The May 11, 1925, race at Charlotte Speedway, officially known as the Southern Speed Classic (a 250-mile AAA National Championship event), took place on the high-banked 1.25-mile wooden board track in Pineville, North Carolina (near Charlotte). This mid-season contest was one of the premier board oval races of the era, drawing an impressive crowd of approximately 55,000 spectators eager to witness blistering speeds and intense competition among top drivers.
Earl Cooper, driving a Weaver-Miller Special, claimed victory with an average speed of 122.03 mph over the 200 laps (250 miles). He finished ahead of Harry Hartz (Miller) in second and Tommy Milton (Miller) in third. The race highlighted the demanding nature of board track racing, where steep banking allowed for sustained high velocities but required exceptional skill to manage tire wear, mechanical reliability, and the risk of structural failures on the wooden surface.
Charlotte Speedway, constructed at a cost of $380,000 and opened in late 1924, featured extreme banking (often cited between 35 and 45 degrees or steeper in turns), making it one of the fastest tracks on the AAA circuit. This event came just weeks before the Indianapolis 500 (won by Peter DePaolo on May 30), underscoring the grueling schedule of 1920s American motorsport. Cooper’s win contributed to his solid fifth-place finish in the national championship standings, while the race exemplified the Golden Age thrills—and dangers—of wooden oval competition before board tracks began declining due to safety and maintenance issues.
May 5, 1925
May 8, 1925
May 10, 1925
May 10, 1925
May 12, 1925
May 12, 1925