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Topic: Do You Remember When... Email this topic to a friend | Subscribe to this TopicReport this Topic to Moderator
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miketx
June 18, 2008 at 12:28:25 AM
Joined: 01/07/2008
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This message was edited on June 18, 2008 at 12:31:44 AM by miketx

Do you remember when...

81 speedway's grandstand was a big hill with the seats just buried into the dirt? And there were lots of red ants. Grandpa and Uncle Kenny always brought this Indian blanket to sit on so we wouldn't get splinters in our butts.

In Tulsa, if you went to the Git-n-Go before noon on Saturday you could get a ticket to the races for a dollar and save FIFTY CENTS off the normal admission price?

In Great Bend, if you wanted you could just park your car outside the 4th turn and sit on the hood and watch the races?

Those nasty wax covered cups that cokes came in. And the cokes were only a dime?

Very few of your friends in junior high knew what a modified was or cared and thought you were kind of weird for liking them?

You lied and got out of church youth group gatherings and went to the races instead ? Yes God, I did it, please forgive me. I think the pastor knew what was up...

11,000 would turn up for a regular Saturday nigtht race in Tulsa, and sometimes they had to turn people away? Nowdays most places 3000 is a good crowd.

You could afford to drive to Houston Raceway Park a couple of times a year to see sprint cars? Now it costs $75 on gasoline just to get there.

My friends, if you can remember some or all of the above, you're getting OLD!

m




Racing From The Past
MyWebsite
June 18, 2008 at 08:32:16 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
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This message was edited on June 18, 2008 at 09:48:35 PM by Racing From The Past

Anyone want to guess what track this was?


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

RACERX3C
June 18, 2008 at 08:54:41 PM
Joined: 01/20/2008
Posts: 310
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I'm not from where you grew up, but if you can remember some of those things then you are a lucky SOB. Those sound like great memories to me.




miketx
June 19, 2008 at 06:52:38 PM
Joined: 01/07/2008
Posts: 50
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This message was edited on June 20, 2008 at 05:46:32 PM by miketx
Reply to:
Posted By: RACERX3C on June 18 2008 at 08:54:41 PM

I'm not from where you grew up, but if you can remember some of those things then you are a lucky SOB. Those sound like great memories to me.



Grew up in Tulsa, till about 1965. Grandparents lived in Wichita, so I went to 81 with Grandpa, and laterI lived in Hoisington, about ten miles north of Great Bend and went to the races in Great Bend. I wouldn't trade my experiences in Tulsa for anything. I always told my sons I wished there was some kind of time machine so I could take them to the races with me. A lucky SOB? You've got it!

Warren,

My guess on the Google Earth photo is Great Bend, except for the trees on the back straight. Of course that's been almost thirty years and they could have grown up since then.

WAIT, I got to looking a little closer and the track in the photo runs north and south. Didn't Great Bend run east and west? Guess I need to get on Google and find out myself.

m



Racing From The Past
MyWebsite
June 19, 2008 at 09:23:28 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
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Not Great Bend, but it's in Kansas.

I tried once to find the track in Hosington but had no luck. Where was it? If I remember right Larned had a track also.


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

Racing From The Past
MyWebsite
June 19, 2008 at 09:30:53 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
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This message was edited on June 19, 2008 at 09:41:12 PM by Racing From The Past

I got to messing around with terra server again. Searched up Great Bend http://www.terraserver.com/view.asp?cx=520582.639995816&cy=4246273.2581474&proj=32614&mpp=7.5&pic=-1&prov=-1&stac=-1&styp=AD

and the Great Bend Track (Golden Belt Speedway) stills shows up. But if you move southwest of the Golden Belt Speedway site in between the two runways and dragstrip there appears to be another racetrack. What was this track. I assumed when Brack or who else ran the track last just had the races at the old track, I'm I wrong, was there another track built?

Yes the GB track did run e/w

A few years ago I did the GB track on terra server and the 3/8 mile Golden Belt Track show up better. Now it seems to be slipping away.


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes


Racing From The Past
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June 19, 2008 at 10:33:33 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
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This message was edited on June 22, 2008 at 12:56:37 PM by Racing From The Past

The only thing that is visible of McCarty Speedway in Dodge City is the grandstands. You have to use your imagination to see a track.


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

welder
June 20, 2008 at 09:55:34 AM
Joined: 11/29/2006
Posts: 595
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Reply to:
Posted By: Racing From The Past on June 19 2008 at 09:30:53 PM

I got to messing around with terra server again. Searched up Great Bend http://www.terraserver.com/view.asp?cx=520582.639995816&cy=4246273.2581474&proj=32614&mpp=7.5&pic=-1&prov=-1&stac=-1&styp=AD

and the Great Bend Track (Golden Belt Speedway) stills shows up. But if you move southwest of the Golden Belt Speedway site in between the two runways and dragstrip there appears to be another racetrack. What was this track. I assumed when Brack or who else ran the track last just had the races at the old track, I'm I wrong, was there another track built?

Yes the GB track did run e/w

A few years ago I did the GB track on terra server and the 3/8 mile Golden Belt Track show up better. Now it seems to be slipping away.



The other track was made about 3 years ago, we were going to run vintage cars there. It was at the 3-I show, we went out there Sunday to run, but someone forgot to tell the safety people. They were called but no one came because they had worked the 3-I show. So we loaded up and left, so it was never used. Thanks



Racing From The Past
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June 20, 2008 at 10:40:36 AM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
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Ok on the 3-I show track. I just assumed they graded the old track and was going to run there. The last time I drove by the old track it appeared the banking was still there and the light poles too. I believe they moved the grandstands probably to the dragstrip area.


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes


miketx
June 20, 2008 at 10:41:25 AM
Joined: 01/07/2008
Posts: 50
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Reply to:
Posted By: Racing From The Past on June 19 2008 at 09:23:28 PM

Not Great Bend, but it's in Kansas.

I tried once to find the track in Hosington but had no luck. Where was it? If I remember right Larned had a track also.



The track in Hoisington was on the west side of town. It was right north of where the swimming pool is now. If memory serves me well, there are softball fields there now, or at least there were before the tornado. That's right where it touched down. Even thirty years ago it was hard to tell there was a track there, just a very, very slight rise where the south turn used to be. You had to know what you were looking for to even see it. I never ventured to the north end, but I assume it went nearly to Hwy 4. There was mention and photos in one of Bob May's books, but I can't remember which one and right now I'm too lazy to go find it. In one of the photos there were a bunch of young teen agers about my uncle's age, so I asked him if he ever went to the races. He said he remembered the races,but said he only went to the rodeos (he was a drag race guy anyway).

m



miketx
June 20, 2008 at 10:53:22 AM
Joined: 01/07/2008
Posts: 50
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I'm glad the topic of the abandoned/derelict tracks came up. In my part of Texas, seveal tracks have closed or are seldom used. The new Toyota plant is in south San Antonio, and so there has been huge growth in that part of town. The half mile paved track, quarter mile dirt track and the old dragstrip are all gone now. It didn't take them long either. I'm not sure they use Shady Oaks near Goliad much any more. They might alternate weekends with the track in Edna which has become surprisingly successful.

 

m



Racing From The Past
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June 20, 2008 at 11:04:28 AM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
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This message was edited on June 20, 2008 at 03:24:28 PM by Racing From The Past

Mike, all those Git N Go Stores plus the grocery distributor company that owned them closed a few years ago.

There's a site called http://tulsatvmemories.com/ Tulsa TV Memories and click on Group Blog. The name TV is misleading cause everything comes up. Toward the bottom of the each page click on archives Group blog # for older pages. Hours of reading and I'm not even from Tulsa and I enjoy it. I visit once and awhile and find it interesting. Racing comes up from time to time.


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes


Racing From The Past
MyWebsite
June 21, 2008 at 11:38:08 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
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Dewey or Lakeside Speedway in Dewey, OK is just barely visible and a little imagination is needed.


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

Racing From The Past
MyWebsite
June 21, 2008 at 11:55:57 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
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Plaza or J-Hill Speedway near Junction City is still visible. The grandstand was where the trees are at the top on the photo.

Bill Wilson below told me he won the 1st and last race there.

I was delivering to the Alco store in Ellsworth, KS one day. I was wearing one of my screen printed shirts with the 3 cars on it. A person comes up to me and asked why he wasn't on my shirt. I about fell over when I ask who he was and it was the Salina, KS area legend Billy Wilson. He was working there.

 


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

Racing From The Past
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June 22, 2008 at 12:55:38 AM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
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Cimarron Raceway west of Sands Springs, OK and west of Lake Keystone on the south side of US 412 or the Cimarron Turnpike.

