Former ‘diamond of the South’ speedway site in Chester sold for industrial development

In its prime, the 1-77 Speedway in Chester was known as the “Little Diamond of the South,” a favorite spot for dirt track racing fans. The days of speeding cars and enthralled fans ended in 2013, when the track closed.

Now, the speedway site will be reimagined by Alliance DriveAway Solutions, said Becca Cockman, a representative for Piedmont Properties, who represented Alliance in the sale. Alliance has purchased the 30-acre speedway lot for $1 million from the previous owner, Cockman said in a press release.

Alliance DriveAway Solutions is a truck and transportation company based in Pinehurst, SC.

The former speedway location will hold Alliance’s corporate headquarters, driver training facility and storage lot for semi-tractors.

“We continue to see tremendous demand for heavy industrial sites to be used for outdoor storage of trailers, trucks, construction equipment, and other products,” said Scott Hensley, who represented Piedmont Properties in the sale.

“Due to high demand and limited supply in Mecklenburg County, our clients are expanding their searches to include sites in the ring counties around Mecklenburg. Because Alliance DriveAway was looking for a development site, the cleared and partially graded land of the I-77 Speedway became the most attractive option for significant cost savings on their future site work,” Hensley said.

A timeline for when the work will begin was not released.