jakdad Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 I had hoped that the Houston Speed Bowl would show up on this cropped version of an old 1941 map of Houston, but all that shows in the area is Buff Stadium where I show the yellow arrow. Sorry I couldn't make it any bigger, but it gets blurred if I try to enlarge it. I found some other info that shows the Houston Speedbowl existed 1937-1942. The Houston Speed Bowl doesn't show near the "Ball Park" (Buff Stadium) in this 1935 map either. While looking for the Houston Speed Bowl, I came across this website that mentions a Bellaire Speedway in Houston that existed from 1924-1929. Does anyone know where the Bellaire Speedway was? This is a neat website that has a lot of track and driver/fan fatality information. Take a look at it. Click on the options at the start for fatalities by Circuit, Name, Year, etc. Here is a fatality listed for the Houston Speed Bowl. The Tellepsen Warehouse is the site of the old dirt track. Mr. Tellepsen owned a lot of property out there. Maybe someone else can remember when he built that warehouse. I think that later it was known as Wm. Curtin Co. I can't find a map that has the old track on it. Maybe my dad was talking about Arrowhead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Regarding post #193: That is a great picture. Where was it taken? I last saw Buddy Rackley in a USAC Midget race at Navasota in '69 or '70, and he could still get around the track pretty well. I think Buddy may have fell on hard times in later years and passed away in about '80. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted November 18, 2007 Report Share Posted November 18, 2007 In response to post #196: Actually Jim, we originally had the # 89. Can you believe that? For some reason, possibly the history, I checked and # 9 was available so I took it. I much preferred a single digit, and it meant less work/painting. After a short time, it became my favored race car number. And I never considered another number, and did consider the lightning bolt. So there Jim, I had both of your favorite numbers. But really, that is some coincidence. But for Billy Griswold, didn't he sometimes drive a # 8 at Playland Speedway that was normally driven by Tony Medina? Also, didn't Johnny Reiff drive occasionally, possibly the heat races? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted November 18, 2007 Report Share Posted November 18, 2007 The 8 car was driven by Billy if the 9 car was down. I,m not sure that the 8 was the 9 car until they built a new 9 car. Pretty complex stuff. Tony drove the 8 car on a regular basis. He was also a good guy to have on your side in case of trouble. I agree about single digit numbers. Anything else is to much taping when it came time to paint. I took laziness one step farther by painting our car black. Get a few nicks and just rattle can it. Looks good from the stands..................I don't think Billy would let Johnny in the car unless it was early in the morning................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quadsquad Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 Pretty sure it's Playland Park. I know it was taken in Houston in the late '40's, and the Lavely's were promoting Playland at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 Thanks Quadsquad! Please keep the history lessons coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 When I was a kid we would go to (I think) Arrowhead and watch the midgets. Names that I recall: Doc Cossey, Red Hodges, Speedy Mathaney, Cecil Green, Cecil Elliot, Tubby Gonzales, Buddy Rackley, and others I can't recall at the moment. Guess they're all gone now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quadsquad Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 Here's what the rich guys looked like in 1950. M.A. Walker and his brother Alfred with their 3 cars ready to go racing....M.A. was an electrical contractor and the Kurtis and Offy distributor for Oklahoma/Kansas/North Texas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 Yes sir, Those boys were going first class! Back in those days when you showed up with two brand new Offys, let alone three, it was a vulgar display of cash!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 I am certainly no expert about Midget Car racing, but as I recall, roll cages were not mandatory on USAC Midgets in '69, but were by '72, and possibly before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 The SSMA Texas Open Wheel Forum is fantastic, especially the Midgets, great pictures! I didn't realize Dale Burt had raced that much. Of course it was a little before my race fan time. In the early 70s, I had the good fortune to spend a couple of hours with Mr Burt at a Goodyear Tire Store/Shop getting some Firestones mounted for a friend's Stock Car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted December 7, 2007 Report Share Posted December 7, 2007 Thanks Larry, That is a great site. If I find many more of these cool sites, I may have to give up sleeping................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted December 9, 2007 Report Share Posted December 9, 2007 Does anybody go back far enough to remember the midgets at Arrowhead in Houston? I'm still trying to figure out if this is Billy Griswold in the 9 car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 If I had to guess, I would say it is Billy Griswold. I would think Gingerbreadman or Tex44 would know. For many years, I had a memory of a Midget Car being upside down with the driver balancing the car with his hands until help arrived to avoid a hard side landing. As I recall, it was in/near turn 3 at Arrowhead Speedway/Houston. I don't remember if the car had a roll bar, but it certainly did not have a cage. I also don't remember the car number. For about 20 yrs, I thought the driver was Sonny McDaniel. But, in the mid 70s/early 80s, I was told by a reliable source that the driver in that incident was Billy Griswold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 After seeing several pictures of Bill Todd's Midget Car, I was just wondering about Bill Todd. I used to see Bill around Meyer Spdwy and we even worked for the same company for awhile, but it's been many years since I saw or heard anything from him. Just curious if anyone has any info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted August 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apoftexas Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 Here's an old program.... Front and back side. #9 on this program was my grandfather... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted November 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 Unfortunately apoftexas, we're not able read the names on that page. Could you fill us in on who the driver of the number 9 was? What year was that? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 Buddy, try scrolling over the image with your mouse pointer. Click, and it should give you a new window where you can read it. The two pages are separate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 I was surprised that Hugh Porter wasn't on that program. Maybe it was before he started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 ..MORE MIDGETS PLEASE Great stuff.. Sure would like to see more Midgets from the old days. Those OFFY engines were probably a contributing factor to my hearing loss. I could'nt get close enough to the fence when they came roaring by.. 85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 I hear you (not literally). Cars, rock and roll, and power tools - all great fun, but at a deferred cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winfield Posted February 12, 2009 Report Share Posted February 12, 2009 According to Bill Hill's book, "Decades of Daring", John Stanfield was a midget owner from Dallas in the 1940s. He later moved to Tulsa and, at one time, he owned the former O'Day Offy big car. Does anyone know more about John Stanfield? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted February 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 Is it just my 'puter? Most of the great old pics of this thread are showing up as little boxes with red x's in them. Is this a problem with my computer or have they been dropped from the site? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 Buddy, Nick posted here somewhere that one of the Speedzone internet gurus was rebuilding the picture file. Lord knows how much work all that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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