Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

I was reading an ASCS article on Hoseheads with their 2009 National Schedule and I noticed a two-day show paying $15,000 to win at Presleyland Motorsports in Chandler, IN.

Is this the track on the east side of Evansville? Have they ever hosted sprints there? I thought it was mostly a modified track.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

I think they have but it's been quite some time, maybe early 90s?. Neat track, we ran the TQ there 7 or 8 years ago, long straights, banked corners!!

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

AJ, I was talking to Ambrose a week or so ago, and they're looking to run a lot there in 09, seems like they've had a transfusion, not Ambrose, but Chandler. Bob

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

If this is "Chandler" it is Officially Greater Evansville Raceway, last I heard. And they have run street stocks, 4 cyl mods, and a few other support classes in the past. If they are to run a Big show, things will have to change, as last time I was there, no way in the world the track would support a sprint race. Track is rough, dusty,with no prep tools to use. Lack of seating will not support 15K to win. We will see.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

USAC ran a sprint car race there many years ago, part of the Danner's-Cambridge Inn sponsored series of races. Sheldon Kinser won. I'll have to check my records for the date.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

My records show that the USAC sprint cars ran at Chandler June 17, 1982. I also attended a TQ midget, go kart and odyssey race at Chandler on June 11, 1982.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

This is the one,got it off sprintcarforum
1982 United States Auto Club
410 Non Wing Sprint Car
Thunder on the Dirt
Chandler Raceway Park, Chandler, Indiana
Thursday, June 17th, A Feature #10

Inaugural visit to this facility by USAC.

Qualifications:
1. Kenny Schrader, Fortune 39, 16.007; 2. Sheldon Kinser, Leyba 1, 16.127; 3. Chuck Amati, Tate 65, 16.263; 4. Steve Long, Long 52, 16.356; 5. Johnny Coogan, Vetzel 50, 16.428; 6. Dave Peperak, Robertson 77, 16.429; 7. Jerry Weeks, Bowen 25, 16.520; 8. Roger Rager, Winterbotham 52A, 16.570; 9. Duke Cook, Plummer 11, 16.613; 10. Jim Moughan Jr., Haines 86, 16.621; 11. Danny Milburn, Milburn 59, 16.679; 12. Manny Rockhold, Rockhold 71, 16.779; 13. Denny Stewart, Horn 33, 16.842; 14. Rich Vogler, King-Powers 51, 16.919; 15. Brad Renshaw, Hayhurst 56A, 17.077; 16. Leon Gentry, Gentry 61, 17.210; 17. Larry Rice, Gosnell 7, No Time.

First Heat Race (8 Laps)
1. Kenny Schrader, 2. Jerry Weeks, 3. Denny Stewart, 4. Leon Gentry, 5. Steve Long, 6. Jim Moughan Jr.

Second Heat Race T-2:12.01
1. Rich Vogler, 2. Sheldon Kinser, 3. Danny Milburn, 4. Johnny Coogan, 5. Roger Rager.

Third Heat Race T-2:18.41
1. Chuck Amati, 2. Manny Rockhold, 3. Brad Renshaw, 4. Dave Peperak, 5. Duke Cook.

Semi (10 Laps) T-2:49.93
1. Johnny Coogan, 2. Steve Long, 3. Roger Rager, 4. Dave Peperak, 5. Jim Moughan Jr., 6. Danny Milburn, 7. Leon Gentry, 8. Brad Renshaw, 9. Duke Cook, 10. Denny Stewart.

Chuck Amati wins his 2nd career USAC A Feature.

A Feature (30 Laps)
1. Chuck Amati [4] $2,000; 2. Kenny Schrader, 3. Sheldon Kinser, 4. Rich Vogler, 5. Steve Long, 6. Danny Milburn, 7. Johnny Coogan, 8. Jerry Weeks, 9. Dave Peperak, 10. Jim Moughan Jr., 11. Brad Renshaw, 12. Duke Cook, 13. Roger Rager, 14. Denny Stewart, 15. Leon Gentry, 16. Manny Rockhold. DNS-Larry Rice.
Lap leaders: Johnny Coogan 1, Chuck Amati 2-30.

Amati takes the lead from Coogan on the 2nd lap and winning with relative ease. Only Schrader taking Coogan on the 8th lap and a brief challenge on Amati was the only challenge. Amati would win this deal by about half-straightway.

Sheldon Kinser is leading the season points to-date, by at least 100 points over Steve Long. Kinser is packing-up and flying out to Washington state for the Super Dirt Cup to compete on Friday night.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

21sprint,

Thanks for digging up the info. I'll have to check my records further to see if USAC ran there again, more like the mid eighties. I'm almost positive that I saw Sheldon Kinser win there, but that is just from memory. I used to keep records on some of the races I attended, but not all of them. Now, I wish I had written down a few details of each race instead of just the track and date.
I remember seeing Johnny Coogan have a huge crash at Terre Haute. Don't believe he competed much after that. Someone told me last summer that Johnny is now a deputy sheriff somewhere in the central Indiana area and that he had pulled them over for speeding.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

The crash broke his jaw - among other things - and he could only take liquids. So when he got a jones for mexican food, his wife liquefied some burritos in the blender and he "ate" them with a straw.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

I was at that Chandler race. They had four or five open comp races at the track before USAC got there. If I remember right, the track owner had the banking in three and four pretty steep and one and two fairly low. I spent many Saturday nights in the mid-1970s shooting their stock car stuff. There's a drag strip (airport) behind the back stretch and at one time they had an off road course through the woods.

That was the good ol' days when USAC ran on Sunday afternoons. I've shot the Hoosier Hundred, driven to Chandler for that race (yes it can be done) and gone to the USAC race the next. You could even make it to Haubstadt, if you were somewhere like Terre Haute. One time in 1978, went to Winchester, and followed Sammy Swindell's rig to Haubstadt after he had won at Eldora.

