Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

Alright, folks, I'm starting to feel like I'm running my own column over on Tidbits From the Past, waiting for some of ya'll to start telling stories. I'm going to start a topic on the coldest races I remember going to, since we all know what play days and opening nights tend to be here. Those of you who survived the last ice age (no names please) should have a tale to tell.....or those who ever went to one of Shane's March Outlaw shows. It doesn't matter if it's been 70 degrees for two weeks, wave a green flag and here it comes, so let's hear about it.

Ice Races in Wisconson on the lakes get pretty nippy. 12 degrees below zero wind chill, with a 30 mph wind out of the north. Little warmer indoors on the Hockey Rinks as pictured.

Galen, you are such a class act it is hard for me to think i can even come up with something as good as you do.

But, I'll try. Been very busy. Times are easing up now.

The 1990 WoO springnationals at OkC. By the end I had a tearoff tied to my head using a coathanger and an old blanket that was too thin just so I could watch. It was miserable, but Wolfie and Kinser were by themselves and in top form that day. Wolfie won and it was worth seeing a pure effort to the teeth.

dude I believe it was the 1st, last, and only WoO March race at SFS under the present configurated 3/8ths track. hell actually I think it was the first races ever ran on the 3/8ths period. that was cold as hell. I think it was a sat. and sun affair. me and the girl I was with at the time - went the 1st day - and the cold was bad enough - but the wind made it worse as usual. I remember after we left we didn't get all the feeling back in our limbs until we were back in El Reno - and when I brought up that there was a 2nd day to the show the next day --------- I got a look of pure shock, fear, and dread. I think that was the only race she ever saw - I went back the next day solo. think maybe that day kinda made a bad impression and maybe a lasting one as well...................

There are wayyyy too many cold races I've seen. And considering I'm of the youngin' bunch here (25 or younger) - all of you fellas have probably had it much more harshly than myself. It's funny - after you go to race that isn't just cold - but of the sharp and stinging type as well, 6 months later when you try to recall the event - it's all a blur. you only remember the cold.

Last year's TMS dirt track Pro Cuts race was pretty brutal. Don't remember much about it except for the Jack in the Box and the cool ass tunnel that goes from the track to the pits. And the facility was really nice. but the actual racing seems like just a blur. o yeah - and there were a ton of mods...........o wait - more comin' back now. Ken Schrader ran a red 36? late model. But it was a fella from Colorado that put on quite a passing exhibition - Kelly.....um......Boen? Anyhow the brutality of last year's show down there is making me strongly consider goin' this weekend - as the forecast looks better. temp wise at least.

How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a 
wouldchuck could chuck would

The '90 race between Wolfgang and Kinser was not only one of the coldest races I've ever attended, it was one of the best as well.

Last year's TMS show WAS brutal. Can't believe I sat through the whole thing.

But the coldest race I've ever been to was a WoO show at Manzanita in '96 or '97. It was during the NASCAR weekend in November. NASCAR qualifying on Friday was canceled because of the dust storm the cold front kicked up. That night at Manzy the temperature and wind were about the same--upper thirties or low forties. Saturday night was worse. Saturday, we robbed the blankets and bedspreads from the motel room, took them out to the track and stayed huddled together all night.

I'm too much of a fair weather fan anymore to put up with cold conditions. I have a hard time enjoying the races when I can't feel my extremities

The coldest race I remember was an NCRA race at Devils Bowl. Don't remember the year or who won but I do remember the cold wind that cut through us.

I remember when they used to race those at the StateFair Arena! In fact, i believe Trey Jorski used to race those at the track they had in Yukon.

I agree with Spivey, Devils Bowl late 60' early 70's. You couldn't put enough clothes on or wrap up enough.

I've only weathered a few cold Devil's Bowl shows. A winter nat's in 02' or 03'.

In thinkin more on - I've thought of the 3 coldest moments of my life. so here goes an essay (sorry unc lol). ok I imagine some of ya'll could help me on the year - but about 4 or 5 years ago. I know Porter and Lenhart remembered it - it was sunny but frigin during the heats. I think it was the year Lanny started the season March 1st. and this was the 2nd or 3rd show - so mid march. But yeah it was cold to begin with - only bout 500 people there. lots of cars and good racing - but by the B Mains there were only bout 100 people left - temp was around 25-30 with a 40 mph northerner comin thru - and it got UGLY! It was so bad that literally no one could sit in the stands anymore and it ended up with the remaining fans huddled up in the chutes (walkways). Still cold but remedied the wind situation somewhat. I just remember not understanding why I was still there except that I paid for a ticket and the race wasn't over yet. But that really is still the coldest race I ever been to.

Worse than that - in high school soccer it has rained 7 inches in 36 hours and we had a outdoor game at Chickasha. cold front came through bout 4 hours before the 6pm kickoff. field covered in 3 inches of standing water - and when we took to the field - it was 19 degrees with a wind chill of -2. Playing goalkeeper didn;t help - since without constant runnin just got numb. but I remember too well - in the corners where there wasn't any play goin on - the top was icing over. Chickasha was #1 in the entire state at that time. I held it to 6-0 at halftime (with a big assist from the weather) - we conceded the point and stuck my backup in goal and they got the other 4 goals in 2 min. in 2nd. half. That was one loss we didn;t feel bad about - we played em again in much better weather - day before May 3rd tornadoes in 99' ---- we played em first round of playoffs and won 4-3. then lost to Noble may 4th 3-2.

but back to the cold night - it didn't end there. 2 hours later I was sittin in front of the fire place recovering from shock when my brother comes by with a few peeps and offers to finish the night of strong and go get drunk. maybe it was because of the bad experience earlier - or maybe b/c I was still 16 - but I obliged. it was yet more proof of the dumbass gene in my family as he decided to muddin at a flooded Lake El Reno and we get stuck in 3 ft. of water - comin' in the cab of the blazer and evreything. me, my bro, his buddy, and my bro's pregnant g/f had to swim out and then walk 2 1/2 miles for the nearest help. scary thing too. the other went on ahead runnin while me and the pregnant chic walked - and if the wind chill was -2 earlier that night - it was probably -12 at midnight. scared for her. but they got help and all ended well except for my bro's blazer. don't know why I tell that story here - except it couldn't really be described as brutal cold. me and my bro's g/f were probably hypothermic. it became a struggle to just to keep walking. ironically - went to another friends party later and passed out right in the middle of it. not from drinkin or anything. but b/c I was damn near hypothermic twice in the same night (twice in 8 hours actually).

and finally. think back to October of 2006. it was a saturday and creek county was racing. but no one was truly dimb enough to go with my pop to the OU home game vs. Colorado. freezing and rainin off and on too. I remember hollering at JD (2 barrell sprint JD) - to find out what went down at Creek (think he was sellin a frame that night) - and he said he wasn't 100% sure as it was so cold they sat int he truck. lol. but yeah I got to sit nosebleed and freeze at Memorial Stadium that night. pretty brutal with the wind involved. wind - but of course - it wouldn't be Oklahoma without it.

that's all the cold stories I got. and all I care to think about it as well. I sure do hope the weather stays well for Devil's Bowl and SFS Sprint Nat's.................

How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a 
wouldchuck could chuck would

Just remembered a story Laymond Crump told me years ago. He was the publicity man and results writer/scorer/whatever for Ray Lavely. Lavely ran at Taft Stadium until Thanksgiving a couple of years! He wouldn't allow any of the officials to wear jackets, his thinking being that if the crowd saw the officials wearing jackets, they'd realize how cold it was. Yeah, right, like that snotcicle hanging off your nose didn't give you enough of a clue. Promoters!

We were at that OU game. Way underdressed and a really dull game. We left at the half. It's only about four miles from the stadium to the house and the car never really heated up all the way. Thank God for the seat heaters. It was two or three hours before we ever warmed up! I remember sitting there and telling Jennifer that I was glad we weren't up there in the new upper deck on the east side because they were getting the full brunt of the wind sweeping down the plains.

I don't know what the coldest race i've ever been to was, but i know the coldest trip home was the 07 chili bowl when it iced and snowed so much. We were nice and warm in the expo center all week. Then my heater in my truck decided to break. So going home in the ice and snow, me and brandon were driving down the turnpike with our heads hung out the window to see while lee was balled up in the back seat under a blanket telling us how cold it was. We finally figured out that if we turned the AC on full blast it kinda worked as a defroster. I've never been that cold in my life.

Bobby Springer #25

Yeah, the windshield was freezing so we were constantly hanging out of the window de-icing with credit cards, debit cards, phone cards etc. Finally we have to stop at a gas station and Bobby and I get out and scrape the windshield. When we got back in from the cold Lee felt it was necessary to explain to us how cold it was UNDERNEATH HIS BLANKET...

The Coldest Race ever for me was on a hot summer night in the 80's at Meeker when my wife caught me flirting with a scantly clad blonde with big boobs in the Pits after the races.

It was the longest, coldest trip back to OKC.

Dern,after that I will not embarrass myself with my little mickey mouse stories!LOL

God made dirt,man made asphalt.

Sounds as if we got super lucky for this Saturday March 1st for the Indoor Short Track Races at the OK Corral Indoor Arena in Harrah, Oklahoma. Low of only 62 Degrees with a high of 72 Degrees! WOW how cool/wam is that for a Winter race.

ROUND #12 AMP OUTLAW WINTER NATIONLS INDOOR SHORT TRACK SERIES

SATURDAY NIGHT MARCH 1st OK CORRAL - 20450 SE 29TH STREET - HARRAH OK

Let's Go Racing Indoors !

OPEN PRO SINGLES BANGING BARS INDOORS AT THE OK CORRAL

#12 Chance Osburn Chandler, Oklahoma, #27 Cacey Hackfeld Ft Worth, Texas, #81g Bret Sowders Bethany, Oklahoma

I hear that. that was so cold it was painful after 10% of the walk NORTH to the entrance. then to get all the way to the front str8 and my girl told me she started the rag. long brutal journey back out to the car - the gas station on Harvard didn't have what she needed - had to go to some 2nd hand store or somthin a couple miles to the south. and then walk back up to the entrance. I remember being too numb to be pissed.

I bet a lot of folks have stories bout the 07 bowl. the drive back to okc sat. night was a pretty bad one - but man without heating that must have been among the longest drives ever. Last year's chili bowl was a hell of year to go get broken in on it.

How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a 
wouldchuck could chuck would

back in the late 80s a 2 day woo show at Tulsa. it was 34 with 40 mph winds. The race was televised my american sport cavalcade on tnn.