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In the 1950s and ‘60s, stock car engines roared at Starkey Speedway.
Courtesy Virginia Room, Roanoke Public Libraries
This 1950s image shows one of the early races at the 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.
Courtesy Virginia Room, Roanoke Public Libraries
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.
The first NASCAR Grand National Series race at Starkey was held on May 14, 1958. Jim Reed won, beating Curtis Turner, Glen Wood, Lee Petty and 19 other drivers in the 150-lap race. Starkey was one of 51 NASCAR races that season. What many fans may not have known is that the week before the race the speedway had hosted the Cristiani Brothers Circus in the infield replete with elephants, lions and clowns all under a 5,000-seat big top.
Want to learn more about the historic Starkey Speedway, the Roanoke County track that hosted everything from NASCAR races to rodeos and circuses in the 1950s? Check out the latest issue, now on newsstands, or see it for free in our digital guide linked below!
The story above is a preview from our November/December 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!