zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Take A Tour Around The Abandoned Confederate Speedway Short Track
Take A Tour Around The Abandoned Confederate Speedway Short Track-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:58

Image for article titled Take A Tour Around The Abandoned Confederate Speedway Short Track

America is littered with the remains of old race tracks from days gone by. Be they paved or dirt-coated, these speedways have been abandoned for one reason or another, and today, we’re going to take a look at Confederate Speedway in South Carolina.

Confederate Speedway was built in 1950 as a quarter-mile dirt oval that only lasted for about five years before being abandoned. There was an effort to revive it again in 1970, at which point it was given a massive overhaul that turned it into a three-fifths mile oval. It hosted stock car racing events until 1989, when a local zoning committee shut it down. Since then, there have been a handful of races in an effort to revive the Speedway, but no one has been successful, and it lies in ruins.

But the coolest part is that over on YouTube actually went out to the location to scout it out as part of his series on abandoned race tracks. It’s worth checking out the video below:

Part of what saw the track’s demise was the fact that it was a pain in the ass to get to. There’s a massively competitive short track racing scene in South Carolina that you really need an edge over everyone else to stay competitive, and having a difficult-to-reach track wasn’t the way to go.

And since it was located in a small town, S1apSh0es notes that locals reported to local papers that they hated the track. There’s a common perception that racing is always good, since it brings paying customers to local businesses. But in reality, it just clogged up the streets and prevented everyone from traveling on a Saturday evening. In the morning, the red dust kicked up from the track would be coating literally everything. It was more of a nuisance than anything else.

It’s been sitting empty since the 1990s and has been overtaken by foliage since then. There are some vague remains of things like grandstands and light poles, but it’s not anything particularly impressive—which some folks have argued is a bit of a downer, considering this is where legendary racer David Pearson got his start.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Nobody Asked For An Eight-Part Docuseries On Bernie Ecclestone, But We're Getting One Anyway
Nobody Asked For An Eight-Part Docuseries On Bernie Ecclestone, But We're Getting One Anyway
Formula 1 has made legitimate strides in growing its audience during the Liberty Media era. Chalk it up to a combination of actual marketing to people other than rich white dudes; captivating, accessible programming like Netflix’s Drive To Survive; and the embrace of digital platforms and social media. Things...
Oct 24, 2026
How To Watch NASCAR, F1, IMSA, And Everything Else In Racing This Weekend; July 2-4
How To Watch NASCAR, F1, IMSA, And Everything Else In Racing This Weekend; July 2-4
Welcome to the Jalopnik Weekend Motorsports Roundup, where we let you know what’s going on in the world of racing, where you can see it and where you can talk about it, all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend? It’s Independence Day...
Oct 24, 2026
Dallara's Track-Only EXP Is A Lap Time Bargain
Dallara's Track-Only EXP Is A Lap Time Bargain
Sometimes to do more you have to start with less. At least that’s Dallara’s theory when it comes to the new track-only EXP based on the Stradale street car. Weighing just 1962 pounds and pushing 492 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque from a Ford-derived 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, the...
Oct 24, 2026
Alex Zanardi Is Communicating, Training And 'Stable,' A Year After Crash
Alex Zanardi Is Communicating, Training And 'Stable,' A Year After Crash
It’s been little more than a year since racing driver and Paralympic gold medalist Alex Zanardi was involved in a collision with a truck while handcycling in Tuscany. Zanardi underwent a number of surgeries to treat the severe cranial and facial trauma he suffered as a result of the...
Oct 24, 2026
Chip Ganassi Racing Will Leave NASCAR At The End Of 2021
Chip Ganassi Racing Will Leave NASCAR At The End Of 2021
Chip Ganassi Racing, with split headquarters in Concord, North Carolina and Indianapolis, Indiana, has grown since its founding in 1990 to become one of the heaviest hitters in American motorsport. The team currently fields cars in IndyCar, IMSA, Extreme E, and NASCAR Cup. At the end of this season,...
Oct 24, 2026
F1 Teams Less Willing To Tell On Each Other Over Radio Now That Everyone Can Hear Them
F1 Teams Less Willing To Tell On Each Other Over Radio Now That Everyone Can Hear Them
Up until this season Formula 1 fans weren’t privy to radio communications between teams and race control — only chat between drivers and their personnel on the pit wall. Radio has become such a staple of the F1 broadcast experience that opening up the line to the FIA and...
Oct 24, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved