tex44 Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Budman, True it took 35 years to bring USAC back, but the cars and drivers were here several times during the period of 1978-1980. That was a period of when the midgets really peaked in Texas. We were runnin 50-54 times a year at tracks all over Texas including Big H, Devils Bowl, Buffalo Park and several others. On weekends where we had 3 nights of racing it was not unusal for the USAC guys to come down. Mel Kenyon,Bob Wente,Johnny Parsons Jr.,Ken Schrader,Sleepy Tripp just to name a few. And of course Bill White made several of those shows too. Big H had a 2 day Midget Nationals at the end of the season in 79 and 80. We had 70-80 midgets there and every top driver in the country. At that time no midget association in the country was running as many races nor for as much money as Texas was. Those were the days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted May 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Well Tex, I think maybe its time to start bringing back "those days" and maybe SSMA is the right one to do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Just posted a midget racing video from 1937. This is an amateur video shot with I guess a home video camera ( darn,in 1937? ). Its the Southwest Midget Racing Assn. at Houston SpeedBowl in December of 1937. This is 8 minutes of the 60 minute tape, so eventually I hope to have more of it up. SSMA Midgets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted May 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Without a doubt, one of the coolest things I've seen on here. Where in the world did you come up with this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Budman, Being raised with all this stuff around you, you don't realize what it is. All of a sudden you look at this stuff you haven't looked at in years and go "oh my god". Things like the video and pictures from the past need to be shared and thanks to the internet now more people can enjoy this stuff. More of this kinda stuff is surfacing now that more people are getting involved. Just Saturday I got a call from a friend whose dad had just given him a set of blueprints (original) of a 1966 A.J.Watson Sprint Car. Talk about something rare! So hopefully the share fever continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neon14 Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Now that video was cool! Those guys back then were crazy. You wouldnt want to turn one of those things over or else you would get a hurt head or worse. And how about that burm on the inside of the track, it looked pretty bumpy to me but it did not stop those guys from going down there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tavoct Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Tex and Budman: Thought you guys would want this info: Last asphalt USAC Midget race in Texas prior to the 40 lapper we did get in last October won by Dave Steele was won by Mel Kenyon at Pan-American on April 30, 1967. Almost 40 years passed before another USAC pavement race in Texas. As for dirt USAC midgets in Texas, the last one was at the Dome on March 11, 1972 and it was won by Gary Bettenhausen. A.J. won the race there in 1970. In 1969 they had a double header (Sat & Sun) and those were won by Bettenhausen on Sat. and Kunzman on Sun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Good information tavoct. I stand corrected on identifying A.J. as winning in 72. I knew he won one but was thinking it was the famous dust bowl of 72. Oh well, so much for old age. Right before the Kyle race in April there was a listing on a web site of every USAC sprint & midget race run in Texas even going back to the AAA days. I've tried to find that site again but with no luck.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Here is a list I posted last year after the race last fall: USAC RACING HISTORY IN TEXAS The code for the type of car is as follows: M=Midget, ST=Stock Car, SP=Sprint Car, M-I=Mini-Indy, CH-Championship Car, IRL=Indy Racing League, SWS=Southwest Sprint Car Date Location/Track Series/Feature Winner/Distance 10/11/59 HOUSTON/Meyer Speedway SP A.J. Foyt 50 Laps 11/20/59 SAN ANTONIO/Pan American Speedway M Tony Bettenhausen 50 Laps 11/21/59 CORPUS CHRISTI/Corpus Christi Speedway M A.J. Foyt 50 Laps 11/22/59 HOUSTON/Meyer Speedway M Gene Force 100 laps 12/6/59 HOUSTON/Meyer Speedway ST Harold Smith 100 Laps 3/20/60 HOUSTON/Meyer Speedway SP Don Branson 30 Laps 4/8/60 AUSTIN/Austin Motor Speedway M Bob Tattersall 50 Laps 4/9/60 SAN ANTONIO/Pan American Speedway M Buddy Rackley 50 Laps 4/10/60 HOUSTON/Meyer Speedway M