Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

I spent the first 6 years of my life in the small town of Greensboro, IN, just south of Mt. Lawn. Would watch the cars going by on Sunday evening on way to track. My grandfather was a fan as were his 2 daughters so they began taking me to my first races at Mt. Lawn. Remember Dick Frazier, Kenny Eaton, Johnny Arnold, too many to mention. As an aside LJ Lines (Larry to me) and I used to put together modified soap box derby cars made from orange crates from the local market. Larry went on to be quite dominant at Mt. Lawn. Which by the way is shaped as it is because it also doubled as a baseball diamond, had cabins, pool, and was a Chatauqua meeting ground. My Dad was a lifeguard there in high school

Often went to Sun Valley. Watched Tom Cherry win his last Little 500, also SCIRA Sprint shows on Wednesday and Jeff Bloom spin and win the Little 500.

When I was about 10, two great young adult men took pity on me and I saw my first big time sprint cars at Terre Haute, ( Branson, Parnelli, Herk, McCluskey, Hinnershitz, Rounds, etc) Dayton, Winchester, Salem, and Champ Cars at Indy Mile.

Went to college, got married but drug my wife to her first race at the Tri County Speedway in Cincy. Since then many years later we have hit so many tracks I can't remember or count them all. Great thread, lots of awesome reminders of what our sport is and how it generates such deep and long lasting fan loyalty.

Columbus Motor Speedway in Columbus, OH. Both the little track with quarter midgets and on to the big track!

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Grew up going to Sunshine Speedway in Pinellas Park, Florida and East Bat Raceway in Gibsonton, Florida

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Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

I grew up going to Haubstadt and Salem mostly with the occasional trip to the Springfield Mile during the state fair. I have no idea what the first year I actually went to a race though. It was likely sometime in the mid to late 80s.

I attended my first race at Haubstadt in 1965 (I think). We went to a lot of motorcycle races for the next few years, although we occasionally visited Haubstadt (renamed Tri-State) and started going to Salem in 1968, attending both sprint car and stock car races. We started going to Terre Haute in 1970. We continued to visit these tracks regularly as well as occasional visits to other tracks until I graduated college in 1977. Yes, I'm old!

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Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

First races were at the old Evansville Speedrome just south of Morgan Ave. on Green River Rd. and Haubstadt.

Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

Vallejo Speedway in CA. (Yes Jeff's G's hometown) My Dad ran stock cars there when I was twelve. When I was old enough to drive to the races on my own, Calistoga, Baylands and Altamont and even West Capital Speedway before it was closed....

Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

I grew up spending all my Saturday nights at Butler Speedway in Michigan (even though we lived in Indiana). Guys like Jack Sharp, Larry Zimmerman, Sparky Young, Don Taylor and Hank Lower were my heroes. My dad was a cousin of Lower and we cheered him on in the days when he couldn't even make the feature and drove a gray 6-cylinder coupe.
Butler has went through a lot of changes since those days and so have I. As a kid I could tell you the number and name of almost any driver that raced there (and the fields were around 100 cars). I remember when I-69 was built and we no longer took the route past "mom's pink house" and I also got to drive a car for the very first time with my dad at my side while going to Butler. (No wonder I log so many miles chasing racing.)
The place used to have an oil surface (wasn't as messy as you think, and so tacky it'd try to pull your shoes off) and also had a wall on the inside and the cars pitted in the middle. The oil disappeared in the mid 90s and the inside wall followed and the pits have moved outside the track.
The track has some cool memories and there are some races that I saw there that are forever etched into my mind: I considered a late model race that I saw between NASCAR driver Tiny Lund and the track's hero the "Pink Panther" Don Taylor in the 70s as the best I ever saw for years and years. Another race where Jack Hewitt drove the Briscoe #5 to a 1984 win coming from the tail still registers as an epic to me.
It's also the place where I experienced one of the neatest moments in my life. I was picked to take the media ride with Jack Hewitt in his 2-seater. So I was lucky enough to ride with my hero on the track that I grew up and also able to tell Jack about my mother and how she was a great fan of his and took care of a family of five kids every Saturday night right here at this track. (And for the record, he scared the crap out of me.)
Anyway, I've had a love/hate relationship with Butler over the years, but the truth is the track that I grew up at helped make me the person that I am today.

Jim Fisher

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Unlike a lot of folks, I didn't get to my first race until I was 12 and it was at Hangtown Speedway (now Placerville). I was hooked from the get go. Other area tracks that we used to visit were Stockton 99, West Captital, All American Speedway (in Roseville), Triple M (Marysville) and Silver Dollar. Never did make it to Baylands, it opened after I had gone off to college and sea. . .

