When/Where was the first Powell Memorial held?

The Beginning

The inaugural Powell Memorial Race—officially the Powell Memorial 125—was held at Ocala Speedway (then a 3/8-mile dirt oval in Ocala, Florida) on June 19, 1996. It was organized in tribute to six members of James Powell III’s family who tragically died in a plane crash near Gainesville on June 7, 1995

Background: The race was created by James Powell III and his father Buddy Powell, long-time promoters and short-track racers at Ocala Speedway. Following the 1995 tragedy, James launched the event in 1996 in their honor, drawing a strong field of Super Late Model stock cars

Ocala Speedway, a medium-sized dirt track in Central Florida, was a fitting venue given the Powell family’s deep ties to its operations and racing community .

Inaugural Event Highlights (1996)

• The first Powell Memorial offered a hefty $5,000 prize to the winner, attracting many top regional and NASCAR-affiliated drivers

• Jeff Purvis, a rising star on the NASCAR Busch Series circuit, won the inaugural race. James Powell III finished a close second—an emotional showing in a deeply personal race

Continuing Tradition

• Over time, the race has rotated through several Florida race tracks—including Bubba Raceway Park, Citrus County Speedway, Ocala Speedway, Volusia Speedway Park, and more recently All‑Tech Raceway—with the event adapting to dirt Late Model formats and higher payouts (up to $30,000 in 2025)

Notable Highlights/Dominant Drivers

• Wayne Anderson holds the record with 6 wins (1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2013)

• Mark Whitener is the second-most prolific, claiming 5 victories (2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020)