Originally Posted by TQ29m:
Duke, the reason I asked was, a friend of mine from Bloomington, is an Eberle, he married Kay and Carl Sandy's daughter, Tom "BIG" used to drive for them. They got back in a couple years ago, their son decided he wanted to try his hand at driving a midget, don't know if he's still at it, or not. Bob
OK I DROVE CARL'S MIDGET ONE NITE AT THE SPEEDDROME USAC SHOW WHEN TOM WAS NOT THERE!!! BURNED UP THE U-JOINT DRIVING IT TOO HARD!!!!!!!! LEADING THE RACE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:checkered:
The Velodrome Midget Speedway ran until 1948. In 1949 as kids we used to 'race' our bicycles around the abandoned asphalt oval. It was on Burlington Pike about a 1/2 mile east from the five points intersection. It has been many, many years since I was in the area but my recall of the location was NOT where the trailer park is now located. It was where the building that housed the produce market and banana cooler was located. I remember the track being behind that building and to gain entrance to the track you had to drive around the building. After we were finished 'racing' our bicycles we would sneak inside the cooler and 'borrow' a handful of bananas.
For a very neat photo of the old Muncie Velodrome Midget Speedway go to Google and type in INDIANA ROARING ROADSTERS. Scroll over to PHOTOS, which also has Jungle Park, Richmond, Mt Lawn and Sun Valley posted photos
The Muncie Velodrome was indeed located on Burlinton Pike. My reseach puts it at the location of the Trailer park. This was also the location of the Muncie steeplechase in 1939. Dutch Hurst local car dealer and promotor of the Mutual Racing assoc. Ran it at that time. The Steeplechase ran up to 1940. The Velodrome was then built and to the best of the information, never ran the steeplchase after that. I have photos I will post later today(maybe) if we get rained out at Haubstat.
Dusty
Here ya go. These were taken in 1940 at the Steeplechase and 1946 at the Velodrome which were the same place. Notice the barn in the background of the Steeplechase, that's the same barn which was modified into the grandstand on the front stretch.
Dusty
Dusty Goggles thank you for the information and neat old photo of the Steeplechase circuit. I often wondered about the exact location of the Steeplechase but your note on the barn that later became the grandstand for the midget track cleared it up very nicely. I moved away from Muncie 55 years ago and made my bicycle hot laps on the deserted old oval nearly 60 years ago, so you are probably correct with the trailer park location of the track. Do you remember the produce building with the banana cooler on Burlington Pike? Agan thanks for the info and photos, nice post.