Wonder if this is a lease deal with Chandler?

And, Bob, if Ambrose had a transfusion, wouldn't it be in 'shine? Which would fit with Chandler.

Jim Morrison

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

Jim, somehow I knew you would draw that conclusion, I almost said "infusion", but thought I'd let it ride, and see what happened. Yeh, if it was from Ron, it would have been in an "empty" fruit jar, makes most folks sinus boil! Bob

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

The Ambrose table at a UMRA banquet was always in the back and always interesting. Never got the courage to test the Mason jar because I had to drive home that night.

That USAC race in 1982 was the last time I was at Chandler. Unless they've added seats, in the last 25 years I would agree they could not pay a $15,000 to win race without some type of major sponsor.

Jim Morrison

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

If I remember correctly, I ran a winged show there back in 99 while driving for the Hurst family.

Pretty fast track although it was pretty dusty. They paid us our $300 payout in one dollar bills.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

the dark days of USAC..only 17 cars

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

So what's the track like?
1/4? etc?

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

I would say its bigger then a 1/4. It looks like at least a 1/3 or 3/8's but i am not sure. It has very long straights and extremely tight corners, it is shaped like a paper clip.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

I would say 3/8 mile. All dirt. No clay. Rough and dusty. Lighting questionable.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

Try www.chandlermotorspeedway.com, it's a 3/8, paperclip. Google has a satelite view. Bob

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

We ran a modified there most of the summer,tracks alot like paragon in. only with alittle more banking and alot darker,dusty sometimes and choppy. no way near enough seating to support abig paying purse. mini sprints ran there this past oct. pretty good show.ran weekly wing sprints in 99 or 2000 .Ive ran alot of tracks with our sprintcar and im not so sure about chandler.:checkered:

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

Has anybody heard where the name of this track comes from??

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

No idea on the name. This will be at least the third, if not fourth. I knew it was Chandler Motor Speedway. It's also been. I believe, Mid America Speedway. Sounds like little has changed in 25 years. I always thought the place had potential but needed a little work.

They scheduled a 100-lap late model race back in 1978 and ran it in the day time. ONly tgime I know that happened. Dust was flying before the fifth lap. Race stopped about halfway through to water the track, a little.

Sounds like from kcharm92's description, little has changed in 25 years. A couple of bright spots, it is just down the road from Evansville, and from Boonville, where Jim Scales started the AFCO company.
Jim Morrison

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

The web site, and those listed along with it, have no mention of Prestleyland associated with it, it you just do a search, using Chandler, In, or Chandler Motorspeedway, you'll get a lot of info, that may answer any questions. Bob

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

looks like a fun track. is that a runway for an airport next to it?

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

Not a runway but a dragstrip. If this race actually comes off I would go only because it is 15 miles from my house. Personally, I don't think they have any business trying to pull something off of this magnitude when it is strictly rinky-dink racing that they have had there for years. Where are they going to seat the number of fans it would take to pull this off financially? Somebody got into the Holiday Eggnog a little too early and too much to dream this up. But if they give it a go I hope it works for them. With God, all things are possible so start praying now.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

ok i wondered if that what it was. thats cool. yeah doesnt look like there is much room for fans but im sure they can make it work, you are right with God all things are possible.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

Somebody has a pipe dream. It ain't gonna happen.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

The word I have got is Chandler has been sold to Elvis Presley Inc. Not sure on any names, but I do know that it is the son of the guy that helped build the track. Kenny is right about the track, it would take a ton of money to make that track ready for a race of that size. They did run winged cars there several years ago. 8 nights I think, Paul May won most of them. I also was told that the new owners are going to run the track as a dirt track for 2 years and them turn it to asphalt.

Robert Taylor
Driver LT1 mod

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

A few years ago, perhaps around five, some fellow showed up with grandiose plans to pave the track and run several major league races, such as ARCA. This plan went so far as the owner, Harold Baker, allowing, or perhaps he even participated in the dismantling of the guard rails and some of the other major facets of the track. It turned out the guy with the plan was a con man and was arrested on several charges. I don't remember all the details, but maybe someone here in the Evansville area will recall the incident. At any rate, the track got returned to its original configuration.
The drag strip is still very active, but only runs as a 1/8 mile. It originally ran a full quarter mile. Don "Big Daddy" Garlits even raced there around 1964. I saw a jet car run there and Hayden Proffitt, who won the NHRA nationals stock eliminator in the early sixties, ran an American Motors funny car there. The Chi Town Hustler funny car also competed there around 1973.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

I remember a winged show there about 15 years ago. Engler, May, Hayhurst, Danny Smith, Joey Nash were the big dogs that showed up. I believe there was a 12 car dusty feature put on.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

Ronmil,
Didn't a Ford drag van called the "Little Red Wagon" race there in the late 60's/early 70's? It did wheelies all the way down the track. Also, wasn't Art Arfons there in the '60's with a jet car or am I just imagining that? I DO know I saw Evel Knievel at Haubstadt, that is for sure, and that was REALLY COOL!!!! That place was packed!

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

The " Little Red Wagon" was Dodge A100 pick up truck owned and driven by Bill "The Maverick" Golden, and yes he did some exhibition 1/8" mile wheelstands at Chandler back in the day.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

Tom,

The jet car I saw was probably Art Arfons. I remember a spectators car window was broken as a result of the jet engines exhaust.
The Little Red Wagon also performed on the full quarter mile at Sturgis, KY. I Believe Bill Golden was from southern Illinois and ran a super stock Dodge at Sturgis before he got the Little Red Wagon.

Re: Presleyland Motorsports Track?
 

Thanks, guys, for the info.