Historic Cherokee Speedway
By: Psycho Billy
Cherokee Speedway was built in the 1950s opening in 1957. It was a 3/8 mile oval. In the early 60s, it was lengthened into a big ol half-mile. It earned the nickname, "The South's Fastest Half-Mile Dirt Track." It would typically attract around 4,000 to 5,000 people. The NDRL would schedule here in the late 70s. Excitement was abundant with an excess of 10,000 race fans storming into these hallowed grounds.
Back on January 26, 2020, Ross Bailes set a new track record for Super Lates with a 14.568. They have so many great Super Late Model specials that it's mind knumbingly inspiring. One of those is the Blue/Gray 100, which began in 1991. It will run this year on November 17th, paying $20,000 to win. Its winner's wall of fame reads like this: Freddy Smith, Scott Bloomquist, Donnie Moran, Clint Smith, Jack Pennington, Steve Lucas, Jeff Cooke, Petey Ivey, Chris Madden, Randy Weaver, Jimmy Owens, Randall Chupp, Dale McDowell, Jonathan Davenport, Mike Marlar, Darrell Lanigan, and Brandon Overton. Madden holds the record with 9 career Blue/Gray wins.
Today, it is a 3/8-mile-high banked dirt oval. To celebrate its 50th Anniversary, it was changed back to its original length of 3/8 in the year 2007. Somewhere along the line, it picked up the nickname, "The Place Your Mama Warned You About." Duane Goins came up with that phrase in 1986. He was there from '86 thru '92. Duane also tells us that he booked the first Blue/Gray 100 in 1991. He was inducted into the Cherokee Speedway Hall of Fame in 2016.
Here's what several folks had to say.
"The races were crazy. The energy was high."
~ World of Outlaws Late Model Series
"It's hard to describe. It was fast. You were right on the rim of the turn. There was no wall. I went over 1 night and flipped probably 10 times. The rough crowd. The dirt track fights. Just a lot of stuff that came with it. It was not your normal racetrack."
~ Scott Childress via WOOLMS
"Cherokee Speedway was all about the speed. It was more like God building the fastest race cars they could build. The reputation over the years. So big and fast. There were some pretty epic crashes. And the fact that it was Saturday night."
~ Chris Ferguson via WOOLMS
"Definitely one of the racetracks that would split up the boys and girls, that's for sure. People will be there the night before and they're the first ones in line waiting to see us race."
~ Chris Madden via WOOLMS
With such a storied history, we are more than excited to open our second decade of racing here at Cherokee Speedway. This Sunday, March 3, 2024, the Southern All-Stars will bring in their traveling drivers for a huge $20,000 to win event. We will be sending Ghostwriter to cover that one.
Let's take a look at Cherokee's entire 2024 calendar of events.
3/2 Ginger Owens Memorial Night 1
3/3 SAS Ginger Owens Memorial Night 2: SAS $20k
3/23 Weekly Racing
3/30 Ultimate $5k
4/6 USCS 360 Sprints
4/13 Weekly Racing
4/20 Weekly Racing
4/27 Carolina Clash $5k
5/4 Weekly Racing
5/11 Steel Block Bandits $7,500
5/18 Go Karts
5/25-26 Ultimate Street Stock Showdown $6,500
6/1 Weekly Racing • Supers $2,500
6/8 TBA
6/15 Robbie Weaver Memorial • Blue Ridge Outlaw Late Models $3k
6/21-22 Hunt the Front Rock Gault Memorial $5k/20k
6/28-29 SCDRA $5k
7/3 Grassy Smith Memorial • Mid-East SLMS $10k
7/12 Peach Festival • 604 Lates $5k
7/23 Ray Cook Southern Nats $7553
7/27 USCS 360 Sprints
8/2-3 Mid-East Mania
8/17 Weekly Racing • Supers $2,500
9/1 HOF Race • Carolina Clash $5k
9/7 Weekly Racing
9/20-21 Mid-East 604 $5k both nights
10/11-12 Mike Duvall Memorial • Mid-East $10k night 2
10/26 Non-Charlotte Divisions Night
11/17 Blue/Gray 100 • Carolina Clash $20k (Rain date: 11/23)
11/30-1 Jamie Mattison WC4CN
Story credits:
Go Upstate
Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Cherokee Speedway
The Gaffney Ledger
Dirt On Dirt
Duane Goins
Gene Murphy
Richard Cunningham
Todd Turner
🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁
Ginger Owens Memorial
Cherokee Speedway ● Gaffney, SC
Sanctioned by: Southern All Stars
$20,000 to Win
🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁
UPCOMING PBC SCHEDULE
Mar 3: SAS, Gaffney SC, 20k
Mar 15-16: HTF, Eastaboga AL, 5k/15k
Mar 29-30: TBA
Apr 6: Open, Peoria IL, 5k
Apr 18: MLRA, Tipton IA, 5k
Apr 19-20: MLRA, Burlington IA, 5k/10k
By: Psycho Billy
Cherokee Speedway was built in the 1950s opening in 1957. It was a 3/8 mile oval. In the early 60s, it was lengthened into a big ol half-mile. It earned the nickname, "The South's Fastest Half-Mile Dirt Track." It would typically attract around 4,000 to 5,000 people. The NDRL would schedule here in the late 70s. Excitement was abundant with an excess of 10,000 race fans storming into these hallowed grounds.
