Hot Rods Racing at George Ray's who's interested

Wild and Wooly ran there, when it lived in Jonesboro (Gearhart and White days)

 

Is it 200 spectators or 200 car limit? Sounds like a damn fun Sunday! Joe

 

I went there in June 2002 as a spectator. It was a great time I am going to see what I can do to come down with the model A this time. I first showed up on Saturday not realizing they only race on Sunday. An old timer walked around the shop and it was George Ray. I asked are you George Ray? He said yes I am, I said I have read about you. At that point he opened up his garage door, pulled out two lawn chairs and I spent the next two hours talking with George Ray. It was a great time. I went to the Sikeston track to watch racing that night and then came back to George Rays on Sunday.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

rfraze it looks like georges roadster in the top pic. do you have any other pics of the track to post? the track record was reset last week. a injected dragster went 4.81

 

olds joe 200 race cars. George didn't want any more than that. he said it would get too crazy and it was hard to control the crowd. George in his earlier years was a boxer. after seeing a guy get killed in the ring he decided to give that up. he was a larger than life tough guy. he was the law at his track and damn it there was going to be some order as he told me. some of the locals could get to drinking a little too much and there was more than one occasion were he had to escort some drunks out. he always had his pearl handled revolver in his right front pocket just in case it got too out of hand. if you ever met him you knew instantly not to test him or his gun.

 

Is this 1/8 mile racing?
What kind of cars are you looking for?

 

Wish it was not so far away for me. This is going to be epic old time racing fun.

 

James the salt shaker is perfect and mad mikey just hop in the ol a model and make a good weekend of it


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Shaker is retired until further notice.

 

Then you better get your digger running


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Jackson, don't you have your own things to worry about?
But if you need a hand give me a shot.

 

Its eight mile today. When the track first opened it was 1/4 mile. As the cars became faster over the years the finish line was moved closer.

I'm not looking to make this a meltdown style event. That said in a perfect world it would be made up of cars that can meet their standards. That group laid the ground work for what a modern nostalgia race should be. I'm looking to bring my car to this track for a weekend of fun. I'm speading the word to the vintage racers out there hoping some will join me. I'm not looking for any specific cars. I'm more interested in getting people together to join in on the fun of racing at what's arguably the purest original track left. This is more about the track than a era. If there is a good showing tyler is interested in having a vintage only event on a saturday next year.

 

So first come first served?

 

Check it out! Clip taken from a really nice tribute video by Urban Hillbilly below.





Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

A closer look at the videos shows a couple cool things about the track. The 55 gallon drum in the middle of the track is the finish line. The best seats in the house are the log guard rails at the starting line. Burnouts start in the water box with water you supply. Pulling forward vht is then put down for burnouts through it. You can do as many dry hops as you need to get ahold of the track. And yes your buddies can hold the car back during all of this. On the races were money is on the line the action resembles a good old street race. The garbage can lids painted white with the yellow bug light in the middle show what lane won. This is a major safety upgrade from the old days. Back then a guy crouched down unprotected at the finish line close to the tracks edge like the guys by the net at a tennis match. After the cars flew by he stood up and tilted a pole with a flag on it to the lane that won. Nothing dangerous about that. The Christmas tree is mounted on a old bar stool so it can be wheeled back to George's garage for safe keeping when the racing is done. That was another modern safety upgrade. Back in the day they used a flag man standing between the cars. After the flag man got hit by a crossed up car the races were then flagged from the side of the track. How can you continue the races if the flag man is out of commission? It gets hot down there by June so you dont see too many t shirts or fire suits worn by the drivers. After all what could possibly go wrong? Passengers are always welcome to go for a ride. Under age drivers can make passes with a adult provided they can see over the dash and reach the pedals. The crowd is smart and moves away from the fence a step or two when the faster cars run. Crashes and accidents are part of the tracks fabric. Luckily to date there have been no fatalities. Like I said this is racing in all it's dangerous glory. How long this place will stay open is anyone's guess. It's been going on like this for over 50 years. I will post some of the earliest film ever taken when the track first opened. The super stocks are running brand new off the show room floor. The gasser action is very cool. It shows how it was really done. I also will post some classic video taken over the years with some of the most outrageous action you have to see to believe. The boys down there have some fast cars. Until you have raced at George Ray's you haven't raced.

 

I think I need to go to this. I have a few upgrades planned this year. Racing at a track like this would be pretty cool.

 

Looks off the hook and fun as hell!
Can't understand why they insist on using a 55 gallon drum for a finish line.
Imagine someone hitting that at full speed!?

 

I think that would be the least of anyone's safety concerns.

 

Sounds like a good time. I'm going to put it on my calender.

 

Can't wait!!!!!!!!

Sent from my SM-J327P using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Sounds like an awesome event!

 

With the meltdown race as we knew it no longer happening. It would be cool if some of those cars showed up for this event.

 

667 miles, Got it on the Calendar

 

Norb it will be worth the drive trust me

 

If we make a good showing Tyler will do a vintage race on Saturday the following year. Norb the 67 will look perfect on the starting line.

 

George Ray's has been on the bucket list for a long time, running at tracks Friday and Saturday while driving the way South will make it even better.

 

Something change?

Edit......just read the website, bummer

 

Norb, that would be a tough tow.
Better hope for a spot.

 

Another cool gr thing we did was have a race for the junior dragster kids. George really didn't like the jrs at his track. He thought the big cars would not see them and run them over. They knew I was coming down along with my son and his jr. As word got out several kids showed up and we had a junior dragster race. The first one held there. My son made it to the finals and we needed a few tenths. His opponents dad wanted his kid to win bad so he bought a new engine with more power the week before to win. We wanted to win also. What's a dad to do? So I mixed up some nitro for the jr. They could smell it in the tower. You could hear it without a dought. NHRA would loose their minds if a kid ran nitro in his jr at one of their events. George didn't have a problem with it. I thought my kid at 11 years old driving a nitro junior dragster was cool. Try that at any other track.

 

So, did he win?