Twenty-four vernacular photographs from the final NASCAR race on Daytona Beach, 1958

Daytona Beach, FL: N.p., 1958. Collection of 24 vintage vernacular photographs documenting the final NASCAR race at Daytona Beach, Florida, 1958. Occasional manuscript pencil annotations or rubber stamps to the versos.

The photographs in this collection document the final year the iconic Daytona NASCAR race took place on two miles of flat beach and two miles of Highway A1A before moving to the newly-built 2.4 mile Speedway track in 1959. Photos depict various vantage points on the track including beach shots, a sharp curve, and the finish line. Drivers featured in the photos include pioneering greats like Fireball Roberts, Tim Flock, Cotton Owens, Curtis Turner, Dick Joslin, Paul Goldsmith, and more. While the most frequently found photographs of NASCAR in this era tend to be professional shots sold in duplicate, these vernacular photos reflect an intimate, uncommonly-found look at the then-emerging sport.

Once organized racing had begun in Daytona Beach in earnest in the 1930s, the popularity of the yearly February race saw the explosion of tourist-driven development in the area, a trend that has only continued, as the Speedway now holds over 100,000 people.

3.5 x 5 inches, with deckled edges. All photographs Near Fine or better.