Gresham Motorsports Park Explained

Gresham Motorsports Park (formerly Jefco Speedway, Georgia International Speedway and Peach State Speedway) is a half-mile (.8 km) paved oval auto racing track in Jefferson, Georgia. The track opened in 1967, named Jefco Speedway. Tom Pistone won the inaugural event, a NASCAR Late Model Sportsman race.[1] Two NASCAR Grand National races were held at the track in 1968 and 1969, won by Cale Yarborough and Bobby Isaac. Since 1983, the track has held the World Crown 300 for late model stock cars.[2] The track was renamed Peach State Speedway in the early 1990s. The circuit was renamed and extensively renovated in 2009.[3] NASCAR started running K&N Pro Series East races in 2010.

NASCAR results

NASCAR Grand National Series races were held in 1968 and 1969. Busch Grand National Series races were held in 1986 and 1987.[4]

Grand National/Cup

SeasonDateWinning DriverCarLengthAverage Speed
1968November 3Cale YarboroughMercury100 miles (160 km)77.737mph
1969November 3Bobby IsaacDodge100 miles (160 km)85.106mph

Busch Series

SeasonDateWinning DriverCarLengthAverage Speed
1986May 10Darrell WaltripChevrolet100 miles (160 km)85.776mph
1987July 5Larry PearsonChevrolet100 miles (160 km)75.869mph
August 30Larry PearsonChevrolet100 miles (160 km)74.969mph

Films

The track (then going by the name Georgia International Speedway) was used in filming some parts of the 1982 Six Pack comedy-drama film directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Kenny Rogers, Diane Lane, Erin Gray, Anthony Michael Hall, and Barry Corbin. Some local Jefferson teens were used as extras in the film.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History . Gresham Motorsports Park . October 6, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110904031007/http://www.greshammotorsportspark.com/history.php . September 4, 2011 . dead .
  2. Web site: World Crown set for Gresham reopening . Main Street News Sports . October 6, 2011 . Staff writer . https://web.archive.org/web/20120406072456/http://www.mainstreetnewssports.com/archives/1803-World-Crown-set-for-Gresham-reopening.html . April 6, 2012 . November 12, 2009 . live .
  3. Web site: Track renovation continues at Gresham Motorsports Park . Main Street News Sports . October 6, 2011 . Staff writer . https://web.archive.org/web/20120406072502/http://www.mainstreetnewssports.com/archives/1378-Track-renovation-continues-at-Gresham-Motorsports-Park.html . April 6, 2012 . June 19, 2009 . live .
  4. Web site: Gresham Motorsports Park . Racing-Reference.info . October 6, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111014101319/http://racing-reference.info/tracks/Gresham_Motorsports_Park . October 14, 2011 . live .