Does anybody have any more stories or photos from the mid to late sixties Moody Clary Speedway in Navasota that they could share?

markracer 72 ,I have tried to get anything on the old red clay oval, I grew-up @ HOT starting with in 1970's. But every time they ran a Special Super-Modified show some of the Devil's Bowl Boy's would show and almost all the Navasota boy's. Back then it was still a battle between or local Modified boy's Bill White and Gordon Woolley. Here is the only pic I have and It is on lone from Greg Wade he also has a program from the same time period that's cslube@sbcglobal.net. This is Bill White int the #21 and Gordon Woolley in the #43 @ Navasots in 73'.

My sprint car wrecked underneath the flag stand at Moody and Clary,That's the one and only Joe "Mr. Joe" Dagastino looking down at me from the flag stand. He told me I couldn't park there.....

Im not much help with the history but I do have some memories of this place.
It was a big 1/4 red clay track that was the best prepaired dirt track my group racd on that year.We were the Southwest Mini Stock Association,I was living in Houston at the time.The track was slow watered with weeping type of sprinkler system starting Wendsday.On race nite they would roll it in with everybody who wanted to including tow trucks with trailers,race cars and spectator cars.It only took 15 to 20 minutes and the surface was smooth,hard and fast.The only other track close to its racing surface was in Lufkin.

The race I remember most was a 100 lap stock car race won by a car starting in the rear of about 40 cars.He passes the car leading the race who also started on the last row with 2 laps to go..The winner was a brown 55 or 56 Chevy but the car that cleared the way was a 63 Ply.That old guy in the Ply would tap a car to give him room,then on the next lap move him over if not.I will always remember that race because we wanted to see that driver thinking he was a Mario Andrety but out came this little old man about 55 with no teeth and a few scars..You could tell he had been doing this for a long time,racing was rough back then.

The other thing I remember were the modifieds,there werte 2 with straight 6 Ford engines that dominated.I never understood how a 6 could outrun a V8 until I learned about the #1 spark plug thing lining up with the ball joint.What a great way to get rear %s.The rules were fairly lax because there were many designs of cars

That was my favorite track partly because I always stopped in Hempstead and ate the best BBQ in the world.

hey! i have a lot of old moody clary pic's and h& b and big h . will try to figure out how to send them. these aren't them but want to see if it works. i will have to scan the others. jimmy g

Welcome Griswold. Looks like you got the posting of pics thing figured out. Keep 'um coming. We love stuff like this.

Man, I sure wish I could read the names on that program. I think I can pick a few of them out. Not sure. That looks like a great list of drivers.

Griswold, huh? Any kin to Billy?

YES BILLY WAS MY STEP FATHER. LOST HIM IN JAN OF 1985. WE BOTH RACED AT MOODY AND CLARY UNTIL IT COLSED IN ABOUT 81 OR SO. HE LOVED RACING. I SEE SOME OF THE OLD RACERS EVERY NOW AND THEN, USUALLY AT A FUNERAL. NOT MANY OF THE OLD PLAYLAND GUYS LEFT. SAW SOME AT CHARLES RAY SCHILD'S 80 BIRTHDAY PARTY IN 08. I HAVE TO SCAN SOME PIC'S AND GET THEM ON HERE. MY REAL FATHERS BROTHER WAS CECIL ELLIOTT. I WAS AROUND RACING AL MY LIFE. MAN I LOVE TO SEE THE PIC'S OF THE OLD CARS AND MIDGETS.

I loved watching Billy and all those guys he raced with at Austin Speed-O-Rama, in their super-mods back in the early 60's. They put on the greatest shows every week I've EVER witnessed. I believe I remember him driving a metallic blue #77 back on those days. SOR ran mostly on Friday nights back then. Great memories!

budman, if i remember correctly that #77 had a ford motor. it belonged to a man from killeen. all i remeber right now was his last name was mc lennon. i saw him about 8 yrs ago. he's probably not here anymore but i hope he is. billy won several champships at m & c in the late models and modifides. i won the late model championship in 75 and 76. we ran a camaro body and a 55 chevy frame. i just got a scanner and as soon i have time and learn how to work it i want to get some more pic's on here. i have some funny and not so funny stories about most of the race tracks we went to. love to share them.

