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Moody & Clary Speedway 1968-- 1971


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Moody/Clary Speedway was a state of the art 3/8 mile track opened in 1968 just outside of Navasota on Hwy. 105. It was big, wide and super fast. It was owned by J. D. Moody and Kenneth Clary, with Kenneth acting as manager/promoter. Joe D'agastino was the longtime flagman. It was a well run, first class facility at the time.

 

In addition to weekly mod/supermod and stock car racing Moody/Clary hosted a number of special events, including a USAC midget car race and even concerts by Jerry Lee Lewis and Conway Twitty. It was a sad day for Texas racing when it closed.

 

The sharp little Don Edmonds supermod below was destroyed in Sept. 1969 during the chase for the 69 M/C championship with Billy Griswold and James Starky. It was rebuilt and I continued to drive it until 1971. I never overcame the resulting outcome of that head shot [ vision problems ] and walked away in mid season 1971 for good. The car was later sold to Nolan Wren and if I remember correctly he later took a nasty ride in it also.

 

Hope some of you drivers who were there later will pick this up where I left off.

 

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Among many other things, I'm no expert in judging dirt race tracks, but Moody-Clary/Navasota was as nice as any I've seen. I'm thinking I witnessed the mentioned crash, although I don't remember the car number, but the driver's last name is the same I remember. I was in the pit area, as you know was outside the back stretch, and the crash occurred, I believe, just past the turn two exit. I began attending auto races in the early '50s, but I can't recall ever seeing a race car flip that fast. Am I referring to the same incident? It seems like it was an Edmunds Car. Very fast flips. While I am avoiding posting, I had to comment on this discussion.

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Among many other things, I'm no expert in judging dirt race tracks, but Moody-Clary/Navasota was as nice as any I've seen. I'm thinking I witnessed the mentioned crash, although I don't remember the car number, but the driver's last name is the same I remember. I was in the pit area, as you know was outside the back stretch, and the crash occurred, I believe, just past the turn two exit. I began attending auto races in the early '50s, but I can't recall ever seeing a race car flip that fast. Am I referring to the same incident? It seems like it was an Edmunds Car. Very fast flips. While I am avoiding posting, I had to comment on this discussion.

RETrott: Yes it was quite a ways out of # 2 turn, a lapped car smacked the fence and I got up on the top of Jackie Burke # 99. I was officially given credit for 11 rolls, but I had to take their word for it as I only remember the first.

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Among many other things, I'm no expert in judging dirt race tracks, but Moody-Clary/Navasota was as nice as any I've seen. I'm thinking I witnessed the mentioned crash, although I don't remember the car number, but the driver's last name is the same I remember. I was in the pit area, as you know was outside the back stretch, and the crash occurred, I believe, just past the turn two exit. I began attending auto races in the early '50s, but I can't recall ever seeing a race car flip that fast. Am I referring to the same incident? It seems like it was an Edmunds Car. Very fast flips. While I am avoiding posting, I had to comment on this discussion.

RETrott: Yes it was quite a ways out of # 2 turn, a lapped car smacked the fence and I got up on the top of Jackie Burke # 99. I was officially given credit for 11 rolls, but I had to take their word for it as I only remember the first.

Where is this car today? Great looking Edmunds!

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  • 5 weeks later...
Among many other things, I'm no expert in judging dirt race tracks, but Moody-Clary/Navasota was as nice as any I've seen. I'm thinking I witnessed the mentioned crash, although I don't remember the car number, but the driver's last name is the same I remember. I was in the pit area, as you know was outside the back stretch, and the crash occurred, I believe, just past the turn two exit. I began attending auto races in the early '50s, but I can't recall ever seeing a race car flip that fast. Am I referring to the same incident? It seems like it was an Edmunds Car. Very fast flips. While I am avoiding posting, I had to comment on this discussion.

 

 

Hello Ya'll I to was there that night and saw the sight of that

car flipping down the back strech. what a scary thing to see . I

was driving stock cars at that time dad had a old coupe #11

pictured on the outside of #3 Red Smith in picture 6 of those above.

the wing on the 3 car later became the wing of 5b Donald Duck

being chased by a bumble bee.

 

 

Danny Wilson 5b

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Hello Ya'll I to was there that night and saw the sight of that

car flipping down the back strech. what a scary thing to see . I

was driving stock cars at that time dad had a old coupe #11

pictured on the outside of #3 Red Smith in picture 6 of those above.

the wing on the 3 car later became the wing of 5b Donald Duck

being chased by a bumble bee.

 

Danny Wilson 5b

Hello to you Danny, good to hear from you. I remember you and your dad. We were the lucky ones to live during the wonder years of racing, well maybe lucky to live through them. Moody/Clary,Myers, HOT, Beaumont, Cleveland, Austin, S/A, man those were the days. The driver of the #3 pictured was actually my brother Buddy, Red was in the #12 at the time. Am in the Denver Area at present and they will run the 800 hp. offset supermods on pavement sat, should be quite a show!

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  • 5 years later...
  • 2 years later...

My father, J.D. Holland was in charge of the track at Moody-Clary. (Kenneth Clary was my uncle) I can remember following him on the tractor that packed the dirt behind the water truck. In my head, I won most of those 'races'.... Then, I got to work the little BBQ hut in the pits where most of the drivers ate. Fun times. I learned a lot of great new words that summer.

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  • 3 years later...

This may help, go to Map Quest or whatever you may use Google or otherwise. Start at Navasota TX, get on Hwy 105 east <roads> Just a short way from Hwy 6 you will find county road 415 now click to Ariel photo, just to the right from 415 there are 2 driveways off of 105 and on the property there is a round corral easy to spot. This is the property where the track was, the last time we went by it the original pump house was still there close to the wooded area on the east side of the land. The land has been cleared farther south than when the track was there. I hope this helps. 

Byron.

 

 

 

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