SUNSHINE SPEEDWAY HALS FL-19 4550 Ulmerton Road Florida

PHOTOGRAPHS

WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA

REDUCED COPIES OF MEASURED DRAWINGS

FIELD RECORDS

HALS FL-19HALS FL-19

SUNSHINE SPEEDWAY4550 Ulmerton RoadPinellas ParkPinellas CountyFlorida

HISTORIC AMERICAN LANDSCAPES SURVEYNational Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior1849 C Street NW

Washington, DC 20240-0001

HISTORIC AMERICAN LANDSCAPES SURVEY

SUNSHINE SPEEDWAY

HALS No. FL-19 Location: 4550 Ulmerton Road (State Road 688), Pinellas Park, Pinellas County, Florida. The Sunshine Speedway is located at latitude 27.885392, longitude -82.689611 in Township 30 South, Range 16 West, Section 10 (Safety Harbor USGS Quadrangle 1956, PR 1987) (Figures 1 and 2). The coordinates represent the center of the oval track within the Sunshine Speedway. This coordinate information was obtained on September 22, 2014, utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data. The coordinates’ datum is North American Datum 1983. Significance: The Sunshine Speedway is a historic landscape as it exemplifies a geographic area associated with an historic event, activity, or person or exhibiting other cultural or aesthetic values.1 It is significant due to its association with the trends and events related to entertainment and automotive racing in the Tampa Bay area beginning in 1960. The Sunshine Speedway maintains its significance as a historic landscape because the basic features expressive of its design and function are still present, it retains most of its historic materials, the important features of its setting remain intact, and it is still located on its original site. The extant historic structures and buildings include the drag strip track, oval track, two original buildings, and part of the original entrance to the Speedway on Ulmerton Road. The Sunshine Speedway was important to the surrounding community and encouraged auto-racing popularity during the middle of the twentieth century. This property is also unique in that it has served the same purpose from its construction in 1960 until 2004 when the property was purchased by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for use as a planned future transportation project. The speedway closed in 2004 but was later leased to a private business and reopened in 2013 as the Showtime Speedway. It continues as a speedway today. Background research was conducted and revealed that few operational tracks in the Tampa Bay area remain, notably Bradenton Motorsports Park and the adjacent Desoto Super Speedway, which opened in 1973 and 1978 respectively. East Bay Raceway Park, which opened in 1977 and is located in Tampa, also remains. Among the remaining auto racing facilities, the Sunshine Speedway is unique in that it is the only one that features both an asphalt figure-8 oval track, as well as a drag strip. Description: The Sunshine Speedway was constructed in 1960 and consists of two separate tracks: a paved 1/8 mile National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag strip and a 1/4 mile oval track with a figure-8 track inside. Two original buildings, the pit office and the drag strip tower, remain on the property. The original concrete block entrance, located at Ulmerton Road, also remains.

1 U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service, National Register Bulletin: How to Evaluate and Nominate Designed Historic Landscapes, 2012, found online at: http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb18/

SUNSHINE SPEEDWAY HALS No. FL-19

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The ca. 1960 oval racetrack (Figure 3) is located on the eastern side of the complex. It consists of a three lane oval race track with figure-8 track within. Although the track itself appears much as it has since its construction, several of the surrounding elements have been removed or replaced. The original plywood barriers were replaced with stronger concrete barriers, the four lights in the central portion of the track have been replaced, and the original bleachers on the west side of the track have also been removed and replaced.2 Despite these alterations, the oval track retains its general historic appearance and continues to serve its original function. According to former owner Frank Hill, the track remains in its original position, but has been repaved on several occasions over the years.3 Like the oval track, the ca. 1960 drag strip (Figure 4) continues to serve its original function and is located in its original location. The only notable alterations to the drag strip include the addition of newer concrete barricades added since the FDOT took ownership of the property and the resurfacing of the strip several times since its initial construction.4 The two ca. 1960 buildings are simple vernacular structures, both of which are concrete block construction. The larger of the two buildings is the original pit office for the Sunshine Speedway (Figure 5). According to former owner Frank Hill, this was the original structure built for the Sunshine Speedway.5 It is a 1960 “L-shaped” building located between the drag strip and the oval track. The gable roof is covered in composition shingles and the exterior is comprised of exposed concrete block. Fenestration consists of metal single-hung-sash windows with one-over-one light configurations, as well as a jalousie multi-light window on the west side. According to Danny Glover, the General Manager of the facility, the building still serves its original function as the pit office for the Sunshine Speedway.6 This building has little decorative detailing and has been altered by a small restroom addition on the east side, as well as by the replacement of the windows and doors. Despite these changes, the original form of the building is still apparent. The building is in good condition and remains in its original location. The second historic concrete block building is a ca. 1960 three-story drag tower with a flat roof located on the western side of the drag strip (Figure 6). Like the pit office, this building continues to perform its original function.7 The tower has a rectangular form, which appears square on the bottom two levels. The bottom two levels are clad in stucco and the top level is clad in vinyl siding. Four simple metal supports extend from the corners of the top level, as this portion extends out slightly from the façade of the first two levels. The entry door to the ground

