Myrtle Beach Speedway

The Myrtle Beach Speedway (originally named Rambi Raceway), was built in 1958 and is located on U.S. Route 501 near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Myrtle Beach Speedway
LocationMyrtle Beach, South Carolina
Time zoneGMT-5
Coordinates33°44′47″N 78°57′7″W
Capacity12,000 (Oval)
Opened1958
Major eventsNASCAR Whelen All-American Series
D-oval
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.538 mi (0.866 km)
BankingTurns - 13°
Straights - 4° front, 3° back

The speedway is a semi-banked asphalt oval track that spans 0.538 miles (0.866 km).The NASCAR Cup Series competed at the Speedway from 1958 through 1965. The NASCAR Busch Series (now the Xfinity Series) raced at Myrtle Beach Speedway from 1988 to 2000.

Currently the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race on Saturday nights from late February through November. The track also runs various other classes of racing including Late Model Charger, Super Trucks and Mini Stocks. The speedway is home of the Myrtle Beach 400, IceBreaker 200, NASCAR Racing Experience, Monster Jam, NOPI Nationals and Horry County Fair with recent additions of Wheels of Destruction Thrill Show and the Myrtle Beach BikeFest.[1]

Over the years, Myrtle Beach Speedway has been the training grounds for some of NASCAR's biggest stars including Jeff Gordon (former Busch Series track record holder). All four generations of Pettys (Lee, Richard, Kyle, and Adam) and three generations of Earnhardts (Ralph, Dale Sr., Dale Jr., and Kelley[2]) have taken a green flag around the asphalt oval that spans 0.538 miles (0.866 km).

History
A Late Model car belonging to The NASCAR Racing Experience

Rambi Raceway opened as a dirt track in 1958.

The track hosted one NASCAR Convertible Series event in 1958 and one NASCAR Grand National East Series race in 1972.

Nick Lucas bought the track in 1968, paving it in 1974. Billy Hardee became a co-owner in 1987.

NASCAR Southeast Series had ran 17 races at the facility between 1991 and 2004.

The Busch Series race (the Myrtle Beach 250) in 2000 was the last major NASCAR event at the track.

In a deal that closed April, 2012, Speedway Group Inc. bought the facility, including 48 acres. Robert J. Lutz, one of the new owners, said Lt. Gov. André Bauer arranged for the deal to take place. Bauer said he wanted the track to help improve Myrtle Beach's economy with new events. Upgrades to the track are planned, and plans call for the NASCAR Racing Experience to attract drivers and tourists. One goal is another top-level race.[3]

The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour had one race at the speedway in 2009. After merging the two NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours at the end of the 2016 season, beginning in 2017, the newly unified tour hosted three events at the track from 2017 through 2019.

CARS X-1R Pro Cup Series had 24 races at Myrtle Beach between 1998 and 2014. CARS Super Late Model Tour and CARS Late Model Stock Tour had 3 events each at the facility, between 2015 and 2018.

In May 2020, it was announced the track would close its doors for good once the season was complete as the result of a sale to a land developer.[4]

References
  1. "Start Your Engines at Myrtle Beach Speedway". Compass Cove. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  2. Newton, David. "Junior took a backseat to big sis Kelley". ESPN. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  3. Kanpek, Kurt (2012-02-25). "New owners have big plans for Myrtle Beach Speedway". The Sun News. Archived from the original on 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
  4. Altman-Devilbiss, Alexx (2020-05-13). "Myrtle Beach Speedway prepares for final season of racing". WLOS. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
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