 | |
| Location | 7451 Pine Forest Rd,Pensacola,Florida |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°30′14″N87°18′30″W / 30.50389°N 87.30833°W /30.50389; -87.30833 |
| Opened | 1953 |
| Major events | Current: ARCA Menards Series East Pensacola 150 (2013–2014, 2020–present) Snowball Derby (1968–present) ASA STARS National Tour (2023–present) Former: Superstar Racing Experience (2022) ARCA Menards Series (1992–1996, 2019) X-1R Pro Cup Series (2001–2003) ASA National Tour (2002) NASCAR Southeast Series (1991–1997) NASCAR Grand National Series (1953) |
| Paved Oval (1953–present) | |
| Length | 0.500 mi (0.805 km) |
| Banking | Turns: 15° Straights: 9° |
| Race lap record | 0:17.686[1] ( Gio Ruggiero,Toyota Camry,2024,ARCA Menards) |
Five Flags Speedway is a half-mile (0.8 km) pavedoval racetrack inPensacola, Florida. It opened in 1953 and is located on Pine Forest Road.[2] It is christened after the nickname of Pensacola—"City of Five Flags."[3]
It runs several local classes during the regular racing season (March–October). These classes include Super Late Models, Pro Late Models, Pro Trucks, Outlaw Stocks, Sportsman, and Pure Stocks. The races are usual held on Friday nights bi-weekly. The track has also hosted many regional touring series.[4][5]
Five Flags hosted a Grand National (nowNASCAR Cup Series) race the year that the track opened (1953). The race was won byHerb Thomas driving hisFabulous Hudson Hornet.[2][4] Other major tours that it has hosted included theNASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2013 and 2014,NASCAR Southeast Series from 1991 through 1997, theARCA Racing Series from 1992 to 1996, anASA National Tour date in 2002, and theCARS X-1R Pro Cup Series from 2001 to 2003.[4]
In 2019, theARCA Menards Series returned to the track, but for one year only. After the merge between ARCA andNASCAR after the 2019 season, the former NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, (now calledARCA Menards Series East) began racing at Five Flags in 2020.
Gulf Coast RegionSCCA runs monthly (based on availability) year around 2-dayAutocross events on the inner road of the track, with a variety of layouts based on weather conditions, and an average course time of 35 seconds.[6]
TheSuperstar Racing Experience visited Five Flags in2022.
The track's signature event is theSnowball Derby, run every December since 1968.[7]ESPN said that the "Snowball Derby is one of the premier late-model stock-car races in the country, attracting some of the top drivers."[8]
Due to the track lay-out and the highly banked turns, Five Flags is an extremely fast track. The current track record for Super Late Models is 16.120 seconds, set byTy Majeski in qualifying for the 2015 Snowball Derby.[9]
Five Flags is also well known for having an abrasive surface that quickly wears tires. This characteristic rewards drivers who do not abuse their tires and is considered by many to be part of the appeal of the track.[10]