Before the inauguration of the Daytona International Speedway in 1959, the NASCAR races held at that town took place in a somewhat unique 4.15-mile (6.68-kilometer) circuit. That track, located south from a similar venue used before the II World War for AAA stock cars, was made by two long straights connected by u-turns. One of the straights was laid on the sands of the beach itself, while the other used the pavement of Highway A-1-A, that runs parallel to the ocean.
On Saturday, 26 February 1955, the Daytona Beach circuit hosted 125-mile race for the NASCAR Sportsman Division championship. One of the drivers competing in that event was Alfred "Al" Briggs, a resident of West Palm Beach, FL. Driving a 1939 Ford M, Briggs was engaged in a tough dice with Jimmy Thompson when he spotted a car in trouble ahead of them in the narrow asphalt backstretch, near the finish line. Briggs dropped back in an effort to fall behind Thompson and pass the slow moving competitor ahead; however, his right front end hooked the left rear fender of Thompson's car and both cars spun out.
Thompson flipped into the palmettos, while Brigg's car slid along the strip out of control. Cotton Owens, victor of the race modified cars the year before at Daytona, was close behind and tried to swerve around as Briggs crossed his path, but he lost control and slammed into Briggs' car. Both vehicles then flipped and burst into flames. Jack Bowsher, who was just behind Owens, veered off course to escape the blazing pile-up; his car flipped end over end into the sand dunes and slammed into a spectator's automobile, knocking it 50 feet over a dune. Three bystanders were injured slightly as they were brushed by the flying cars.
Owens, dazed but unhurt, crawled from his burning car and pulled Briggs from his blazing vehicle. He rolled Briggs in the sand until his clothing had stopped burning. The yellow flag came out but, given the dimension of the accident, within less than another lap the race was called off. Spectators jammed the course as police, firemen and track officials fought the flames and rescued the injured.
Despite Owens' efforts, Briggs suffered burns over ninety percent of his body. Taken to Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach, Briggs died about nine hours after the accident, a few moments after midnight. He was the first racing fatality of the 1955 NASCAR season.
Al Briggs was born in Kansas, but grew up in Florida. He was the son of Alva and Marie Briggs, and had an older brother, Peter. Their father was an auto mechanic, which would explain Al's interest in racing. Al was an Army veteran of World War 2. When he enlisted on 24 April 1943, Briggs was listed as single, with dependents, working as a truck driver.
R.I.P