Great! Looking forward to seeing them.

Bound to be talking about Robert "Bubba" McClendon out of Killeen, and if memory serves me correctly he was the owner of that #77 sled. And one thing is for darn sure, nobody got up on the wheel like Billy Griswold in that steel blue double sevens. Billy was a gas to be around, and would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. I have the fondest memories of Billy, but when he put that helmet on, you best pull up your gloves boys, because you were in for a long day. Not many could Diamond a corner the way Billy did, his philosophy was that anybody could run down a straight away, but be damned if he's gonna get beat in the corner. I really think there were times that his sled was slightly down on horse power, but you'd have never known it as he laid that sled into the corner and then passed you coming off. Nobody drove it deeper into the turn and were any smoother getting off. Rest in peace Bad Billy Griswold, you are sorely missed.

THANKS FOR ALL THE KIND WORDS MFBARNES. HE COULD GO IN LOWER THAN MOST, MAKE A 3/8'S MILE INTO A 1/4 MILE. SURE MADE A LOT OF THEM MAD. I NEVER THOUGH HE GOT THE RECOGNITION HE DESERVED. TWO OLD HARD WORKING POOR BOYS, HE AND JOHNNY REIFF. ALWAYS UNDER FUNDED. JOHNNY COULD MAKE THAT OLD 261 GMC FLY AND DAD COULD DRIVE THE WHEELS OFF OF IT. HE SURE DIDN'T MIND PUTTING A BUMPER TO YOU. LOL.. WHEN THEY GOT THAT FISHER ALUMIUM HEAD FROM EBB ROSE IT WOULD REALLY HAUL BUTT. THOSE STAIGHTWAYS WERE JUST TO LONG AT MEYERS. HE COULD PULL WITH THOSE V8'S OUT OF THE TURN BUT NOT AT THE END OF THE STRAIGHTWAY. THEY FINALLY WENT TO THE SMALL BLOCK V8 CHEVY AND RAN OK. I DON'T REMEMBER IF THEY GOT A STROKER CRANK FROM SONNY GOBEL OR RONNY CHUMBLEY THAT WAS MESSED UP. GOT IT FIXED AND THEY RAN BETTER. IT JUST GOT TO EXPENSIVE TO RUN ASPHALT SO THEY WENT BACK TO DIRT. ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT OLD FISHER HEAD WITH TWO ROLLEY SIDE DRAFT CARBS.

Hi Jimmy, Sure would like to see some pics of you and Billy and of course, the old 9 Car(s). Thanks for your contribution to the site.
Jim

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Click to view attachment this is Grady Pinsons old mod. Don't remember what # he used but Grady had a heart attack while racing at m. c. He pulled into the infield and died. Griswold bought the car. he didn't run in much. sold it.

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Please keep posting pics, brings back memories, Love them stock car pics, looking for one of the 28 stock car in the mid 70's.

Hey was that at m c and who drove it?


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Midget pic is at Playland . Jimmy HIcks in the 4 and Billy Griswold in the A. A. Ward Offy.


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Modified pic is Billy at Playland in about 1956.

Thanks Jimmy, I really loved the old 9 coupe at playland. I don't remember if it was in 58 or 59. Your dad won the track championship. That year, he won 13 feature races, 11 in a row. I saw everyone of them. He was a very personable man and one of the best drivers I have ever seen. RIP Billy......................

That Griswald - Hicks photo has to be one of the best racing action shots ever. Just look at the expressions on those guys! Racing in the raw!

Nick

INCREDIBLE! What a great pic of Billy and Jimmy. Those are just the type cars needed to put Carl E. and Brad K. in for a match race. We'd find out real quick what kind of men those BOYS really are.

I noticed also that Billy didn't grab the brakes!

Like AJ said "you learn how to drive those cars with no roll cage".

Thanks . Hey do I know you?

1958 if not mistaken. he got the biggest throphy ever given there. it's about 4 ft tall. I'll have to get a pic of it. that was quiet a year. you talk about gunning for you, they sure were out for him.

