Home | Register | Contact | Verify Email | FAQ |
Blogs | Photo Gallery | Press Release | Results | HoseheadsClassifieds.com


Welcome Guest. Already registered? Please Login

 

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


Records per page
 
Topic: Whatever happened to?--- Part II Email this topic to a friend | Subscribe to this TopicReport this Topic to Moderator
Page 4 of 6   of  100 replies
redbandana
October 04, 2011 at 02:23:46 PM
Joined: 01/21/2007
Posts: 337
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: jdsprint71 on October 04 2011 at 02:18:00 PM

One track I doubt will ever be ask to shut down or be torn down is Lawton Speedway, not sure if Lanny E. planned it, but he built it right next to the Lawton Airport (West Side of it) and it is less than a mile from City Limits and I have never heard of any protests or petitions to try and get it shut down, Not sure how they could make it stick with Jet Engines roaring overhead of the nearest housing edition and those Jet Engines far exceed the decibal levels of the race track.

J.D.



That is kinda the same thing Springfield has going,, it is close tio the airport and on ther north side of I44,,and just far enought away from houses that nobody can here it.And it is hard to see from the I44 Interstate..But i have heard that if it ever sets for over one years without use,, it will not be able to reopen as a race track/..As long as it keeps running they are good to go....They are doing a pretty good job of running that track..They have made some bad mistakes but with this midwest mod class he is doing what he has learned..


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.

redbandana
October 04, 2011 at 02:48:22 PM
Joined: 01/21/2007
Posts: 337
Reply
This message was edited on October 04, 2011 at 02:50:04 PM by redbandana

Wichita ,,wouldnt it be the longest running track with a weekly show in 4 states now ,i dont know what years it started but it has to be pushing 60 years..Of corse there is Belleville Kansas. I think they had some years missed accross the 100 years or better it has run,, but didint know if they ran weekly like Wichita has..I rememeber 81 Speedway would pay my dad and the Welds tow money to come and race there ..It was cool because several of the drivers names were 4 letter words,..Belk, J Weld G Weld,K Weld,Leep ,Lies,Reed,Wade,i rememeber the radio adds saying come watch the 4 letter guys atack the speedway.Can anybody beat the 4 letter guys..81 Speedway was alway a well ran Race Track...

Monett Missouri 40 miles south east of Joplin has run weelky without a brake from 1970 to present..It took off going when the Late Model boom hit in 1970 and still to this day has great Late Models and IMCA mods Races every sunday night...


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.

jdsprint71
October 04, 2011 at 03:32:27 PM
Joined: 05/02/2005
Posts: 1337
Reply

Lanny been at it at Lawton since 1964 with a continuously weekly program, I don't know of any tracks in Texas that have even been around that long, Devil's Bowl would be close but not sure???. Does 81 have the record??.

redbandana you were talking about how Springfield which I have been to about 5 or so times in the last 3 yrs. (got a lota rocks in the pit area for sure), but like the track right off of I-44 anyway you talk about the B mods and how they were an economic class at one time.

Seen the same thing around these parts , start out a class with econmics in mind on motor,spec tire and so on and all of the sudden you have rule changes and ad this and ad that and boom econmical is no longer in the equation. The Sport Mod or B Mods around here at the same way , motors slowly creeping up with better parts and more expense. It is that vicious cycle where you start a class with cost in mind and lot's of cars at first and it usually ends up coming full circle and costing a bunch and very few cars remain.

Just don't understand why promoters can't/won't or whatever just get a set of rules and freeze them for 5 yrs. and do NOTHING to change them, NO MATTER WHAT. The Champ Sprint motors come about with stock rods,crank , FT Pistons with a solid cam and stock steel head , prooly build one back then $3,000 -$5,000 depending on what you put in them and could still build it in your garage. Now it is liteweight this and that in rotating stuff and Alum. heads which is prolly a good thing and Roller cams which is prolly a bad thing as to me it just makes you have to buy other good pieces to be able to make it live and run well and built by a professional engine builder with dyno and chassis dyno's and can run you up to $20,000 +.

