Jalopy races

I believe that hot rodding was born on dirt. Long before anyone ever knew where to find a dry lake or thought of a drag strip, dirt track racing was a popular event all over the country. Board tracks were thrilling but were expensive to build. Just about every area in America had a good alternative already built. The horse racing oval at the county fair grounds. The big, exppensive board track cars went barnstorming. The local guy saw that and said "could strip-down my Model T and do that too".

I've got a lot of vintage dirt photos and wil post them here as I can find the time to resize them. Most of them I've just downloaded from other sites. Most of them aren't too pretty but they are a vital part of our history. The first one is of the big barnstormers in 1915, then the regular Joes ten years later.

 

Most of these were taken in the midwest.

 

hey thanks, these are great. i'd like to see more please. john

 

Wow those panoramic view pics are amazing. The first one would make a awsome wallpaper boarder...!!!!

 

I had to crop (at least 1/3) the one in front of the grandstands.

 

A few more early shots.

 

???

 

still more from the 20's.

 

Those are cool. I love the last one with the 4 guys pushing that heap.

I know we have our HAMB drags, so it tends to lean alot toward drag racing on here, but dirt oval racing is the king as far as I'm concerned.

Early sprint, midget and modified drivers were fearless to the point of being suicidal.

Drag racing is power and speed, but circle track racing take drivers.

Thanks for the pix... I'm adding them to my collection.


JOE

 

rand Man rules...... Thanks for the historic pics. These are really cool, I remember seeing "the big car races" at the state fair, yes, on the horse track. Daredevil drivers in shirt sleeves and no roll bars, plus those screaming offy 4-bangers, nothin quite like it. I would have loved to have seen a board track, I can't imagine the sound of rubber on wood! Yoweee..........Sololobo

 

Amen, Bro Rand Man! Preach it!

 

This guy's not looking for salt, he's looking for dirt!

 

And girls drove too!

 

I've found lots of cool dirt track pics. I love the "racing roadsters" type of car. seeing how my car was cut up I've often wondered if it was a dirt car in a previous life (top cut off, doors welded shut, wheel wells cut out). it actually looks just like this car:

 

Don't forget that even before there was dirt, there was sand! This is Ransom Olds in 1896 on the beaches of Ormond Beach, Florida!

 

That's funny R.E.O had the first FED. Here's a couple more.

 

A few early sprint cars.

 

This car speaks to me.

 

My dad ran a 34 A Bone at Carrol Speedway, SoCal. in the late 40's. I've got pics. Will have to dig them up. He ran with Ken and Wally Parks (high school friends), Tex McCallister and Roger Ward.

 

Rand Man your pictures are too cool, I'll dig some of mine out some day for you

 

Here's another shot of the same car. I may have to test my metal-working skills. One of these has moved up on my to-do list. A V8 60 would be perfect for this. It had a Chevy four in it in the '30's. I can see a modern four banger under the hood too.

 

Looks like Hillbilly road racing in the 1930's.

 

Roadster racing in the '30's. Looks like "The Bug" was not the first car to be striped down to the frame rails.

 

More roadster racing.

 

Talk about Daredevils.

 

race car not as old. probably late '40s. but a great shot anyway!
don't you know this bad boy was a hand full!
Car driven by ted horn.

 

These pictures are great keep them coming!

 

Ted Horn was the driver, one of the all time greats, there is a reason the#1 is on the tail. The pic was taken 1948 or earlier as that is the yr. he was killed in a race.

 

Now we're getting into the post-war era we're more familiar with.

 

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