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10/23/07, 8:22 AM   #11
Re: Tracks You Wish You Could Have Seen
bigmojo5
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Of course, Langhorne and Ascot but would liked to have seen the old high banked track at Fort Wayne, New Bremen when it was dirt (saw Sammy Session win there on pavement in 1974) and for some reason I always wanted to see Ontario Motor Speedway.
I also would have liked to see more than one race at the old Dayton Speedway, but it ran on Sundays and was just a little too far for work on Monday. I lived in Vincennes and then Princeton, Ind., at that time.
Jim Morrison
 
10/23/07, 11:30 AM   #12
Re: Tracks You Wish You Could Have Seen
davidm
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Altoona Board Track.

Reading Fairgrounds.

Nutly Velodrome.

Monza Oval track.
 
10/23/07, 11:32 AM   #13
Re: Tracks You Wish You Could Have Seen
Bruce Harrison
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Ascot, New Bremen, Dayton, and I believe it was called Oakland (CA) Stadium-the track with the 50-something degree banking
 
10/23/07, 11:44 AM   #14
Re: Tracks You Wish You Could Have Seen
wbr
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I would like to have seen Jungle Park and Lafayette Speedway- where Tippicanoe mall now sits.
 
10/23/07, 11:57 AM   #15
Re: Tracks You Wish You Could Have Seen
aXe
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Oakland,5/8s
Hanford 3/4?
But I sure wish you could turn back ther clock and We could do the first 6 weekends of the new year in the Old Okland Exposition building. That was racing at its best and right in front of you even in the farthest away seating.:checkered:
aXe
 
10/23/07, 12:41 PM   #16
Re: Tracks You Wish You Could Have Seen
Dwight Clock
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Despite any claims Marv might make to the contrary I was not yet born when the board tracks were around. In doing much research I have learned about and become fascinated with the Altoona track. It was 1 1/4 miles long and 60' wide. High banked, it produced an incredible (for the time) one lap track record of 138.6 mph set by Leon Duray in 1926. In operation from 1923 through 1929 it was a lethal venue, killing three drivers in those short years. Oddly, they were all Indy 500 winners - 1919 winner Howdy Wilcox on 9/4/23, 1924 co-winner Joe Boyer on 9/2/24, and 1929 winner Ray Keech just 16 days after his Indy win on 6/15/29. Although existing knowledge shows the track as closing after the '29 season I have found a copy of a poster advertising a 1931 event but no evidence that the race was ever held.
 
10/23/07, 1:30 PM   #17
Re: Tracks You Wish You Could Have Seen
FishBurger
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Langhorne when it was dirt. The Dick Wallen videos are great but I wish I had actually been there at least once.

Trenton when it was dirt. Had tickets for a race there once. Car broke down in Zanesville, OH. :headbang: My tickets may still be at the "will call" window.

The board tracks. Dwight C., Danny B., and Rich H. have regaled me for hours with their eyewitness stories of these long gone venues, but again, nothing like being there to see for myself.
 
10/23/07, 1:59 PM   #18
Re: Tracks You Wish You Could Have Seen
8ball
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Harrison View Post
Ascot, New Bremen, Dayton, and I believe it was called Oakland (CA) Stadium-the track with the 50-something degree banking
Oakland sounds crazy. I heard there was 60 degree banking in one turn with a "lesser" 45 in the other. I couldn't imagine driving one of those old midgets without a cage on it, especially on something like that. Drivers those days had some damn big balls (or small brains? :kookoo2: ).

I have also heard that some of the races at the old Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, MA were very good, and the place was always packed. Wish I could have made it to a race there before it closed in 99.
 
10/23/07, 2:49 PM   #19
Re: Tracks You Wish You Could Have Seen
jmichels
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Although existing knowledge shows the track as closing after the '29 season I have found a copy of a poster advertising a 1931 event but no evidence that the race was ever held.[/QUOTE]

The July 4,1931 race at Altoona was won by Lou Moore followed by Jimmy Gleason and Wilbur Shaw according to 5 July 1931 issue of the Syracuse(NY) Herald. Another race was scheduled for Labor Day weekend.
 
10/23/07, 4:44 PM   #20
Re: Tracks You Wish You Could Have Seen
Dwight Clock
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmichels View Post
Although existing knowledge shows the track as closing after the '29 season I have found a copy of a poster advertising a 1931 event but no evidence that the race was ever held.
The July 4,1931 race at Altoona was won by Lou Moore followed by Jimmy Gleason and Wilbur Shaw according to 5 July 1931 issue of the Syracuse(NY) Herald. Another race was scheduled for Labor Day weekend.[/QUOTE]Thank you! I was fairly certain the race had been run but could find no proof.
 
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