Old Pics From TWS?

[CRANK-E]

Couldn't believe my eyes when I read the newpaper clip of Bruce Mabrito. Wally finished fourth and brought home 1,200 dollars and this was back around 1982. Seems like everything has elevated except for the purse

[RodneyRodriguez]

I remember Benny Parsons who won that race in '81 saying that the track was so rough that it almost rattled his teeth loose. That sure was the first year of the downsized cars, Parsons won in Bud Moore's T-Bird.

[trlrider]

Leroy's #51 was Black, I have some old programs from those races, but they are locked away in storage.

[CuttingEdgeRacing]

We run TWS twice a year with NASA. Everytime I go there, it almost saddens my heart. You can look around and almost "feel" the history in the track. Looking into the infeild and seeing the old concessions and poddium; about to fall... over is sad. When its quiet at night, and just the sounds of the buzzing lights is all you can hear, you can almost imagine when the place was full. Nothing is kept up anymore, everything is dirty, falling apart, or broken. After the death of the track owner, I am curious to see what really happens to the place. Some have rumored its going to be a driver's instructional complex (like bondurant), but we'll see. This will be the last year any real racing takes place on TWS. Oh well..times change.

 

We will be there April 28th

[Chris Taylor]

This will be the last year any real racing takes place on TWS. Oh well..times change.

Don't be sure of that... Dick Canole was not the sole owner of TWS, and the facility has not been sold (to my knowledge). He was merely the managing partner, and the actual management for the track is still in place and operational. They were honoring all contracts for 2007, and assuming the facility is still open they plan on honoring contracts for 2008 as well.

 

FYI, I'm involved in 2 events a year at the track, and deal with the management so this isn't necessarily heresy or bullshit.

[CuttingEdgeRacing]

I hope you're correct. To my knowledge the track has been sold.

[NeilTPS]

In reading the posts by CuttingEdgeRacing and Chris Taylor ... I decided to get the current facts about TWS to correct what may have been some mis-information posted on this board.

 

In an April 25 e-mail response to Neil Upchurch, Rusty Rush, the General Manger of Texas World Speedway said, in part:

 

"Neil- Thanks for the email. I am not totally in the loop as far as the family is concerned, but I'll tell you what I do know.

 

The four or five groups that I am aware of that have expressed an interest in the track want it to remain a motorsports venue. Dick Conole's wish was for it to remain so and his widow, Sharyn, echoes that. Sharyn also inherited Dick's contract to operate the track through 2010. And I have already started on a 2008 schedule.

 

Yes, the track facilities are showing their age and we do try to keep the important things up to snuff. We do what we can with the funds available.

 

I would not urge anybody to sell their car, I think we'll be running here for some years to come".

 

 

Above information compiled by:

 

Neil Upchurch

Former Race Director

Texas Race of Champions

Texas World Speedway

[RodneyRodriguez]

thats good to hear, we have enough tracks on the shelf!

too bad we can't see soem TROC type racing, I'd like to go to TWS just to

look around.

[zoom]

Heck,

I wish Texas Pro Sedans would go run a road race or two over there.

 

HINT HINT

 

Thanks Neil

[Jay]

I spoke with Rusty at TWS today and he confirmed that they are booking events already for 2008.

 

You know, the places that the Texas racing community has fond memories of are starting to disappear. SAS closed a couple of weeks ago. I can’t say that the thought of TWS closing has not crossed my mind. I just wonder how much support there is state wide to help keep this one around for future generations. Once something happens, typically it’s too late to do anything about it.

 

There are a bunch of us that have the ability and the expierience to help with some of the needs of the track.

 

I'll be at the track this weekend for the NASA race.

 

Jay Carley

Allison Legacy Series Director

Owner / Texoma Legacy Motorsports

[HiTech]

id love for pro sedans to race there again i second the motion ..

[CuttingEdgeRacing]

well that is some good news there. I would rather be wrong and keep a race venue!

[tps48]

If oldtimer would sponsor a dollar for every TXSZ post he's made, I'll bet we could get the TPS race at TWS!

[302cominthru]

Actually tha is Bob Brevak's car. The blue Ford wrecker was one of Waldo Harper's, and wew were there working the USAC and TRC races. When we got to the car Bob was standing outside of it, but had no idea where he was or how he got there.

 

Terry Barden

 

Bob still resides in Ashland, WI where operates his fathers pulpwood trasnport service. Here's a non-native Texan that tore up the ARCA circuit in it's infancy. What a class act he is.

[Jay]

A couple of weeks ago, at the NASA TX event, Our series was granted permission by NASA to conduct opening ceremony for the weekend. The opening included the national anthem, sky dive team to deliver the Texas Flag and American flag, the all famous order to fire engines. We had a great time and had some of the best racing. Two photo finishes of the four races. .009 and .006 was the difference.

 

I was talking with Rusty Rush last week about some things and he stopped me mid stream of a conversation, and said he wanted to tell me a story. What he said to me in his story was hugely a compliment to our series, The Allison Legacy, but more about what it was like back in the day and I wanted to share this.

 

Rusty said going back 35 years, he was a young man working at TWS the first time NASCAR came to town. His job at the track was selling programs in the stands. He really never had any interest in NASCAR because he always followed the road racing. Lot of big names in NASCAR from the day were at the track, of which Donnie and Bobby Allison were in crowd.

 

About the time the race was ready to get started and all the cars were on pit road, they started with opening. National anthem was played, but nothing like what they do today and the most famous words in racing, the order to start engines. Rusty recalled the name of the gentleman that gave the order although I don’t remember a week later. He said he stood there watching and as most of us have felt at one time or another, or every time we go to the races, he felt a chill go down his back when the cars came to life as the order to start engines was given like he had never felt before.

 

We had 20 Allison Legacy cars on pit road a couple of weeks ago, nose to tail, 12 feet apart. Rusty said that he felt that same chill when the Allison field came to life on pit road just as he had years ago.

 

When I heard that story, I could feel that sentimental feeling myself that Rusty was expressing as we were talking. I want to try to help this track get cleaned up and maybe put on some sort of event. I believe next year would be the 40th year for the track. I would like to see something done to celebrate 40 years of racing history at this track.

 

Just as I post above, I think there are plenty of us that have the ability to done something here.

[NeilTPS]

Jay: I worked the first race at Texas International Speedway. It was later renamed Texas World Speedway. I worked there during the entire 27 years the track held professional races.

 

The first race was a Can-Am road race on November 9, 1969.

 

It was followed by a NASCAR Grand National 500, which is currently known as Nextel Cup. That race on December 7, 1969.

 

My records indicate that the final professional (spectator) race at TWS was on March 30, 1996 when a combined ARCA and TROC-LM and Pro Sedan event was held.

 

The track will be 39 years old in November of 2008.

 

 

Neil Upchurch

Former Race Director

Texas Race of Champions

Texas World Speedway

[HiTech]

get a pro sedan race at tws we would be there ..ready to go back ..

[stsracer]

get a pro sedan race at tws we would be there ..ready to go back ..

They dont allow Rockets in racing Oldtimer. You'll have to take a race car. Couldnt help myself on that one.HAHA

[HiTech]

forget the rocket motor ..i will add a jet eng .for that track ..road course wont need a rocket ...

[MonaB]

#51 was Leroy Farmer for a long time, but I don't think this one is him. Will have to scour around for some reference stuff.

The car behind Wally in the second pic, a red and white one, is a #5 car. Looks to be a Mopar of some type. I believe John Newlin of Houston was running that number back then.

 

Do you have dates on those pics? Look to be '81 or '82.

 

The blue #51 is Leroy Farmer. Here's a picture of the sme car at Longhorn Speedway/Speed-O-Rama. This was my favorite of all of his cars. It also had the Budwiser Clydsdale on the hood if I remember right. He was sponsered by Budwiser at this time.

 

[RodneyRodriguez]

Mona, do you have any pictures of the #51 white nova Leroy drove in '80?

that was a sharp late model.

[a2dfarm]

Mona, do you have any pictures of the #51 white nova Leroy drove in '80?

that was a sharp late model.

I will dig one out - I'm sure I have one - it was one of my favorites as well

[RETrott]

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.

When I heard the unstable grandstand story, I wondered if any consideration was given to filling the voids under the concrete with a flowable-fill material similar to cement stabalized sand but increased strength. After stabilizing, possibly drill some piers and use some high strength concrete in those piers, attached to the existing concrete. Oh well, it may not have worked and besides, I can't even spell injunear.

[racerpete2]

The white nova late model would have been around 79 or 80. My dad bought the chassis and body around 1980. It was run by my dad (Jim Mangham), Alvin Stewart, and a couple of others until 1982 when the throttle stuck at longhorn speedway. That was one of the hardest hits I have ever seen at Longhorn. Bobby Murdock was in the car on a Thursday night when it happened. The right side frame rail was pushed back inside itself about a foot. The car was fixed but never made it back to the track. About a year ago it went to be crushed at Big 4 in austin. My dad kept saying that he didn't need another race car because he already had one. I guess it was true because when it left, a 1965 Falcon vintage racer showed up. I guess there was a void there that needed to be filled.

[RodneyRodriguez]

speaking of TWS I heard there was a big fire during the Big State Fesival, saw the photos on the KVET homepage.

Crazy stuff happens @ TWS I'll tell ya.

I remember being a young guy and going to the infield one Saturday night when they had the Willie NElson picnic stage bonfire; along with chili cookoff & wet tata contest! Those early years drilled racing into my soul as a way of life!!!

Man we need to start racing @ TWS again!!