History Early '50s Stock Car Racing Pics

From what I remember in an old 1951 Motors Manual, the Crosleys topped out around 7500 RPM......
I'd love to see (and hear) some youtube video of these guys racing these cars.....

dk

 

Here is a link to an early stock car racing website. I was a fan (and a crew member) at several of the tracks mentioned. http://www.3widespicturevault.com/

 

Those are some great picture's !!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plmlKJFDwqQ Here's a video Paul Ladd had of a race at the BIG TRACK , must have been one of the last there. I pitted 2 brothers 16+ Jerry Sarazine and 26 Larry Sarazine at South Anthony , recollecting Jerry had a coupe before he raced at South Anthony where he has a 41 Ford sedan,both his cars were painted Titian Red,the color is very popular on mid 50s Buicks and Fat Fendered Fords.Larry Sarazine and I worked a Falstaff Brewery. That's where I met him. Bill aka Tnomoldw

 

bigbore1934- Thanks for pumping a little fresh blood back into this thread!

You know folks have got shoe boxes full of these pics... we've just got to get them to scan and post them!

 

I know I won't be able to offer any information but I really enjoy seeing these photo's. Thanks for posting them.

 

I'll add a little something to this thread, just to keep it going. Found a small batch of photos at an auction in Phoenix. No info on them, but on the back of the photos is stamped "Photo by Bill LaVelle Freeport, Illinois".

 

Here's some more...

 

Sorry, my computer is being uncooperative. Can only attach a couple at a time. Here's more...

 

Let's try one last bunch. There's more. If you want to see them, let me know.

 

These are great!.I really like the wagon wheel bumper...

 

37hotrod
All of those pictures you posted, except for the last one (I'm not sure about), were taken at Freeport Raceway. Had to be the mid 50, before they put in the wood guard rails. Freeport had a race trace at the same location from the late 30s up until 2 years ago when poor management closed it down. Freeport was a long straight, big 1/2 mile dirt track. Sadly, the old track is just an open field now.

Those pictures were before my time, but they raced the coupes there until about the mid 60s. Gene

 

Thanks for the info. I figured that someone on here would recognize the track. Glad to hear that they got serious about safety, and put in some guard rails! Are any of the old racers still around that may have some stories...or may recognize themselves?

 

Yes you are correct it is the old FT. Wayne 5/8 mile track and those old coupes could really move around that very banked track. I watched a driver named Mickey Potter win there one weekend and the following weekend he flipped and nearly destroyed a 1937 Ford coupe but he was alright.

 

Very neat old photos and if I might add I think the car number 8 ball is Bill Robey from Marion. Also counting down from the top photos # 3-5-6-7-9-10-12-13 I THINK is Armscamp Speedway near Alexandria. The men standing outside the guard rail between turns 3 and 4 are pit men as the pits were below those turns and I don't ever remember anybody standing on the outside of the FT. Wayne 5/8. Thanks again for some very neat old photos.

 

Glad to see that this thread got bumped again and more "new" old photos are being uploaded. But it reminded me that I also had more photos from my assortment that had been prepped but hadn't been posted here yet.

So here's another batch of classic shots from the old Ft. Wayne Speedway. Enjoy!

 

Not that I can take much credit for that really. I'm still amazed at how good most of these pictures looked. They were apparently professionally shot, probably on 4x5 film with a Speed Graphic or similar camera. Never saw any of the negatives for these, just these great 8x10 prints from a friends personal collection.

Wish I 'd had the time to scan them properly but the copies posted here were actually photographed with a small Pentax digital camera on a tripod. I'm still stunned at how well most of them came out.

Don't worry about if they're old Polaroids or Brownie snapshots. If you've got more shots from this era keep on uploading them!

 

Anybody out there have any photos of the old dirt track at Albany,Indiana or the one at Chesterfield, Indiana both from the 1950's?

 

I remember going to Ft. Wayne Speedway in 62'&63' when I lived in Ashley. Great memories. Thanks for posting ClayMart.

Art

 

Bigbore-

Thanks for bumping this thread. Maybe we'll get a few more members posting their old racing pics.

Hope you don't mind me messing with one of your model shots. Just wanted to see how it might look with a little "patina".

 

Here are some pictures of 50s stock cars from central New York. These guys raced at several tracks in the area but one of my favorites was Maple Grove Speedway in Waterloo.

 

Great shot! Got to respect a driver who's not superstitious about his car number. Can't believe that the name on the door isn't "Lucky" Dick!

 

More from upstate New York

 

Most of the old racing photos I've posted were shot at the old Ft.Wayne Speedway. Found a YouTube video of some color home movies that were shot at the old Speedway as well. Looks to be about the same time frame as the still photos.

 

I am lookg for any information, on Russ Tracy. He drove Car number 5 and won at Fort Wayne in 1952 and 1953. Pictures of car or driver would be nice. We are searching for the car itself, it was sold in Manchester Indiana (we think) in 1955/1956.

 

Check out the pictures on the left side.
http://www.misschicken.com/

 

Since this thread is getting a few more bumps lately I thought I should prep and post a few more pics from Fort Wayne Speedway from the 50s.

 

More Slam-Bang Action from the old Ft Wayne Speedway...