J.D.




racee14
MyWebsite
October 04, 2011 at 06:08:50 PM
Joined: 09/08/2011
Posts: 148
Reply
This message was edited on October 04, 2011 at 06:10:28 PM by racee14
Reply to:
Posted By: redbandana on October 04 2011 at 02:48:22 PM

Wichita ,,wouldnt it be the longest running track with a weekly show in 4 states now ,i dont know what years it started but it has to be pushing 60 years..Of corse there is Belleville Kansas. I think they had some years missed accross the 100 years or better it has run,, but didint know if they ran weekly like Wichita has..I rememeber 81 Speedway would pay my dad and the Welds tow money to come and race there ..It was cool because several of the drivers names were 4 letter words,..Belk, J Weld G Weld,K Weld,Leep ,Lies,Reed,Wade,i rememeber the radio adds saying come watch the 4 letter guys atack the speedway.Can anybody beat the 4 letter guys..81 Speedway was alway a well ran Race Track...

Monett Missouri 40 miles south east of Joplin has run weelky without a brake from 1970 to present..It took off going when the Late Model boom hit in 1970 and still to this day has great Late Models and IMCA mods Races every sunday night...



 

Redbandana,

 

81 Speedway started as Robbins Speedway in 1953. It was orginally a quarter mile,

and then later turned into a 3/8 mile track. The Hall Family ran the concession stand

at first, before buying it, and changing the name to 81 Speedway. I believe they have raced

weekly since 1953, making 81 the longest weekly race track in Kansas, and possibly

Texas, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma.

Ray C



redbandana
October 04, 2011 at 06:11:08 PM
Joined: 01/21/2007
Posts: 337
Reply

You aint kidden i have had a few run ins with the rocks at Springfield .That is one big rock bed you cant cut them out it is like one giant rock,,i think it grows rocks in the winter..The track dont have many rocks but you are right about the pits,..That track has been there sence the late 50s. But it has had several brakes over the years were it set for some time..The Fairgrounds in Springfield Mo is just about 5 more miles east and next to the I44 like Springfield raceway is...They had some great Races there from the mid 50s to ,,i am not sure when it quit mid 70s maybe..They had some bigger IMCA Late Model Races there,But in the 60s man they had a quarter miles flat asphalt track inside the bigger half mile dirt ..That is were Larry Phillips cut his teeth and Dean Roper also on that little pavement track in Late Models..Then they would come to Joplin and run the quarter miles dirt track in Modifieds..They ran on Dirt and Pavement weekly.Phillips went on the be the winningest Late Model guy in History, and Dean Roper went on to win the USAC Late Model title 72 73 74 ,,3 years running..

It is funny how Joplin Mo was like a dividing line everything East went Late Model and everything West went Open wheel. North went Open wheel but into Iowa it went both ways.Joplin finally went late models in 1971.


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.

racee14
MyWebsite
October 04, 2011 at 06:18:40 PM
Joined: 09/08/2011
Posts: 148
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: Satellite1 on October 04 2011 at 09:44:55 AM

The years '71 thru '74 I might have seen one or two races. The military had me then, traveling all over the place. Saw some races in Kentucky and Tennesse, car and boat. Some of the big hydroplanes in D.C. on the Potomac river.

After seventy-five I pushed when ever the Sprints came to town. May have been one of the few push trucks to have crashed at the fairgrounds. While packing the mud, the gate guard pulled a truck and trailer out in front of me. I did manage to miss the truck and trailer but doing so I got the wall. I was able to make repairs enough to continue. The one night Sammy Swindell was late getting to the track asked me to be his pusher for the night. He saw the bumper on my truck which was ten inches tall and the full width of the truck.

I still have my dads 1963 Jayhawk National trophy here at the house. Two of his Sportsmanship Trophies from Shawnee Speedway are at the Kansas Racing Museum in Chapman.

Kansas and Western Missouri were then considered to be some of the tuffest areas to win at. Many drivers came from far and wide to try their luck. The midwest was all go, yet most of the racing parts were made near the coasts.

It is a shame all the tracks going to waste. D. E.



 

S1,

The Jayhawk Nationals was almost as big a deal as the Knoxville Nationals in the early years.

I would say it was a great accomplishment for your Dad to win it in 1963.