I saw that trophy and yes it is huge. Hope you can post it for ebveryone to see.

Jimmy, I doubt you would remember me. Been a lot of years. I talked with your dad and Johnny every week at the track. I would see your dad from time to time out in the Shepherd Dr. area. I worked out that way.
Do you remember the night he put that little black Ford coupe in the fence at Meyer? I was there. I also drove, owned and built the Bronco #8. Black 56 Ford. Your dad and Johnny gave me a lot of tips that helped me on that car. You can email or PM me if you like.
Jim Koehn

DID YOU EVER NOTICE THE BLACK MARKS ON BILLY'S CHEEK? IT WAS ASPHALT. HE FILPPED THE WOLF YELLOW #7 MIDGET AT PLAYLAND. AS HE WAS FLIPPING HIS CHEEK RUBBED THE PAYMENT. THAT STUFF NEVER CAME OUT BUT DID LIGHTEN UP. IT SPLIT HIS HELMET RIGHT ABOVE HIS EAR. THAT WAS AT PLAYLAND IN ABOUT 1957. HERE IS A CLIPPING OF UNCLE CECIL BEING KILLED. WE HAD ALL GONE TO DALLAS FOR THE BIG RACE AT THE FAIR GROUNDS. MY MOTHER, SISTER, ME, MY AUNT,AND THEIR DAUGHTER. CECIL WAS DRIVING ONE OF EBB ROSES MIDGETS, HE HAD ABOUT 5 OR 6. ALL THE HOT SHOES DROVE FOR HIM. I DON'T REMEMBER IF BILLY WAS DRIVING THE WOLF OFFY OR IF HE WAS IN LLOYD RUBY'S OLD #33 RIDE. (WHICH WAS EBB'S). CECIL'S CAR WASN'T HANDLING AND HE LOST IT COMMING DOWN THE BACK STRAIGHTAWAY. HE WENT OVER THE SHORT FENCE AND HIS HEAD STRUCK A POLE WHEN HE WENT OVER THE SECOND TALLER FENCE.

I don't remember it but that's not unusual for me.

ALMOST TOOK HIS HEAD OFF.

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I remember when Cecil lost his life. Sad day.

YOUR NAME DOES SOUND FAMILIAR. YES I THINK I WAS THERE TOO. I WENT OFF TO THE MARINE CORP IN 1966 AND MISSED A LOT. WAS THAT THE CAR KIRBY RAINER OWNED? WAS IT FORD OR MOPAR POWERED? I REMEMBER WHEN BILL FARRIS GOT KILLED AT MEYERS. THEY SAID HIS SEAT CAME LOOSE WHEN HE HIT THE WALL.

It was at Moody Clary and the late Bill Donaho drove it

If I remember correctly, you were 13 or 14 at the time. Thye car had a 427 Ford engine. The accelerator linkage stuck wide open. Billy hit the kill switch and cut through the infield below the turn in an effort to slow the car down. It helped some but it still flipped backwards and back on its wheels. He got a cut on his forehead but otherwise uninjured. I got over there to see if he was hurt. Then Billy took me back over to the car and showed me the linkage. He said "Look at that, it's still stuck wide open"!
I don't know who owned that car. And it was a real nice well built car. Last I heard, it was scattered all up and down the owners driveway and never put together again.

I REMEMBER BILL. HELL HE WAS A BUDDY. SORRY I DIDN'T KNOW HE HAD PASSED. IT WAS A FALCON WASN'T IT?

HERES THE 1958 CHAMPSHIP TROPHY FROM PLAYLAND PARK. IT HAD LITTLE NASCAR INSIGNIA'S ON ALL FOUR. CORNERS.

Bill and I build a few cars for M/C, 2 55 fords, a Camaro, a Pinto that Dell bought later on Then we build some asphalt cars and ran SA and finally he sent me all the way up to Elyria ohio to buy a T bird from Kent Stauffer and we ran TIDA, had great fun, lost all my pics, and sure saddens me,
Last september marked 1 year that Bill died and he is at the veterans Memorial in Houston. I had known him many years and a great freind

The trophy pic has the ads covering it up on the right side. Maybe Nick can fix it.