2 Glover, Danny, Personal interview between Danny Glover, General Manager at the Showtime Speedway, and Jason Newton from Janus Research, 2013. 3 Hill, Frank, Telephone interview between Frank Hill, former owner of the Sunshine Speedway, and Jason Newton from Janus Research, 2013. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Glover, Danny, Personal interview between Danny Glover, General Manager at the Showtime Speedway, and Jason Newton from Janus Research, 2013. 7 Ibid.


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level is located on the west side. On this same side, there is also an exterior staircase leading to the second level. Fenestration consists of metal single-hung-sash windows with one-over-one light configurations, metal fixed one-light windows, and metal sliding two-light windows. According to the former owner, this drag tower was originally only one-story, but the additional floors were added some time in the early 1970s, to the best of his recollection.8 Other alterations are relatively minor and include the replacement of the windows and doors, as well as the addition of vinyl siding to the exterior of the third level. The tower features little decorative detailing, but it remains in good condition and stands in its original location. The original ca. 1960 entrance to the Sunshine Speedway, located off Ulmerton Road, consists of four concrete block pillars (Figure 7). These pillars are located on either side of the old entry that leads to the drag strip. There is a taller pillar and a shorter pillar located on either side of the entry drive. Originally, a low decorative concrete block wall connected the taller and shorter pillars on both sides of the driveway. However, this decorative wall has been completely removed between the pillars on the east side of the driveway. This wall partially remains between the two westernmost pillars, although the top line of block has been removed (Figure 8). The original signage has also been removed and this location no longer serves as the main entrance to the Sunshine Speedway. The large SUNSHINE SPEEDWAY sign that once stood near this entrance was destroyed during a hurricane in 2004.9 However, new vinyl fencing with new signage has been added ca. 2013 in-between the posts on either side, which still allows for advertising along Ulmerton Road. Mr. Hill stated that this entrance is an original feature, dating from the same time as the construction of the racetracks in 1960.10 The main entrance to the facility is now located at 126th Avenue N, and this original entrance is used for occasional large weekend events. There are several non-historic structures on the property as well. There is one non-historic concrete block building to the west of the oval track, a non-historic workshop to the south of the oval track, and a non-historic announcer box to on the southeast side of the oval track. Based on historic aerial photography, the workshop to the south of the oval track appears to have been constructed ca. 1990, with the announcer box and the concrete block building to the west of the oval track dating to the mid-1990s. The ticket gate with fencing and signage on the west side of the oval track, as well as the bleachers located on the property, are also non-historic. The remaining historic resources are in generally good condition with few alterations. Mr. Glover also stated that there were several historic structures that had been demolished. These structures included concession stands, a building specifically for serving beer, an announcer’s tower, and original bleachers.11

8 Hill, Frank, Telephone interview between Frank Hill, former owner of the Sunshine Speedway, and Jason Newton from Janus Research, 2013. 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid. 11 Glover, Danny, Personal interview between Danny Glover, General Manager at the Showtime Speedway, and Jason Newton from Janus Research, 2013.


