In the 1950s and ‘60s, stock car engines roared at Starkey Speedway.
In the fall of 1949, big plans were announced for Starkey, a small community nestled in southwestern Roanoke County. The Starkey Speedway and Amusement Company had been organized and purchased about 30 acres from William Smith. The company was issued a building permit for the construction of a $50,000 amusement park, including an auto racing track, opposite the Starkey railroad station. Homer Shropshire of City Auto Supply Company in Roanoke was the contractor.
The Starkey Speedway officially opened in November 1950 with an auto race that launched a decades-long attraction for racing enthusiasts. The speedway was more than just a quarter-mile track for stock cars and hot rods, as the speedway became a major event venue during the 1950s and ’60s. There were auto daredevil shows, rodeos, circuses and even horse racing. The main draw, however, was always the cars.
The racing season at Starkey was spring through fall with races typically occurring on Sunday afternoons. The speedway could seat 4,000, but crowds often swelled beyond that. For racing fans, Starkey hosted assorted divisions including jalopies, hobby cars, midgets and the always popular stock cars. Men who pooled resources and worked on cars in their garages began to develop local followings as statistics and standings were regularly reported in local newspapers. Some of the early, regional racers at Starkey included Buford Dillon, Jim Gillette, Gordon Snead, “Early Bird” Williams, Eddie Bennington, Andrew Eanes, Baldy Wilson, John Knowles, Harry Bratton, J. C. Cash, Carl Graham, Gerald Riley, Bobby Cook and Charlie Williamson.
The speedway grew quickly in popularity and what it could accommodate as entertainment. Joe Chitwood’s Auto Daredevil show came in May 1952 and was followed that summer with a rodeo that included bull riding and calf roping contests. In 1953, lights were added for night racing and by 1954 popular NASCAR drivers were testing their skills at Starkey. In July of that year, Jim Reed, Lee Petty and Dick Ratham competed in a 100-lap race. With NASCAR’s expanding fan base came a renewed interest in Starkey Speedway by investors who believed the track could become a regular stop on the stock car circuit. Thus, Starkey Racing Grounds Incorporated was formed and purchased the speedway in 1956 with the intent to invest $70,000 to improve the track for NASCAR … and horse racing! The latter proved the first to arrive with harness racing along with pony and mule races thrown in for fun…