DIDN'T BILL RUN AROUND WITH WAYNE OUTLAW????

Don't recall who you mean, but he did talk alot to Bobby Parish, George England, Finase Harris ( forgive my spelling), Norman Pierce, Roy Cody, Jimmy Mckinney,Howard Willis Bill Blackman, Well heck I guess we all talked to everyone back then, it was all good fun with a serious twist

I HEARD BOBBY AND WAYNE PARISH WERE OVER IN KENNARD HAULING TIMBER. GEORGE ENGLAND IS IN ALTO. FINNIS HARRIS IS IN THE GROVETON NURSING HOME, HE HAS ALHEIMZER.

hey guy's, bill had that pinto that i bought from him. it was maroon and white with number 28 on it. jimmy thats the pinto on a chevelle frame that had a quick change and center steering in it. i ran it at big h the first year and then sold it back to bill after the 2nd year. bill lived in tomball, dad and i built a many of tranny's for him. he was great friends with kelly hoffman and his brothers.

i don't know about you guy's, but as far as i am concerned, the 50's / 80's were the best years of my life and i mis it and all of the friends from that era. jimmy, was'nt that gene howard that had that o'le 56 ford that ran meyer, i'm not sure but i know that we built tranny's for it also and alway's took them to billy's shop behind the house on 25st., and george mahl had the old 9 mod. that ran at navasota and i bought it from him but never done anything but watch it rust to pieces. even when my dad was running in a race, i still ritted for billy too, he was alway's one of my hero drivers, #9 with the lightling bolt thru it, i'll never forget the friendship of billy and you when i was growing up, and do you remember those little diecast metal cars that you let me play with when dad and i came over to ya'lls house when i was just a little boy ( 2/3/4 years old ), that was priceless in my up-bringing all in the living room floor and looking at all those trophies that billy had won, wow, what some memories. thanks for all of them, del ( little harris )

I got to see Leslie at Bill's funeral, He's doin pretty good' And last I heard Kelly was selling cars. I am with you Dell there was no time like the good time back then.

Hi,
I'll be 74 this coming 9/11 and grew up going to races in and around Houston and later raced on a few of them. I'm Bill Breshears brother in law. He built and raced Super Modified cars at Playland Park, North Houston (old horse track) Arrowhead and Meyers Speedway. His cars were driven by George Nash, Charles Ray Shiles, Billy Wade, Phil Cronon and Larry Shilds to name a few. He later ran Sprint Cars at Moody Clary and Big H after Meyers closed driven by Larry Shilds, Bill White, Me and I can't remember his name but the track photographer's son. Billy Wade and family spent Christmas with Bill and Elouise (who lived next door to me) just before going to Daytona for the tire test that killed him. I started out in racing by pit crewing for Billy Griswold at Playland Park when I was in my teens. I build my first Super Modified in Bill Breshears shop when I was 30 years old. I always wanted to race but got married shortly after a hitch in the Coast Guard so didn't have the funds till I was 30. Phil Cronon was driving for Bill at the time and his Brother Mike had been driving Broncos and Mike had a friend that would put an L88 427 Chevy engine in my near completed Super if I would let him drive it at Meyers which I did for a while. I decided to race myself so bought a 283 engine from Charles Ray that he had build up for Larry's Bronco and took the car to Moody Clary Speedway in Navasoda. I ran off and on (limited funds) over the next 14 years at Moody Clary then Big H dirt track in North Houston. My last ride in a Modified was the Limited Modified #55 (an old CAE Sprint Car) at Big H. I was competive but not one of the top (limited funds again). I had a brief run in the Midgets at Big H when Honest Al Burnes (Honest Al's Auto Parts) hired me to drive the #53 Kurtis Offy Midget at Big H. The first night we drew for starting positions and old lucky me drew the last starting position. I won my heat and finished 2nd in the feature from the last row. The next week I was 2nd in points so started in the back row again, running 2nd again. This went on for 7 weeks with me running either 2nd or 3rd and only being beat by cars starting on the front row. Just didn't have enough time to run em down. I had twice as many championship points as the 2nd place runner and had won all my heat races when Al fired me because I hadn't won a feature (he had a lot of pressure from Elton Porter to let him drive it). Another owner that had a low dollar home built midget with a Chevy II boat engine in it picked me up (can't remember his name but he pulled it to the track on a little trailer behind and old Chrysler 300) and I out ran the offy with Elton in it the next week, LOL. I'll have to say that's the hardest I ever drove. I was out to outrun that offy as all cost, LOL. BUT my biggest thrill was passing and beating Bill White one night at Moody Clary. Bill was my idol when I was coming up. I've only been to 2 homecoming races since retiring from racing cause I knew I'd be tempted to get in one again and because I was getting up in years knew I had no business in one. I've been racing On-Line on the computer with the Christian Racing League ( www.christingracing.com ) for the last 15 years (keeps my mind sharp). We have members in 4 countries and race NASCAR among other type cars 6 nights a week. I'm still pretty compative at it especially on the Super Speedways. I'm in the top 5 in lap time at a number of the tracks we run on (Not bad for a 73 year old running against the young guys). Not so good on the road cources. Never got the hang of turning right, LOL. OH, by the way I'm John McClellan and raced under the name of Johnny "Mac" McClellan (not to be comfused with the famous "Mac" McClellan that almost lost his life in a midget on a "Saturday Night Thunder" race at Indy Raceway Park.
P.S.
Charles Ray nicknamed me "Slide Rule" because I always carried a tape measure and was always measuring things on race cars that I thought had a good Idea and later incorporated them into my cars that I built (3 over time). LOL. I almost forgot, the last Super I built I ended up selling it to Poncho Lockland and I went with him to the Super Modified Nationals in Fa to help him set it up. Can't remember the driver, just remember he was a preacher (Mc something I think, maybe someone remembers his name). They ran 4th against some of the best Supers from across the nation. The guy with the 4 wheel drive rear engine car won it but they were in the same lap not too far behind.