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History: The Sunshine Speedway was built by a local dairy farmer, Leo Musgrave, on his 250 acre property in 1960. Under Musgrave, the Sunshine Speedway became a popular destination for racing enthusiasts throughout the 1960s and 1970s, hosting year-round events and eventually becoming a Pinellas County institution. When Leo Musgrave died in 1983, the track was operated by his widow, Sibyl, from 1983 to 1987. In 1987, the Musgrave’s daughter Bonnie and her husband, Frank Hill, took over operations of the facility.12 Historic photographs of the Sunshine Speedway, including the original entry, oval track entry, and aerial view of the complex, can be found on Dave Westerman’s Florida Racing History website.13 These historic photographs of the Sunshine Speedway can also be found on the Florida Master Site File form for the Sunshine Speedway (8PI12003), which is on file with the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources. The Sunshine Speedway hosted weekly Saturday night racing for numerous types of vehicles including open-wheel modifieds, outlaw late models, street stocks, mini-stocks, enduros, and a figure-8 race. Special events included go-kart races, bath tub races, boat trailer racing, train racing (three cars chained together), demolition derbies, and school bus figure-8 races.14 Since 1960, the area surrounding the Sunshine Speedway began to develop rapidly as a result of urban sprawl. The property is located near the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport in a primarily industrial area. FDOT conducted a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study in the early 1980s for building a connector between US 19 and I-275 to ease traffic congestion in the area. A concept that included a new connection between State Road (SR) 688 (Ulmerton Road) and 118th Avenue North, within the Sunshine Speedway property, was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 1993. The Sunshine Speedway property was purchased from the Musgrave Family by the FDOT in 2004. A final race was held on the oval track on November 20, 2004.15 In 2012, local long-time circle track racer and owner of Yoho's Collision Center in Pinellas Park, Florida, Robert Yoho, won the bid to lease the site of the former Sunshine Speedway, which he renamed “Showtime Speedway.”16 The current lease is for five years. According to a January 2013 article in the Tampa Bay Times, Mr. Yoho has made approximately $750,000 in improvements to the facility since he won the lease.17 Some of the improvements include renovations to the pit office and drag tower, along with the spectator bathrooms. A new Accutime system for timing races was put in place, and new concrete walls to 660-feet on the

12 Zager, Brian, BrianZ's Racing Simulations Resource: Sunshine Speedway, 2011, http://www.zagerdesign.com /racing_sims/tracks/sunshine.htm 13 Westerman, Dave, Dave Westerman’s Florida Racing History, 2012, http://www.floridastockcars .com/ 14 Zager, Brian, BrianZ's Racing Simulations Resource: Sunshine Speedway, 2011 http://www.zagerdesign.com /racing_sims/tracks/sunshine.htm 15 Cristodero, Damian, Full House Sends off Sunshine Speedway, The St. Petersburg Times, November 21, 2004. 16 Hobson, Will, Business accelerating at Showtime Speedway as year ends, The Tampa Bay Times, January 1, 2013. 17 Ibid.


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drag strip, with plans to extend the walls and timing to run 1000-feet in the future. The facility once again hosts racing events, which take place on most Wednesday and Saturday evenings throughout the year (Figures 9-13). This project includes constructing a new alignment section of SR 686 to the west of the Sunshine Speedway generally between 118th Avenue North (County Road 296) and Ulmerton Road (State Road 688). The FHWA proposes to provide financial assistance for these improvements. The FDOT is the current owner of the property. Through Section 106 consultation, it was determined that the proposed project will have an adverse effect on the Sunshine Speedway. It will directly impact the original historic entrance feature at Ulmerton Road but there is another primary entrance that will not be affected by the proposed project. In addition, the project will not affect the continued use of the drag strip or oval track. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was developed to mitigate the adverse effects. This Historic American Landscape Survey (HALS) documentation is being prepared by FDOT as Section 106 related mitigation and to fulfill Stipulation II of the MOA for the proposed project. Additional Section 106 related mitigation includes the proposed salvage and relocation of the historic concrete block entrance feature from the north end of the drag strip at Ulmerton Road to a new location on site at the south end of the drag strip. The University of South Florida’s Alliance for Integrated Spatial Technologies (AIST) conducted a 3D documentation survey at the Sunshine Speedway. This information was utilized to prepare the HALS measured drawings. This project utilized a combination of spatial documentation tools including terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and photogrammetric and imaging techniques, to document and record as-is and as-built conditions of the Sunshine Speedway Entrance Piers and the contributing landscape elements. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Science (GIScience) was utilized to record locations and features of interest in the surrounding environ, especially those clearly associated with the historical site activity use. Data collected in the 3D survey were used to produce accurate as built and measured drawings of the entrance feature, and were used to depict and record terrain and contributing historic structure and track features associated with the Sunshine Speedway. A report summarizing the 3D documentation process and CDs containing the 3D documentation report, examples of point cloud data collected, examples of the 3D models produced, photographic images, and the GIS geodatabase files, are included as supplemental materials with the HALS documentation. The HALS documentation of the Sunshine Speedway was sponsored by the FDOT. The 3D and CAD documentation project was conducted by the University of South Florida AIST. The Principal Investigator was Lori Collins, Ph.D., assisted in the Terrestrial laser scanning survey by Travis Doering, Ph.D., Jeffrey Du Vernay, Ph.D., and James McLeod, MA. Stephen Fernandez, MA, CCM, performed the GPS survey and GIScience and cartographic production. The 3D models were produced by Jorge Gonzalez. Historic Preservation Architect, Stephanie Ferrell, FAIA was the Architect of Record and the Architectural Technician on the project was Marjorie


