Budman Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Can't seem to get any photos out of the Houston area. Here's the only one I own. Recognize anybody? Don't ask me, cause I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 budman Have any idea of the year? Isnt that a pretty track? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rookie49 Posted June 19, 2005 Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 Man that brings back memories Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 I forgot I even had this photo until I came across it this morning while looking for something else. I'm gonna guess I took the pic around 1990, give or take a year or two. Of course Big-H is now paved and is what we all know as HMP. At the time I think it was a quarter mile track. I remember one time, around '86 or so, I was in Houston on a Saturday night and decided to go out there. Well, I just happened to stumble on to the WoO Show that was there that weekend. Didn't even know about it until I walked up to the front gate. WoO put on their show and the locals also put on a big show at the same time, just alternating races with each other. It was one a HELL of a show, I gotta tell ya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted June 19, 2005 Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 You don't think they made a mistake in paving the track do you?If they had WoO,it sounds like they must have been doing something right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 TD, I don't know about all the local racing politics down there then and now. Probably be a better question to ask of some of the locals, but I'll give it a shot. I think its a good thing. Its the only asphalt track in that whole area now. There are dirt tracks all over the place down there from the east side of Houston all the way to the Louisiana border. I think it got pretty cut-throat at times down there with all tracks competing with each other. Battleground was only a few mile away. It was a 3/8 mile dirt track. Don't know if it's still operating or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted June 19, 2005 Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 I think Don Chrudimsky told me it was closed,but I can't remember if it was Battle Ground he was talking about.I guess I'm a little surprised about the car count and spectator counts at a track in the country's fourth largest city.I sure am glad it's paved now,for whatever reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rookie49 Posted June 19, 2005 Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 Battleground closed. It was in my former back yard. I heard it was because of noise. Don't understand that though. there is moto-x track next door and battle ground was down in a hole- kind of kept it quieter. The last time I was at Big H Steve Kinser was trying to become a big man in WoO and WoO was only a few years old. '83 I think. But I didn't know WoO was going to be there that night either. People always talk about how even locals don't know that there is a track- I had just moved to Houston in '83 and was looking for directions, because I had heard there was a ttrack, but I didn't know where it was or the name. Finally got some good directions and followed them to a "T". Well I end up in the middle of town so to speak and I know there can't be a speedway around and then I look up at the road sign- sure enough it says "Buffalo Speedway". I guess I should have known. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted June 19, 2005 Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 Try to get directions to any of the Texas tracks(except TMS),from locals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
top_shelf_12 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 CCMS: From the north: Stay on I37 South until you get to the Padre Island exit. Exit Agnes, turn left at the light and turn right on Flato Rd. The track is about a mile or less to the right. From Corpus Christi: Get on 358, aka SPID and exit Bear Lane. Take a right at the light and a left just before the high school (West Oso). Track is about two or three miles on the left. From the West: Ride Highway 44 all the way in until the Agnes exit. Straight through the light and right on Flato. I guess it's pretty easy for our little track, THR has got to be the easiest though, right off I35 or I37 Speedway in Pleasanton since both are on the access road, more difficult leaving the track than getting to it. Sorry for being a smart a$$ and I know what you mean. I wonder which track you'll end up at if you ask a Dallas area resident where a racetrack is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Posted June 24, 2005 Report Share Posted June 24, 2005 I saw my first dirt race ever at Big H in '94. Had spent ten years around Pan American ('67-77), and been in Houston since '80, but I didn't know of local dirt tracks for many years, and for a couple more I didn't think it would be good racing. I kept seeing these ads though for something called World of Outlaws and I figured that if anything would be good, that would be it. Greg Hodnett won