Forum: Racing From The Past (go)
Moderators: Racing From The Past

Warren,

On Friday night they held the Weld family memorial race at Valley Speedway in

Grain Valley, Missouri. This race track is just east of KC, and just off of highway 40.

The race track is only five years old, and is similar to the Old Olympic Stadium in many ways.

The most significant thing about this track for fans of Racing From the Past, would be

that they run non wing open competition sprint cars every Friday night of the racing season.

I believe they are the only racing track outside of California, and Indiana that does this.

On Friday they held the Weld Family Memorial Memorial race.

Just a brief recap of some their accomplishments. Jerry Weld was the first driver

in the KC Area to cut down his stock car to make it more streamlined, in fact the cage

stuck out of the top of the roof, causing a KC announcer to dub the car the

"Flying Suitcase" because it looked like it had handles on top. Brother Greg Weld won the Knoxville

Nationals in his roadster super in 1963 at age 19. Greg would follow this up by winning the USAC

Sprint Car title at 23 in 1967, after losing by only 2.5 points to Johnny Rutherford in 1965 in the

Sprint Car division. Greg started Weld Wheels in the 1960's and that business

would be highly successfull in racing, as well as consumer use. Brother Kenny Weld one year

younger than Greg would win back to back Knoxville Nationals in 1965-66 for his father Taylor in

his famous super modified #94. Kenny would later move to Pennsylvania where he and

Jan Opperman would participate in the most heated rivalry in Sprint Car racing during

the 1970's. The youngest Weld Brother Ricky would become a fine driver in his own

right in the 1970s and 1980s, and won more races for Taylor "Pappy" Weld than any

other driver. Unfortunately none of the Weld brothers lived to retirement age, but

their accomplishments in the sport of super, and sprint racing is legendary.

On Friday at Grain Valley several members of the Weld Family were in attendance,

including the sisters of Jerry, Greg, Kenny, and Ricky.

Jerry Weld's "Hank Henry" built sprint car was brought to the race track by its

owner Mr. O'Rear who has owned this fine example of sprint car racing since

1975, but has only recently completely restored the white number #93 sprinter.

This sprint car was restored to the way it appeared in 1963, and is equipped with a 327

Chevy fuel injected motor. Before Jerry owned the car it was raced by Ohio's Jimmy McCune

in IMCA competition as the #88 car, and was especially stout on pavement when McCune raced it.

When Jerry raced it, he ran in IMCA, BCRA, and in super modified competition

with a cage and a roof. Other notable drivers to own and race the car were Jon Backlund, and

Whitey Harmon. The Hiram Hilegas built midget formerly owned by Art Jacobsen of Omaha,

was on display. This car was built in 1948, and won the last Midget race in IMCA competition

in 1970 at I-70 Speedway. Racing From the Past Fans will remember that the IMCA midgets

raced several times at the OKC fairgrounds during the 1960's, the #33 midget is also

owned by Darrell O'Rear, and was driven by Jimmy McVay in 1970, to victory on the pavement

at I-70.

One of the coolest super modifieds of the 1960's and 1970's made a appearance as well.

The "Tijuana Taxi" formerly owned by the Fuhr family was always a crowd pleaser at

super modified races across the midland . Dale Moore of KC was the primary driver of the

car, but Ray Lee Goodwin, Knoxville Nationals Champ in 1968, and IMCA Champ in 1972,

was in attendance, and reminisced about driving the car.

This car raced with fuel injection, and with a sprint car wheel base, but very much looks

like the cars that ran in the NCRA.

If you are ever in the KC area on a Friday from May to October stop at Valley Speedway,

the track is a racey quarter mile and the non wing sprinters put on a great show.

Over 40 non wing sprint cars have competed at the "Valley" so far this season,

while they average around 20 per week. Other classes that compete include

the Mod Lites, Micros, and Mini Sprints. The Mini Sprints and Micros, race sometimes

with wings, and sometimes without. On August 14th the USAC Sprint Car division raced

at Valley. 32 non wing sprinters put on a great show with USAC veteran Jon Stanbrough

winning the feature.

Ray C

Old fan 49,

Thanks for posting these photos. I thought both of these cars looked great, and

both have a long history of racing in our area. Jon Backlund, who raced the #93 in

1969 as the #68 car is in the red Firsetone hat. The Owner, Darrell O'Rear is

in the jean jacket talking to one of the Weld sisters and Rick Boyles. Rick is the son of Ray

Boyles, who has put alot of work into making non wing sprint car racing a reality in KC.

Ray C

Orginally owned by The Fuhr Family, the "Tijuana Taxi" was one of the best super modifieds

to race out of KC in the 1960's and 1970's. I believe this is Don Fuhr's daughter standing next

to her Dad's former car.

Ray C

Some really great pictures ,,,I remember the #93 car racing in 1963 with a cage on it racing with the Supermods..Wow i sure wish i could have been there to see this memorial....The Welds gave me some very priceless memorys of racing against my dad Jack Belk..The Welds were a great Racing family, i can still see Pappy Weld in the pits with them cars..And Jerry ,,Greg,,and Kenny in cars 92,, 93,, 94..That was the way racing was meant to be.

Win as if you are use to it.And lose as if you enjoyed 
it for a change.Its hard to get to the top and alot 
harder to stay there.