Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
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My Dad, we would go every Sunday night to Shaheen's Springfield Speedway. They were super modifieds then and evolved into the sprint cars of today. It was a great time to see so many great drivers, Joe would have midgets where Foyt and all the boys would show up. Then on a regular Sunday night we would have the likes of Dick Standridge, Gentleman Jim Moughan, Gene Hansen, Bobby Carrigan, Bubby Jones, Larry and Steve Cannon, Jerry and Dave Camfield, Dean Shirley, Ron Milton, Donnie Beechler and the list goes on and on. I continued the tradition and introduced my son to the racing game and now I have a new grandson. I'm sure my son will introduce him to racing and I'll be ther with them. 

In 1981 my grandfather took me to Port Royal Speedway where he worked (eventually for over 50 years).  I'd followed results in the local papers (Harrisburg & Lewistown) before this, but this was my first exposure.  Keith Kauffman won the sprint feature that night in the Weikert #29 and was in the top five in the late model division.  I think Jeff Robinson won that race.  Since Keith was local and graduated with my dad, he very quickly became my favorite.  Later that year I went with my grandfather to Williams Grove for an afternoon race, which Lynn Paxton won on a last lap pass of Bobby Allen.  Was bummed that Kauffman went to Eldora that weekend and wasn't at the Grove, but still a great race.  Paxton went to the rear early and still won.  Keith would win that race at Eldora though. 

My start came from holding a light for my next door neighbor a famous midget driver that raced in ohio Little Mike Little. He had started his son ( Tommy Serokman) in racing dirt track at the old Johnstown speedway. Thru the years they moved to modifieds and ran the weekly West Penn racing assoc.  The weekends where full of racing fri sat and sun.  Fridays at Jennerstown then saturday at Windber and Sunday at motordrome. Then the Bedford speedway had started a winged sprint program. I got to see some top drivers there  Opperman, Weld, Paxton , I introduced my youngest son to WOO at Lernerville and we traveled to alot of races together. great memories together. we spent a week at the Knoxville nationals.

Some great posts on here . A good idea to post this thread , thanks .

It was a family affair for us long before I was born.

Member of this message board since 1997

Started for me with my dad back in the mid fifties. I was 5 years old. It started with the modifieds at Milford, IA and Jackson, MN. Those old modifieds transitioned into sprint cars in the sixties. Also just a few blocks away was the Clay County fair which I've attended all my life. The family had concessions there for over fifty years. During the Fair the IMCA sprints pulled in to town. Drivers like Jerry Richert, Sr, Gordon Wooley, Jerry "Scratch" Daniels, Jerry Blundy, Bill Utz and several drivers that went on to USAC fame drove there over the years. My dad used to tell me about Gus Schrader and Emory "Spunk" Collins. I got hooked at 5 years of age and have been hooked ever since. My passion is what led me to the Knoxville Nationals, which I've attended since 1972. I also became a history buff, collecting magazines and such. I search the internet regularly for historical articles and news items from the past. This form of racing has as much history and as many fascinating stars and participants as any sport there is. I think the drivers have more passion for what they do than any other athlete. There's a love for and desire for racing that they can't even begin to explain. And as for the fans, we too have that same passion. We just express ours on the "other side of the fence"!

seeing the IRA and WoO at Hales Corners and WIlmot as a kid.

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My Grandpa took me and my brother to Fremont Speedway every saturday night , starting back in the late 60's !

Grew up near a terrible track-which I now miss-in northwest Illinois.  (Maddog u can confirm this).  One of the highlights was a periodic trip by the IRA.  Was always awesome-til they pulled off the track early-once for unsafe conditions-once for tearing down the chicken wire fence.  Anyways as a NASCAR and dirt late-model fan I visited NASCAR races and a lot of area and regional late-model events.  That all changed in 2002.  A friend of mine called me on Saturday morning at 6:00 am.   Said he had a free seat and ticket to meet and greet with Steve Kinser in the Quaker State tent at the Knoxville National.  At 6:30 we were on the road in the RV.  Spent the whole day eating, drinking and bowling. (Needed AC-100 degrees!).  Racing was incredible that night.  Never went to another NASCAR show!  Have been to Nationals ever since every year.  Started hitting other WOO shows, IRA shows, all stars and last year national Sprint league.   

Back in about 1975 a family moved to our street. They had this thing I did not know what it was. One day I spoke with the owner' s son, we become friends. It was Lloyd shores race car. Spend a lot at lloyd's shop getting to do things like cleaning the shop, taken old race car a parts. Poeple would come into the shop order new sprints, midget and silver crown cars. Going to Paragon on Saturday nite with Scott shores. Good times. I go to three or so sprint car races and A couple of silver crown races. Forever thanks to Scott and Lloyd Shores for show me this sport.

Early to mid-1960's IMCA sprint cars and Knoxville super modified/Sprints.

IMCA days it seemed no one could beat Jerry Blundy. Jim Moughan, Gordon Wolley, the Welds, Jerry Richert, Hank Smith, Dick Sutcliff, Jay Woodside, Earl Wagner, Bill Utz, the Williams, Lonnie Jenson, Ray Lee Goodwin, Kenny Gritz, Lloyd Beckman, Eddie Leavitt, anyone any night could win.

That was probably some of the most exciting races any night at Knoxville then many times cars running 2-3 abreast for 3-4 rows.

I also loved the IMCA dry slick races at the Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska State fairgrounds. Again, anyone could win and come from the back, driver skill, tires, strategy really mattered.

Great battles betwen Opperman, Eddie Leavitt, Utz, Goodwin, Sutcliff at the Iowa State fairgrounds.

I recently was given Bob Trostles Book "Lifes Tough On The Circuit", it is a must have for anyone that recognizes what I am talking about.

I remember being really little and going to the races at Huset's with my parents and my Grandpa.  After my Grandpa passed away when I was 5 I went through a racing hiatus until 7th grade.  I played on a softball team sponsord by Arbys, and Arby's needed a few kids to hand out Koozies at Huset's one night.  I was one of those kids and was re-hooked immediately.  The next night I went to the WoO show and for the last 18 years I've missed only a handful of shows at Huset's and have been to many tracks accross the country.

My Dad really started me off in Illinois at about age 5, taking me to indoor midget races. I lived near Jennerstown, PA about 3 miles from Jennerstown Speedway, 1954 - 1961. While in the Air Force, stationed at Amarillo AFB, Texas I routinely went to Amarillo Speed Bowl 1963 thru 1965 watching the super modifieds. labor Day weekend 1965 They ran the Southwest super modified championships(3 days) Kenny weld was the overall champion, won $5,000 and a new Mustang convertible. I have pictures of him after the race back in the rear infield pits and was fortunate enough to spend abouta half an hour with him then. Lived in Girard, Pa and used to go to Raceway 7 in Ohio and watch Lou and Dave Blaney run LM & Sprints for several years. moved to Tennessee in 1985 and been a WOO fan and Race attendee since about 1996. Forgot to mention we used to go to TriCity Speedway near Franklin,PA and watched Gus LInder and friends wow them there  1966 thru 1970's. 

A friend of mine who actually is not a race fan at all took me to the Brad Doty Classic in 2009. I would always go to local asphalt races on friday nights because my wife worked nights on friday so that left me free on those nights. My buddy asked me if he could tag along one night and we went to Kil Kare near Dayton Ohio. While we were there his dad called him and when he told him where he was his dad told him "so you go to the races with your friends but not with me"? Could of days later I got a call from him asking if I wanted to go to Lima where he is from for a race there. He let me know it was a dirt track and I had never been to a dirt track before. I had seen them on TV and liked them but never had any desire to go to one.

We got our seats and and I did not even know what type of cars or promotion was racing. Few moments later a green number 11 came out of turn 2 with a big Q on it. Being a racing fan I knew who it was right away since I had watched the World of Outlaws on TNN when I was a kid. I thought the cars were cool growing up but never knew that they raced or even still existed at that point. The flagman waived the flag for them to start hot lapping and once they hit that throttle the ground shook and the dirt flew and the cars flew around that little track I was hooked instantly. I went home and looked them up to see what kind of schedule they had. I was thrilled to see that they were going to a track called Eldora in Rossburg Ohio and Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne would be racing with them. That made it easy to convince my wife to go since she has the typical crush on Kasey Kahne like most women who are casual race fans. We went to the kings royal and had a great time. Since that week I have paid more atention to sprint car racing than any other form of motorsports and used to go to about 15-20races a year.

We just had our first child in October, a baby boy and I cannot wait to take him to the races once he grows up a little bit.

My Father on May 21-1978; we were on our way back home from a business trip in Indy and he said lets stop at Eldora Speedway; the Woo Sprint Cars are there and the King Steve Kinser won his ver First a feature and i have been hooked ever since !

Long Live  20 Time  World Of Outlaws Champion Steve 
Kinser #11 

We moved from NYC to rural Virginia in 1960, when I was 10. Bugged my father to take me to dirt track races (jalopies, modified coupes) & we became regulars at Eastside Speedway in Waynesboro, Va., watching Smokey Stover win something like 22 out of 24 races in 1962, usually starting from the back (full invert). We moved back North in 1966, went to 2 pavement races in Danbury, Ct. & totally lost interest

Fast forward to 2010. I was at a music fest in upstate NY, a friend gave me an article on Smokey Yunick in a Circle Track mag, & they mentioned Central Pa. sprint car scene. I knew about sprint cars, was curious, & driving to southern Pa. the next day. Got on the Net, found a race at little Clinton County Raceway, Pa. First time I saw 24 800 hp beasts roar out of Turn One on a little county fair track designed for 8 horses, I was hooked. Had to drive 20 miles or so to nearest gas station, noticed all the  cars there were covered with dust also. got into some conversations, heard about Williams Grove & the Outlaws. That fall I flew from my home in Colorado to see Sammy win National Open at The Grove.

Since then I've been to a lot of the big shows, 20 tracks, several states. Next adventure: Indiana Midget Week this spring!

My dad was involved with owning cars all his life but for sprint cars it was a friend and his dad took me to a WoO show at the now closed Sunset Speedway in Omaha, NE. Still remember Wolfgang making his own line above the cushion. Bought my first sprint car shirt that day and it was a Sammy Swindell shirt when he was driving for Nance.

When we were kids mom & dad & uncle would take us all to the local track (lawrenceburg). When I got old enough to drive, a buddy and me would hit the local tracks, we primarily went to pavement stock car tracks, Queen City, Winchester, Salem etc.  then we went to Eldora. It was the late 70's and I remember the first car I saw. It was qualifying and Doug Wolfang in a #4 was on the clock. I thought OMG 

My mom and dad were race fans before I came along in September of 1947.  We have pictures of me being on a blanket in the infield of Williams Grove during the summer of 1948 and thats when the tradition started.  I spent many Sunday afternoons at Williams Grove.  When my brother was born in 1953 he did not respond well to the noise and mom stayed home with him. Dad did not like anything but open wheel, he felt fenders and roofs did not belong on race cars.  Dad was at the first race at Williams Grove in 1939 when he was 16.  My grandfather loaded up the farm truck with dad and his two brothers and came all the way from Lancaster County. My uncles never took to racing like dad and when he was dating mom and after getting married they became big fans.  The neat thing was that he liked the modified "bugs"" that replaced the full size "heavy" modifieds in central PA in the early 60's and by this time my brother tolerated racing so the family spent many Fridays at Williams Grove, Saturday at Lincoln, and Sundays at Susquehanna.  When USAC came east we were at Reading, Langhorn, Trenton or anywhere they ran.  He really liked when they went to full time sprints in central PA, but would like it better without the wings.  Me, I go to as many races I can get to, perfer non wing stuff, it is still the best but if it has wheels and races, I will watch.  None of my kids nor my wife like racing, but a I have 3 grandkids and they all shirts from Indy, so there is hope.  Lost mom two years ago at age 88 and dad this Thanksgiving at age 92.  Dad suffered from dementia big time but when I visited him and we talked racing I would have him back for a period of time.  I will forever cherish the time I spent with both, especially at the races.  Sorry this is so long, but it touched a nerve with me

Now if you asked me about Dirt Modifieds; it would be at Moc A Tek Speedway in Lakeville Pa when my parents took me in 1970 when i was 7 years old and in 1972 we first start going to NYSF in Syracuse Ny for Super Dirt Week !

Long Live  20 Time  World Of Outlaws Champion Steve 
Kinser #11