that night, one of his first big-league victories. He pulled some manuevers that night that I have not seen duplicated since. I believe that was the last year for Big H, as the Outlaws were at Battleground the next year. Yes, Big H was and is a beautiful facility, Battleground suffers in comparison. To my eyes Battleground is a quarter mile, or very close to it. The local talk is that it was closed due to noise, although some say it was because of some disagreement between the owner and a neighbor. As to our various local tracks coexisting, I do know they have tended to run the same classes on the same nights. I know of at least one racer who would have one car at Battleground and another at Houston Raceway Park and drive back and forth during the night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supertx Posted June 24, 2005 Report Share Posted June 24, 2005 Brings back mem. I spent quite a bit of time around Big H all the way back to the mid 70'S till they closed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 In my 10 years of living in Houston, I spent many a Saturday night at Big H Speedway. The picture is of the Texas Super Sprint Series. The #11 is Kent Lewis(not sure if it's Sr or Jr) who still races in the area and runs the occasional ASCS show. I helped do video at Big H for years with Gil Dudek, he can probably hook ya up with some old pix or videos from there. He used to have older stuff from Playland Park and Myers Speedway, too. The WoO always put on a great show at Big H and Battleground. Then one night track owner/promoter Daniel Baliles got in a shouting match with Ted Johnson over show-up pay after the races were rained out. From then on any WoO race at Big H had to be sub-let to Norman Martin who would lease the track for the night. Sadly, Mr Baliles, in his infinite wisdom decided one mid-year that he was going to pave the joint. We were told our services were no longer needed-----damn fired from a non-paying job. Go figure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REBELRACER Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 We were told our services were no longer needed-----damn fired from a non-paying job. Go figure! that never would have happened if you were trained, talanted and better than an intern.........tehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supertx Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 Big H always had a good sprint car count on the weekly show. Chris Mcderomnt, John Bankston, Ronald Laney, Cooper, just to name a few. Bankston was killed a few years back at Eldora and Laney lost his life at speed weeks in Tampa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipmunk Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Can't seem to get any photos out of the Houston area. Here's the only one I own. Recognize anybody? Don't ask me, cause I don't know. Well i was working on a couple of Texas Super Sprinter Assc. cars back at Big H when this photo was taken. iI have some pics from back then ill dig out and scan soon. After the TSSA no longer raced at Big H i to helped GIL with videos such as rebelracewriter did (whats up J) . As for the cars in the pic the # 11 wasnt Kent it was Jerry Cox the Kents Sr. and Jr. drove 21 and 22, the # 66 was i beleive Glenn Evans the # 42 had 2 drivers Norman Martin and Daniel Balisles, the purple car im drawning a blank at the moment and the # 37 how do you say the name is on the tip of my tongue just cant seem to get it out at this time.the cars i wrenched on at the time was the #5 of Dubby Vinson and then the # 28 of Richard (Crazy) Cooper,soon after i was the Race Coordinator for the TSSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC57 Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Battleground reopened about 4 years ago. Ran 1 season, then shut down again. Battleground was definetly larger than 1/4. Closer to 3/8 with shorter straigts than say HRP, but long turns. Fun track, but could have used better lighting. Best dirt track in the area WAS Houston Raceway Park (HRP). Was 3/8 (probably in the middle, closer to 1/2 at the wall.) Longer straights than Battleground, track surface prep was sometimes questionable. TRack tended to go dry slick (which I liked 'cuz it took the motor out of play and put it in the chassis and driver's hands. Don't know how good of a surface they've had recently.) Great lighting, asphalt pits, scoreboard with lap counter and positions 1 - 5, huge grandstands with suites, etc. Probably the nicest dirt faciltiy in this part of the country. They changed the configuration before the '07 season to a 1/4 at the bottom. The hopes were to attract racers from the other 1/4s in the area. Aerial shots (and talking with some guys that run there) they said it's now almost like racing on a big circle. Lots of people say they've ruined the track. The track may go through some additional reconfiguration this off-season. Hopes are that they add more banking in the turn and therefore create more racing lines around the track. Additional dirt tracks in the area (50 mile radius): Gator in Willis (just north of Conroe); decent 1/4 track. Horrible facilities, no pit lighting, tech questionable, etc. Concrete stands that appear to be sinking. 