zoom Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 I haven't been in SA but 4 years, but I understand that there is a dirt track to the right behind the Alamo dragstrip. What is the configuration? What was the name? Why/when did it close? Be pretty neat if someone opened it for Friday night races. I-37 is way out in the boonies and I like watchin dirt races. All we would need would be a go-kart racing track and SA could have a regular ol motorsport complex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supertx Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 The dirt track has been closed for couple years. The reason it closed is for a couple of reasons 1 The people that own the land are flakes 2 Most of the promotors that ran the track were flakes bouncing checks to the racers and not having the know how to put people in the grand stand. It just doesn't make sense to me that as big as racing is, and your in cities as big as S.A.and HOUSTON, millions of people,and you can't put 5000 people in the grand stand.South texas promotors diease it's got to be hehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobRiley Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 I can't comment on the dirt tracks but there is a Quarter Midget track at Commache Part, on highway 71 just west of W W White. Its been there for a long time, two brothers from CC use to come up to race in the late 60's and did quite well, learned a lot, went on to Winston Cup. Quarter Midgets are for kid 5-15, they look just like a sprint car with a lawn mower engine. They race again on August 9 starting at 2 with the Austin club. Casey Smith started racing at 5 in Austin, he's done pretty good for a kid still in high school. It is a shame there aren't more kids in this sport, Quarter Midgets is a very good place to start. Yes QM's also race in the dirt, wish we had a dirt track also. Check out the Quarter Midgets for your kids. Best of all, QM's can not charge addmission...it's free...good and cheep way to spend an afternoon with your kids. Quarter Midgets are sometimes confused with go-karts, that's why I posted on this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 Its been there for a long time, two brothers from CC use to come up to race in the late 60's and did quite well, learned a lot, went on to Winston Cup. Hahahaha AWESOME! Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ups88john Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 bob, commance park is off hwy 87/Rigsby, west of w.w. white, i dont think 71 comes through sa big john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RandyBorlace Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 hey zoom, if you consider quarter midgets, i have some winning Deco/Conteniental engines. the last ones done by Bill Edmiston break them in and go winning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double-trouble Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 That track was called Texas Dirt Speedway or TDS (what people refer to it)I have heard alot of stories about this track.Alot of the racers and officals @ I37 speedway were involed there.I believe the last people to run it was Art & Glenda.Not sure who the owner is or why nobody ever reopened it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobRiley Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 Hey, I'm from San Marcos, I get lost in SA all the time...maybe that's why I don't get behind the wheel at the track, I might get lost...Do check out the Quarter Midgets though, there is some future tallent on the track right now. Brenon Poole from Houston and Kyle Sirizzotti, from SA, are kicking tail on the national circuit so when they race against each other here, it's pretty exciting. Both have already won a national championship, I think they're 10 or 11. Good kids, they will be competition in the near future. The next Casey Smith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Justaracefan Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 I was wondering if Casey is involved in helping kids get jump started in racing; if he ever shows up at a Quarter Midget track and watches the races. I heard him on the motorsports zone say on his off week-ends that he enjoys watching local racing and goes to RPM and rides go-carts. I have seen him at Thunder Hill a few times this year. The Quarter Midget club he raced at should encourage him. I read a press release on whowon.com that Casey spoke at a Temple Rotary Club this week in front of 150 business leaders of the Community, I plan on calling him Saturday during the Motorsports Zone to see if he will come and speak to a Young Life group discussing his perserverance and the work he did for the Department of Health in the Teen Anti- Tobacco campiagn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobRiley Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 To my knowledge, Casey has not been to any QMA races; but it's not his fault. He can't show up if he doesn't know about it. It's the club's fault for not inviting him or at least giving him a race schedule as neither SA or Austin have a set weekend to race. We may race the 1 and 3rd weekend this month than the 2 & 3 the following month, I know what you're thinking 'what a screw ball way to run things', beleive me, it works the way we are doing it. Casey has always had that grin on this face, you know, the one that says he won. He has always been friendly towards me and I wish him the best. I wish anyone in this area the best, I hope you make it. I know who to see to make sure Casey gets a schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcleaver17 Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 did casey used to races legends? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoom Posted July 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 don't know how this thread got off on quarter midgets Start your own I was originally wanting to discuss the dirt track behind alamo dragway. Who owns it, and why hasn't anyone looked at putting a Friday night show there? All this talk of resurecting Longhorn, With a good dirt show going friday and pavement on saturday, maybe the fan base would increase. Whatcha think bout dat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh42 Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 I raced 1/4 midgets for 8 yrs and had a lot of fun. For kids its a good way to learn the aspect of racing and setups and all that good stuff. But Bob I would have to contradict one line that you did state and that it was good cheap racing. In my day of racing 1/4 midgets it was throw in the back of the pickup truck and go racing, now its like goin to a world of outlaws race with all the 45ft trailers and putting all these titanium parts on cars. Don't get me wrong its a good family sport but for what some people are spending today you can buy a good legend car or bandalero and go race for half the price. Also when the honda engine came in to me it really to the fun out of the sport cause everyone wants to run that class and none of the good classes like "AA" or "BB". Thats my .02 on that subject. The dirt track in San Antonio was a good idea at the time cause when you got bored with the dirt track races you can watch the drag races since the pits butted up to the drag strip. But I remember goin down there for a sprint car race and after the races the owners skipped out cause they had no money to pay the drivers and left all the drivers standing at the pay window. If someone was to get ahold of that track and run it right it would a good track. The track has good stands and concessions and big pit area, and the track isnt that bad either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waco Racer Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 Casey was a 1997 Quater Midget Heavy Alcohol National Champion and 1998 & 1999 Legends Semi-Pro National Champion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted July 26, 2003 Report Share Posted July 26, 2003 Friesenhahn still owns the dirt track, and I believe the land that all three tracks are on, some screwy 100 year land/lease deal. He ran the track then started letting other people run it. One of the promoters basically ran people off with different BS every night.(my way or the highway attitude, rule changes mid-season, favoritism, fake power failures to sell more beer when car counts were down) The sprint deal was when the track was leased by the promoter from South Texas Spwy., I believe it was Gary(take the money and run) Styles. And I apologize for blaming this incident on him if it wasn't, be he did it at STS and a North Texas track, so it would just figure. You can contact Friesenhahn about leasing the track, but according to the builder of Hill Country Raceway, Yankee Payne, he wants far more than you could make to do so. Running on Friday night against I-37 would be pretty stupid, they can't get enough cars as is. Running Sat. against SAS you get no fans, so it's pretty much another lost track. Hey give him a call, maybe he's tired using it as a tax write-off?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobRiley Posted July 26, 2003 Report Share Posted July 26, 2003 Zoom....I didn't mean to offend, you're right, the main subject was the dirt track, but you did ask about go-karts. I do know a little about that part so I did respond, again you're right, it should have been on an other thread. I do agree about the dirt track problem, looks like it's a sinking ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted July 26, 2003 Report Share Posted July 26, 2003 Texas Dirt Speedway is a EPA nightmare,they used old gas storage tanks for a septic system,the bleachers were rejects dragged from the dragstrip,the electricity is even jumpered from the dragstrip,and luckily the times I was there a car did not come crashing from the dragstrip. The main building wasn't too bad,but the suites were never finished and were too far down the straights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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