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Haigler. Large-format photographic documentation was prepared by Architectural Historians Jason Newton and Sarah Edwards, and overseen by Senior Architectural Historian, Amy Streelman of Janus Research. Jason Newton and Amy Streelman prepared the written historical and descriptive data. Sources: Collins, Dr. Lori, and Dr. Travis Doering, Sunshine Speedway Resource Group (8PI12003) 3D

Documentation Project, Alliance for Integrated Spatial Technologies, University of South Florida, November, 2014.

Cristodero, Damian, Full House Sends off Sunshine Speedway, The St. Petersburg Times,

November 21, 2004.

Glover, Danny, Personal interview between Danny Glover, General Manager at the Showtime Speedway, and Jason Newton from Janus Research, 2013.

Hill, Frank, Telephone interview between Frank Hill, former owner of the Sunshine Speedway,

and Jason Newton from Janus Research, 2013. Hobson, Will, Business accelerating at Showtime Speedway as year ends, The Tampa Bay

Times, January 1, 2013. Janus Research, Cultural Resource Assessment Survey for SR 686 from North of SR 688 to East

of 40th Street in the 118th Avenue Median, Pinellas County, Florida, 2009, on file, Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, Tallahassee, Florida; Florida Master Site File form for the Sunshine Speedway Resource Group (8PI12003), 2013a, on file, Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, Tallahassee, Florida; Cultural Resources Section 106 Effects Consultation Case Study Report for: 43rd Street North Extension from CR 296 (118th Avenue) to 40th Street North Pinellas County, Florida, 2013b, on file, Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, Tallahassee, Florida.

U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service, National Register Bulletin: How to

Evaluate and Nominate Designed Historic Landscapes, 2012, found online at: http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb18/

Westerman, Dave, Dave Westerman’s Florida Racing History, 2012, http://www.floridastockcars

.com/ Zager, Brian, BrianZ's Racing Simulations Resource: Sunshine Speedway, 2011,

http://www.zagerdesign.com/racing_sims/tracks/sunshine.htm


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Historian: Jason Newton Janus Research 1107 N. Ward Street Tampa, Florida, 33607 (813) 636-8200 November 21, 2014


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Figure 1: Location of the Sunshine Speedway shown on a Quadrangle Map


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Figure 2: Aerial Photograph showing the Sunshine Speedway and contributing resources. Aerial photography provided by Land Boundary Information Systems (LABINS), Florida Department of Environmental Protection.


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Figure 3: Overview of the Figure-8 Oval Track from the South side, facing North. Photograph by Jason Newton, 2014.

Figure 4: Drag Strip with non-historic barricades from the South end of the track. Photograph by Jason Newton, 2014.


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Figure 5: Pit Office, facing Northeast. Photograph by Jason Newton, 2014.

Figure 6: Drag Tower, facing Northwest. Photograph by Jason Newton, 2014.


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Figure 7: Entrance to the Sunshine Speedway off Ulmerton Road, facing South. Photograph by Jason Newton, 2014.

Figure 8: Entrance to the Sunshine Speedway off Ulmerton Road showing the remaining concrete block wall, facing North. Photograph by Jason Newton, 2014.


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Figure 9: Spectators and Participants at the Sunshine Speedway during a “Test and Tune” event on October 1, 2014. Photograph by Jason Newton.

Figure 10: Two vehicles on the Drag Strip at the start of a race on October 1, 2014. Photograph by Jason Newton.


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Figure 11: Two vehicles racing on the Drag Strip on October 1, 2014. Photograph by Jason Newton.

Figure 12: A Racecar performing laps on the Oval Track on October 1, 2014. Photograph by Jason Newton.


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Figure 13: A Racecar performing laps on the Oval Track on October 1, 2014. Photograph by Jason Newton.

SUNSHINE SPEEDWAY HALS FL-19 4550 Ulmerton Road Florida

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