105 Speedway West of Cleveland. Decent 1/4 track. Next to horrible facilites, most pit lighting inoperative, small grandstands, etc. Motoroma in Beaumont. Good 1/4 track. Can't speak for the facilities as I've never raced there. I've raced at 105 & Gator. Would put the 105 track itself ahead of the Gator track. Facilities: Both Gator & 105 epitomize what the public perception of dirt track racing is: red necks running around in the dirt. Junk left in piles here and there, electrical wiring strung along fences, bailing wire and bubble gum. Moral of the story: Houston has 2 of the nicest race tracks in the country: HMP & HRP. If I were to go back to dirt, most of my time would probably be spent at HRP. But hopefully I can stay on the asphalt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprintsrule Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Big H was a great dirt track. Probably my favorite of all time. At the end of the year Open Wheel magazine would interview World of Outlaw drivers and get their opinions on various topics. One of the questions asked them to name their three favorite tracks. Big H was on almost everybody's list year after year. Making the top three when the WOO raced at 40+ tracks a year was a pretty big accomplishment. Big H used to run Texas Super Sprinters and they averaged over 30 cars per night the last year they ran there. What a shame a rich man bought the place and ran the place down. I still miss that place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipmunk Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 i added a few sprint car pics in forum titled early big h sprint cars more to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trotter1t Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 Big H 1992. 360 Sprint Class Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddog93 Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 I began my racing career driving stocks cars at Big H.. It was 1984 - 1993 . Back then we had over 150 cars in the class every year and averaged 40 - 50 each and every Saturday night. Those were the days. Big H was definitely the Premier track of that time. I remember the time the WOO Sprints came and Sammy Swindell driving the Blue #1 Channel Locks Car set the track record at 140 mph average around the 1/4 circle.. It was one Fast Red Clay track... I even took my Mom for a ride at one of the Play nights we use to have on Monday nights. It was the ride of her life and one we still talk about today.I am now running Limited Modifieds #93.. My Home track is Battleground Speedway in Highlands,Tx.. A very fast 3/8 mile.We are running every Saturday night , March thru October... We have a Big $100,000 Purse race coming on June 30-July 2. The "Chassis Challenge" Come on out and support the Local Dirt Track.. Information at Battleground Speedway.com... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arob Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 Maybe it can go back to dirt one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC57 Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 Reddog, stop by my slab one Saturday. White Limited #3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC57 Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 You know Arob, as much as we need another asphalt track in this state, and as much as I like Battleground, that would not be a bad thing to see happen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
324 Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 On 6/19/2005 at 12:38 AM, Budman said: AND BIG H WOULD RUN AROUND 5 CLASSES .. EVERY CLASS WOULD HAVE B'S .. WHEN I TALK TO YOUNG GUN'S TODAY ABOUT CAR COUNT'S & B'S , THEY GIVE ME A PUZZLED LOOK AND SAY FOR SPECIAL ? AND I WOULD SAY NO ! WEEKLY ! SOME 20 + CAR'S JUST FOR THE B'S. NOW DAY'S MOST TRACK CAN'T GET 20 FOR THE "A" . ALL THE TRACK'S AROUND HOUSTON HAVE BEEN CLOSED & RE-OPEN . GATOR - 2 TIMES (now for good).. 105 , BG , GTRP , A BUNCH OF TIMES WITH A FEW YEAR'S IN BETWEEN BEING OPEN & CLOSED . EVEN THE OLD TRACK IN ALVIN (stock car -been closed for year's & silsbee) THE MIN - SPRINT TRACK IN ALVIN IS STILL OPEN .. LAST YEAR (2017) 105 & GTRP RACE ABOUT HALF THE YEAR IF THAT ?.. BG ALMOST THE HOLE YEAR .. GATOR ALL OF THE SEASON .. GATOR NOW CLOSED FOR GOOD .. AND ONE OF MY FAV.'S SHADY OAKS . 2018 WE WILL HAVE 105, BG ,GTRP RE-OPENING AND STILL HAVE TEXANA & COTTON BOWL A FEW (a lot) MIL.,s DOWN THE ROAD .. , ALL RACING THE SAME NIGHT .. BOTH 105 & GTRP HAVE BIG SPRINT CAR RACES FOR THE 360'S , GTRP THE ASCS & 105 THE SPRINT BANBIT & 305'S ON 7 - 7 - 18 .. CUT THROAT - POLITICE - LAND & MONEY ! YES ! WE ARE "NOT" LIKE DALLAS DOWN HERE ...... IT'S SAD - VERY SAD ! ..... JO3L P.S. HOPE ALL IS WELL YOU JAY ( REB) I don't know about all the local racing politics down there then and now. Probably be a better question to ask of some of the locals,t. . . I think it got pretty cut-throat at times down there with all tracks competing with each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.