Good evening everyone.

I am a longtime reader, first time poster. The following was a bit off topic derailing for the other thread < The longest WoO sprint car race - Paragon Speedway, Indiana - https://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=23059>, but I thought the old timers or racing historians would find this interesting.

Preface note: I was just a kid at the time, but remember most of this very well. Most, not all.

Pre-1978 incarnation of what’s now known as The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series - a series of three “one off” Ted Johnson promoted races were held in the fall of 1977 in the lower Midwest. Race number one of three, the very first World of Outlaws bannered race was held at the old Joplin <Missouri> Speedway that was located off of North Rangeline Rd. I attended this race as a very young spectator. It was a Wednesday or Thursday night if I’m not mistaken. Local media advertising, and the race program itself, advertised the Joplin sprint car race as “World of Outlaws“, not “The World of Outlaws“. Somewhere I have the race program. Somewhere.

Specific car count, I do not remember.

All of the drivers names that night, again, I do not remember.

But I do remember some of the same names mentioned that night were the same names I remembered when I attended races at the old Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, and at the old 5/8’s Tulsa Fairgrounds Speedway in Tulsa Oklahoma.

I do specifically remember the name “Weld“ that night, remembering that was the same name and same looking race car that I saw at the old Lakeside Speedway a few years earlier. Greg, Kenny, or both, I do not remember.

I thought I always remembered PA announcer repeating the ‘furthest towed’ name, Bobby Allen, and I always mentally coupled this with the number on the car I remembered, that being 1a. Very reminiscent of this photo here - http://www.hammerdownusa.com/1975cap.htm - But even more reminiscent of this photo here - http://www.stevehardin.com/jpg/ALLEN.JPG - My mental confirmation is the best it gets on this drivers attendance.

Close to this time frame - the Tulsa based Lloyd K. Stephens Ofixco cars were a NCRA racing series mainstay at the old Tulsa Speedway, Muskogee Speedway, Oklahoma City Speedway, 81 Speedway in Wichita Kansas, and the Caney Valley Speedway in Caney Kansas - but I do not remember any of those cars or drivers being at Joplin on that night.

Some area and era names like - Harold Leep, Emmett Hahn, Ray Crawford, Shane Carson, and Jerry Stone should come to mind for me, but they do not. Mental note, I’ll ask Shane about this next time I see him.

Another name I remember that night was Terry Beckham, that later drove DLM cars at Crawford County Speedway in Van Buren Arkansas and Tri State Speedway in Pocola Oklahoma <Ft. Smith Arkansas>. Sprint car or DLM, he always drove one handed with a tractor steering spinner ball bolted to the steering wheel. I always remembered this as a kid. I thought it was waaaay cool.

I would imagine there are numerous, soon to be well known, or soon to be famous, drivers, in attendance that night, I just don’t remember any of them.

As a kid, I always thought the wings on the cars that night in 1977, looked a bit different, than I was use to seeing on the winged Super Modified cars at the old 5/8’s Tulsa Fairgrounds Speedway.

Many years later as an adult, while standing in the World of Outlaws office in Plano Texas on business - I talked to Ted Johnson about this Joplin race and he confirmed what I witnessed. The three races held were “getting my feet wet in big time race promotion” and or more importantly - car count Vs. grandstand attendees Vs. purse - feasibility test beds, for what would be known the next year, 1978, as "The World of Outlaws" Sprint Car Series.

<Although the following is a little vague memory wise; I’m thinking the other two fall of 1977 “one off” races were held at the old Branson Speedway in Branson Arkansas, and Devils Bowl Speedway in Mesquite Texas. In the late fall of 1977, winged sprint cars raced at the old Neosho Speedway in Neosho Missouri. It was a special event, special purse, similar to the race at Joplin. This was not part of Ted’s 3 race “one off” feasibility test bed promotion(s). I confirmed this with Ted.>

Even more years later as an adult, 1988-1989, every time I ran into Ted at his then incarnation of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series - he always remembered me as “the only guy he‘s ever known” that witnessed the incarnation of both the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. As selective memory and odd as Ted was, he always remembered this. And I doubt if I am really “the only guy” - probably just the only one he personally knew.

On a side note: If memory serves me correctly, Ted promoted a few Southwest/Midwest “one off” World of Outlaws banner titled midget races, co-sanctioned with SWIMS <Southwest Independent Midget Series>. One of the races held was at the old Beaver Creek Speedway in Rogers Arkansas. Not sure of the specific year timeframe, guessing it was about 1982. I always remember that race, specifically one driver, as it had a paraplegic driver from Texas racing full tilt, on the mat, wheels up. Very inspirational as a kid, or an adult.

[MacTexas]

Originally Posted by NONASCRAP4ME Good evening everyone. On a side note: If memory serves me correctly, Ted promoted a few Southwest/Midwest “one off” World of Outlaws banner titled midget races, co-sanctioned with SWIMS <Southwest Independent Midget Series>. One of the races held was at the old Beaver Creek Speedway in Rogers Arkansas. Not sure of the specific year timeframe, guessing it was about 1982. I always remember that race, specifically one driver, as it had a paraplegic driver from Texas racing full tilt, on the mat, wheels up. Very inspirational as a kid, or an adult.

The paraplegic driver was Ron Hughes Jr. He was paralized from the waist down in 1984. He died in a midget race at Devils Bowl Speedway in March of 1990.