The Curtis Turner Museum, Home

Curtis Turner

Welcome to
The Official Web Site of the Curtis Turner Museum!

The Curtis Turner Museum was founded in 2001 by Curtis' daughter,
Margaret Sue Turner Wright.

The museum is dedicated to the preservation and education of the early days of stock car racing and the early days of dirt racing, as it pertains to an extraordinary, independent, Virginia Pioneer of Stock Car Racing, Curtis Turner.

Curtis Turner was born April 12, 1924 in Floyd County, Virginia and died October 4, 1970.

Curtis Turner

This letter is to ask you to please vote for Stockcar Racing Legend, Curtis Turner, who was from Roanoke, Virginia, to be 1 of the 5 Inaugural Inductees in the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Online fan voting site to register on is: www.nascar.com/promos/hof/ Thank you for your vote!

Curtis Turner was born in Floyd, VA April 12, 1924, and died October 4th, 1970. His primary home was in Roanoke, VA where he raised his family, although he had residences in Indianapolis, IN and Charlotte, NC. Curtis was already a Legend in the early days of stockcar racing, dirt racing and a big part in the beginnings of NASCAR. He was a NASCAR driver as well as a founding member in the original group who met at the Streamline Hotel, in Daytona Beach FL, to discuss and support the formation of NASCAR. NASCAR sanctioned races won in his career were 55, which included the 17 Grand National races now called Sprint Cup, and the Convertible Division of which he won 38, 22 of which were won in 1 year. No small feat!

Curtis Turner did a great deal for the entire sport of racing. What many people don't know is that Curtis Turner won over 350 stockcar races in his lifetime, racing in other events, or events sanctioned by USAC /MARK/ARCA. By 1957, he had won more races than any other driver by that time in his life. RACING, HE LOVED IT-LIVED IT! He was also the first NASCAR driver to appear on the cover of a national magazine, Sports Illustrated in 1968, where he was named the 'Babe Ruth of Stockcar Racing'.

Curtis had such a confident air and way of driving that he excited the racing fans and kept them coming back for more. Hence, the reason the only 2 stockcar drivers ever paid 'show money' back then, were Curtis Turner as well as Fireball Roberts. During the 4 year ban imposed by Bill France against Curtis for trying to form a Union, he continued to race in other Racing organizations such as MARK, ARCA and USAC, continuing an impressive list of accomplishments such as his win at Pike's Peak and the breaking of a record there.

Curtis Turner was President of, and built the Charlotte Motor Speedway, now called Lowes Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. With some tricks up his sleeve, he fought every resistance he could muster to insure his beloved track would be built and finished-even at legal gunpoint. However, because of his perseverance, the first Charlotte 600, which was scheduled to run originally May 29, 1960, did have its inaugural race which he promoted, June 19th, 1960.

When Race Sales began to decline in the 60's, Bill France invited Curtis back to drive a race car again in NASCAR, this time being paid as an entertainer on the track with his daredevil driving that the fans went crazy for. It worked for NASCAR as their sales soared when Curtis Turner was at the wheel.

Sincerely,
Margaret Sue Turner Wright,
Curtis Turner's Daughter

Margaret Sue Turner Wright has compiled a stockcar racing stat book on her Father which is soon to be released. Notifications will be made on www.CurtisTurnerMuseum.com and thru her free E-newsletter, on Curtis Turner Museum events.

This site is maintained by Margaret Sue Turner Wright, daughter of Curtis Turner, legendary stock car racer.