Ray C




redbandana
October 04, 2011 at 07:50:26 PM
Joined: 01/21/2007
Posts: 337
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: racee14 on October 04 2011 at 06:08:50 PM

 

Redbandana,

 

81 Speedway started as Robbins Speedway in 1953. It was orginally a quarter mile,

and then later turned into a 3/8 mile track. The Hall Family ran the concession stand

at first, before buying it, and changing the name to 81 Speedway. I believe they have raced

weekly since 1953, making 81 the longest weekly race track in Kansas, and possibly

Texas, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma.

Ray C



I figured it to be the longest running weekly show ,some body should try to go nation wide and see if there are any other places that come close.,81 Speedway would make a great story for ESPN.That is the only track i know of that went full circle...it went from Coupes and Sedans to Open Supers then to 305 Supers then to Sprint Cars. And also had a pretty strong Late Model progam also.Not many places if any other have done that.And it beem at the same location.

There may be a track or to down south in North Carolina ,or down where Nascar started that my comptete with 81 speedway..There are some track down there that were running strong in the late 40s but i wonder if any of them are still running in the same location... It would be neat to find out..maybe we could put a question to Kyle Petty on the Nascar show.. maybe Warren could send in the Question..


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.

racee14
MyWebsite
October 04, 2011 at 08:06:36 PM
Joined: 09/08/2011
Posts: 148
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: redbandana on October 04 2011 at 07:50:26 PM

I figured it to be the longest running weekly show ,some body should try to go nation wide and see if there are any other places that come close.,81 Speedway would make a great story for ESPN.That is the only track i know of that went full circle...it went from Coupes and Sedans to Open Supers then to 305 Supers then to Sprint Cars. And also had a pretty strong Late Model progam also.Not many places if any other have done that.And it beem at the same location.

There may be a track or to down south in North Carolina ,or down where Nascar started that my comptete with 81 speedway..There are some track down there that were running strong in the late 40s but i wonder if any of them are still running in the same location... It would be neat to find out..maybe we could put a question to Kyle Petty on the Nascar show.. maybe Warren could send in the Question..



 

It would be interesting to know. It is a incredible accomplishment in this day and age

for any weekly track to have survived this long without a layoff. And with the same family

running it, darn near impossible in most situations.

Ray C



Racing From The Past
MyWebsite
October 04, 2011 at 11:24:41 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
Reply

Martinsville would be one of those tracks


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes


jdsprint71
October 05, 2011 at 08:21:05 AM
Joined: 05/02/2005
Posts: 1337
Reply

redbandana, When we were there last year at Springfield , saw the pit area claim several Sprint Car tires when cars would drive over them coming back into the pit area, did not see any tires claimed this past summer when we were there for ASCS Sprint Car show, but I sure like the track, racy place.

We were at Lucas Oil Speedway last year for the Non Wing race and that place is just something, top of the line and just to bad their not all that way but when we were coming back west down I believe it was State Hwy.59???, we saw a couple of dirt tracks that are in smaller towns between Wheatland and Joplin that night. We seen full bodied cars coming down away from the tracks , can't remember the towns but one of them was west of Wheatland right before you go back south on the 4 lane to Joplin, seems like there are still a lot of tracks racing up in Missouri.

J.D.



redbandana
October 05, 2011 at 10:41:44 AM
Joined: 01/21/2007
Posts: 337
Reply
This message was edited on October 05, 2011 at 10:57:41 AM by redbandana
Reply to:
Posted By: jdsprint71 on October 05 2011 at 08:21:05 AM

redbandana, When we were there last year at Springfield , saw the pit area claim several Sprint Car tires when cars would drive over them coming back into the pit area, did not see any tires claimed this past summer when we were there for ASCS Sprint Car show, but I sure like the track, racy place.

We were at Lucas Oil Speedway last year for the Non Wing race and that place is just something, top of the line and just to bad their not all that way but when we were coming back west down I believe it was State Hwy.59???, we saw a couple of dirt tracks that are in smaller towns between Wheatland and Joplin that night. We seen full bodied cars coming down away from the tracks , can't remember the towns but one of them was west of Wheatland right before you go back south on the 4 lane to Joplin, seems like there are still a lot of tracks racing up in Missouri.

J.D.



