||


  *Comments on Birmingham International Raceway:*
  View the most recent comment <#4> | Post a comment <#post>


  1.   Cooper posted:
  03.28.2010 - 1:17 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Birmingham International Raceway, (BIR) (formerly Fairgrounds Raceway,
Birmingham Super Speedway, Birmingham Super Raceway and Birmingham
International Speedway) is a 5/8-mile oval paved racetrack located at
the Alabama State Fairgrounds in the Five Points West neighborhood of
Birmingham, Alabama. It is used primarily for late-model automobile
racing. The original one-mile dirt oval was built as a horse track. On
October 7, 1906 the track hosted its first motorcycle race, followed by
an automobile race three days later. These events continued regularly
through 1917. A 10,000-seat grandstand was built in 1925.

In 1932 the oval was reduced to a half-mile circuit. The smaller
configuration was used until July 4, 1942, when it closed for World War
II. It was reopened on October 1, 1946, and began hosting weekly
auto-racing events organized by promoter J. P. Rotton.

A quarter-mile dirt oval was added in 1958 and was the first track to be
paved, with the first events held on the new surface on July 15, 1960.
After one season of racing on the quarter-mile track the present
five-eighths-mile course was constructed with its first race held on
June 28, 1962. With new lighting the Sunday afternoon races were moved
to Friday nights.

Between 1958 and 1968 a total of eight NASCAR races were run at the
Fairgrounds Raceway. During the same period Bobby Allison had moved to
Hueytown from Miami, Florida and convinced his brother Donnie and fellow
racer Red Farmer to join him in founding a new race shop. The so-called
"Alabama Gang" dominated the races at the Fairgrounds track, but other
legends of the sport also recorded wins, including "Fireball" Roberts,
Richard Petty, and Ned Jarrett.


  2.   RaceFanX posted:
  07.24.2012 - 2:57 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Track closed after its 2008 season and was tore down the following year.
According to Wikipedia a natatorium and an indoor track and field
facility were going to replace it on the property.


  3.   AnonymousEFR posted:
  02.21.2014 - 7:47 am
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Very recently was dismantled by the city.


  4.   Andy U posted:
  12.10.2018 - 8:55 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

well on the USGS 1970 Birmingham South map it the way upper left corner
you can see the bigger track around the smaller one. It is on the
fairgrounds. I think this must be it.

The track is oriented north south, 12-6.

Maybe it is nothing, but there seems to be a paved section just east of
the traffic circle.

You can orient off the radio tower south of teh B'ham Crossplex and the
paved thing to get bearings on the footprint of the track. Also on
Fairgrounds Drive which outlines the backstretch. The far south of the
track was even with the intersectino of the RR and Fayette Ave.

Oh..this helps. See overheads from years ago with modern buildings located.

http://www.speedwayandroadracehistory.com/birmingham-fairgrounds-raceway.html


------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Post a comment:*
Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved
by the moderator.

Name:

Comment: