txtom Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 Thought some of ya'll would like to remember what HWY 16 once looked like. This pic was taken just before it opened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyRodriguez Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 Tom, I think I speak for many when I say looking at that brings a tear to my eye. Sad thing is, she's sittin out there wasting away as I type this. Anyone (Tom) have stoaries of the night HWY 16 opened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baja29 Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 Where exactly is that track? I know where SAS is. Is it close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted January 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 I will ask my Dad about his recollection of the stands starting to sway when everyone stood up for the Anthem. And about Odessa Racer John Foster showing everyone how to get around the place. Where exactly is that track? I know where SAS is. Is it close? That IS SAS. Hwy 16 was the original name when it opened in August, 1977. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerpete2 Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 It was a strange feeling when the stands started moving. We were seated just past the press box about 6-8 rows from the top and I thought my mom was going to have a heart attack. Once everyone took their seat, it was better but everytime something happened on the track, the stands would start to move again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ram#9 Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 GREAT PICS TXTOM, I JUST LOVE SEEING PICS FROM THAT TRACK, MAN I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD OPEN THAT THING BACK UP, I LIKE RACING AT THR BUT IT DOESNT COMPARE TO SAS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted January 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 How about some names for some faces? The staff of Hwy 16 in the 70's. Some are easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 Starting fourth from the left: Don Bierschwale, EJ Weeks, Ley Hayden, Bob Castleberry... I recognize most of the others but can't put names to the faces. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FryarFan Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 Flagman on left was Bob Poerner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 What was the front straightaway only grandstand capacity at SAS/Hwy 16? Meyer Spdwy/Houston had longer front straightaway grandstands, but not nearly as high. The backstretch seating was similiar to SAS/Hwy 16 frontstretch in length, but again only about half (+ -) as high. From what I recall, about 8K could be crammed into Meyer Spdwy front and back straightaway grandstands combined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 The SAS grandstands would hold almost 5,000 people if seated butt-to-butt using only 18 inches of bleacher space. A more realistic absolute capacity would be 4,500. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted January 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 In this pic, from left, Bob Poerner, Jimmy Bordan, Stan Egnew, Don Bierschwale, E.J. Weaks, Len Hayden, Bob Castleberry, James Meyer, Jim McCraw. Pic from the Hayden Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 The SAS grandstands would hold almost 5,000 people if seated butt-to-butt using only 18 inches of bleacher space. A more realistic absolute capacity would be 4,500. Nick I read a post that said the '71 Space City 300 NASCAR GN/Cup race at Meyer Spdwy/Houston drew a crowd of 9K. Previously, I had understood the figure to be 8K. I was in the grandstands, and there was no available leftover space and even some spillover into the step areas, but I don't know about 9K. As for a realistic capacity, I would lean towards 7K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenny66 Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Man, That shot of Hwy16 in 1977 chokes me up, spent many a weekend there, sure miss driving that buggy around looking for "debris", riding in the wrecker with my Uncle Richard (Creswells Wrecker). Sure wish it was still up and running at least for one more "BIG RACING BLOWOUT" 2 Day race fest. Oh Damn, day dreaming again. RIP HWY 16 - SAS Anyone know what happened to that Miller Genuine Draft Camaro that used to be at the track, supposedly was a Rusty Wallace car??? Heard a story about it getting wrecked, don't know if that's true or not. Lenny66 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Anyone know what happened to that Miller Genuine Draft Camaro that used to be at the track, supposedly was a Rusty Wallace car??? Ya talking about Ken Neal's Late Model? He ran the MGD colors for awhile. But I don't remember him getting a car from Rusty. Someone who did, though, was Waldo Harper. He went to I-70 and bought out from under Wallace, minus the engine. He partnered with Tommy Davis, who had a Prototype Engine, and they won several races with it. It was a yellow and red #66, Rusty's short track colors at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4racing Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 I remember this guy and especially this car putting quick lap times down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted January 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 He does look kinda familiar. The 1977 track Champion at HWY 16. I also remember the other red car that was the 1977 track champion in the Limited class; the #81 of Steve Klestinec. The Labonte car you posted here was also the 1979 track champion with Slick Yoemans driving, and the first car to go over the fencing at HWy 16, when Slick went out of turn 1. It was rebuilt, and sold to Jerry Edwards who ran it for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4racing Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 I thought a driver named Levi was the first to take the car over the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted January 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Levi Taylor is who you are thinking of, but he did not go out of the track. He knocked down a nice size piece of the wall, and ended upside down at the bottom of the turn on the inside. UPDATE- This is the original picture that made the cover of the April 21, 1978 HWy 16 Pitstop program. You can see the chunk of wall that Taylor knocked down, and Taylor is in the firesuit standing next to his car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyRodriguez Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Tom, I was thinking, to really appreciate the 1st photo in this thread, I think we need to get a group together and jump the fence and go take a picture in that same spot now @ 16?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted January 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Tom, I was thinking, to really appreciate the 1st photo in this thread, I think we need to get a group together and jump the fence and go take a picture in that same spot now @ 16?? Keep that thought in mind; it is in the planning stages. It will be the track in it's current state from several angles. Here is another pic of Levi's handiwork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyRodriguez Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 right on buddy, sounds good.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debwill Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Y'all don't even need to jump the fence. I have a gate key that still works, I think. It never got changed. Now, if we get thrown in jail for trespassing, who's gonna bail us out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted January 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Y'all don't even need to jump the fence. I still have a gate key that still works, I think. It never got changed. Now, if we get thrown in jail for trespassing, who's gonna bail us out? Very simple. We are gonna tell the Sheriff that you gave us the key, and said it was OK!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyRodriguez Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 or one of us says "I'm ted carlson and this (Deb) is my wife, mrs. carlson" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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