Boca Raton Airfield

Closed

Also known as Winter Carnival of Speed

Runs were closer to speed trials, including half-mile runs with a rolling start

Raced: 1953-54
State: Florida
What's left: A good length of the old track surface is still there, in poor to good condition.
Raced on: A military airfield
First race: November 26, 1953
Last race: January 31-February 4, 1954
Track: 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile
Location: Boca Raton Airfield (Air Base)
Elevation: 11 ft (3 m)
Coordinates: 26.37923, -80.10983

Drag races were part of Boca Raton’s three-day Winter Carnival of Speed on November 25-27, 1953, held at the Boca Raton Airfield. Quarter-mile runs were held November 26 and half-mile runs with a rolling start on November 27. Homer Claytor of Tampa had top speed in the quarter mile, 132 mph in his Ranger Special, and George Nelson of Miami won the modified class at 124.75 mph in his ‘31 Ford. The events were more like speed trials than two-car drag races, but newspapers called them drag races. The 1954 Carnival’s drag races were held at the Air Base from January 31 to February 4.

Background

Boca Raton Army Air Field was a World War II base and the only place the Army Air Forces trained crews on radar, which was new and secret at the time. It closed in 1946. The land now holds Boca Raton Airport, Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach State College.

Background

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