old sas racetrack

[ricky schroat]

thanks txtom, i did not know where the track was just thougt i'd help . my dad also raced at pan american in the early 70's. lots of memories. few pictures left . his car #was 5. he ran in the pure stocks or what ever they called that class back then,his work force him to stop racing . he still regrets it .

[see86go]

I ran across this old wallet-size photo and scanned it in at a high resolution. As you can see, you can't make out much, but it might jog someone's memory so I decided to post it. I found this in an old box of my parent's photos years ago. It was taken somewhere in the San Antonio area.

 

[Lonesome Ford]

Awesome pic see86go. I picked my dad's brain a bit today for information pertaining to this thread. Indeed there was a dirt track where we have our shop today off of Hwy 87 in the Frontier Industrial Park between 410 & Foster Rd. My dad said the owner's name was "Red" and he also owned a junk yard somewhere on Mission Rd. He couldn't remember the name of the track but it was open in the 70s as both my dad & uncle Pat raced there.

 

Jr.

[oatey220]

John

 

I think the guy your dad is talking about "red" used to supply alot of the cars for the demo derby. I can remember he always smoked/chewed a cigar. Seems like that track on 87 had a pond in the middle of it I wonder if this is the same place in Craigs picture. (probably not)

[ricky schroat]

hey john an oatey22. red use to run the old junkyard on rigsby across the street from browns general merchandise .then on mission road,then on presa.he also ran fords,painted red !he helped my dad get started . can still remeber him on his roof at pas in the red 55. he supplied my dad with body parts. when he was on presa he started driving camaros.

[Budman]

Craig,

 

That picture is for sure one of the old "roadsters" we've been talking about. As you can see, no top, no roll bar or cage, no windshield, no fenders or hood. Pretty bare bones racing, and very dangerous!

[txtom]

thanks txtom, i did not know where the track was just thougt i'd help

 

Ricky, Anything you have helps, and thanks for sharing it. There are a bunch of folks out there just like yourself that maybe have a memory or two, but if we can put them all together, then we'll have a history.

Are you involved in the local racing these days?

 

A lot of the info on Bexar County tracks is from a sheet that I got from Bruce Mabrito. I would like to post all of it, so everyone can enjoy it, but it is his work, and I would want his permission to share it. I know Nick Holt has talked with him about this very paper.

 

Speaking of History, My father is currently knee-deep in a book on the History of Texas Midget Racing, that was published in 1984. Buddy Parker (Budman) was very gracious to share the book, and my father has found several references to racing he witnessed in the Dallas area in the 50's. Even cleared up facts on a couple memories. This book also mentions several San Antonio and Austin area tracks, as well as Waco, Houston, and several points in between. I have to admit, Budman gave it to me last week at Kyle, and I did not get it to my father until Monday. I just had to peruse it myself some.....

 

SO, anything you have as a memory, no matter how small, please share it, and then it is part of all our history.

[junior]

txtom & Budman When you mentioned the Elbels it reminded me that I have a Crash Helment ( and that is they called them back then) that my wife bought for me in 1951. It is a Cromwall made in England, at the time it was the most popular brand which I believe was the only one approved at Indy up to a point at least nearly everyone there used them and to the best of my memory the only other one available was a Clymer made in the USA starting about this time. there wasn't speed shops and catalogs like today and Harry Elbel could order items for you and I think it cost her $28.50, shipping included. It is not in real good condition and I am not to sure it was ever real safe but it was the best available at the time. and on the Wade Franklin subject it was told around that it was in a roadster and that the gear shift did not have knob on it and that was what did the damage. This is sorta gross and I souldn't bring it up but the ones that were not happy with Wades flagging would say he couldn't see out of the other eye either.

[HiTech]

WE had flag man loose his arm at cc speedway .dont know what year that was thow i know his name .

[Budman]

Flagging from the ground was an extremely hazardous job. But, a lot of guys did it for many, many years. Putting flagmen in stands above the track was one of the greatest leaps forward ever in racing safety. There's no telling how many were killed or critically injured at the many short tracks around the country over the many years.

[Budman]

This subject has reminded me of this. I remember hearing back in the early '60s that the flagman at Meyer Speedway in Houston was killed. I never knew his name though.

[HiTech]

from what i was told he threw the green and then the yellow and the back didnt see it in time . came across the infield and got his arm in a window .