History Hot Rod History and Photos Dallas Texas 1949 on -Caddo Mills Drag Races

That is very interesting. I always wondered about the history of that roadster. Can you tell us more about it like where you found it, how much you paid for it and what running gear it had and maybe some stories about it if you have any good ones?

 

I was at a bearing supply house in Garland a number of years ago and the salesman/owner was telling me he and a team ran a gas roadster at Oklahoma City in the fifties. Said he won a national meet there. His name was James Powdrill. Anyone know anything about him or his car? Ed

 

Bobby, Do You know Where & When this Photo was Taken? Thanks BigDTexasKid Dereald Millsap

 

Picture taken in Oklahoma City.

 

Shane Carson dad was the promoter at the drag strip and dirt track, that's at the fair grounds.

 

El Gringo...I bought that roadster down on Metroploitan Blvd in S.Dallas..It had a fire in the wirimg under the dash..I paid the folks there $300.00 and took it home ,repaired it,drove the crap out of it for several years even drag raced it a little...It had a flatty in it when I bought it.I later learned it had originally been built with a flathead six by a guy named Herchall Pritchett.I owned it for several years but Carl had been buggin me a long time to sell it to him..We finally reached a price (I don't even remember the amount)...so I sold it to him,having just gotten married..I had other things on my mind besides a roadster...Hahaha....

 

wbrw32, I always like to hear these first hand stories of how it really was. That Roadster became very famous and it’s interesting to hear more of its history. Do you have any pictures of it from back then? Also were there many other 32 Roadsters around in Dallas at that time?

 

SORRY El Gringo,,I lost everything back in "73,,,,,my home burned,,total loss

 

Bobby - here is a early picture of a deuce roadster with a six cylinder engine. I am sure you have already seen it. I believe it was Herschel Pricket's. This may be your old roadster in an earlier condition??

 

Doing a GoogleMaps.Com search of the Caddo Mills Airport, shows a "burnout box" at the beginning of runway 31, that actually looks fairly recently used. Are there events that are still held there? Just curious. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Bobby, working for Custom Automovtive & your long career in Hot Rodding. You traveled & met some Very Important, interesting & Historical People In our Sport Of Hot Rods. So, Therefore, I must ask for a Very BIG Favor Of You! Can & could You reflect your Life Story’s & your Experiences? I for one very much enjoy to hear of the past history & want that it to be remembered for the record. This is very much enjoyed by others, because of the Popularity of this Thread. Best Regards Respectfully Dereald Millsap


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Derald,
If you read this thread from page one,you will know everything..at 85 not much on redoing everything
Bob

 

This is a geat thread, thanks to Bob, and Karl, and everyone else who have posted their photos and memories. Myself, I enjoy these regional type threads because they let me experience different locales, and with Hot Rodding stories to boot. Kinda like a vacation,without spending a dime.

 

November 1956 National Championships coverage. Pic of the Mitchell Automotive car before the Donald Duck on the door. Olds Powered.

 

ELROD.....Roadster above ,owned by Charley Adams,driven by Leroy Luckey……..Leroy also drove Charleys dragster...damn near got killed in the dragster,,all this was about 1950 All this was before car was owned by Mitchell Rosansky..Mitchell Auto Co.

 

Hey, not this post but I wanted to reply to an earlier post of yours in which you said "I have a falcon 4 speed that is small I think it is called Dagenham. Also have 67 Volvo 4 speed, and an original crosley 3 speed. All could be had on the cheap." Still have any of these.I need a small trans (preferably 4-speed) for a 50s vintage racer I'm resurrecting. Don't have a clue if this will reach you but my direct email is: [email protected]

 

I would like to contribute a name from 50's-60's Dallas area drag racing that should be recorded in
local drag racing history. Orville Davenport did tech inspections and was the usual flag man at the
Cedar Hill Drag Strip south of Dallas. Orville also ran a pale green and white '57 Ford with a 312 Y block in a sportsman class at the Hill. Orville lived in Pleasant Grove. I think his son has a parts & machine shop out there.
Mike Burkhart was running a red '57 Chevy there in a sportsman class then.

 

We use to call it Cheater Hill

 

Someone asked if there were any of those open fields left along 67 and the answer is NO. A lot of it is now under I35. I remember when you got within a few miles of Dallas we always looked for the Flying Red Horse which was on the tallest building. Now you get just a brief glimpse from an overpass as it is on a tiny building compared to the ones around it. Wayne Calvert in Denton was my go to guy for balancing.

 

Wayne Calvert still goes to work every day saw him last week.

 

Just wondering if anyone has a picture of Mike Burkharts 1958 Ford "PEGGY SUE" I know we used to run at cedar Hill often in the late 50s !
Wayne Calvert in Denton is a Legend, He balanced the cranks for the Triumph 650 Engines that Pete Dalio, Jack Wilson, Stormy Mangham ran at Bonnieville with Johnny Allen riding to several long standing Land Speed Records in "The Texas Cigar" !

 

Cedar Hill and there was one on what is now I-35 south at about Pleasant Run road is - there was an airport there but what I was told it wasn't much....Bob - do you recall it or was it just a place to run a car fast - got the info from Bob Taylor.

 

The airport was probably the old Lew Foote Training field that was at Danieldale Road There were two old large Hangers there from WWII era But its all gone now! I kept my little 1947 8 A Luscombe Silvaire Airplane tied out on that field for about a Year around 1964 era.
Another Drag Strip that I went to with Big Mike Burkhart was Called Midway ? and I,m thinking it was about where Los Colinas is located now ? was only open for very short while ! That was probably late 50s Burkhart was still driving Peggy Sue back then.

 

They also ran on Hampton Road south of loop 12 by Red Bird Airport. The only thing out there oother than the air port was a Fire Dept. Station and the fireman came out to watch.

 

Hampton Rd. was a good place...also Cedar Hill most every weekend. I lived on Loop 12 in the late 50s. Had a black 55 Chevy. So much fun!!

 

The Holston brothers were a regular there, they both went to Sunset High School and their grandfather owned Holston B&B transfer which was originally on Jefferson St. Before they moved over to Cedar Crest close to A.W. Tackets welding shop.

 

What a great thread. I just read every word from the start and it was cool reading about all the stuff going on in Texas back then and noting how many of you are still active in the hobby. Thanks to all.

 

Old enuff to know better...... but too young to resist !!!!!

 

Rise !!!

 

Thanks Kidcampbell...I'll just read it again.,,,,,wbrw32,age now 87 so I have plenty of time...