One year on their return, Prosser shows up with the first ohv that I remember, it wasn't very long before the Chevy V8 started showing up, his was a Chrysler product of some sort, I want to say Plymouth, but that is subject to correction, then of course there was the rear eng Indy car of Orville's, those were the good old days, and yes, plywood wings were the hot setup, especially at Paragon, I crewed with a Shores car owner, that Alan Barr drove.

Hopefully that one of your racing trips back to Indiana you can meet asq. He is very lucky to experience some of the great things that we all love. Ask mr.funk about some of the things that they have experience on their racing trips. Unbelievable you can't make this stuff up. Lmao. Thanks. Only the best for the racing families 👪. Lmao. Thanks 🇺🇸

This has my vote for the best thread ever started on IOW.

Of course I voted Tuesday, and every proposal and candidate I voted for lost. So who am I to judge.

Salem late 80s. Bloomington mid 90s. Watched Bobby Allen win at Brownstown, cant remember when. Went to tons of Nascar races, raced sail boats (c scow) and a bunch of other fun stuff. After I started dirt track racing I kinda felt like I wasted the first half of my life. Where have you been

Early 50's my grandfather took me to the Sun Valley Speedway for the Little 500. Remember Tom Cherry winning and one of my favorites Johnny Arnold who started outside front row getting into first turn wall on the start. Think he was driving one of old style Mutual Racing Roadsters.

Sitting here trying to think how old I would have been, time stamp it, I was still in grade school, so it must have been 48, 49, some where in that time frame, they ran Columbus on Tuesday night, Franklin on Wednesday night, and I believe Sun Valley on Thurs night, standing room only at each venue, they ran almost every available time they could, plus Salem, they made good money, had to, it was their only job.
Those old Fords and the Clay Smith X cams would make your chest heave, I had one in my 31A coupe, and it would lope so, I'd have to curb it to stop the shimmy.

The first time I went to Lebanon Valley I was so awestruck by the speeds and such I couldnt tell you if it was good or not. I remember going home and telling my neighbor,who's family took me to the races the very first time,that he had to go watch them sometime. Of course later on he did go with me a few times,and he was out here Labor Day weekend as he wanted to come watch some non wing racing again.

Last time I went to Lebanon was in the 90's on the way home from Pennsylvania. I stopped in as it was sort of on the way home. It wasnt a good race at all but the place was mobbed as they only run there once a year. All the fans were pointing to their buddys that most every car had the right front tire off the ground about a foot down the straightaways.

From memory though,Lebanon knows how to sell a lot of food at the concessions. Everything is either $1.00 $2.00 $3.00 and so on,and you can only pay with dollar bills. They had a booth that would give you one dollar bills for $5.00 and $10.00 and so on. No time wasted making change and the line moves along pretty good. I've wondered over the years why other tracks dont do the same thing.

Indiana is fine. Its a lot different than living in New England. Over the years I've had lots of fans tell me they want to move here. So far I am the only one of them all that actually did move here. Others have said "find me a job out there" I had to find my own job out here,if they were serious,they could do the same as I did.

The original Vallejo Speedway (The fastest 1/4 dirt tract in the West) Vallejo CA 1957 or 1958

Late to the thread as yardwork controlled the activity yesterday. I am very lucky to have been raised just a few blocks from IMS. My immediate next door neighbor promoted races at IRP. So my first experience was at IRP in the Spring of 1967 and I have no idea who won.

My parents were not fans of racing. One concession is my Dad took me to IMS one time each year. My first trip there (which really wasn't a trip as it was only blocks away) was 1966. Been a Jim Clark fan ever since and was devastated when he was killed. I understood the cruelty of the sport early. I am very glad I got to see some roadsters and one of my fondest memories was watching Gary Bettenhausen pound around in what I thought was a sprint car when he took his rookie test in Joe Hunts Champ Dirt car. I actually saw that. My brother is nine years older and sold papers at the track. His boss on the paper deal was Mike Mates, a friend of my parents and owner of "Mates Tavern" on 16th Street. I have many, many memories early of Champ Car drivers as several lived around me. (Johnny White, Grant King, Larry Rice) to name a few.

I would also like to say RIP to Gene and Emma Smith. They were race fans and their son and I were buddy's. They took me to several races as if I were their own son. The 5/8 Oval series at IRP on Fridays was a high light of the week.

My first race that I can remember was in Terre Haute and the track was somewhere around 25th street,. this was in the forties and I was born in 39. I don't remember what the ran but more than likely just jalopies. A local guy, Ruffus Turner had a sprint back then powered by an airplane engine. he built the whole car. I never did see him race,. I think he just hired drivers.