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10/21/09, 10:10 AM   #21
Re: Where and when was your very first race?
JordanBlanton
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I don't remember when, but my first 'race' would have been one of the enduros during the county fair at Scott County in the '80s; my dad's cousin used to race them.
Then sometime when I was in middle school Dad took my brother and I to Salem Speedway on 'Scott County night.' I loved it and wanted to go more, but nobody else was really interested.
Fast forward to 2005; I was playing around with demolition derbies. One Saturday I was driving home from my boss's house (where I worked on my derby stuff) and saw a bomber on an open trailer. I was intrigued, thought it must be going to Brownstown, looked up directions, start time, etc. online, and drove up to Brownstown with my cousin and a neighbor. I went a few more times that year, then went to Bloomington Speedway for the first time in '06 (my brother went to IU); my jaw didn't come off the ground the whole night watching the sprints. Went to a few more races that year, hit a ton of races in '07, worked on a car in '08, bought a car and raced some this year in '09. Now when I walk past the window at work I see my sprint car on an old open trailer waiting to be taken to its new home down in Louisville to get redone for 2010.

That was an awfully long post to not even really answer the question.
 
10/21/09, 12:03 PM   #22
Re: Where and when was your very first race?
SUPERDUKE
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:6
Quote:
Originally Posted by dirtnonwingfan View Post
usac midget race at pittsfield, illinois speedway in the summer of 1960. I forget who won, but mel kenyon was there, as well as a couple of young up-and-comers named foyt and jones. I also remember that jerry blundy, the local track champion, was there and didn't do a thing and also remember the high-pitched scream of the evenrude outboard which someone who was having his offy freshened made. Sounded like a bumble bee coming down the straights. For some reason, this race does not appear in the usac 50th anniversary book. I understand from other postings on this board that there are a few others which may have been missed also.

Hard to believe that was 50 years ago.
joe giba old man from denver drove the nb.62 outboard
 
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10/21/09, 12:17 PM   #23
Re: Where and when was your very first race?
ImissAscot
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1974 at Ascot Park Gardena, CA of course. We had a Midget so I'm guessing it was a Midget race but may have been C.R.A. Sprint Cars. I don't know who won either but one thing is for sure I Miss Turkey Night ON DIRT espescially at Ascot. Those were my favorite and most memorable days at that historic joint. There still isn't a track on this planet were they back-in Sprint Cars any harder then they did at Ascot Park. Excuse me while I wipe the tear's.......
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Last edited by ImissAscot; 10/21/09 at 12:18 PM.
 
10/21/09, 12:30 PM   #24
Re: Where and when was your very first race?
FishBurger
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July, 1961.....just turned 21 and recently released from my U.S. Navy tour of duty. Friends chauffeured my true love (at the time) and I to the Lawrenceburg Speedway. Feature was won that night by my first favorite shoe, Stan Bowman in the Connor's Garage #43, followed by Gil Hess in #2, and Mike Johnson (I'm thinking #66 powered by a Dodge Red Ram, but that was a long time ago. Could be/likely is wrong).

Hooked, I've missed very few sprint events at the 'Burg since then, unless there was a USAC race within 150 miles on the same day/night.
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Last edited by FishBurger; 10/21/09 at 12:32 PM.
 
10/21/09, 1:22 PM   #25
Re: Where and when was your very first race?
Modocer 57
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Winchester 1952 I was about 6 years old. What a place to start, we only lived about 18 miles from the track so I saw many a race there growing up.
 
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10/21/09, 3:21 PM   #26
Re: Where and when was your very first race?
RichH
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The long gone Cincinnati Race Bowl sometime in the early 50's, probably '53. It was a AAA midget show on a Wednesday night.
I don't remember the winner but a front runner that night was the late, great Travis "Spider" Webb. After the feature, my Dad took me into the pits and Spider picked me up and sat me in his cockpit!! Oh boy! I still remember the smell of gas, oil, sweat, and leather. Besides, Spider had a bottle blond who was, ahem, favorably endowed hanging all over him. What a life!
On the way home, I asked my Dad how much Mr. Spider had to pay to get to drive that racer [and get the blond]. He replied that he actually GOT PAID money to drive[plus the blond]. Race cars and women, hooked for life!
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10/21/09, 4:06 PM   #27
Re: Where and when was your very first race?
Larry G.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Nunn View Post
And do you remember who won?

Open up those memory banks, share some stories
Posted via Mobile Device
circa 1940, Greenfield, IN near where Riley Park Tire is now located. Likely Huston Bundy as he was a consistent winner during that era.
 
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10/21/09, 4:24 PM   #28
Re: Where and when was your very first race?
SUPERDUKE
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Quote:
Originally Posted by larry g. View Post
circa 1940, greenfield, in near where riley park tire is now located. Likely huston bundy as he was a consistent winner during that era.
houston and my dad had a midget together! Great driver! Sadly killed at armscamp in carl reynolds nb.10 car
 
10/21/09, 4:52 PM   #29
Re: Where and when was your very first race?
Al Soran
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First race attended was circa 1969, the old Marion Speedway, don't know for sure, but wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't Chuck Amati in the Bruce Cogle Ford in victory lane.

First sprint car race run was 1992 at Mt. Vernon. Broke a right rear torsion arm in the first turn of my first feature and flipped. That was to be an omen of things to come regarding my sprint car "career". Wayne Sternberg may have won that night, I'm not sure, I was too busy searching the pits for a clean pair of underwear.
 
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10/21/09, 5:00 PM   #30
Re: Where and when was your very first race?
TeamCGR
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1968; Penn Can Speedway, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. My Father/Coleman's Grandfather was running a Dirt Modified. I believe I ate more dirt that night than was on the car at the end of the evening. I am proud to say that all 3 generations of Gulick's have raced that ole' track. My Dad in the 50's, 60's and 70's, I raced there in the 90's through 00 and Coleman ran a Wing ASCS car there in 07. Pretty cool...

Pete G.
 
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