Don't know much about this track. It caught my eye when I used to make regular runs to Tulsa. From the highway the press box and fencing can still be seen.


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes


miketx
June 22, 2008 at 11:45:13 AM
Joined: 01/07/2008
Posts: 50
Reply
This message was edited on June 22, 2008 at 12:12:26 PM by miketx
Reply to:
Posted By: Racing From The Past on June 18 2008 at 08:32:16 PM

Anyone want to guess what track this was?



McCarty Stadium

Too bad about Scott Kalitta.

m



Racing From The Past
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June 22, 2008 at 01:03:12 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
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McCarty is identified. It's not McCarty.

I'm not sure but this track may have had a couple of names in the 60's. I was there only 3 or 4 times.


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

Sprint97
August 02, 2008 at 07:50:01 AM
Joined: 03/19/2007
Posts: 253
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Reply to:
Posted By: miketx on June 18 2008 at 12:28:25 AM

Do you remember when...

81 speedway's grandstand was a big hill with the seats just buried into the dirt? And there were lots of red ants. Grandpa and Uncle Kenny always brought this Indian blanket to sit on so we wouldn't get splinters in our butts.

In Tulsa, if you went to the Git-n-Go before noon on Saturday you could get a ticket to the races for a dollar and save FIFTY CENTS off the normal admission price?

In Great Bend, if you wanted you could just park your car outside the 4th turn and sit on the hood and watch the races?

Those nasty wax covered cups that cokes came in. And the cokes were only a dime?

Very few of your friends in junior high knew what a modified was or cared and thought you were kind of weird for liking them?

You lied and got out of church youth group gatherings and went to the races instead ? Yes God, I did it, please forgive me. I think the pastor knew what was up...

11,000 would turn up for a regular Saturday nigtht race in Tulsa, and sometimes they had to turn people away? Nowdays most places 3000 is a good crowd.

You could afford to drive to Houston Raceway Park a couple of times a year to see sprint cars? Now it costs $75 on gasoline just to get there.

My friends, if you can remember some or all of the above, you're getting OLD!

m



I remember more than that, so I must be real lucky. I was in the Army in Ft Hood, Texas in 1951. We left Ft Hood to travel to Drexel, Mo to get my car (1941 Pontiac, 8 cyl) but ran into flood waters south of Wichita.This was in July. We went west, then north to Kingman to spend the 3 or 4 days. We went to Wichita on Sat or Sun night to the races. The race was SE of town. I think someone said it was Wall Stadium. They raced mostly sedans.

 

I also raced a flat head Ford at Tulsa in June or July 1961, my first year in racing. The car had a Pontiac car rear end with a 28 tooth second gear Ford transmision for 1/4 mile tracks. Since Tulsa was a 3/8 mile, I put 890 X 15 house trailer tires on the rear. We (Harlan Johnson of Osawatomie, Ks was driving) qualified 3rd, ran in the trophy dash & was running 3rd in the main event when the top radiator hose came off. The car is pictured on the link here of the cars I built. Jack Belk had fast time & won the main in Al Weilands #37 and Bud Hatch (#87) ran 2nd. There was a local driver killed that night on the back stretch.

 

I ran at 81 Speedway for the Labor Day races in 1964 or 65 with Jack Belk driving my car. It was the week-end Harold Leep won 3 races in Linclon & won 1 or 2 of the Wichita races. Someone will remember !

Luther Brewer




miketx
August 03, 2008 at 02:12:01 PM
Joined: 01/07/2008
Posts: 50
Reply

1961. Long time ago, isn't it. I looked at the link and can't remember that car, although I remember some of your later cars. I was only 10 years old, and although we went to the races almost every Saturday night starting in about 1963 or 1964 in the Dick Colvin promotions era, it was still an occasional thing with my dad in '61. The shows weren't very good then.

I can only remember two guys getting killed in Tulsa in the early sixties, Bud Morgan, who was probably the driver you mentioned in 1961 and Leroy Ellis.



Racing From The Past
MyWebsite
August 03, 2008 at 10:44:54 PM
Joined: 12/04/2004
Posts: 2303
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Reply to:
Posted By: Racing From The Past on June 18 2008 at 08:32:16 PM

Anyone want to guess what track this was?



This is where Air Capital Speedway was on West Kellogg in Wichita.


Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes



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