| Jackie
Knight was one of the most popular drivers to have ever strapped
on a helmet and sit behind the wheel of a race car at Oxford
Plains Speedway. But, Jackie’s racing career began long before
Oxford Plains Speedway opened its gates in 1950.
He began
racing cars at the Lewiston Fairgrounds in the summer of 1941
with cars right off the street. Following his enlistment in the
U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, Jackie went back to
racing - first at the Norway Fairgrounds in 1948, then Beech
Ridge Speedway in 1949 and Oxford Plains beginning in 1950.
He didn’t
limit his racing to Maine tracks. Jackie ventured down to the
Peabody (Massachusetts) Speedway in the 1950’s and
"cleaned house".
When Oxford
Plains converted from dirt to asphalt, Jackie never skipped a
beat. During the 1960’s, he became associated with the gold
colored number "77" Chevrolets.
A racing
career which spanned almost 35 years, Jackie was voted the ‘Most
Popular Driver’ on three occasions and was twice honored by
his fellow drivers as ‘Driver-of-the-Year’. |