You can see my On-Line Racing Cockpit (with me in it) at http://www.christianracing.com/forum3/phpB...?f=3&t=1589
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Hey Jimmy G,
Your post above reminded me that CECIL ELLIOTT was your real Dad. My brother in law, Bill Breshears had told me that once but I had forgotten. My forgetter works better than my rememberer these days, LOL. Sometimers. I sometimes remember and sometimes not, LOL. Along with your Step Dad (Billy Griswold), Cecil was another of my idols at Playland Park when I was a coming up.

HELLO JOHNNY. CECIL WAS MY UNCLE. MY FATHER WAS PAUL JAMES. HE WAS KILLED IN A CAR WRECK ON HALLOWEEN 1947. I WAS 6 WEEKS OLD. BILLY MARRIED MY MOM WHEN I WAS ABOUT 2. NOT MANY ELLIOTTS OR GRISWOLDS LEFT. I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN ABOUT THE FORGETTER. LOL
THIS PIC IS BUDDY CHANEY, BILLY GRISWOLD AND CECIL ELLIOTT.

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I just remembered a few other drivers that drove for Bill Breshears (my brother in law) over the years were Jimmy Mckinney and Gordon Wolley (one night at Navasota). There is one other driver that I can't recall his name. Maybe someone can help me. He drove the Edmonds copy yellow Super at Myers speedway and one night him and Bill White locked wheels sending them both over the wall and he spent several weeks in a coma before coming out of it and never drove again. The car may have had a 5 something on it 55, 56, 58 can't remember or may have had an 8 on it. Ronny Burke also drove for him at Myers the first night after the car was put back together. I drove that same car it Money Clary in Navasota. Later on a Benny Coats (who worked with me and pitted for me at Navasota) bought the car, put coil over shocks on the front and won the limited modified championship at Big-H. That was Benny's first ride.

Update:
I just talked to Bill White and he told me it was Jackie Woosley that went over the wall with him at Myers.

How is Bill? Have you been to Temple to see him? I need to get myself up there for a visit. Hope he is doing well. I think Bill is about 83 now. One of the guys on here saw him at a track not long ago. I think Paul was racing up there.