Urbana Mo Speedway is only about 10 or 15 miles East and a little south. from Wheatland Mo...Nevada Mo Speedway is about 50 or 60 miles west of Wheatland by 71hwy which is 50 miles north of Joplin mo....Then about 35 miles north of Nevada is Bulter Speedway right on hwy 71..But south of Wheatland is Springfield Raceway about 60 miles then half way between Springfield and Wheatland south there is another one Boliver Speedway. and then East of Springfield 60 miles there are 2 tracks at Lebanon Mo close to I44.. Then back west of Springfield and alittle south about 35 miles is Monett Mo Speedway...Dam i am getting confussed trying to explane..Amods only run at Sprinfield and one Lebanon track and Monett and Wheatland...The rest have only full bodys,street stock and Factory stocks with open motors.,but some of them run B Mods...One thing is if you are going to go run at any of these track you better call to make sure you are in the rules..If you go there and win they will be all over you..But if you dont win you are welcome anytime...All these track fight over car count..And rules very to fit the local guys at each one..

Now then if you go East of Wheatland about 70 miles is Lake Of the Ozarks Speedway .,,and then North of Wheatland 40 miles there is another one west of Sedilia mo i cant remember the name..Then farther north there is Warrensburg that is west of Kc about 35 miles.If you count Sedilia track there is about 12 to 15 tracks in a 125 mile circle if the middle was Wheatland..Wheatland is a great place i really enjoyed racing there in the Modifieds...It is funny if it is raining at one place some if them take off to make another one.Many of the track run the same night.....The best ones are Wheatland,,Springfield ,,Monett and Big Lebanon.I hope you are confussed because i am.....


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.

jdsprint71
October 05, 2011 at 12:04:03 PM
Joined: 05/02/2005
Posts: 1337
Reply

Nevada and Butler were the one's I was thinking about, Yep from the Speedway Directory , you can see Wheatland is about in the middle of it all. Good they can keep car counts good enough at all those tracks and keep them operating , tough to do these days.

J.D.




racee14
MyWebsite
October 05, 2011 at 01:49:48 PM
Joined: 09/08/2011
Posts: 148
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: Racing From The Past on October 04 2011 at 11:24:41 PM

Martinsville would be one of those tracks



 

Warren.

Does Martinsville run a weekly show? Its a great track, and not a cookie cutter.

Ray C



Racing From The Past
MyWebsite
October 05, 2011 at 11:05:51 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: racee14 on October 05 2011 at 01:49:48 PM

 

Warren.

Does Martinsville run a weekly show? Its a great track, and not a cookie cutter.

Ray C



I'm old and on to many drugs. No they do not run a weekly show.


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

jdsprint71
October 06, 2011 at 09:23:48 AM
Joined: 05/02/2005
Posts: 1337
Reply

Ya know I wonder what they will do with those Grandstands ,Lights ,Etc. at the Tulsa Dragway??, have drove by on way to Mid America several times and they are very nice , to bad someone could not get them apart and transportable and put another track in, wishful thinking and really doubt it would happen.

J.D.




redbandana
October 06, 2011 at 11:44:39 AM
Joined: 01/21/2007
Posts: 337
Reply
This message was edited on October 06, 2011 at 06:14:43 PM by redbandana

The 3 states then at the end of 2011,,;Longest running tracks with a weekly show without a brake in years.Or a regular program..And at the same location.

Kansas 81 Speedway Wichita KS,, 59 years without a brake starting in 1953

Missouri Monett Speedway Monett Mo. 42 years without a brake starting in 1970

Oklahoma Lawton Speedway {is that the right name for it}Lawton OK,48 years without a brake.Starting 1964

Now i am working on Nebraska and Iowa and Arkansas

Maybe Eagle Raceway East Of Lincoln Ne ,,i got calls out on this one.

Maybe Knoxville Iowa,this should easy to find out.50s ???

Arkansas ????????


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.

jdsprint71
October 06, 2011 at 04:17:19 PM
Joined: 05/02/2005
Posts: 1337
Reply

Lawton Speedway is correct redbandana.

The Ditch in West Memphis, Ark. and Batesville and Crawford Co. has been around for a long time, not sure about continuous??, West Siloam Springs and Tri State in Ark., both victims this year and shut down , so they are out of the running for sure.

J.D.



racee14
MyWebsite
October 06, 2011 at 10:18:49 PM
Joined: 09/08/2011
Posts: 148
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: redbandana on October 06 2011 at 11:44:39 AM

The 3 states then at the end of 2011,,;Longest running tracks with a weekly show without a brake in years.Or a regular program..And at the same location.

