oatey220 Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 Bobboy You are correct, Cowboy also raced that same car down in Mexico. (Monterey) The last time we went down there I remember 3 cars from the US Harold Oatman, Ronnie Groff, and Cowboy. There may have have been some others (Neil Upchurch?)but I dont remember. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRANK-E Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 On the pic of cowboy gonzales to his right its Gilbert Salazar,Rudy Alvarado and to his left Adam Salazar and Wille Charro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tps48 Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 I believe that in the pro sedan picture you have #2-Paul Jett, #66 Jesse Marroquin, #79 datsun-Ronnie Groff, #76 Neil Upchurch, #70 Mike Boer, #57 Bucky Hutchison. #66 & 76 could have had other drivers for this race, dont remember. Those TWS races would draw 30+ cars in the pro sedan class. My car is way back there somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ou81too Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 About the second set of photos the date was April 1979 and the #22 car was being driven by Freddy Fryar and the red and white #30 was driven by the late Levi Taylor. That was Terry's old car, We also took Slick's Yomans Mach 1 White and Yellow # 24 not in the picture The weekend consisted of Saturday's IROC, Texas Race of Champions and Nascar Time Trials ,Sunday Nascar Texas 250 THANK YOU FOR POSTING A GREAT TIME IN HISTORY FOR ME Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 I believe that in the pro sedan picture you have #2-Paul Jett, #66 Jesse Marroquin, #79 datsun-Ronnie Groff, #76 Neil Upchurch, #70 Mike Boer, #57 Bucky Hutchison. #66 & 76 could have had other drivers for this race, dont remember. Those TWS races would draw 30+ cars in the pro sedan class. My car is way back there somewhere. I was talking to Neil today and he confirmed that he was in the #76 for that race. Not many people actually know this, but Neil was a very respectable driver. He co-drove Ed Schzech's Camaro in Mexico on several occasions and has a TIDA championship on his resume. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FryarFan Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 Ran across some information from long ago about that very subject of Mr. Upchurch's career, Nick Race experience: Neil Upchurch 1958 - 1968: Sports car racing in southeast USA. 1971 - 1980: Drove GT, Formula 3 and Pro Sedans at Mexico road course races in Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City and Acapulco. Three races were 24 hours of endurance events at the Autodromo of Monterrey. 1973 - 1980: Drove or co-drove stock cars at Mexico road course races and at Pan American Speedway 250 in San Antonio. 1979 - Drove GT Camaro in 6 hour IMSA race at Talladega, Alabama. 1976 - 1981: Raced in Texas Pro Sedan series at tracks throughout the southwest. 1980 & 1981: Texas Pro Sedans Champion September 1981: Retired from active race car driving and concentrated on race organization of TIDA/Texas Pro Sedans, TIDA Late Model Series, Texas Race of Champions and Texas Grand Prix races at Texas World Speedway, PR and Advertising at San Antonio Speedway and Race PA Announcing at Austin Speed-O-Rama (Longhorn Speedway) and Sooner International Raceway, Altus, OK and San Antonio Speedway. And not to contradict anyone's memory....but was at those races, Freddy never drove the Vita-Fresh #22. As TxTom has said, that was probably Gary Van Liew. If Freddy was there, it was in his own car. And the program that I have from the Texan 250 for Nov 11, 1979 has some of those #65 pics about the "fantastic ride of Eddie Wachs" showing him colliding with Sal Tovella on Lap 2 as Neil Bonnett trails in Bobby Allison's Matador. Same Eddie Wachs who has teamed with Paul Newman on a Champ Car team this past year. Billy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tps48 Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 That front row picture has several TIDA pro sedan champs - Paul Jett, Mike Boer, & Bucky all won championships. #66 Jesse also won 24 hour race in Monterrey Mexico and probably that race at TWS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 Neil researched his records and came up with the following drivers as pictured in the photo above. # 2 - Paul Jett/San Antonio - Chevette (1983 TPS Champion) # 66 - Jesse Marroquin/ Universal City - VW Sedan # 79 - Ronnie Groff/San Antonio # 76 - Neil Upchurch/San Antonio - VW Sedan (1980 and 1981 TPS Champion) # 57 - Bucky Hutchison/Austin - Mini Cooper (1985, 1999, 2000 and 2001 TPS Champion) # 70 - Mike Boer/Austin - VW Sedan (1982 TPS Champion) Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 Thanks Neil and Nick. That reminds me. One of my favorite pictures in this History section is that one of Paul Jett in that old 37 Chevy. I think that was from about 1960 or 61. Way Cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ddavidchris Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 here is a pic from my dads collection Its Buddy Baker being drafted by Richard Petty in the 1973 Alamo 500 here is a pic from my dads collection Its Buddy Baker being drafted by Richard Petty in the 1973 Alamo 500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC_RIDER Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 here is a pic from my dads collection Its Buddy Baker being drafted by Richard Petty in the 1973 Alamo 500 here is a pic from my dads collection Its Buddy Baker being drafted by Richard Petty in the 1973 Alamo 500 did i miss something, or did u forget to post the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKeys Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 About the second set of photos the date was April 1979 and the #22 car was being driven by Freddy Fryar and the red and white #30 was driven by the late Levi Taylor. That was Terry's old car, We also took Slick's Yomans Mach 1 White and Yellow # 24 not in the picture The weekend consisted of Saturday's IROC, Texas Race of Champions and Nascar Time Trials ,Sunday Nascar Texas 250 THANK YOU FOR POSTING A GREAT TIME IN HISTORY FOR ME ou81too What is your real name.? I don't remember Slicks car being white and yellow. But then again, my memory is fading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 Not stepping on anyone's memory, but the second set is 1982. Freddy never drove the 22 Vita-Fresh car, and Freddy's Nova was in the picture as the #74. It was driven by Phillip Lyall in 1982, who bought the car from Fryar and still has it. There is a picture of Slick's #24 car at TWS in 1982, here is the link: Yoemans Scroll down to post # 5, there is a rear shot of Slick's car on pit road. This was the 1982 car. Go to page 2 of that link, and I posted a side shot of the car taken at Longhorn that same year. The #06 car is Jerry Edwards, and it is the old Labonte car. As Jkeys stated, I never saw Slick in a yellow and white car. He did run a white car around 1997 or so, Jkeys can place the exact