Budman Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 WELCOME, I'VE STARTED THIS THREAD FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE A SPECIAL INTEREST IN OPEN-WHEEL RACING IN AND AROUND TEXAS. I ENCOURAGE ANYONE WITH SIMILAR INTERESTS TO COME ON HERE TO POST OR JUST LOOK AND READ IF YOU SO CHOOSE. LET'S TALK ABOUT OPEN-WHEEL RACING, MAYBE POST A FEW PHOTOS AND DISCUSS WHERE THE SPORT'S BEEN, THE STATE ITS IN NOW, AND MAYBE LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND WHERE IT GOES FROM HERE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbinsSr Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 I personaly like the vintage modifieds, To bad the Texas Super Coupes didnt grow into something more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Thanks Budman for starting this. So lets get it going Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Tex44, Mr. St Cricq in the article above wouldn't happen to be a relative of yours, would he? Yeah Mini9r, I hated to see that they wouldn't be running this year. I was kinda looking forward to seeing them run at THR this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Budman, Yep, he was my father. I've started going through the scrap books that my mom kept and decided that these pictures had been put away too long and it was time that they were shared. Unforunatly some were lost in a flood about 10 years ago, but I still have alot left and I'am in the progress of trying to get access to another set of scrap books from the same era. When we get through all of those then we'll get into the early seventies when we ran the midgets at San Antonio and Austin. Then the late 70's early eighties at Big H along with other parts of the country. But all of this is going to be a work in progress as it takes alot of time to do the scanning, touch up in photoshop (remember most of these are 65+ years old and need a little revitalization) and the cataloging. All this along with maintaining the current midget site. Tex44 Marcel St. Cricq Racing, Dallas, Texas 1939-1940 era Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbinsSr Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 http://www.racingfromthepast.com/texassuperslap1index9.html this site has some cool pics from the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 I love those dirt supers from that era. They look so cool. I wish todays dirt mods looked half that cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txenergyman Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 This is the good stuff...open wheel dirt is truly awesome to watch,if there is enough interest with driver or owner or both of open wheel,then next season is very probable...for the right track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbinsSr Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 A vintage car racing leage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 They were light and fast and I think they still had transmisions in them also,AND NO MIRRORS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 I have a good friend in Houston with lots of stuff from Playland Park and Meyers Speedway. I'll see if I can get him to post some. Gotta love those rules/regulations; Must wear crash helmet and goggles----DUH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texana55 Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 http://www.racingfromthepast.com/texassuperslap1index9.html this site has some cool pics from the past I recognized some of those guys I watched as a teen, includng Ron Golden who ended up always being at the top in the NTRA circuit also. I recognized the name Randy Willingham as a super mod driver. Is this the same gentleman from Rockport, who raced Late Models in the past few years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I recognized the name Randy Willingham as a super mod driver. Is this the same gentleman from Rockport, who raced Late Models in the past few years? The Randy Willingham on that site was an Amarillo legend. He raced abut anything that ever raced around Amarillo and Lubbock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Here Ya Go TxTom, I'll still watch when going thru my stuff and see if I run across anymore. If so you're sure welcome to them. This picture is from the book "One Tough Circuit" by Bill Hill, probably the best midget reference book ever published for Texas,Okla and Mo.racing history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Thanks, Tex! This particular Midget belonged to Elton Chester of Dallas, Texas. My father went to Dallas Hillcrest for a couple years, and one of his classmates was Elton JR. My father and grandfather spent many a Wednesday night at the 1/5 mile Dallas Fairgrounds track watching this car run with the legend Jud Larson driving it. This is the first pic I have ever seen of it. My dad says the main color was Brown, and he thought the accents and numbers were bronze, although they look lighter in this shot. Thanks again, Tex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 The Houston Speedbowl in 1939 #49 Leo Glaze #8 Doc Cossey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 What an awesome pic... you can almost see the adrenalin flowing through their veins.. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Tex, My palms get sweaty just lookin' at it! That is one INTENSE photograph! Love it! Thanks for posting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Those were drivers,notice one hand on the hand brake and steering with the other,the left also had to do the manual fuel pump as well that is viewed in the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 You're right 97car, those were drivers. To fully understand this statement lets look at a little of the history about the midget racing of the 30's and 40's. I guess the first thing to look at is the fact that they built their own cars in this time period, the driver was the fabricator and mechanic. I would say that probably 90% of these drivers raced full time for a living, running 5 & 6 nights a week at various tracks from Houston SpeedBowl all the way to Olympic Stadium in Kanas City. Most never won a track championship because they didn't align theirselves with any one track, they went where the money was. And people think the term "Outlaws" is new... LOL Tough???. In those days altercations or as the politically correct say today "Racing accidents" were settled on the track or in the pits. I remember hearing of certain drivers that didn't take their helmet off till they left the race track! One incident involved a car owner standing down in the turn motioning his driver to move down on the track to block a faster car, well 2 crewmen of the faster car went down to the turn and laid the car owner's nose over on one side of his face. I personally know this to be true cause I knew this car owner before he passed away, and yep, his nose was still layed over to one side! More of these kind of little known facts another time...LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boerneracehounds50 Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I grew up in Iowa and have one of Mel Kenyons first photos with Mel and His brother Don and Gus Shraeder, at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport Iowa, in the early 60's, he lived 2 blocks from my grandmother and my grandfather bought Mel's first midget from him and ran at Hails Corner Wisonson.Damn thats a long time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Txenergy Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 I love these pics, brought back the old days.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 Tex44 I emailed the pic of the Chester Offy to my Dad--First thing he said when I stopped by his house today was 'Where the hell did you find that?" He stated the numbers and lettering were bronze, the main color of the car was kind of metallic brown, and the nose scallop was bone or ivory color. All for a car he has not seen for 50+ years. Thanks again for finding that. And I mentioned the name Marcel St. Crieq, and he immediately remembered your Dad. He has an incredible memory for this stuff. All I can say about that pic of Glaze and Cossey is WOW. I think that is hands down the best racing pic ever posted on this forum. There are not many pics out there that give an idea of where our racing evolved from like that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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