Kansas 81 Speedway Wichita KS,, 59 years without a brake starting in 1953

Missouri Monett Speedway Monett Mo. 42 years without a brake starting in 1970

Oklahoma Lawton Speedway {is that the right name for it}Lawton OK,48 years without a brake.Starting 1964

Now i am working on Nebraska and Iowa and Arkansas

Maybe Eagle Raceway East Of Lincoln Ne ,,i got calls out on this one.

Maybe Knoxville Iowa,this should easy to find out.50s ???

Arkansas ????????



 

Red b,

 

Riverside in West Memphis, which I guess is also known as the ditch, claims they have not

missed a racing season since they opened in 1949. I'm not sure if that means they ran weekly

all this time. This is the track where Jeff & Sammy Swindell, Hooker and Ricky Hood, Terry Gray,

and Bobby Davis Jr. all became good before they ventured out across the USA.

 

Eagle Raceway has been holding races since 1963, but they changed management awhile back

and I'm not sure if they raced weekly straight thru that period.

Knoxville in Iowa has been racing weekly since 1954, according to the History of America's

Speedway's, but there are several tracks in IA with stock car racing that show they have raced since

1946 (Of course nobody raced legally during WWII) its just a question of whether all those

years they raced weekly. Iowa has always been a big stock car racing State.

 

Ray C

 

 




jdsprint71
October 07, 2011 at 09:47:40 AM
Joined: 05/02/2005
Posts: 1337
Reply

Just curious if anyone can remember what the cheapest Pit Pass was when you started going to the Pit Area and when you quit going to the Pit Area??, least amount I can remember is I believe $12 , reason I ask is , The ASCS Sooner Reg. show at T-Bird Sat. night in Muskogee will charge $35 for a Pit Pass, I guess they (Promoters) all want to live off the back gate and he must already know he won't have a crowd, it's ridiculous and for a Regional show,not even a National show , heck the WoO I think charges that amount for Pit Passes and I think you can get a combo deal , just another sign of another nail in the coffin for local racing and driving out the guy who is not rich with lots of loot.

Guess 2012 will bring $40+ Pit Passes??,Simply Amazing!!!

J.D.



Bkcr
MyWebsite
October 07, 2011 at 10:10:08 AM
Joined: 12/12/2008
Posts: 599
Reply
Reply to:
Posted By: jdsprint71 on October 07 2011 at 09:47:40 AM

Just curious if anyone can remember what the cheapest Pit Pass was when you started going to the Pit Area and when you quit going to the Pit Area??, least amount I can remember is I believe $12 , reason I ask is , The ASCS Sooner Reg. show at T-Bird Sat. night in Muskogee will charge $35 for a Pit Pass, I guess they (Promoters) all want to live off the back gate and he must already know he won't have a crowd, it's ridiculous and for a Regional show,not even a National show , heck the WoO I think charges that amount for Pit Passes and I think you can get a combo deal , just another sign of another nail in the coffin for local racing and driving out the guy who is not rich with lots of loot.

Guess 2012 will bring $40+ Pit Passes??,Simply Amazing!!!

J.D.



The first time that I went to the Tulsa pits in 1973 and the pit passes were $3 or less and I don/t remember them going up when I stopped going to the pits in 1978. You had to join the OCRA and that was $10 a year. The first year that I joined I was not 21 yet so I had to get my parents to sign and notarised a release, I thought this was a joke,I had been married and on my own for almost 2 years. My wife at the time signed and a friend stamped it for me. In the late 60s and early 70s a general admission ticket was $1.50. The Git N Go Stores sold advance tickets for $1.25 if you bought them before noon on race day. My friend and I figured out how to take our stubs and use paper tape to make one and then wet it down like it had been through the wash. I sure the ticket takers could tell but they never said anything. Norman would pay me back for my pit pass or have one waiting for me. I have the 1979 NCRA rules and it says that there was a $10 entry fee per car with $8 going of it going to the point fund and a $5 driver fee. I have never heard of a car fee and driver fee.

Ray





Post Reply
You must be logged in to Post a Message.
Not a member register Here.
Already registered? Please Login





If you have a website and would like to set up a forum here at HoseHeadForums.com
please contact us by using the contact link at the top of the page.

© 2024 HoseHeadForums.com Privacy Policy