Dale Swaim 100 laps 10/23/60 HOUSTON/Meyer Speedway SP Parnelli Jones 50 Laps 4/20/62 AUSTIN/Austin Motor Speedway M Chuck Rodee 50 Laps 4/21/62 HOUSTON/Meyer Speedway M Jim McElreath 50 Laps 3/25/66 DALLAS/Devils Bowl M Cotton Farmer 40 Laps 9/17/66 DALLAS/Devils Bowl M Cotton Farmer 40 Laps 9/18/66 SAN ANTONIO/Pan-American Speedway M Mel Kenyon 50 Laps 9/24/66 SAN ANTONIO/Pan-American Speedway M Don Meacham 50 Laps 4/28/67 LUBBOCK/West Texas Speedway M Gary Bettenhausen 50 Laps 4/29/67 LUBBOCK/West Texas Speedway M Mel Kenyon 50 Laps 4/30/67 SAN ANTONIO/Pan-American Speedway M Mel Kenyon 50 Laps 3/8/69 HOUSTON/Astrodome M Gary Bettenhausen 100 Laps 3/9/69 HOUSTON/Astrodome M Lee Kunzman 100 Laps 10/22/69 NAVASOTA/Moody-Clary Speedway M Dave Strickland 40 Laps 10/25/69 WICHITA FALLS/Wichita Falls Speedway M Lee Kunzman 40 Laps 3/14/70 HOUSTON/Astrodome M A.J. Foyt 100 Laps 4/17/70 NAVASOTA/Moody-Clary Speedway M Merle Bettenhausen 40 Laps 3/11/72 HOUSTON/Astrodome M Gary Bettenhausen 100 Laps 4/7/73 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST Gordon Johncock 200 Miles 4/7/73 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway CH Al Unser 200 Miles 10/6/73 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST Roger McCluskey 200 Miles 10/6/73 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway CH Gary Bettenhausen 200 Miles 6/6/76 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST A.J. Foyt 500 Miles 8/1/76 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway CH A.J. Foyt 150 Miles 8/1/76 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST A.J. Foyt 150 Miles 10/31/76 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway CH Johnny Rutherrford 200 Miles 10/31/76 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST Bobby Allison 200 Miles 4/2/77 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway CH Tom Sneva 200 Miles 6/5/77 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST Bay Darnell 500 Miles 7/31/77 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway CH Johnny Rutherford 200 Miles 3/12/78 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST A.J. Foyt 250 Miles 4/15/78 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway CH Danny Ongais 200 Miles 6/4/78 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST Gary Bowsher 500 Miles 8/6/78 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway M-I Harry MacDonald 100 Kilos 8/6/78 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway CH A.J. Foyt 200 Miles 11/12/78 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST A.J. Foyt 250 Miles 3/11/79 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST A.J. Foyt 250 Miles 4/8/79 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway M-I Dennis Firestone 100 Kilos 4/8/79 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway CH A.J. Foyt 200 Miles 7/29/79 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway M-I Michael Chandler 100 Kilos 7/29/79 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway CH A.J. Foyt 200 Miles 11/11/79 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST Bobby Allison 250 Miles 3/9/80 COLLEGE STATION/Texas World Speedway ST Terry Ryan 250 Miles 5/10/85 MESQUITE/Devils Bowl SP Rick Hood 30 Laps 6/7/97 FORT WORTH/Texas Motor Speedway IRL Arie Luyendyk 500 Kilometers 6/6/03 LUBBOCK/Lubbock Motor Speedway SWS Garry Lee Maier 30 Laps 6/7/03 LUBBOCK/Tech Motor Speedway SWS Mike Martin 30 Laps 11/14/06 Kyle/Thunderhill Speedway Dave Steele M 40 Laps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Thank you txtom, thats the list I was looking for. I knew they ran a couple of times at Navasota but couldn't remember when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Midget Racing 1937 Video #2 is now posted. SSMA Midgets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Ok Tom wasn't the race at the bowl in 85 a usac silver crown versus NCRA champ dirt car race? If it is the one I am thinking they had carsall over the place between the sprints and supermods as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted May 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 OK, after looking at that video, I figured out what I've been doing wrong all these many years............ I gotta get me a hat and start wearing a suit, tie, and my hat to the races on Saturday night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Kevin, It seems like that was true, a USAC/NCRA deal. I remember wanting to go to it, but I was attending a school in Louisiana during that time, and missed it. That old NCRA Champ class was the same 100 inch cars as the Silver Crown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Budman, Started reading your last post and figured for sure you were gonna say "Ride'n a Jackass in the infield".....but no...you copped out to wear'n a coat and tie. Did you notice the "Hearse" in the infield? