A day at the beach

[btaylor]

What a great Video! some very cool cars, and action. Can you even imagine that much undeveloped real estate anywhere near Daytona??? Shame those races are not still there.
Bob

[Florida_Slotter]

Well I am not a life long resident of Florida. We moved here in 1974.

Back then, there were about 1,400,000 people in the state of Florida, mostly in the Miami / Fort Lauderdale area.

Today, we have almost 20,000,000 folks in our state.

Back in 1974, there was a lot of undeveloped land almost everywhere, today, in some localities, there is not a lot of undeveloped land.

Fortunately, I live in a rural part of the state, on the south side of the Ocala National Forest, which is about 400,000 acres of pine woods. Not much chance for over civilization here.

The beaches in Florida back in 1974 were a joy to go to. Very light attendance and it was quite a lot of fun.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Dave, that video was posted on the old site, and I have always wanted to take to time to go find it. Thanks. You saved me hours of hunting! Did everyone see Cotton Owens, Smokey and Tim Flock (with Jocko, his monkey)?

Last time I was in Florida was 1977, and it was just starting to show the signs of what was coming in the next decade or so. I drove the full length of the state, all the way to Long Key, where I switched to a sailboat for the rest of the trip out the keys. Long Key is also where I ran into Jimmy Buffet, and a long wonderful night of stories, beer and music that followed. When you are there, go to the Green Turtle Inn, for the eating experience of a lifetime (and that is coming from a world traveler).

[Retro Racer 44]

Wow, that brings back memories.

In Jan/Feb of 1957, I spent a month in Daytona. One day, a friend and I packed a lunch and walked from the centre of Daytona Beach all the way down to the track area. The 500 wasn't on then, but speed trials were being run on the beach. I remember seeing a belly tank lakester, a 53 Studebaker with tape all over its windshield and lights, and Carl Kiekhaefer's Chrysler 300. There were lots of others, but those were the ones that stuck in my memory.

We walked around the north end of the beach course and saw the bleachers and then walked over to the lighthouse. It was almost dark when we got back and I remember we were in trouble for being away too long.

As a 12 year old, it was my first exposure to motor sports and it has stuck with me all these years.