Fairchild Field (Burlington)

The airport opened in 1931 as Huffman Field. In 1942 the Fairchild Aircraft Company, whose plant was across the street, took it over and renamed it Fairchild Field. Western Electric took over the plant after the war, and the field stayed a civil airport. On June 21, 1953, the Carolina Road Runners car club held North Carolina’s first official public drag race there, sponsored by a Burlington American Legion post. Admission was 50 cents, and trophies went to six class winners and the fastest car. A 1959 Burlington Daily Times story said drag racing pioneer Wayne Shepherd raced in those first events. 3,500 people watched 96 racers. The only problem was keeping the crowd back, since spectators ignored the wires strung to hold them off the course. Bill Barkley of the Rowan Road Angels in Spencer had top speed at 104 MPH in his 1932 Ford roadster.

At the second race, August 30, 1953, 4,000 people watched 150 drivers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland, and Frank Heafner of Gastonia hit 110.172 MPH in his Mercury-powered 1931 Ford roadster. The third race, set for Sunday, September 27, was moved at the last minute to Saturday, October 3, when the club learned Alamance County banned Sunday racing. It drew 200 cars but only 500 spectators. The 1954 season opened Saturday night, April 24, with 84 racers before 2,500 people. Sponsored by the Burlington Police Club, it was the first drag race in the country held under lights, and races were planned every other Saturday night. Heafner won Competition Class Roadsters at 111.11 MPH in his 1927 Model T on May 8 and won his class again on May 29, when racers came from 22 cities in four states. On June 5 the crowd of 1,500 formed cheering sections for each make of car. Organized racing went on from 1955 to 1957 on the single paved 3,500-foot northeast-southwest runway. The field was closed to planes sometime between 1966 and 1972. A large Walmart stands on the site, with little sign of the runway.