Back on January 26, 2020, Ross Bailes set a new track record for Super Lates with a 14.568. They have so many great Super Late Model specials that it's mind knumbingly inspiring. One of those is the Blue/Gray 100, which began in 1991. It will run this year on November 17th, paying $20,000 to win. Its winner's wall of fame reads like this: Freddy Smith, Scott Bloomquist, Donnie Moran, Clint Smith, Jack Pennington, Steve Lucas, Jeff Cooke, Petey Ivey, Chris Madden, Randy Weaver, Jimmy Owens, Randall Chupp, Dale McDowell, Jonathan Davenport, Mike Marlar, Darrell Lanigan, and Brandon Overton. Madden holds the record with 9 career Blue/Gray wins.
Today, it is a 3/8-mile-high banked dirt oval. To celebrate its 50th Anniversary, it was changed back to its original length of 3/8 in the year 2007. Somewhere along the line, it picked up the nickname, "The Place Your Mama Warned You About." Duane Goins came up with that phrase in 1986. He was there from '86 thru '92. Duane also tells us that he booked the first Blue/Gray 100 in 1991. He was inducted into the Cherokee Speedway Hall of Fame in 2016.
Here's what several folks had to say.
"The races were crazy. The energy was high."
~ World of Outlaws Late Model Series
"It's hard to describe. It was fast. You were right on the rim of the turn. There was no wall. I went over 1 night and flipped probably 10 times. The rough crowd. The dirt track fights. Just a lot of stuff that came with it. It was not your normal racetrack."
~ Scott Childress via WOOLMS
"Cherokee Speedway was all about the speed. It was more like God building the fastest race cars they could build. The reputation over the years. So big and fast. There were some pretty epic crashes. And the fact that it was Saturday night."
~ Chris Ferguson via WOOLMS
"Definitely one of the racetracks that would split up the boys and girls, that's for sure. People will be there the night before and they're the first ones in line waiting to see us race."
~ Chris Madden via WOOLMS
With such a storied history, we are more than excited to open our second decade of racing here at Cherokee Speedway. This Sunday, March 3, 2024, the Southern All-Stars will bring in their traveling drivers for a huge $20,000 to win event. We will be sending Ghostwriter to cover that one.
Let's take a look at Cherokee's entire 2024 calendar of events.
3/2 Ginger Owens Memorial Night 1
3/3 SAS Ginger Owens Memorial Night 2: SAS $20k
3/23 Weekly Racing
3/30 Ultimate $5k
4/6 USCS 360 Sprints
4/13 Weekly Racing
4/20 Weekly Racing
4/27 Carolina Clash $5k
5/4 Weekly Racing
5/11 Steel Block Bandits $7,500
5/18 Go Karts
5/25-26 Ultimate Street Stock Showdown $6,500
6/1 Weekly Racing • Supers $2,500
6/8 TBA
6/15 Robbie Weaver Memorial • Blue Ridge Outlaw Late Models $3k
6/21-22 Hunt the Front Rock Gault Memorial $5k/20k
6/28-29 SCDRA $5k
7/3 Grassy Smith Memorial • Mid-East SLMS $10k
7/12 Peach Festival • 604 Lates $5k
7/23 Ray Cook Southern Nats $7553
7/27 USCS 360 Sprints
8/2-3 Mid-East Mania
8/17 Weekly Racing • Supers $2,500
9/1 HOF Race • Carolina Clash $5k
9/7 Weekly Racing
9/20-21 Mid-East 604 $5k both nights
10/11-12 Mike Duvall Memorial • Mid-East $10k night 2
10/26 Non-Charlotte Divisions Night
11/17 Blue/Gray 100 • Carolina Clash $20k (Rain date: 11/23)
11/30-1 Jamie Mattison WC4CN
Story credits:
Go Upstate
Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Cherokee Speedway
The Gaffney Ledger
Dirt On Dirt
Duane Goins
Gene Murphy
Richard Cunningham
Todd Turner
🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁
Ginger Owens Memorial
Cherokee Speedway ● Gaffney, SC
Sanctioned by: Southern All Stars
$20,000 to Win
🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁
UPCOMING PBC SCHEDULE
Mar 3: SAS, Gaffney SC, 20k
Mar 15-16: HTF, Eastaboga AL, 5k/15k
Mar 29-30: TBA
Apr 6: Open, Peoria IL, 5k
Apr 18: MLRA, Tipton IA, 5k
Apr 19-20: MLRA, Burlington IA, 5k/10k