[Jerry Shaw]

I am lucky to have been born where I was (Terre Haute) and that I am the son of a great race fan. I was able to go to quite a few tracks when I was growing up, these two though, stand out as the ones that had the most to do with making me a lifelong lover of the sport:

Hanging onto the backstretch fence of the world's greatest half-mile oval was such a great place to be a kid. Sheldon Kinser, Gary Bettenhausen, Pancho Carter, Tom Bigelow, Rich Vogler, Hut Hundreds, Hulman Classics, you name it. I never missed a one.

[Jerry Shaw]

Sitting on the hillside of this great racing arena, way out in the Morgan County countryside really helped set the hook in me at a young age. This photo from the Edd Sheppard Collection gives you an idea of what a regular weekly show was like for those lucky enough to frequent this place on Saturday nights.

[EBookerFan]

My first race was at Funks Speedway Winchester. My grandfather was a friend of Funk's and we went to the first sprint car race after WW2 on Labor day 1945. We went in the back gate and I spent the afternoon in the infield. I rembered that Bus Wilbert won that race but Duke Cook corrected me that it was Jimmy Wilburn. It was my first time to watch Elbert Booker race and he became my sprint car racing hero. To this day my racing heros are sprint car drivers.

[Midget 89]

Hartford and Kalamazoo Motor Speedways. Supermodifieds. Gordon and Nolan Johncock. Sammy Sessions and Elver Harrington. Wonderful era. My first race was at the long gone Saugatuck Speedway.

___________
Wes Stafford

[sprntr]

My first race (& first trip to the state fair) was in 1958, at the ripe old age of 5, to the Minnesota State Fair on the then DIRT 1/2 mile.
Dad & I went every year for the big open wheel show.
In 1964 they paved the track, about a third the way into the race Dad asked, "What do you think?" I responded, "Let's go down to the Midway. This is boring."
We never went back, in fact, Dad didn't go to another race until his Grandsons started Kart racing.

In my high school years, I went weekly with my buddies (and dates, when we could find girls willing to put up with us) to Cedar Lake Speedway in Somerset, WI & to the Stillwater Speedbowl in Stillwater, MN. Also from 1969 - 1973, I attended every Pro roadrace at Donnybrooke International Speedway in Brainerd, MN.

steiny

[nowings]

I live 20 min south of Eldora , so it was Eldora Saturday night , and Finlay Sunday night . Good times . Sure made it really hard to go to school Monday .

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[ISF]

The first race Dad took me to was at Fairbury American Legion Speedway. Since Dad was a stock car guy the supermodifieds were little more than filler between stock car races for him but I loved them! I know I've said this here before but we were lucky enough to have the pleasure to see the likes of Larry Cannon and Bubby Jones who went on to race in The 500. Those two along with Dean Shirley, Steve Cannon, Hersh Jenkins, Jerry Camfield, Jerry Blundy, Chuck Amati, Bobby Carrigan and Jack Tyne among many others.

Since Dad was a stock car guy we also went to Peoria Speedway and the long gone Sterling Speedbowl Park. Once in a while Dad would even take us out West to Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport, IA and once we even went all the way out to Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Although I cherish all the trips to Peoria and Sterling my fondest memories are of "Boom Boom" , "Ol' Bub" and all the others carryin' the left front and gassin' it up in their beautiful sprinters/rail cars at Fairbury.

[Joe Kidd]

Kokomo Speedway,,,,, back when Bill Lipkey had it and the stands all around the track, yes all around the track was full and Kool. When they would bring the drinks, hotdogs, popcorn, and throw the peanuts at you in the stands because the place was packed elbow to elbow with fans. There was more people attending a race back then on a regular show than what WOO and USUC combined together could bring in a day now. Back when promoters, promoted and did not have a boil in there ass like they do today. The only track that would come close to what it use to be like then now is the Burg. Back then it was all about the people who came through the gates to get in. Now it's all about the money. So don't whine and cry because people don't show up to your track. I believe the promoter at the Burg gets it. It's not just about your racetrack. It depends alot on how you treat your fans to.

[Sprintcarfanatic]

Limaland & Eldora with Findlay, Fremont, New Bremen & Shadybowl thrown in from time to time.
That said I haven't been to Shadybowl in like 43 years.
We also went to Portsmouth & KC ( Atomic ) when we went to Southern Ohio to visit a family friend.
Hit Kalamazoo once, Tim Richmond was supposed to race that night but never showed.

[racefan20]

Originally Posted by Shawn Haha! It was quite the rivalry that Selma's Vic Hellis had with Willow Branch's Bob Fields. I always remember that both had beautiful cars. The blue and white Hellis Muffler King #51 of Hellis versus the orange and black Fields Auto Parts #31 of Fields. I almost forgot about #00 of Ray Fullen and Jim Cooper, too. Jim Cooper always drove a #95, sponsored by Car Brite. I liked ol' Darwin Blakenship, along with Herb Rose. In fact, I didn't really "dislike" any of them, but Bob was just my favorite. I know not many people were a big fan of Bob. I also liked when they brought in Randy Sweet and CJ Rayburn a few times to try to break the world record. Those cars were WILD, but to a kid, they were so awesome.

I remember seeing Fullen hit the wall at the pit entrance in turn 3 one night. Drove the engine all the way into the cockpit. Dont think he raced for awhile after that. I first started going to races at Muncie Dragway. My uncle built it and I got to go behind the scenes and meet all the greats of the 60's dragway scene.