Near Winfield in Putnam County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Kanawha Valley Drag Strip

Photographed by J. J. Prats, July 13, 2019

1. Kanawha Valley Drag Strip Marker

Inscription. Located near here was the original Kanawha Valley Drag Strip, opened in 1958. The first organized drag strip in West Virginia, it helped legitimize the sport in the area. The strip benefited from its proximity to neighboring Ohio, drawing on that state’s established fanbase. Fans at the weekly events could see up to two hundred drivers competing until the strip’s closure in 1976.

Erected 2019 by West Virginia Drag Racers Hall of Fame and West Virginia Archives and History.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Sports. In addition, it is included in the West Virginia Archives and History series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1958.

Location. 38° 31.063′ N, 81° 51.423′ W. Marker is near Winfield, West Virginia, in Putnam County. It is on Winfield Road (West Virginia Route 817) half a mile south of Waterside Circle, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Winfield WV 25213, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West Virginia’s Kyova Tri-State Region

and in the Mid-Ohio Valley. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Washington’s Land (approx. ¾ mile away); George Washington (approx. ¾ mile away); Andrew & Charles Lewis March (approx. ¾ mile away); A Park for the Coal Miner

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(approx. ¾ mile away); Coal Mining in Putnam County (approx. ¾ mile away); Historic Hoge House (approx. 2 miles away); The Civil War in Putnam County (approx. 2.1 miles away); Putnam County War Memorial (approx. 2.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winfield.

Also see . . . Drag Racing Hall of Fame opens in Winfield. 2017 article by Scott Parsons for the Putnam Herald, reprinted in the Huntington WV Herald-Dispatch. Excerpt:

“The nitro cars have been started at the doo wop shows and if you've never seen it, it is quite an experience in sight, sound and smell,” Gregg Simmons said. ”It’s hard to describe but if you've ever seen it, it's an amazing display of raw horsepower.”

(Submitted on August 1, 2019.)

Photographed by J. J. Prats, July 13, 2019

2. Kanawha Valley Drag Strip Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 9, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 1, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,325 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 1, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.