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I remember when Bulter had Bill Elliot on hand one night. He was to drop the green flag for the sprint feature. I have never seen someone jump out of the flag stand any faster then he did that night. It was quite comical. I do miss the pits on the inside there.

This has turned into a pretty good thread. Nice to read though it all and see where people grew up going and what has helped shaped their addiction with racing.

Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

This is where I grew up. Believe it or not I am still a teenager in this photo,but only for a few more months. And all these years later I still have one of my old Purolater jackets from way back then

Bob Bahre put up the cash,and we got to see all the greats in pavement Late Model racing at the Oxford 250 when I was growing up.At the time,billed as the "Richest 1 day short track race in America", Stock Car Racing Magazine covered this race,and made it a race that everyone wanted to see,even if they had to travel way out to the sticks of Southwest Maine to do so.

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...psaf6719ef.jpg

Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

They ran on Friday nights and as SW911 posted they pitted the cars on the infield. The Allied Auto Racing Association (AARA) raced Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at three different speedways. Anybody care to guess where the Saturday & Sunday night shows were?

How about I55 and St Charles?

Awesome thread. Keep it going love reading about racing passion
One quick story. I grew up on a farm about 5 miles from Avilla. My parents had a beautiful custom built mobile home. My parents loved sprint cars and raised me to love them. One year at the Avilla Nationals which was a two day show I was helping Terry Shepherd so I asked him if he wanted to spend the night at my parents. Anyway one thing led to another and we ended up with five sprint car teams at their house. Ive never seen my parents so happy. Mom making breakfast for everybody and dad making sure everyone had whatever they needed to work on the cars. Priceless. Also the farmers that lived around them trying to figure out what the heck these things were and what they were doing there

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Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

Not sure about Saturday (memory has faded) since I didn't go there back then. Was I-55 called something different then? It would have been in the late 50's-early 60's time frame. St. Charles is correct for the Sunday night show though. A tough grind for these guys racing three days each weekend at three different tracks. They didn't have multiply cars so if you were torn up you had to go home and put it back together again. Great times for sure.

I believe that they competed for an overall championship for the three tracks. Forgot to mention in the original post that the flagman was on the inside of the track as well as the announcer and scoring folks as they are today. Very tight quarters for sure. Also, I love your avatar. Great looking race car from back in the day.:6:

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When I was younger saw my first race at THAT it was WoO sprints with Tony Stewart and Ken Schrader running modifieds on a "NASCAR NIGHT" before they were called nascar nights. Only knew of Smoke from Nascar fame so went to watch and fell in love with the winged sprint cars. Soon after discovered non-wing sprints and would have to say I'm more of a non-wing man than wing man, but still go to both when I can. THAT is only a short drive for me so I hit every race there, but it acted as a gateway drug that now has me attending Haubstadt and Putnamville sprint races with regularity and as well as trying new and different tracks periodically. So in a sense the nascar night worked and brought in a new fan to dirt races, but in turn it made me realize how boring nascar is and how awesome dirt racing is! :8:

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I grew up at Angell Park. My 1st race was 1969.
Been hooked every since.
Best Regards,
John:22:

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As an aside, one night at Baylands they interviewed a 13 yr. old Jeff G. They couldn't let him race because of their insurance, but he was already in Indiana at the time racing.

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Pevely didn't open until the late 70's, so my guess would be Lake Hill and St. Charles. (Or perhaps Walsh Stadium if we're going far enough back in time.)

Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

First race was in late 40's at a track called Evans fairgrounds. This was just outside of Ripley, West Virginia. The old midgets raced there and at the Meigs County fairgrounds in Pomeroy, Ohio, Marietta, Ohio fairgrounds and Torch Speedway at Torch, Ohio and Scotts Field in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

By the early 50's it was turning into stockcar racing at those same tracks and then in 1958 Ohio Valley Speedway outside of Parkersburg, West Virginia opened. Since it was only 20 miles up the road that would be our track for many years and it's still open in 2013. Then Hilltop Speedway outside of Marietta, Ohio and the Skyline Speedway near Athens, Ohio in the early 60's. Then by 1970 when the open wheel supermods disappeared in our home area we were hooked and it was off to Atomic Speedway in Alma, Ohio mostly and then the bigger tracks like Eldora, Dayton and Winchester.

