pass -but Buck Baker really earned his reputation as a great driver that day.. they were actually using the things that were available in some of those cars as stock equip ment including FI , superchargers and torsion bars.. this is a great film..
Glad you like it. What's the story with the Black Widow Chevy's? Someone from the Orange Speedway club called this morning and said he loved the video too and told me a bit about these cars.
light weight for its time..283 v8"s..283 horse power..No back seat..no radio or heater from the factory..bigger brakes and a truck differential..almost ready for the track straight from the factory
My first ever race was at this track in 1963. Junior Johnson won in the Mystery Motor Chevy after a great duel with the Petty Plymouths of Jim Paschal and Richard Petty.
Hello Wayne -- you may post this on your website as part of the Share function on RUclips but you may not download the file and post it separately -- unlinked from our site. Send me a link when it's posted. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent post! Who did that classic song? Have to add that the phony squealing tires sound is hilarious and typical of old race films. Race tires don't squeal. Not even on pavement!
This is the real heart of NASCAR racing; short dirt track racing. All we have today is large cookie cutter tracks thatcare more about filling seats than the quality of racing. In other words, NASCAR is corporate now not good old boys. What a shame.
I can swear there a few 58s in there could be wrong .Mercury had quad headlights early but .Black Beauties Earnhardt's Dad had some I think all black but I am getting old .But I did catch a bit in the good to be free and smart real racing days . delivery of moon shine became everything to speed on the back roads with the government's completely stock cars behind you .thunder road for ever.
Lol don't kid yourself. Attendance topped out at around 15,000 for one of the NASCAR events. I went to both races there in 1963 and it seemed like a bigger crowd !
This is Occoneechee. NASCAR ran its last race there in 1968. IIRC, there was talk of building a huge superspeedway on the site at one time but the Orange County commissioners voted it down. The track on 57 is Orange County Speedway and is a three-eigths of a mile paved oval. I'm one of the announcers there and we still run 8-9 events a year.
This was Racing, up until the 90's Racing was racing, then it just got too fast, too dangerous. No more Stock cars everything was custom made just not the same. Grew up in the 70's all around the Dirt and Asphalt circuits in the midwest area and boy was it the best time to be a kid into cars lol.
Nearly nothing between spectators & the racers flying past them at who knows how fast. One false move; one accident & dozens could be killed instantly. Some 2 by 4's and chain link is the only thing keeping them safe.
This is the best race I’ve seen in 2024! And not a Turdyota in sight!
You can still go and walk this track. It was converted for cars from horse racing. There are trees in the center now, but they still have the old stands and a few old cars. Known as the "Occoneechee Speedway" now.
I did that hike. It's really nice. You can feel the ghosts of the old drivers there.
I was fortunate enough to see all of the greats there in their day
Buck Baker, Fireball Roberts, dirt track, no fences, cars on fire......... this is the America in which I grew up
Amazing, as close as they ran next to each other, on DIRT, and nobody tangled....that's real racing skill.
I agree...look at how Buck Baker is fighting the wheel.
I'm very familiar with Hillsborough, NC today. It's delightful to see places I know very well as they were long ago. The race commentary in these old videos provides more corn than a boxcar full of Doritos.
Just sayin, I'm only 16 and I love this old fashion racing.
THANK U ! I WAS BORN ONE BLOCK FROM THE OLE NASHVILLE FAIRGROUNDS AND STILL CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS RACING ! THANK U ONCE AGAIN.
Ur 20 today ! Lol
I work close to this track and hike it in the summer a lot! really cool footage!
Another era. I think there are some people who want to restore it.
Actually they've done a lot o it. Have you been there in the last few years? They even have some old cars on Display along the track. They have Weldon Adams number 72 there and a couple others.
Great video! Have to love the Black Widow Chevys. Thanks.
6:10 "It looks like a brake cylinder has caught fire!" Good Lord, racers haven't had drum brakes (with brake cylinders) since JFK was alive! Great video! These were real racers, and those big old crocks were fire-breathing monsters.
Ahhh yes. These were the good ol days when NASCAR raced on dirt and officials dressed EXTRA informal! These were the days when racing was at its best (not saying it's bad now). Wish NASCAR would bring back more tracks like these. There are some YT vids of what this track and many others look like today.
A modern version of this track paved for NASCAR would be amazing , a one mile track in this style would be fun to see and not a boring Modern Charlotte style that copied the old Texas shape or the Kansas style.
Hard to believe this was 60 years ago, thanks for sharing King.
Great video! Thanks for sharing.
Great to see the Black Widows in action!
That 98 car should be docked 25 points and the crew chief suspended as it looks like the spoiler is 3/1000ths of an inch too high. Go NASCAR!
Lmao just made my day
Also known as Occoneechee Speedway. That place is incredibly cool to visit today.
Lee Petty would not let the leaders pass -but Buck Baker really earned his reputation as a great driver that day.. they were actually using the things that were available in some of those cars as stock equip
ment including FI , superchargers and torsion bars.. this is a great film..
Glad you like it. What's the story with the Black Widow Chevy's? Someone from the Orange Speedway club called this morning and said he loved the video too and told me a bit about these cars.
light weight for its time..283 v8"s..283 horse power..No back seat..no radio or heater from the factory..bigger brakes and a truck differential..almost ready for the track straight from the factory
That’s my Uncle Jack Smith in the black widow
My first ever race was at this track in 1963. Junior Johnson won in the Mystery Motor Chevy after a great duel with the Petty Plymouths of Jim Paschal and Richard Petty.
