geezer

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Yeah you're right jakdad, by this time I would already be at Johnny's house working on the 9 car, while Billy was just getting up. We usually wouldn't see him 'till race time.Wish I could go back to those days, I still miss Johnny a lot, & Billy too. Oh well nothing stays the same, & as they say you can't go home again.

Man I had forgot all about that, & Ronnie & I were talking about that race a couple of weeks ago. Wouldn't it be great if someone would rebuild the 1/2 mile & some oldtimers, like me & Jimmy, Denny, Larry & Jerry would build some old replica modifieds? Probably couldn't find enough 38 chev bodies though.Sure would be a kick though.

Trott Call Ronnie he's in the book in Magnolia or Chumley's wrecker service Magnolia, he can probably hook you up with Charles Ray, or call Foyt Charles Ray stops in to visit him periodically I think.

Geezer,

The way I remember, Playland Park Spdwy/Houston held weekly Modified Stock Car events through the end of the season in '60, and beginning in the Spring of '61 a new class of Modifieds, requiring cars made in '37 or later, began racing weekly at Meyer Spdwy/Houston. I seem to recall a Modified Stock Car # 78, but I am short on details. I remember Joe Foster, I just didn't remember him by name. I'm thinking the Humble (Exxon) Service Station as being on the east side of N Shepherd, although I thought it was at 20th, but I am a little fuzzy on that.

I'm pretty sure at least one old Playland Modified was updated with a '37 body (Ford) and raced at Meyer in '61. At some point in '62, Ronnie Chumley drove a blue # 16 Modified for Pancho Locklin, but I don't know what the car started out as.

I'm sure I have forgotten a lot of cars and drivers from that era, and probably only attended about half of the races in the late 50s and early 60s, but beginning in '63 I attended more often. Hopefully, this will help on the dates/time frame.

Trott: Like you my memory's a little fuzzy, but i'm pretty sure the 78 car was a 39 chev body, I should remember I worked on it enough. You are right about the station being on the east side of Shepherd but I'm pretty sure it was a block or 2 north of 20th.Iremember that Shorty Lauder lived right off of Shepherd on 20th.I think after Joe decided to quit running the 78 Ronnie did drive for Pancho,if I see him next week I'll ask him.I did drive the 78 a few times but it was never very fast.

Midget85,

I had seen this picture on your site, but I just don't remember this # 61 Car. It definitely appears to be an early '60s era Modified Stock Car that raced at Meyer Spdwy/Houston in those days. My first self question was whether or not it was the former # 5 Car that was raced by M J Burton in '61, but I don't think so. Of course, anyone hanging around local auto racing in those days should remember Curtis "Smitty" Smith. Ole "Big Smitty" seemed to stand out in a crowd. The last time I saw him was at Charlie's shop where the McDonalds is now. As for '62, I was thinking Charlie Schild drove the red & silver # 25 Modified that year, and the Cates # 1 Modified in '63, and Ronnie Chumley drove the # 25 Modified in '63. However, I am thinking that the # 5 Modified from '61 was raced by Smitty in '62 or '63, and it was renumbered # 61. The # 61 pictured is obviously a '37 modified Ford body on what appears to be a '30s era Ford frame/suspension, and somewhat similiar to the former # 5 Modified, although the '37 Ford body on the former # 5 appeared stock.

I do remember Charlie Schild going over the wall in turn 3 at Meyer Spdwy in that time period, possibly in the Cates # 1 Modified, and I am thinking he was possibly upside down and/or backwards.

Trott I don't remember the dates, but Ronnie Chumley drove the #78 Buick powered car that belonged to Joe Foster when we first went to Meyer, Joe was a close friend of Johnny Reiff who helped Joe start racing,Joe had a if I'm not mistaken a Humble gas station on Shepherd & 21st