User:George Brasington/sandbox

Harold Witherspoon Brasington (May 12, 1909 – February 4, 1996) was an American entrepreneur from Darlington, South Carolina, noted for significant contributions to motorsports. Brasington was a key figure in NASCAR’s transition from regional events in the rural South to its emergence as a phenomenally popular national sport. His design and construction of Darlington International Raceway in 1950 has been cited by motorsports historians as an important catalyst for the expansion of stock car racing in America.

Early childhood
Harold’s childhood was centered around the family home on Pearl Street, a block off the town square in Darlington, South Carolina. His father was a prosperous entrepreneur and had several successful businesses during the economic boom that followed World War I up until the Depression. Harold’s teachers thought he was reasonably intelligent, but found him to be entirely incorrigible in the area of academics. But, as a 6’2” ninth grader with flawless eye-hand coordination his presence at school was tolerated because his athletic abilities added to the school’s collection of State Championship trophies in baseball. He was not promoted to the 10th grade academically speaking, but completed another year of school attendance and graduated early.

Harold had worked at his family’s car dealership as a teenager and had been driving since he was twelve years old. He also became a fairly good mechanic and started making his own race cars by modifying the 1930’s Fords. He decided to start a trucking business. Rather than ask his father for financial support, Harold devised a scheme to purchase a truck on credit in his father’s name and make the payments without his father learning of the plan. To get the money for the first payment he sold the tires off the truck and replaced them with cheaper re-treads. This was the beginning of his long career in trucking, road construction, general contract work and eventually, race track building. Harold continued to operate Brasington Sand and Gravel throughout his career as a race track builder.

Racing Career
According to his fellow Darlingtonians, Harold started racing in 1921. The day after his father taught him to drive the family Packard at age 12 he could be seen careening around the public square in Darlington.

In 1925 Harold attended a car race with his father at the Pineville board track in North Carolina. There he saw open wheeled roadsters like the Stutz Bearcat thundering along at over 100 miles an hour. In 1933 he traveled to Indianapolis for the 500 mile race. He was amazed by the sheer magnitude of the cars and the crowd and believed that this same spectacle could be recreated in South Carolina. By the time he got back to Darlington he already had a plan.

Through the 1920’s and 1930’s Harold, like many amateur promoters in the early days of racing, attended amateur racing events at fairgrounds and horse tracks in the area. The thrill shows involving heroic jumps off ramps and ridiculous antics began to draw sizable crowds and sparked an interest in the young Brasington as a show promoter.

In the 1930’s Harold began to travel farther from home and explored a brief career as a race car driver. He raced throughout the south and midwest at the venues such as the Iowa state fair in 1932, he even ventured as far as California. His best finish was 4th, taking home $70.

Harold continued to travel to races throughout the United States. Though his racing career was short lived and somewhat unremarkable, it was during an early race in Daytona Beach, Florida that Brasington met Bill France Sr. At the time France was splitting his time between driving and promoting local races.

Racetrack Builder
When asked about the inspiration to build a super speedway in his small home town, Brasington recalled his transformative encounters with automobiles he had a young man, but the inspiration of his visit to the famed Indianapolis 500 never left his mind.

The construction of Darlington was a home grown affair. Brasington had the plans for Darlington International Raceway fully formed in his head for more than 16 years. He called a meeting at the McFall Hotel on the Darlington Square in December of 1949. He had $5,000.00 cash, a few trucks and some earth moving equipment. But for a project this massive he needed a blueprint, and capital. The paper rendering of the 1 ¼ mile super elevated asphalt oval fell to Harold’s business acquaintance Paul Psillos. Mr. Psillos was an engineer and operated Darlington Building Supply. Mr. Psillos saw the potential economic impact that the raceway would have on the community and was immediately enthusiastic, working feverishly through the night to complete the drawings so that construction could begin without delay.

While many in Darlington were enthusiastic about the coming raceway, the town was divided and many opposed the project, citing that the race would bring and objectionable element to the community.

