History
Columbia Speedway opened in 1951 and was a regular NASCAR Grand National stop for two decades. Its April and August 1970 races were two of the last three Grand National races on dirt. The track was paved before its final two Grand National races in 1971.
Volunteers later cleaned up the property for historic gatherings, and it is now used as an events facility.
Why it matters: A NASCAR Grand National track for 21 seasons and one of the last dirt tracks on the circuit.
Timeline
- 1951
The track opened and began hosting NASCAR's top series.
- 1956Convertible Series[1]
The track hosted eight NASCAR Convertible Series races from 1956 to 1959, including Richard Petty's only Convertible Series win.
- 1970
The April and August 1970 races were two of the final three Grand National races on dirt.
- 1971
The paved track hosted its last two Grand National races and closed.
The site today
| Physical status | Standing, repurposed |
|---|---|
| Current use | Events facility; volunteers restored parts of the property for historic gatherings[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Venue facts
| Location | Cayce, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Motorsports |
| Level | NASCAR Grand National, NASCAR Convertible Division |
| Opened | 1951[2] |
| Last used for sports | 1971[1,2] |
| Physical status | Standing, repurposed |
| Surface | Dirt (paved before the final 1971 races)[1] |
Documented details
- A Historic Columbia Speedway spring festival drew more than 30,000 fans; the second was held April 14-17, 2010.[1]
Sources
- Columbia Speedway, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use, events, surface
- Too fast to handle: Historic Columbia Speedway, WACH Fox 57. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use, opened
- Latitude and longitude of Columbia Speedway, latitude.to. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: coordinates
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.