By the time the Memorial Day weekend comes, things are pretty quiet on campus– at least, it looks that way with no students on campus. For Charlotte area residents, the weekend brings a big car race– on campus, tickets to the race can be coveted door prizes (or a source of a good laugh, if a non-race fan gets the prize).
For a Davidson band, getting to play at the races in the 2nd year of the
Charlotte Speedway was a prize. They were asked to play on May 11, 1925 as part of the Speedway’s Memorial Day races. The article notes that the band had been “selected as one of the best musical organizations in the vicinity of Charlotte.” They were expected to play in front a a grandstand and also to march on the track. They may have been a good band, but sadly they were not organized enough to get a picture in the 1925 yearbook.
There is no mention of them being invited to play a few months later, when the speedway held Armistice Day races. Still there was interest on the campus. Along with a large advertisement, the Davidsonian provided an article that opened with “Who does not feel a thrill as he sees several automobiles tearing down a street a breakneck speed?” The race featured an international cast of racers including Peter Paolo, described as a “dashing Italian” who has long been near the head list of automobile racers.” With parking space cleared for 15,000 cars, there would have been room for a few students to attend. We don’t know if any managed to get permission to go. If they, they didn’t report it in the student paper. The November 12 issue of the paper reflected a greater interest in the thrills of an upcoming Davidson-Chapel Hill football game.
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