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted May 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Ambulance, Tex. That was a big black ambulance . It's not nice to say Hearse on here. Makes people nervous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Those things are no more than a stick of TNT on a roller skate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 Midget Racing 1937 Video #3 is now posted. SSMA Midgets O.K. Budman, gonna show you the Ambulance this time... and if ya don't believe me just call them.. phone numbers right there on the door..6364...LOL And the big black _ _ _ _ _ _ is still there in the infield. Heard stories about this kinda stuff when growing up but by the time I was old enough to start going to races, they weren't there in the infield anymore, so I dismissed the stories as folklore and forgot about it. Then along comes this movie and confirms it. Another story that I'll tell one day has to do with one of the drivers blowing something up with dynamite. Same thing, dismissed it and darn if it didn't show up in Texas Monthly here a few years back. And don't ask about the motorcycle cop with the monkey on a chain. This is the best one yet, got some front straighway footage gonna make you wanna jump back from your monitor. Enjoy Folks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 So much for caution flags,at one point the crew was pushing a car and the race went right around them,as well as the crew running out to the overturned car with the guys still racing hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 MAKES YOU WONDER HOW MANY OF THOSE POEPLE ARE STILL ALIVE AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE VIDEOS .AND REMIMBER SOME OF THE POEPLES NAMES ..AND WHO WOULD OF THOUGHT THAT SOMEDAY WE COULD DIAL UP AND WATCH THEASE RACES ..HECK THERE WAS NO TV BACK THEN.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted May 26, 2007 Report Share Posted May 26, 2007 97car- Maybe we should send the video to Nascar and tell them "We don't need no stink'in yellows" oldtimer- To answer your question, yes one is still alive, as a matter of fact I'm going to his 90th birthday party tomorrow. Its Dale Burt, who for many years was the Goodyear Racing Tire Distributor for Texas. Dale and my dad were best friends, so I grew up around Dale, and talk about a character.... Dale Burt in the # 20 ChiliBowl 2000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted May 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 Cool pic of you and Dale, Tex. I'm looking right now at another photo of Dale in a later model midget. It also is the #20, a Foyt Ford V-8 60. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 Post it Budman, not sure I've seen that one. Birhtday party yesterday was great, Dale looks good and was feeling good . A.J.'s sister Marlene was there and we were able to get A.J. on the phone so he could wish Dale a Happy Birthday. Also, picked up a video of the midget feature that was on May 12th at Alvin. Gonna try and get it posted tomorrow. Super Race to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 John Logan at Pan American 1973 Kurtis Midget Roadster - ChevyII There were only 10 of these roadsters built by Kurtis, only 2 are known to exist today. This car is in a private museum in Michigan, the other is in Australia Pat, My father saw and took pics of one of these Kurtis Roadsters last year at the Miller-Offy Meeting in Milwaukee. I would assume it is the one from Michigan. He is going to find the pic and I will scan it and post it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex44 Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 txtom Ed Silk of Witchita Falls built 3 Kurtis Copy roadsters. The first one pictured here Ralph Parkinson stuck in between the guard rails in Denver, Colo. It was a total loss. The second one built Ralph Parkinson held the midget track record at Devils Bowl for many years. This picture was taken by Ted Hood at Pan American in 1972. Pat St.Cricq & Marcel St.Cricq Yeah it has Dirt tires on the rear, only way it fit on the trailer. This car was destroyed in 1974 at CC after the throttle stuck and it hit turn one wall head on. The 3rd one built never worked. Don't have a picture of that one, but there is a funny story to it. Get to that another time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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