http://pacificnwracinghistory.com/ And especially this: http://pacificnwracinghistory.com/pnwroadsters and: http://pacificnwracinghistory.com/pikegreen
The Portland Speedway was quite an institution. They were open until just a few years ago and provided some entertaining weekends for me. A very casual and family oriented venue and fun even if it was late model racing. They even went back to a dirt surface, for the last few years. I miss it... I am sure it will be a nice office park, soon enough.
West of the airport, the Delta Park area. If you have been up to the swap, it was just across the 5, on whatever that is Hwy 30/MLK. Does that help, at all? There was a creek, right next to the out pits. I bet there is some tin sunk in the mud, right there. Old-timers would tell stories of just pushing what they didn't want to haul home into the creek...
I kinda know the area, vaguely. My mom. and sister and youngest Brother and their families live about 5 miles North of there in Vancouver. That's too bad... I just looked at a Portland map. Earlier, when you said they will probably build another office park, I thought; Or a "Low income housing insta-slum" and low and behold I see the road going by there is already named MLK Jr Blvd. (I think every town's MLK Jr Blvd should go through the middle of the "Rich WASP" neighborhood,for a reminder to those who seldom remember, except in February, not designate the heart of the ghetto)
It was between the Portland Meadows horse track and Union Ave.(now MLK way) We used to know it more by "Union Ave 5/8's" rather than Portland Speedway. This was in the 50's when I was racing there. As far as the link to the Golden Wheels pics, there are still a couple of those guys around and I race with them a couple times a year. Len Sutton of Indy fame was in the 27 roadster. He still goes fast. Pete
It used to be 'Union' blvd, but it was changed to MLK several years ago. I think you're right about it being built over. Prob be another one of those housing projects built near the track, then people move in and start bitching about all the noise from PIR and start another petition to try to get it shut down. Idiots!
I have a pic of my mother in law as a trophy girl out there in the early 60's. I sent them a copy, wonder if they'll post it.
Just so you all know. One of my club members is a member of Golden Wheels. He's always talking about these neat cars. This a great website to look at. The Golden Wheels will have quite a few of these type of cars on display at this years HOTROD-A-RAMA. If ya dig this stuff come out to this years show.
Nice to see those roadster pic's again. I gave a bunch of those to Mart to post on his site years ago martsrods.com in cause you haven't seen it..
The Jalopy Journal
