Random Images: Dirt Track racing in the 50s

Sometimes I find myself doing a Google image search for something specific, but end up finding a bunch of cooler images than expected. The search was for "Stock Car Racing", but the results were narrowed to large black & white images only. What came ... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

 

That No. 7 shot just about sums it all up. Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.

 

A really great site for early Kansas dirt track racing is http://winfield.50megs.com/Cowley/start.htm

 

Thanks for posting...

643 sedan..... reversed 18" wide 5???

 

thanks ! great pics !

 

I love this era, my Dad took me to area races all over the midwest. It was a exciting time when a Hudson twin H and an Olds v/8 came on the local scene at about the same time. Thanx for the cool subject. ~sololobo~

 

i noticed that too, pretty wild.

 

A picture of My Mom competing in the Powder Puff Derby @ Belmont Raceway ,Belmont Calif in the early 50's. I can remember the Smells and the Sounds of those old Racetracks,Cherish the Memories.

 

Norwood, MA through the fifties, some of the "older" guys on here raced there a couple of times..
cool website: http://www.norwoodarena.com/Home/Home_4-18-11.html

 

This was a wonder era for a kid to be growing up in.

I used to listen to some of the guys when they talked about the old Reading Fairgrounds and they had tons of stories and told about how good the racing was.

It seemed like all the top drivers raced there at one time or another.

Another track that they talked about was Orange County Speedway in Middletown, N.Y.

They used to talk about how many cars showed up on a Saturday night at Orange County trying to make the feature race.

When they told me it was between 125 and 150 cars every Saturday night all trying to make a feature race with maybe 30 cars or so.

Some of the guys went there for years and only made a few feature races but were still happy just to be there racing.

I think I was very lucky to grow up in such a wonderful era of racing.

Jimbo

 

These shots are from The Dallas Speedbowl in Dallas Ga.

 

My dad's car from the mid 50's. Probably at Macon or Springfield IL.

 

My Uncle Bud raced a 37-38 Ford coupe for awhile until family dictated that he quit driving. Never found a good replacement, so he sold the car. I remember going with him to a track near Warrensburg, N.Y.(middle to late 50's), but have never been able to find out where the track was. Anybody in upstate N.Y. have any info? Thanks, Cat

 

I really like to spend time with the drivers and the car builders from back in this time frame as the stories and the logic behind the cars are priceless. The cat that built this car has taught me more than any school ever could have !!! >>>>.

 

Theses pictures were taken at the old Thunderbowl 1/4 mile track south of Sedalia, Missouri. Photos were taken by Speedy Lewis.
Later,
Dick

 

I grew up in Alton,Il. and my dad Kenny Walker also ran Springfield,Godfrey, and Tri city. wish I had pix to share but they were lost in a house fire.

 

I grew up in central Indiana. My parents were racing fans and took me to Sprint Car, Midget, and Stock Car races from the time I was potty-trained. When I finally got old enough I had to try it myself. This is 41 years ago...

 

Then and now, and the ravages of time and changing tastes.

Your blog comments are spooky. Just yesterday I took time off from a trip back to Richmond from Raleigh to visit the old dirt track in Kittrell, NC. It is still there, but very quickly going to seed. Way-back-when, it was quite the little 3/8ths mile bull ring that you reference in your writing. Gone, gone, gone. Glad that it's still a big deal here at The Journal and people still care.



From the 3rd turn, looking at the front stretch and where the grandstands once stood.



Down the old backstretch...



The ticket office and refreshment stand...



Just down the road from the dirt track at Kittrell is another abandoned bull ring. The old dirt track between the town of Creedmore, NC and the crossroads of Stem, NC. 1/2 mile. Man oh man, what a place that was. My dad took me there in 1966 to see a race, first one I ever saw on dirt. The infield is all filled up and now a lake....



Timing stand and tower are still there...



Standing in turn 1 looking at turn 2.



And just down the road a ways from Stem is the old dirt track at Hillsborough, NC, Occoneechee Speedway, formerly on the Nascar Cup tour.












Hallowed ground. The spirits still roam. You can feel 'em when you visit these places. But dust to dust, my friends. Go visit 'em while you can, go find the old racers and ask them to show you their scrapbooks. They've got 'em and they are dying to share them with you. Lest we forget.

Thanks for the post, and thanks for getting me motivated to go visit more of these wonderful old places. Goin' to North Wilkesboro this coming week.

 

The title of this thread is what started my interest in Hot Rods. My Dad took me to modified dirt track races in Charlotte back in the '50s. I still remember the smell of plowed dirt and burnt high test gas fumes. Many of those racers would become famous NASCAR drivers. Great memories.

 

More of my dad.

 

Pic #3 might be taken in England (hood, Veedol skater girl ad and number on the roof)?
Whole car seems to be Ford model Y.

 

a few more >>>>.

 

For me, brings back memories of Evergreen Speedway Northeastern PA. Cars were evolving in the search for speed so there were many different body/engine combos, not like today's cookie cutters. Ed Spenser, Jimmy's dad was a regular.

 

Good memories for sure. This was my favorite time of racing !!! >>>>.

 

Great photo, but those aren't dirt tires.

 

OOOOPs Evergreen was PAVED.