There was once a track in Clinton, Mississippi, not far off Highway 80 near the capital of Jackson, and was once the “Fastest ½ mile track in the world,” as some would call it. That track was Jackson International Speedway.
The track cost $325,000 to build. It was opened in 1968 and held the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman National Championship six times that year from July to September.
The track was a 1/2 mile track with banking of 11.5° in the turns and 8.5° on the straightways, leading to fast and quick lap times.
NASCAR held three races at JIS: 2 NASCAR Grand Touring races in 1969 and 1 NASCAR Grand American race in 1981.
2 Racers, A Part of JIS’s History:
Freddy Fryer, (1936-2020), was a racer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who won 4/6 races there during the opening season. Fryer made a total of 6 NASCAR Cup Series during his time, 5 seasons, in 1956, 1959, 1961, 1970, and 1971, scoring 1 Top 10 at Talladega Superspeedway in 1970 when he finished 6th for owner Bill Ellis. According to stats from The Third Turn, Fryer won 10 races at the track, making him the All-time Win Leader at Jackson.
Pete Hamilton, (1942-2017), won both NGTS races at JIS and led all 200 laps of both events. Hamilton is known for winning the 1967 NASCAR Sportsman Division Championship and the 1970 Daytona 500 for Petty Enterprises. He made 64 NASCAR Cup Series starts and won 4 races. He retired from the sport in 1973 after complications due to a neck injury in a NASCAR Grand American race.
There have been multiple notable drivers who raced at JIS from when it opened until its closing in 1987.
Notable Legends who have raced at Jackson International Speedway:
These names include NASCAR Hall of Famers, Daytona 500 champions, and more.
– Red Farmer
– David Pearson
– All of The Allison’s; Donnie, Bobby, and Davey.
– Neil Bonnett
– Tiny Lund
– Richard Childress
– Darrell Waltrip
– Mark Martin
– Sterling Marlin
– Mike Harmon
– Rusty Wallace and Mississippi’s own Lake Speed.
The track would be a main staple in the Jackson area, but the track underwent a lot of changes, including the last 2 years of its closing.
In 1986, the track would be under new ownership, and they would rename the track to Mississippi Motor Speedway, but that would only last 1 year as the next season saw the track close down permanently due to poor track conditions as the track asphalt was becoming to unbearable to race on.
I was fortunate to be able to talk to former veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver and winner of the 1988 TranSouth 500, Lake Speed.
Speed said the track had a fun atmosphere and was a really quick track where there was little room for error.
The Jackson, MS native won a couple of times at the track and was there for the final event of its heyday.
This speedway has a lot of Mississippi history, and it’s sad to see it lost, abandoned, and overgrown.
Long live Jackson International Speedway.
Photo credits: http://www.misschicken.com
