Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

I will have my webmaster anchor this to the top for as long as possible, hopefully years. I know there was a thread started down below but I hope you will bring your favorite drivers to this thread and your favorite memories of Fairgrounds Speedway/State Fair Speedway. Talk about when you first came to the track, what you remember the most, the most memorable flips, races, drivers or special events.

I wish and pray that everybody will participate in this and use this as a reflection of sorts. Whether racing is through or on life support for at least one more race season, please post your memories here.

I have more up my sleeve pertaining to this and Fairgrounds Speedway/State Fair Speedway and will post more later......

Now then, on with your memories.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

The infamous Shane Carson / Rich Volger NCRA vs USAC race. Crowd went crazy.

It's kind of hard to know where to start. I do not have the older or some of the special memories at SFS that some have. But they are special to me and my family as well.

I got started in racing at an early age of a few months in 1960 at Razorback Speedway in Ft. Smith, Ar. (Witch is gone too by the way), and became an official at local dirt tracks in eastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas and continued for 18 years. Then I relocated to OKC and was a flagman for Bud Carson at the speedway in the early 90's. After working at race tracks on the other side of the state, I thought I knew just about everything there was to know about officiating at a race track, Man was I wrong. It did not take long to realize this was almost like the big time compared to what I had been doing for the past 18 or so years. So I guess my best memory would be working for Bud Carson and being able to stand on the flag stand in 90 & 91 and see the WoO's come down the front straight 4 wide dang that was an adrenaline rush like no other. And learning a few new tricks of the trade.

But the best of all was back in 2009 when The #71 JD & Jannie Porter "Hog Wagon" Piloted by "LIL" JOE WOOD JR. aka "The Wheel Man" Winning the Championship Sprint A feature in May and finishing 2^nd in the points.

Photo Courtesy Mike Howard

Randy Hilbers

 Randy       

       DIRT TRACKIN
"When it's wet slide it in"

I have a lot of memories of State Fair Speedway, some good some bad. My dad started taking me to the races since I was probably 5 years old, I am 29 now, and I have seen a lot. I always have enjoyed watching Steve Smith working his way through traffic like a surgeon. I really enjoyed meeting the drivers and getting to sit in the car and get their autographs. Some of the nicest people you will ever meet are racers. One of the most exciting races for me personally was when I won a hooters wing party, I had picked Robert Sellers to win and boy was that some race. It was a three car battle between him, Gary Owens and Michele Decker and Sellers held them all off on the final turn, I will never forget that. It's a same that we may never see any more racing there again. Who knew that this past year would potentially be the last. It would be nice to have at least a farewell season.

If this is the end of an era at State Fair Speedway, then I just wanted to say THANKS to everyone who every driver, crew member, track officials, promoters, track workers, sponsors, and all of us fans who were a part of this GREAT DIRT TRACK!!!!!

Man memories, my whole family was at the state fair speedway, i started going when i was 2 months old, I will be 30 in feb. I would have to say my favorite memories, is 1.) Being a crew member on my cousins car (Gary Flatt) when we one the Super Sprint title in 1997. 2.) Being a wrench turner on my best friends car (Jimmy Taylor) for 12 years. The Best Flip i have ever seen, was an ncra car on the backstraight of the 1/2 mile cant remember name or car number, do remember it was a blue car it started flipping almost coming out of 2 and stopped in 3 meanwhile the motor was sitting half way down the back straight. Car was completely destroyed. One of the best races i've seen there was in 89 i believe, but Doug Wolfgang, passed Steve Kinser at the Line for an A feature win, or, I belive it was Steve King. that started at the back of the B feature of an NCRA race and rode the Guardrail and one it, then Started at the Back of the A and did the exact same thing.

David Foley

David Foley

"Just let me make it to the Dirt Track.. Truck then u 
can break down!!!"

At least one night of a majority of my weekends were spent at State Fair Speedway. I have great memories of making the trip week after week up I-44 to sit in the grandstands and watch local and regional legends race wheel to wheel, and then to eventually get to race on those hallowed grounds. My first laps in a full-sized sprint car were made at State Fair Speedway, and I have had many memories in the 5 years that I have had the opportunity to compete in front of the legendary grandstands. I loved racing side by side with those whom I idolized as a kid, like Dutch ter Steege, Mike Peters, Loyd Clevenger, Danny, Ernest, and Bruce Jennings, the Lamberts, Sellers', the Leeps, Woods, the Gastineaus. But even more than that, I loved to hear the stories from old racers like Earnest Jennings and Jim Bean and Dutch ter Steege, some of them I might have heard several times before, but I didn't care. I loved to hear them all. I have many memories, so many of which could be considered to be my favorite. I too am hoping for a miracle, that we might be able to run one more year, but I knew that one day the end would come. That doesn't make it any easier to bear, however. I know that my friday nights are never going to be the same.

Last time I made the trip to OKC from my home in central Arkansas, was for the WoO race which Danny Wood won with a last lap pass of Johnny Herrera, one of my most memorable races to see there would have to be the first NCRA/All Stars Thunder throught the Plains race, Californias Steve Kent got upside down just a few laps into the feature event, his crew put a new wing on during the red, he restarted tailback, charged through the field and would pass Bobby Davis Jr on the last lap to win.

Here are just few of the memories from Fairgrounds Speedway, I have more, and did have tons more before my ex-Wife decided to use them to get the Fireplace started.......Guess she was cold.

I feel truley blessed to have known and know these great people, and many others that I did not post. Bud and Ms. Mary Carson are always at the top of my list, they always treated me as if I was one of their own. So many others at the Speedway did the same.

If I left you out please understand that I have not forgotten, or that you or your Family is not important to the History of the Track, because each and everyone of you from Fairgrounds Speedway to present is important to me.

First Lady of Racing to Oklahoma City Buddye Faye Ebey.

John Stewart

Retro Racing Custom Model Cars
405.922.6163
[email protected]
Oklahoma City, OK

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Retro-
Racing-Custom-Model-Cars/235624429834292#!/pages/Retro-
Racing-Custom-Model-Cars/23562442983429

I don't remember exactly when the last time the Outlaws came to OKC, but this was the first and only time I got to see them at SFS. Spring Fling '95.

Elden Racing, driver Jac Haudenschild

Andy Hillenburg at the drivers' meeting

Stevie Smith and Andy Hillenburg

Sammy Swindell and a young Kevin Swindell

Dave Blaney and myself

Me and The Dude

Me with old friend Steve Beitler. Former Skagit regular, WoO driver and current Skagit Speedway promotor

The Haud

Sammy's Hooters car

Sammy heading out for hotlaps

Outlaws on the half mile. What was better than that?

It's not HOW fast you go, but how you GO fast.

www.myspace.com/bucky65c