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some early sprint cars at big h


chipmunk

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Thanks!!

 

I remember being in turn 1 of the stands, at the Bowl, and watching Blaney and Sammy put on a heck of a show. That was the first time I remember seeing Blaney run we were like WOW who is that. I still remember them coming up on a lap car and they split the lap car going into turn one.

 

Heard the team folded after they dropped a bunch of money in the operation and said that was enough.

 

 

Since your digging, you remember these?

 

#7 Blazer Plumbing Special out of Houston? A lady owned that team. Keith Kauffman drove it some.

 

 

#7 Mike "Limey" Culyer, he was out of my hometown of Vidor? Very fast you may even have some winged modified pictures of him.

 

Thanks Again. :)

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the blazer pluming car was owned by Kitty and Emery Wiesenbaker. Was also driven by Gary Miles of dallas,Larry and Jerry Schilds of houston....Emery left houston and moved to little rock and went into used car business before going to the big house.......if you'll give me a couple of days i'll remember the name of the people that owned the car that Blaney is driving in your picture.....they were in the a/c and heating business in houston...I can see there faces but ....I'm getting old....too many facts in the old brain...

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If it was the early 40's, it might have been the 1/5 mile at the Dallas State Fairgrounds. Usually ran on Wednesday night. It ran from 1939 to 1957. The location is under the livestock coliseum.

 

The Devils Bowl shown above is the original built behind the Buckner Drive-in Theatre on John West Road.

It opened in 1949, and was replaced by the current one off Lawson Road about 1968.

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Thanks Tom, and you are right. We did go to the track at the fairgrounds. I get those confused because Dad used to talk about Devils Bowl and as you said, it was built later.

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I spent many a night as a kid watching from behind those trees at the bowl. Man,we used to watch from all over the track. Sometimes we would stand maybe 4 or 5 feet from the inside edge about halfway thru 3. Exciting view,not the safest,but very exciting.

 

I've been to the Bowl hot,cold,dry,wet,sunny,cloudy,dayand nite and I don't ever recall it looking even a little red in any conditions.

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In '57, long time Houston area racer Cecil Elliot was killed in a Midget Car crash in Dallas, I believe at the Fairgrounds track. The following year, the Cecil Elliot Memorial 100 Lap Midget Car Race was held at Playland Spdwy/Houston. Lloyd Ruby, driving a car owned by Ebb Rose, won the '58 race.

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Larry,

 

Just a note about Cecil Elliot.

 

It was ironic that we were on our way back from Dallas traveling on old hiway 75 in 1957. We were in the little town of Buffalo, TX at a Texaco station when Cecil Elliot was pulling in to get gas at the station.

 

Cecil was traveling from Houston to Dallas for the race that you had mentioned and had the #56 Midget on the trailer behind him.

 

We were traveling back home to Houston from the Quarter Midget races at the Devil's Bowl on Buckner Rd.

 

I remember Cecil talking with my Dad as I viewed this Big Midget sitting on the trailer at the service station. We than walked over to look at my Quarter Midget which was also on our trailer headed home.

 

Cecil just grinned at me and asked " You like Racin?..Wanna drive a Big Midget?"

 

I was allowed to sit in the #56 briefly as I was assisited into the cock pit and behind the wheel.

 

This is one of the strangest feelings still today as I remember sitting in the midget that Cecil would loose his life in in Dallas.

 

As we departed ways from the station, we wished him the best for the races.

 

The following day, we read the news in the newspaper.

 

I kept the clipping and will never forget that day and the grin from Cecil Elliot.

 

Next to Buddy Rackley, he was my second driver hero at Playland Park.

 

 

Cecil was a great racer..

 

#85

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Randy,

That's quite a story. My younger sister and her family lived in Buffalo during the 90s, and Mom lived there part of that period as well. On March 10th, going from Spring to Troup TX, I had routed us through Buffalo rather than Crockett, due to rain, and plenty of it. During a stop to purchase some coolant, my brother-in-law saw and spoke to Marianne (sp?), Denny's cousin, at a gas station/store on US 79, on the west side of I-45. But, we didn't stop there, and, they had no coolant. It had to be purchased, I guess, at an auto parts store in town. As far as I know, Marianne and her family still live there.

I was under the impression that Cecil Elliot was driving car #54 that day, but in no way positive about that. Maybe I saw him in a Stock Car or Modified with that number some 50+ years ago, and just assumed. I also thought, and/or assumed, that the Midget was repaired and was later driven by Lloyd Ruby. Unfortunately, in those days with no roll cages, some drivers were lost in very repairable race cars.

Also, somewhere in that time period, I understand that M J Burton crashed and was injured in a Midget Car crash, possibly at the original Pan American Spdwy/San Antonio. But, I don't know any details.

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Well I'll be danged . I've been to the Old Track in downtown off Buckner and the present location many times , but I never knew Devils Bowl had been across Lawson road at one time . I wouldn't have believed it if it wasn't for that photo , you can see the old track plain as day .

 

This is my first post , so Hi all !

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  • 1 month later...

Cecil Elliott Midget

 

Larry,

 

Referring to the post above about Cecil's Midget.

 

It might have been #54..

 

As to MJ Burton, he was involved in a pretty bad one when the midget got upside down.

 

Denny would know more on that one. If I'm not mistaken, there is a photo where MJ and Buddy Rackley were in a turn when the action started..

 

I believe it was in San Antonio.

 

It has been a few moons since that day :blink:

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I have spoken with Denny several times at his shop and as soon as he get's a little free time, we hope to get some of those photos of his posted to the site.

 

He has a heavy load keepin Wade's fleet up and running..

 

We'll keep checking back.

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Ok in the aireal picture what you think is the old bowl is a road around the catfish farm! Guys believe the bowl moved ONCE from John West (south Buckner) to Lawson road were it is today

 

Hello Rick, and welcome to the forum.

 

There has long been some confusion about Devils Bowl having two locations after moving off Lawson Road. Here is something that will dispel the myth about that catfish farm across from present day D.Bowl.

 

Look at this ariel shot, dater 1979. the catfish farm and it's oval road are not there at all; and this was 11 years after the Bowl moved. if you look at one of the later year images, you can see the fish farm and road that caused so much confusion:

Devil's Bowl #2

 

And, in case you have not seen this, here is the original Bowl off West and Buckner:

Devil's Bowl #1

If you pan this image out, you can see the old Buckner Drive-in theatre and also White Rock Airport; all long gone.

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Just to add to the confusion .......................... :D .................................. back in the early 70's I seem to remember there being one of those "African Wildlife Safari Drive-Through Parks" situated just across Lawson Road from the D-Bowl. Does anybody else remember that?

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