I can't think of a better way to have spent my childhood and my lifetime than chasing racing all over the country. Even though I don't get out as much as I once did it's still in my veins and my #1 sport.:6:

Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

Yes, I remember that, and also the terrible night that two of Jim Scales' mechanics were killed when the steering broke on Lucas' (his first name escapes me) believe it may have been Bill, hemi powered Barracuda and he went airborne, completely clearing the stage. The mechanics were in turn one with their backs toward the oncoming airborne car. Lucas was from Washington, IN. That was in 1974. The Princeton track was scary fast, and was spongy in turn one where a spring ran under it. Fast Freddie Gerteirsen and W. T. Harris were always quick at that track. I believe some of the stock cars ran big block Chevies that were as big as 596 cu in. One hundred eighty degree exhaust headers were in vogue then, and the cars didn't sound like V8's with that configuration. Interesting era, but I as I think back, it is a wonder that a lot more serious accidents didn't happen there.

Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

First race was in the early 50's at the old Mitchell Speedway north of Mitchell, IN on SR 37. Then the West Baden Speedway. Many Sunday afternoons at Salem. After that, I've been to so many tracks, I can't begin to remember them all. He!!, anymore I can't even remember if I ate breakfast, much less what I might of had for breakfast.:3::3::3:

Thanks for the thread.

Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

Brandon,

You had me really confused with your post. It sure is hell getting old and memory play tricks like it does.:10: I remember Lake Hill Speedway as a paved track. We went there late 60's and saw among others running there the Wallace boys, Rusty & Mike. I figured that couldn't be it but then I found a forum that talked about the speedway and it's history.

Lake Hill Speedway was built in 1948 as a 1/5 mile dirt track until it was expanded to a 1/3 mile in 1966. The next year they paved it and it ran until 1981 when it closed.

I am guessing now that you are correct. Belle Clair on Friday, Lake Hill on Saturday and St. Charles on Sunday. Thanks for helping clear that up.:6:

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Toledo Raceway Park. A full time horse track and a part time auto racing track in the late 50's and early 60's. Horses finish up this summer and it goes dark for good. Toledo Speedway became the full time speedway for us in the early 60's. My Dad and I stood in the first turn the day they laid down the asphalt that we know today. The cars back then were modified stock cars, super modifieds/super sprints and then the late model stock cars. Drivers included Rollie and Al Beale, Leo Caldwell, Johnny White, Benny Rapp, Dick Good, Tom York, Gordon and Nolan Johncock, Jerry Nemire, Sam Sessions, Johnny Logan, and so many more. From this start in racing we began to follow Rollie Beale throughout Ohio and Indiana as he took to the IMCA and USAC trail. Great thread! It forced me to go back and look at all of those old programs and ball point pen autographs from that era.

Re: What track did you grow up going too?
 

Also, I love your avatar. Great looking race car from back in the day.

It is a Don Klein modified(?) from somewhere between 1966 and 1970 I think.

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Ya beat me to it Mudpacker, I was just thinking today about another thread how we was remembering the good old days & that was the 1 thing it was, Welding. I too remember when someone might of not had the night they wanted & some fella would be over there making repairs with the welder. Just don't see that anymore.

Dorney Park in Allentown, Pa. Track is long gone. It has been replaced by amusement park rides. My dad wrenched on a stock car. Neil Beech and my mom painted/lettered it. Craziest mix of colors I ever seen.......plum crazy purple with orange numbers. Number 26. He won a few features, but his wife Gloria was really tough in the powder puffs. I can remember the smells of fresh paint on opening night. 55-57 Chevys made up the "late model" class and old coupes bodied the sportsmans. It was the tiniest asphalt "oval". It was really a circle. During intermission my sister and I would run into the amusement park and ride rides. We would return when we heard the engines. If the races got boring we would turn the other way and feed the deer in the field popcorn. I can't remember my first race, but I know dorney was the first track for me.

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Skagit Speedway in Alger,Wa about 1 hour North of Seattle my Dad worked on a sprint car then later in the 90's I worked on one.

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I'm a history buff, so excuse my curiosity, but could you tell me where the West Baden track was located? I've heard of it and always wondered.....

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Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

Born in 61, first race was at Eldora Speedway in 66. We went to all the USAC races, and eventually attended the weekly program. The first USAC drivers I saw were Sonny Ates, Cy Fairchild, Tom Bigelow, Larry Dickson, Gary Bettenhausen, Rollie Beale, Pancho Carter, Billy Cassella, Sammy Sessions, Bill Puterbaugh, Jerry Poland(hometown driver). The weekly events had the legendary Chick Hale in Late Models, along with the unbeatable Larry Moore. They also had a division called Sportsman that was great. They were 30's or 40's coupes for the most part, with drivers Harold Stonerock, Gene Smith, Red Harvey, and Buster Blackford. Dick DeBolt dominated the Hobby Stocks. I also was at the first 8 World 100's.

