Dunnellon Airport

In April 1957 James A. Sherrill and David White asked the West Marion County commission for permission to race at Dunnellon Airport, but the airport was under a ten-year lease to Jack Collier. By late May they told the commission they had a deal with Collier and were working on acceptable liability insurance. Once that was settled, the commission approved a Labor Day race, sponsored by the Peninsular Timing Association, the Triangle Timing Association and the Dunnellon Chamber of Commerce. A second race on November 17, 1957 was sponsored by the Chamber, run by the Peninsular Timing Association and sanctioned by NHRA. Two races ran in January 1958, one drawing a record 400 people. Another was scheduled on the runway for Sunday, April 6, 1958, sponsored by the Peninsular Timing Association, with timing at both a quarter and a half mile and the top eliminator trophy going to the best half-mile time. Directions of the day were confusing, placing the strip six miles east of town on the Dunnellon cutoff from Road 200 on Highway 484.