Historic Columbia Speedway Reopens After Thirty Years

The First Annual Love Chevrolet Columbia Speedway Spring Festival and Racers Reunion will reunite racing stars of the past with their fans. Event organizers expect large crowds gathering autographs from their racing heroes while enjoying hundreds of show cars and vintage race cars being displayed. End Quote

Atlanta, GA (1888PressRelease) April 18, 2009 - The Columbia Speedway opened in 1948 to a crowd of over ten thousand spectators and proceeded to produce records until its closing in the late ’70s. The facility began running NASCAR sanctioned Grand National (Now Sprint Cup) events in 1951. In addition to launching Richard Petty’s racing career, Columbia Speedway was the location of Buck Baker’s first win and later Chevrolet’s first win in the NASCAR Grand National division when Fonty Flock drove a ’55 Chevy to victory on March 26, 1955. Buddy Baker has great respect for the site of his first race saying, “I’ve left that place embarrassed many times. This was a very import race track in NASCAR history. I’m glad to see it being used for this event.” With Columbia Speedway’s unusual Thursday night race schedule, competitors were able to compete there and travel to other venues for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday racing.

Some thirty years after its last race, setting records are still the order for Columbia Speedway. Spectators are expected to exceed twenty-thousand for the First Annual Love Chevrolet Spring Festival and Racers Reunion where Love Chevrolet intends to unveil the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. This will be the first time the new Camaro has been seen at such an event. Also filling the bill of festival activities, a host of legendary race car drivers will be on hand for two autograph sessions. Ned Jarrett, Buddy Baker, Rex White, Dave Marcis, and more have confirmed their plans to attend this historic event which will host one of the Southeast’s largest car shows and vintage race car exhibits.

The event has been organized by RacersReunion.com and RacersReunion Events of Myrtle Beach, SC. Admission and parking are free. Gates open at 9:00 am and festival activities will end at 6:00 pm. The speedway is located two minutes off Interstates 20, 26, and 77 at 2001 Charleston Highway, Cayce, SC, 29033.

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