Darlington Raceway broke ground in January of 1950, in the fallow field of a local farmer, Sherman Ramsey. The race was scheduled for Labor Day, and though it was originally sanctioned by the CSRA (Central States Racing Association), they struggled to establish a full field for race day. A deal to co-sponsor the race with NASCAR and Bill France brought the final car count up to seventy-five. The first Southern 500 was a wild success, bringing an estimated 30,000 spectators to the small southern town.

By 1952, Brasington has stepped down from the operations of Darlington Raceway and moved to other ventures.

Champion Speedway. Fayetteville, North Carolina – Opening in 1953, Champion Speedway was a 1/3 asphalt oval, combining the tight racing of small tracks with the speed of asphalt. While it was a big hit with drivers it had a short life, like many short tracks throughout America.

Tar Heel Speedway. Level Cross, North Carolina – With construction starting in 1956, and likely with the encouragement of friend Lee Petty, Brasington constructed the Tar Heel Speedway. Situated a few miles from the Petty’s home place, it was on this track that a young Richard won his first un-sanctioned race. Tar Heel was an active track until 1975.

Charlotte Motor Speedway. Charlotte, North Carolina (Planned but never built by Brasington) – Partnering with Curtis Turner in 1959, Brasington surveyed the site of Charlotte Motor Speedway and began construction. When this partnership ran out of funds Turner persuaded Brasington and the other investors to sell their interest to Bruton Smith.

North Carolina Motor Speedway. Rockingham, North Carolina – Returning to the Tri-Oval design he had intended to use for Charlotte Motor Speedway, Brasington replicated this template on a smaller scale for the North Carolina Motor Speedway situated in Rockingham. Work began on the track in 1962.

Harold also designed and built Rockingham Dragstrip in 1969.

Quite possibly his most successful venue, Darlington International Dragway – Planning and construction began in 1972 and was completed in 1976. The first event was rained out, as was the re-scheduled rain date, but in 2016 the dragway was voted IHRA Track of the Year for 2016. Harold stepped away from operations at the Darlington Dragway in1990 and was actively planning on building a new track when he passed in 1996.

Significant Events and Tracks Timeline
1925- Harold’s father takes him to a board track race at Pineville, North Carolina

1930s- 1941 Harold’s racing career takes him through the Midwest and to the Daytona beach course

1933- Harold attends the Indianapolis 500 and is inspired to build a similar track for stock cars

1939- Harold and Bill France meet and become life long friends

1949- Breaks ground for the construction of Darlington International Raceway

1950- First Southern 500 is held on September 4th.

1952- Begins construction of Champion Speedway in Fayetteville, North Carolina

1953- Champion Speedway opens

1956- Builds Tarheel Speedway in Level Cross, North Carolina

1958- Partners with Cutis Turner to build what would eventually become Charlotte Motor Speedway. The partnership was bought out by Bruton Smith, who took over the project and completed the track.

1963- Begins construction at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina.

1965- Opens North Carolina Speedway

1966- Partners with Bill Land to build Rockingham Dragway

1973- Construction begins on Darlington International Dragway

1976- Darlington International Dragway opens, all major races rained out.

1977- Stages first IHRA Winter Nationals. Becomes the largest drag race event in the Carolinas

1987- Retires from Darlington International Dragway and begins plans for another speedway.

Awards
1979 International Hot Rod Association’s Man of The Year

1979 Darlington Raceway “Southern 500 Award” winner

1984 Darlington Raceway dedicates the Harold Brasington Grandstand

1986 South Carolina’s Distinguished Service Award

1986 South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award

1992 NMPA Stock Car Hall of Fame Inductee

1993 Darlington Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award

1999 South Carolina Historical Marker

1999 Ranked #4 of the top 100 South Carolinian Sports Figures of the 20th Century by The State (Columbia, SC)

2000 Selected as one of the top 100 South Carolinians of the 20th Century

2002 South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee

2015 Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR recipient, NASCAR Hall of Fame

1992 Motorsports National Motorsports Press Association, Motorsports Hall of Fame