I also saw a few races at Dayton Speedway. John Marcum's ARCA cars with Benny Parsons, Iggy Katona, etc. Also saw a USAC and Super Modified race there.

We also checked out Tri County/Queen City Speedway, because that's where Larry Moore was racing in the Don Thompson Excavating #27 Monte Carlo. I think we saw a USAC stock race there that Butch Hartman dominated.

Also saw a few USAC races (Sprint and stock) at New Bremen.

All of this took place in the early 70's, great memories!!

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I've never had a "home track" per se. The closest track is 81 Speedway in Wichita, and I witnessed lots of Sunday night super modified battles in the '70s, especially when Emmett Hahn and the Oklahoma gang would come up to scrap with Harold Leep, Jay Woodside, and the rest of the locals. But the racing fire was truly lit for me when we lived in the central valley of California in the mid-'40s. Dad would sometimes take us to Kearney Bowl in Fresno (I believe on Sunday nights) to watch the midgets, where we got familiar with the names Vukovich, Bettenhausen, Faulkner, Parson, etc. I was only 3 or 4 years old at the time, and actual memories are few and far between, but the sights, the smells and the thrill are still with me.

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I went to several tracks growing up but Haubstadt was the main one and it is still my favorite racetrack in the world. I have traveled the country going to racetracks and the only one I can find that compares is Kokomo.

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I grew up in College Hill, what was then a surburan area of Cincinnati, in the 50's. My Dad had a friend that owned a Sohio gas station that sponsored an old coupe at the Cincinnati Race Bowl. My Dad became a co-sponser for the whopping sum of $100.!!! so we went every Saturday night.
Sometime around 1954 my Dad took me to a special Wed. night AAA midget race.. Oh Boy! The late, great Travis "Spider" webb even let me sit in the cockpit after the race. There's more to this, but not for here. :21:

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THAT...Dad always took me, starting when I was a pup...saw Opperman, Bigelow, Walkup, etc. Those were the days! Still love it. THAT is where I first took my son and, I expect, he will his.

Fairgrounds Louisville, Ky and Many Sunday's at Salem.

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Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

The track was located between French Lick and West Baden on the east side of hwy 56 which goes through both towns. The grandstand was left from what used to be a baseball park. I believe a team sometimes used it for spring training. Don't know for sure what team or if it was a major or minor league team. A Kimball piano factory was later built on this site. The French Lick Winery is now in this area. There was a pond in the infield, which my brother-in-law managed to end up in one Sunday afternoon when he rolled his car. A couple of the frequent winners were Clyde Wison in a nunber 66 sponsered by Phillips 66 in Paoli and Kenny "stovepipe" Brown in his number 13 from French Lick. A few of the locals would sometimes just drive their cars from home to the track. Times were much different back then. They only ran stock cars. I think they were called "jalopies".

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Oswego Speedway on the southern shores of Lake Ontario in beautiful upstate NY. Awesome track. Supermodifieds & NASCAR Modifieds. Seen all the greats, Shampine, Evans, Bodine, Bentley Warren, Bellinger. The aroma of methanol and the roar of the engines under that covered grandstand was incredible. Classic Weekend back in the day was the best. 200 laps NASCAR Modifieds "Bud 200" Saturday night Labor Day weekend. 200 laps non-wing supermodifed race Sunday afternoon. Those were the days.

I grew up going to Tri State Speedway, started going before I can even remember. Watched my dad race sprint cars with the likes of briscoe, cummins, hayhurst, jc, and many many more. What I remember of it was fantastic, I would sit on top of the trailer and watch dad race and scrape the mud off as soon as he got back to the trailer. Also went to Mount Vernon quite a bit. Those were the good ole days, now days I support as many tracks as possible as well as a couple well deserving drivers. Just trying to give back what I can to the sport that gave me so many memories and the best hobby anyone could ask for!!

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Re: What track did you grow up going to?
 

I would say it would be Butler speedway around 1970, Back then they ran super mods and stock cars. This was back when the track had the railroad ties-plywood inner wall. The pits were inside the track. They had an intermission back then. So you could go down and run around on the oiled clay track or see the race car and drivers up close. I can remember seeing Hank Lower race way back then. That was on Sat nights.

On Sunday nights we would go to Kalamazoo speedway to see TRI-SAC race. With divers being Sammy Sessions-Kurt Kelly-Carmen Bros-Jeff Bloom.


Back then a road trip was going to Warsaw. Seemed like back then they raced Friday nights--was that right?

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Re: What track did you grow up going too?
 

You are correct. In all of the years he drove, I don't ever remember him driving a car that wasn't that color. A real trademark of his. Thanks for sharing.