What was later to become Starlit Speedway started as a Dirt Drag Strip, The Drag Racing commenced in 1960 under the direction of the owners Mr and Mrs Parks Williams, The Drag Racing events only lasted two years and it was all over by 1962.
In 1962 the venue was expanded with a .4 mile semi banked dirt oval for stock car racing.
Starlight Speedway opened in 1962 as an oval dirt track for stock car racing, The venue proved to be very popular with it grand stand seating, The speedway ran successfully through until 1978 when it came under preasure from local authorities because of noise issues and the need for the land it sat on, The venue then closed and by 1985 a business park and ball grounds were built on the site.
A one and only NASCAR cup race named the Independent 250 was run on the 13th of May 1966 at Munroe, The race was won by Darel Dieringer.
MONROE, NC (AP) James Sears, a veteran driver, was killed Friday night when his racing car exploded in the midst of a pile up following an accident at Starlite Speedway.
The Union County Sheriff's Department, called to investigate, said Sears, 32, was taken to Union Memorial Hospital in Munroe where he was pronounced dead on arrival, Sears, who moved to Charlotte about a year ago from Hamlet, NC, was the brother of John Sears, a driver on the Grand National circuit of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR).
No one else was hurt in the accident, track officials said Sears and Jimmy Trull hooked together as they entered the first turn on the 38th lap of the 40 lap event., Sears spun sideways and smashed into the guardrail at the end of pit road.
The wreck touched off a 7 car pile up on the dirt track, which is less than a half mile in length, A car driven by Dub Simpson piled into Sear's car.
The 2 cars exploded in flames following the crash, but Simpson was able to escape unhurt.
An official at the track where Sear's was a regular driver, said Sear's was running 5th in a 1965 Mustang when the accident occurred during the sportsman-type car feature race.
The official, Harold Huntley, said Sears had moved up on Trull, who was in 4th place, Both of them were going flat out, This was right at the end of the straightaway and I would say they were doing between 80 and 90 miles per hour when they hit, Huntley said.
When Sears car hit the rail, it exploded, Huntley said, It was as if dynamite had been placed in a strategically in the car, Parts went everywere.
The portion of the car with Sears still in it was still on the track an I don't know many cars hit it, I would say at least five, he said, The last car to hit the remains of Sears racer was a Camero driven by Simpson.