The original North Turn was part of the famous Ponce Inlet beach road course, where NASCAR, formed in 1948, sanctioned automobile racing from 1948 through 1958 and sanctioned motorcycle racing was conducted from 1948 until 1960. On the 4.1 mile course, vehicles raced north along the hard packed sand beach, turned left through the banked sand north turn, and then traveled south on the two lane paved Atlantic Avenue to the start/finish line at the banked south turn, completing one lap.