In 1954 well before such modern amenities such as air conditioning and modern pesticides, home to 12 foot alligators, deadly rattlesnakes, and mosquito hoards big enough to scare even brave souls, a barren piece of marshland in South Florida was transformed into one of the most famous speedways in America.

Emerging from the peaceful beauty of the "River of Grass" known as the Everglades, Hialeah was opened on a muggy Sunday afternoon in July 1954 and the fans saw Al Powell win the first heat race ever at the speedway running a 1937 Ford. Later that day Herb Tillman won the first feature. The following year a young man of seventeen named Bobby Allison began his racing career using the assumed name of Bob Sunderman, at his dad's insistence. He drove a 1938 Chevy.

The names are synonymous with short track stock car racing, Bobby and Donnie Allison, Red Farmer, Larry Rogero, Robert Hamke, Bobby Brack, Pee Wee Griffin, Billy Gill, to name a few of the legends of the era. Later, racers like Gary Balough, Mario Gosselin, Mike Franklin, Jr, Mike Eddy, and Dick Anderson continued the great tradition that is Hialeah Speedway.

Now race fans and drivers alike are faced with losing a significant part of their racing history as within less than two weeks Hialeah's doors may be closed forever. Faced with mounting tax debts, less than stellar management, infighting and the growth of the city of Hialeah and the areas surrounding Miami, the day may have come to close the cover for good on a magnificent chapter in stock car racing history.

By March 15, $91,000 must be paid in back property taxes or the land owner will have no choice but to void the speedway's lease and rent to a business many non-racers probably feel better suited to the congestion of greater Miami. Hialeah Speedway has been owned and operated by the Greater Miami Racing Association since the beginning, but leases the land from it's owner, which we're told is controlled by a trust administered by a local attorney. In 1995 the GMRA hired Bill Flingos, champion of the very first late Model class begun in 1965, and Ron Kaouk to operate the speedway on its behalf. Flingos has since passed away from cancer and Kaouk continues to run the speedway.

One speedway official and longtime Hialeah supporter told KARNAC.com ,"For all practical purposes the GMRA is a lame-duck organization. What will happen is anyone's guess but it better happen quickly ...the speedway could be shut down by the landlord as he certainly will pay the taxes and deal with the racers
after the fact."

An escrow account has been set up by a local attorney, Kevin C. Lunsford, who races at the speedway, and approximately $40,000 in small sums has been pledged by those who are fighting to save the speedway from extinction, according to Mike Powers, a local Hialeah racer and businessman "We need $91,000 and we've raised at least $40,000 in pledges so far, but we are really short of time and the other $51,000.

Not only are potential saviors of the speedway fighting time and money, they are fighting a the negativism from some of the drivers who perhaps have given up hope. One Hialeah fan put it this way "doesn't really matter, the track is gone come 2003, the lease will be up, and it wont be renewed, that is a fact, the property is very valuable and the owners don't want a racetrack there anymore, they want to develop it. It kills me to say it, but why spend thousands of dollars to try to prevent something that is inevitable? Maybe I'm just discouraged, but it just seems useless to me."

But many disagree with the naysayers who say the sun is setting on the state of Florida's oldest short track racing venue. One racer said "I love that race track, I've had some awesome memories at that place, and I'm sure that everyone else has too. That track is worth saving even if it's just for a few more years. If everyone who says they love racing would just do something to help we could have it back. Every penny that I've won there I have given back to help the track...now we need everybody's help."

Mike Powers, who is one of those who refuses to accept what many say is inevitable said "What I know about Hialeah Speedway is there is quite a bit of history due to the fact they have been around so long, longer than most speedways in the state. I know of other speedways in the state that have bigger tax bills than us, yet they pay their taxes and turn a profit so don't tell me it can't be done. Yes the lease is up in 2003 but leases can be rewritten. If we stop pointing fingers at who did what wrong we could survive on our own. If you want to believe we are dead already go ahead, but rather than that, why don't we find a way to save the place we have had so many great Saturday nights and let the history live on. I plan to do every thing I can to keep my Saturday nights going at Hialeah Speedway."

The current lease runs through December 31, 2002, and renewing is an option. The current lease, according to Powers, is tied to 4% of the front gate receipts.The speedway sits on 30 acres with developments surrounding the speedway. KARNAC.com attempted numerous times to reach the speedway front office, but a malfunctioning message machine giving the details of Saturday night's racing is
all you get, leaving this writer questioning the concern of current management toward the dire circumstances the speedway faces. We're told by various sources that the speedway has no class sponsorships, has unsold billboards, and many other revenue streams are completely untapped.

Is this the end of an era or the beginning of a new one is the big question. If Hialeah Speedway can be saved to race another day, it will need a complete revamping of it's management, the addition of both able and visionary promotion as well as competent financial managers to ensure it's longevity. Race tracks, even poorly operated can and do make money for their operators, but for now it's all about paying the tax man.

The Escrow account is being handled at no charge by Kevin Lunsford. Checks should be made payable to Kevin C. Lunsford Trust Account and mailed to Kevin C. Lunsford, 1975 E. Sunrise Blvd. Fort Lauderdale Florida 33304. KARNAC.com also has a copy of the Escrow Agreement which can be made available to you by emailing hialeah@karnac.com . The escrow account ensures that all moneys are in safe keeping.

Mike Powers is just one of those whose love of the sport knows no bounds and will stick his own neck out to save his favorite racing place. He can be contacted at 954-967-9643 or by e-mail at FIREMENMIKE5@AOL.COM .

I'm sure all those that have ever put a car into the corner at Hialeah will forever be in your debt if you can help save this monument to racing, which rose out of the Everglades over 45 years ago, from turning into parking lot for shoppers. And after all, we saved the alligator from extinction, certainly we can save the glorious past that is Hialeah Speedway.

If there were ever a track that needed to be kept alive, it is certainly Hialeah, the oldest running Saturday night show, in the state where the weather is a 'little hotter and the racing is a lot faster.'

Jack Smith
Publisher
Florida Stock Car Racing
www.karnac.com

[This article may be freely distributed, posted on message boards, and submitted to any and all publications, as long as it is distributed in it's entirety.]

[Much thanks to Eddie Roche, author of Florida Motorsports Retrospective Pictorial for Hialeah Speedway historical information and to Skip Oliff for photo of the speedway]



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