year. Won a race at San Antonio in the white car with the rearend about falling out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKeys Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 Ya, that white car was that lightweight Dillon car. He crashed it coming out of 4 at SAS. I can't remember if somebody crashed in front of him or they blew up. But he crashed between the other car and the fence. Seems like he hurt his leg or foot. I've still got the rt door in the attic. You're prob right on the year. I don't really remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 Just a reminder on posting pics on this board......... You may find you are unable to post pics. For the time being, e-mail them as an attachment to Nick. His address is cnholt@sbcglobal.net ........... He will be glad to post them for you. Thanks Nick for your help. Any word yet on the "Global Space" problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 Just a reminder on posting pics on this board......... You may find you are unable to post pics. For the time being, e-mail them as an attachment to Nick. His address is cnholt@sbcglobal.net ........... He will be glad to post them for you. Thanks Nick for your help. Any word yet on the "Global Space" problem? Wish I did, but I don't. I suspect the company that sold us the new version is dealing with more than just the Global Space" issue. Usually happens any time a new version of just about any software is released. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyRodriguez Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 I sure liked going to TWS growing up, the constant in the shots where you can see the stands is a lack of people. I wonder if we would still have that problem today if TROC/Texas Grand Prix/Texas 250 etc were still happening.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 I sure liked going to TWS growing up, the constant in the shots where you can see the stands is a lack of people. I wonder if we would still have that problem today if TROC/Texas Grand Prix/Texas 250 etc were still happening.. Many of the spectators at TWS back in the TIDA TROC and Grand Prix races were in the infield by choice. Granted, for some of the bigger events that TIDA supported drew a few thousand specators to the grandstands, but that was just a drop in the bucket compared to the seating capacity of the place before the seats were removed. According to several people, TWS no longer allows spectators in the grandstands. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRANK-E Posted January 2, 2007 Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 When we were at TWS with TSRS last year, no one was allowed in the stands, something about them sinking and it being a safety hazard..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyRodriguez Posted January 2, 2007 Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 I read somewhere that the last Winston Cup event run there in 1981 drew a little more than 18,000 people! That is unheard of these days, although that was before NASCAR evolved into what it has become. Can you imagine 18,000 people @ a Cup race these days? They get more than that for pole day. I read the track was built in the wrong place, was supposed to be in the "hub" of Houston/Dallas/SA/Austin, it apparently never worked out that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted January 2, 2007 Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 According to several people, TWS no longer allows spectators in the grandstands. When we were at TWS with TSRS last year, no one was allowed in the stands, something about them sinking and it being a safety hazard..... It has been several years since it was discovered that the dirt under the grandstands was unstable, and the stands were slowly sinking. You will never see another spectator event at TWS again, unless they completely rebuild the stands again, and that will probably not happen. Conole and his gang are raking in too much cash as a club and test track to worry about the myriad of issues that go along with fan based events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted January 2, 2007 Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 From the traffic going into the track that day you would have thought there was more then that,but it rained the night before and everyone was trying to park along the paved entrance road.No there wasn,t much of a crowd in the stands that day,was hot and humid,only breeze was on top of the hill,it seemed that there was only a few that could win that race back then,not a field like there is now. I think it was the first year of the down sized cars as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilTPS Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 After reading some of the posts on this topic about Texas World Speedway ... I am preparing a TWS Historical Fact Sheet ... Stay tuned here. Neil Upchurch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer61 Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 aaaahhhh, the good ole' days. watching Mr. Spencer and Mr. Bendele racing out of 4 for the win. I remember the rain too. lots of mud. caught a piece of a fender from one of them big rigs that wrecked during a race. Piece of fiberglass landed almost in my lap. Cool souveneir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilTPS Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 Regarding some of the posts about TWS - here are a few historical facts about Texas World Speedway grandstand crowds at some events: > The TWS grandstand had 26,000 seats. > The largest crowd was about 43,000 on June 6, 1976. It wasn't a NASCAR race. It was a USAC Stock Car Division race which featured a large number of Indy 500 drivers in stock cars ie: A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Gordon Johncock, Ken Schrader, etc. It was the Texas 500. > The first Texas Race of Champions was held in October of l976. A typical TROC "stand alone" TROC event would seat 5,000 to 6,000 in the 26,000 seat grandstand. Another 5,000 elected to be in the VIP Suites, infield or in the pits. > The TIDA - TROC Late Model purse paid $4,000 or $5,000 to win and about $30,000 to the field of about 50 entries. > The TIDA Pro Sedan winner was usually paid $1,000 with $5,000 paid to the field of about 36 entries. > The TWS Super Stock purse paid $2,000 to win and $8,000 to $10,000 to the field of about 40 entries. > A pit pass cost $25 and was good for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. > Entries didn't have to furnish or rent a transponder. TWS furnished the scoring staff. > A College Station motel room usually sold for $25 to $35 per night. > Regular gas at the pump for the tow trucks was about $.45 to $.90 cents per gallon. > Race fuel at TWS was $3.00 per gallon or participants could bring their own race gas. That was then ..... this is now ! Neil Upchurch Former Race Director Texas World Speedway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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