Southeast News: February 4, 2009

Alabama's BIR Demolished

by Walter Elliott

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Contractors, after Mayor Larry Langford swung a wrecking ball into the 88-year- old grandstands Jan. 30, are levelling Birmingham International Raceway here at the Alabama State Fair grounds. The speedway, which once hosted NASCAR's now-Sprint Cup Series 1958-68, ran for an almost continuous 95 years.

Langford, at Jan. 30's ceremony, showed Fair Park's $55 million improvement plan. An Olympic-sized swimming pool, indoor high school running track and field and an equestrian training center is to replace the .625-mile paved oval and stands.

Langford, in a June 20 al.com article, said he had offered one of BIR's promoters $1 million and municipal property elsewhere in the city.

One of the promoters, Joey Sims, has said Dec. 19 that he was looking to revive the dormant Childersburg Speedway in nearby Alpine. Sims hopes to pave that three-eighths mile oval, which last ran March 14-June 6, in April.

Justin South and Ken McFarland closed BIR Oct. 30 by colliding on the World 200 late model race's last lap and crossing the finishline locked together. South was the 200's winner and McFarland became the late model track champion.

BIR's demise ended what it billed itself as the second oldest speedway running, closing due to World War Two supply rationing July 4, 1942-July 4, 1946.

Originally a one-mile clay oval for horse racing, the oval first staged a mottorcycle race Oct. 10, 1906. The speedway shrank to a half-mile in 1932 and a quarter-mile in 1958. BIR, which went by four other names over its years, became a paved half-mile in 1960 and was enlarged the next year.

NIR also ran under Fairgrounds Raceway plus Birmingham International Speedway and Birmingham Super Speedway and Super Raceway.

The then-NASCAR Grand National circuit stopped here eight times and its convertible division once during 1958-68. Fireball Roberts, Ned Jarrett, Jim Paschal, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Curtis Turner have won here. Those watching the Jan. 30 ceremonial demolition recalled Wendell Scott, Neil Bonnett and Davy Allison racing here.

Grand Prix driver Emile Strickler died here while attempting a world speed record Nov. 17, 1908. Strickler took the wheel of a Renault from soon-to-be-named AAA National Indy Car Champion Louis Strang during their assault on the 24-hour record when a tire blew. Strickler, of Germany and a riding mechanic named Eddie Barrow were thrown from their car.