Jim Pascal's car was just sitting up there almost out of the speedway, and no caution~ Freakin' love it!~
DiggityDave83 the eno river is also on the side of the track, he could’ve fell in!
The spectator safety fence is hilarious
So cool dusting off the high grove!
I heard that there was a few guys who ended up in the river on the back stretch after crashing.
i live in Hillsborough I remember that track
Is this occoneechee
Hello Wayne -- you may post this on your website as part of the Share function on RUclips but you may not download the file and post it separately -- unlinked from our site. Send me a link when it's posted. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent post! Who did that classic song? Have to add that the phony squealing tires sound is hilarious and typical of old race films. Race tires don't squeal. Not even on pavement!
Idk I think it kinda sounds like it on hard clay but it's not loud at all
Three Black Widows (I'm pretty sure) finishing 1-2-3. You can see why they outlawed that fuel injection, these cars were dominate.
I could smell that race. Too bad about Fireball, May He R.I.P.
Spoodog
WHAT A WHEELMAN!!
Freakin awesome. Love it 👍
Great memories of these times - guess I got the heart of the American watermelon - maybe not the biggest piece, but good enough.
I'm injoy this video . I love nascar !
This is the real heart of NASCAR racing; short dirt track racing. All we have today is large cookie cutter tracks thatcare more about filling seats than the quality of racing. In other words, NASCAR is corporate now not good old boys. What a shame.
this track was a mile long by the way.
@@caseysmith544 110 laps, .9 mile...
@@michaeltwomey4800 Yeah about that much.
Isn't this Occoneechee Speedway?
Yes
I know someone is gonna get mad at this but how good was fireball Roberts?
Pretty damn good
If he was driving today, he would be a top 3 driver for sure. IMO
Genuinely surprising how NASCAR had Pace cars by 1957 but Formula One only implemented it by the early 1990s.
I need to visit here soon.....
If nascar 2020 was racing on dirt tracks I think I could watch that
well buddy i got news for you
Who gets credit for awesome opening tune? Our band that does chart topping covers would like to make this a chart topper cover.
Unbeatable Blackwidow Chevy eats up Ford and Mercury.
Chevys are mean, but those Fords could be tough challengers to !
@@bobg.9585 Fords came in first then Chevy came into the racing picture giving the Fords Hell, though Ford is a good car.
I like this song in the bringing
Hello...would like to post this video our web site for educational use, only please
search for Suspense (1964): "I, Buck Larsen" a tv show that used these race scenes
I can swear there a few 58s in there could be wrong .Mercury had quad headlights early but .Black Beauties Earnhardt's Dad had some I think all black but I am getting old .But I did catch a bit in the good to be free and smart real racing days . delivery of moon shine became everything to speed on the back roads with the government's completely stock cars behind you .thunder road for ever.
Bigger crowd than modern day mile and mile and a half tracks
Lol don't kid yourself. Attendance topped out at around 15,000 for one of the NASCAR events. I went to both races there in 1963 and it seemed like a bigger crowd !
wow thanks
Thanks for watching.
Exdraordinary race,but i'm the kind of person who likes this kind of color races
OK, I'm confused. Is this the Orange Speedway on NC 57 or is it Occoneechee?
This is Occoneechee. NASCAR ran its last race there in 1968. IIRC, there was talk of building a huge superspeedway on the site at one time but the Orange County commissioners voted it down. The track on 57 is Orange County Speedway and is a three-eigths of a mile paved oval. I'm one of the announcers there and we still run 8-9 events a year.
Awesome
Wait...where are the Toyotas?
Fun fact: Toyota didn't come to NASCAR until 2006-2007.
Pro1er HAHAHAHAHA CUZ TOYOTA ISNT AMERICAN. I GET IT!
REAL RACIN!
Those fans and pits are close
Lee Petty!
Safety w as THE LAST thing on anyone's mind back then...lol
This was Racing, up until the 90's Racing was racing, then it just got too fast, too dangerous. No more Stock cars everything was custom made just not the same. Grew up in the 70's all around the Dirt and Asphalt circuits in the midwest area and boy was it the best time to be a kid into cars lol.
7:25 love the big ole stogie in the flag man's mouth
Wow, F-codes vs. Black Widows in actual competition! Looked pretty even to me until the blown Fords quit.
better be on your toes when you are pitting a car at a track without a wall between the track and the pits : )
The dubbed-in sound is so cartoony
When real men drove stock cars...
Nearly nothing between spectators & the racers flying past them at who knows how fast. One false move; one accident & dozens could be killed instantly. Some 2 by 4's and chain link is the only thing keeping them safe.
Wow- I cant even imagine that.
I think there should be an electric stock car series that races on short tracks. 100 to 200 mile dashes.
Don't care for `57 Chevys much; I'd take one of those ford Custom 300's with the supercharged 312 any day over a Chevy!
Too bad Chevy still beat them.
@UCdlPGLHXkgCfFJewloL0Plg That's right, Chevy First On Race Day(ford backstab itself) and Ford (F)ound (O)n (R)oad (D)ead.
NASCAR has quite a history, and not much of a future. The France family was looking to the future when they bought into IMSA.
Hard to believe the speedway looks almost the same but only asphalt now
Brandon Dunnegan this track is abandoned and overgrown you must be thinking of another track
The County did remake a track very similar to this one for the county fairgrounds.
@@justinbrumfield8926 orange county speedway is still there. And they are still racing on it. Its out there on hwy 57 towards rougemont
Nascar should be taken back from the France family (Disney?) and return to its roots. Fences and guard rails are for sissies.
Okkineechee
Boy those old y block ford motors were sorry engines