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| Myrtle Beach Speedway | |
|---|---|
| Name | Myrtle Beach Speedway |
| Location | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
| Opened | 1958 |
| Closed | 2020s |
| Layout1 | Oval |
| Surface | Asphalt/Dirt (historical) |
| Length km | 0.8 |
| Length mi | 0.5 |
Myrtle Beach Speedway was a semi-banked short track oval located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that operated from the late 1950s through the early 2020s. The venue hosted a wide range of stock car, late model, and grassroots motorsport events tied to organizations such as NASCAR, the ARCA Menards Series, and regional touring series, and it played a role in developing drivers who later competed in the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and other premier American stock car events. The track’s profile connected it to the motorsport culture of the Carolinas and to tourism circuits centered on the Grand Strand.
The facility opened in 1958 during the postwar short-track boom linked to personalities like Lee Petty and tracks such as Darlington Raceway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, and Lowes Motor Speedway. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the speedway staged events that intersected with touring organizations including the NASCAR Grand National Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and the ARCA Racing Series. Promoters and drivers associated with the venue included individuals and teams who later became fixtures in Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough narratives. The track experienced multiple surface changes, sanctioning shifts, and schedule adjustments paralleling trends at venues like Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. In the 1990s and 2000s the speedway hosted regional late model programs connected to entities such as the SCCA and local chapters of the Goodguys tour. Ownership turnovers and operational challenges echoed those at other historic tracks including North Wilkesboro Speedway and Rockingham Speedway.
The oval was a half-mile layout with four turns and moderate banking similar to short tracks like South Boston Speedway and Langley Speedway. Facilities on site included grandstands, a pit area, garages, and timing-and-scoring infrastructure used by series governed by organizations such as NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and the ARCA Menards Series East. The surface alternated between asphalt and dirt for special events, a practice seen at venues including Bristol Motor Speedway during its dirt-weekend experiments. Support facilities served touring teams from entities like Sunoco-sponsored late model series and local sanctioning bodies.
The speedway’s event calendar featured weekly racing, special touring dates, and marquee events that drew competitors from across the Southeast and beyond. Sanctioned events aligned with series such as the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, ARCA Menards Series, and regional late model tours that paralleled the CARS Tour and CRA Super Series. The venue hosted special races timed to the tourism season around attractions like Broadway at the Beach and promoted events tied to motorsport festivals similar to those in Charlotte, North Carolina and Daytona Beach, Florida. Invitational events attracted teams associated with sponsors like Sunoco, Mobil 1, and Goodyear.
Many competitors who raced at the track later appeared in national events such as the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, including drivers from developmental pathways similar to those of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jimmie Johnson. Local and regional stars who contested marquee late model events shared billing with touring names known from the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series feeder circuits. Memorable races included close short-track finishes and rivalry-driven programs reminiscent of classic contests at Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway, and feature winners often parlayed success into rides with teams linked to owners like Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs.
Ownership history involved multiple private promoters and investment groups, reflecting patterns seen at historic tracks such as North Wilkesboro Speedway and Rockingham Speedway. Management relationships connected the facility to regional motorsport promoters, sanctioning bodies including NASCAR and ARCA, and local tourism authorities in Horry County, South Carolina. Operational responsibilities included scheduling with touring series comparable to arrangements at Greenville-Pickens Speedway and coordination with technical inspection programs rooted in standards from NASCAR and technical partners like Hoosier Racing Tire and Goodyear.
In the 2010s and 2020s the property became subject to redevelopment pressures similar to those affecting other urban-area tracks such as North Wilkesboro Speedway and Rockingham Speedway. Conflicts involved local government planning bodies in Myrtle Beach and private developers interested in mixed-use projects tied to tourism economy nodes like The Market Common (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina). Preservation advocates compared the venue’s heritage to campaigns that saved tracks like Martinsville Speedway and sought adaptive reuses paralleling conversions at other historic motorsport properties. Closure discussions highlighted environmental, zoning, and financial dynamics common to historic short tracks across the United States.
The speedway appeared in regional media coverage alongside cultural anchors such as Broadway at the Beach and events promoted through outlets like Speed Sport and Racer (magazine). Its role in developing talent linked it indirectly to broadcast narratives on networks including Fox Sports and NBC Sports covering the NASCAR Cup Series, and it featured in documentaries and local histories focusing on Southern short-track racing akin to productions about Daytona International Speedway and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The venue’s presence in promotional materials tied it to tourism branding for the Grand Strand and to motorsport heritage itineraries that include stops at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Category:Motorsport venues in South Carolina Category:Sports venues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina