Folks Of Interest Joie Chitwood Shows...

Of course I remember his shows of Daredevil drivers and original stunts later emulated for the film industry... but how many of you saw them driving 1956 Chevrolets...???

Pretty exciting stuff for a child of the 50's+60's...!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au9I5hLD29Q&feature=related

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I've edited this thread to ask a very good question...

Ever wonder if the "Chitwood Shows" would excite the younger generation?

I don't think so... or at least... Not like it did for me and others of my generation...!

Hell... Dare Devil shows ruled in our day... Chitwood... Evil Knevil... were the shit...!

Todays generation must think all this car "Hoopla" is "Hokey" or too "Tame" to command their attention and I can understand why... compared to what they've already seen in movies, computers, and at stadiums worldwide.

Todays world is "Faster pace and In your Face" causing "sensory overload"... todays kids see monster trucks crushing cars... Transformers eating cars... kids doing back flips on motorcycles, Bicycles and skateboards all before the age of 9!

Then they go out and try to emmulate what they saw in a video game, or on TV and perform feats of magic or feats of "Jack-Ass" in their own backyards!

Doctors offices around the world are filled with these "dare Devils" feeling their oats and experiencing the agony of defeat!

The "Chitwood Shows" of "days gone by" were spectacular when I was a child during the 60's and early 70's... but for the younger generation they must appear as mearly as exerpts of todays typical day in traffic!

 

What a blast seeing this film. I didn't see them in the 56 Chevy's but did see them earlier in Fords of the early 50's. I remember a full circle around the track on two wheels after coming off a ramp, my friends were envious of my ability to see stuff like this, stock car races, high bank midget races, etc. Thanks Dad for all these thrills!!~Sololobo~

 

Greetings from Long Branch,NJ,Americas first seashore resort and 7 time US summer capital....I was too young to remember when Joie brought the show to the city's Ocean Park Stadium that also hosted dog races,stock car races,circus' etc....but I was glad to have had the opportunity of seeing the show many many times at Wall Stadium Speedway and working with show announcer ''Herk'', Hap and Dave were the clowns that kept the show going when the set ups would change or when there was trouble....you know like the rodeo clowns....Herk would set up the crowd talking about Larry Teeter, the car cannon shot, T-bones,riding around the track sideways balancing on two wheels....and then Chitwood Sr. would come out....and Herk would raise his voice with a faster pace and say JOIE....JOIE....JOIE...and the crowd would go wild....Joie Jr would be at the track in later years....after 57 years Wall Speedway did not open for this years regular season....but through the hard work of track manager Jim Morton and countless others the track will open at least one more time for this years Thanksgiving weekend Turkey Derby racing action.
Lee-Wall Speedway track announcer-WRAT-FM

 

The first time i lived here (1989-1993) in tampa I remember going to his shop not far from me and watching them. Getting to see throught the fence was also nice. To bad theres not another guy who wanted to pick up where he left off.

 

Cool video...9 minutes...too long to be a TV comercial.They must have showed that at the movie theater between flicks. And what was that catch car?!? looked like a 33/34 fordor,but the hood seemed kind of long. I saw the Chitwwoods at our local county fair in the early 70's with Tim Chitwood driving. They were driving Chevettes and Camaros. The grand finale was the ramp to ramp jump,which came up a little short...he drove that Camaro right into the end of the catch ramp and smashed it to bits...good show.

 

I remember seeing them at the old Northstar speedway in Lino Lakes in the late 60's.
The other thrill show I miss is the motercycle in a silo at the state fair.

 

Actually Joie Chitwood started using Chevy's in 1955. During my 10 years at the Eastwood Company I contacted Joie, jr and licensed the name and artwork from the '55 cars to produce a 10,000 piece, limited edition run of 1:24 scale die cast wagons. They sold well and occasionally pop up on E-Bay.

 

I remember Dad taking us to the Auto Thrill show in the early 60's. They were driving 1955 Chevys. I can still see them driving around the race track on 2 wheels. I always wanted to try that.

overspray

 

Yep, saw the show in upstate NY at a dirt track called '5 Mile Point' in Kirkwood, NY, they were using Mustangs at the time, had to be `1964 or so.

 

saw them every year in the 60s, they would do the grandstand show at the york fair. they were a real american tradition

 

I saw them at the county fairgrounds in the early fifties in downtown Daytron, Ohio. If I remember correctly they were driving '50 Fords. It was a thrill for a 12 year old.

 

I don't know How long you've been in Tampa, but there was a "Hell Drivers" Nash sitting next to a fence backing up to I-275 North of downtown for years and years... Disappeared about 10 years ago. I never had the opportunity to stop and have a look.

 

I have, or used to have(haven't noticed it in a long while), a Monogram or Revell model of a Joie Chitwood Stunt Car, a 50 Mercury. Kit has a ramp and a couple other accessories. Bought it in unfinished, actually barely started form at a garage sale years ago.

 

As a pre teen in the 50's my parents took me to several Chitwood shows here in NE. I just have vauge memories of the show, but one thing has always stuck in my mind when one of the guys was doing the slide for life and he lost it, slamed into a fence and didn't get up. Got hauled away in am ambulance and never heard what the outcome was.

 

This totally made my day!!!

~Jason

 

Made my day, also ! Cool Video. I grew up in Conn., and saw the Chitwood show at the Great Danbury State Fair raceway. Brings back fond memories. Thanks.

 

The Nash wound up at "Memory Lane" in Plant City and sold on ebay last year. It wasn't a Chitwood car though. It was the last car from Lucky Lee Lott. My brother went to school with Jr. and they had a used car lot on Gandy in the '60s.

 

Im SOLD! I will take one!

 

Islip Speedway, 50's-70's. Always was a big hit. My feelings on it was, they were better in the 50's and 60's.

 

Joey Sr. was a open wheel racer. He was part Indian and a good racer as well as a showman. He raced in the Indy 500 and eventaally retired in the Tampa area where he ran a car lot next to a former car owner of his, Bud Sherk. His son (maybe grandson) is the current president of the Indianapolis Speedway.

 

Circa 1970

 

I remember sometimes he would be on Wide World of Sports and my Dad and I always would watch him perform...

 

Here is a poster that my wife and I found this past summer from the Delaware County, NYS fair from 1950. The neat thing about this poster is that my daughter was married last summer on this exact date to a young man from Walton where the fair is still held each summer. This will be used to accessorize my vintage garage shop and eventually belong to my daughter and her new husband. Enjoy!!!!

 

Went to see the shows in the early '70s. Mostly Camaros.....a couple Vegas tossed in there too for good measure along with a zillion trucks and, of course, the CocaCola cannon. I remember them stressing throughout the show that, other than modified rearends (spools or welded up spider gears I imagine) that the cars were painfully stock. I think I've got the 1974 program kicking around someplace.......

-Bigchief.

 

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Hell Drivers: America’s Original Crash Test Dummies
http://helldriversmovie.wordpress.com/

Dave
http://www.roadsters.com/

 

They use to park their trucks at the Chevy dealer in Wernersville when I was a kid.My ex brother in laws Dad and Uncle drove for Chitwood.Their last name was Heck.The uncle actualy did stunt driving in James Bond movies.

 

When I was a kid, my Dad would take me and my brothers to Twin City Speedway in New Brighton, Minnesota just about every weekend. (This was in the late forties, early fifties). We usually watched the "Modified Stocks" ('32-34 Ford coupes with modified flatheads) or "Late Model Stocks" (51,52 Hudsons and Oldsmobile 88's with an occasional '49 Plymouth or Ford thrown in). The only times I was disappointed going there were the "sports car races" (they drove around the track backwards ;counterclockwise, and tried not to "trade paint"), and Joie Chitwoods "Thrill Show". They had '50 Fords when I was there and didn't do anything spectacular. You all saw the mild ramps they drove over with their "regular" cars, which were nothing. The one car they did role was pushed by a tow truck. Take a look at the video again; that's what they did there. Sorry; I was there, and it just wasn't worth the price of admission. Joie should have stayed on the Indy track, but for some reason, I don't think he had the stuff to do it.

 

As a kid I saw them at least once.......must have been a gearhead rite!? It was pretty cool! Havent thought of the Toy launcher that Dave posted for well over 20 years........sure a friend had it.

 

Enjoyed watching him at intermission slots at the old dog track (greyhounds) in Culver City, Ca. late 40's, early 50's!!!---------------Don

 

We saw him in the 50's at the DeKalb County Fair in Illinois. As a kid we enjoyed climbing on all the farm equipment during the day, and the Joie Chitwood Show at night along with the locals in the demo derby. It was an annual outing.