Fair Park Raceway in Dallas?

I was in Borders checking out a book of historic photos of Dallas when I found one showing a late 30's/early 40's dirt track car with the driver and trophy taken at Fair Park Raceway. (Might have been speedway).

Anyone ever heard of it? Its a new one on me. Apparently it was somewhere near Fair Park.

The store was closing so I didn't get to read more about it at the time.

 

Yep , A good friend of Rustys used to race there and has a lot of pictures.

 

Yes sir indeed, There is a real famous pic that is at all the swap meets for sale. It has a 40 COupe flipping airbourne. You can see the old roller coaster at fair park in the background

 

I actually saw a board track race track inside the Fair grounds
in Dallas when I was about 10.
I'm 64 so that would have been about 1954.

 

There was a big track where the Cotton Bowl is now. There was a midget track over where the Livestock Arena is now. Racing was a big deal at The State Fair for many years. There was a mile and a half Horse track at the cotton bowl sight, but the Texas Legislature banned gambling on horse races in 1903, thereby eliminating the Fair's main source of income, the association faced a financial crisis. They turned to racing cars to offset the losses, and it was a huge hit. But in 1930, the race track complex was razed to permit construction of 46,000-seat Fair Park Stadium – later renamed the Cotton Bowl. They then built the track over where the livestock Arena is now. Migets raced there up thru the 50's. The old race track was torn down to make way for the new Livestock Arena that was opened in 1959. The Devil's bowl was in full swing over on South Buckner Blvd. by then and the hot rodders went out there for their fix.

 

Fairpark Speedway



In the early years Fairpark Speedway ran midgets. Later jalopies.



Thousands of race fans would view the races on Saturday night.



Note grandstand with a roof over it.



South Dallas Battery was one of the top competitors. Note Fairpark famous
wooden roller coaster in the background.



A.D. Trowell in the Number 59 racing in front of a packed stands



Note the cattle barns in the background.



Most of the jalopies went through the fence. Clyde Daniels landed on top of it.

Don
www.soupupmagazine.com

 

Just a WOW on this one ! Thanks for taking the time to post up. I am smiling over the roller coaster pic. Those photos are Dallas Gold !