Meyer Speedway

[darrellk54]

Larry,

 

It's funny that we were not at the track the night M.J. and Ronnie went over the wall. We were on vacation. And I thought it was the first turn also. And like you I never saw any pictures either.

 

Darrell

[jakdad]

We were there. It turned out to be a real pi$$in' contest. It went on for about 3 or 4 laps. Each one was waiting for the other to let off. They kept going in deeper and deeper. They wound up in the parking lot on S. Main side. I think some bars had to be cut or forced out to get Ronnie out. Not sure about M.J. Both of those guys were hard chargers. They were fan favorites.

[RETrott]

Darrell,

For some reason, I think it was somewhat expected.

 

Jim,

M J would be about my last choice to go against in one of those contests!

[Budman]

WOW!, ................. This thread alone has over 100,000 hits on it. That is amazing.

[HiTech]

the 80 car is dark but looks to me to be a studabaker ......366 posts . added to that ..this has to be a record .....

Edited April 18, 2009 by oldtimer

[myersjr80]

Yes it was, if I am correct it was one of Tracey Trotter Cars that Don got from Him. Larry would know for sure..

[Midget 85]

Does anyone recall the Midget Race ay Meyer Speedway one Saturday night when the Midget went end over end going into turn one?

 

Can't remember the driver involved but, it was an awful mishap and sometime in 1961.

 

Car landed upside down after several end over ends..and the race was stopped.

[darrellk54]

Yes I remember that night and it was an awful crash. I also seem to remember the driver died a few days later from his injuries but I could be wrong. It was a long time ago and like so many others I've slept since then.

 

D

[Midget 85]

Darrell,

 

I think he was an out of town driver and I remember a photo shot taken of the midget up in the air and the drivers arms straight up in the air as the photo was taken,

 

Way before hand restraints or cages were even introduced.

 

Must have been a horrible experience as expressed on the drivers face in the photo taken...

[57Racing]

I have a TON of Meyer Speedway pics, after my grandmother died (Willie Mae) I took the books of photos. I do know that Kent Lewis has the best collection of racing programs, pictures WHATEVER - all filed away neatly if anyone is looking for specifics.

 

I am in need of help finding something....Does anyone has the poster they put out with a bounty on my dad? (Larry Schild) It had a picture of his round face with a flat top and it was offering 1,000 to anyone who could come to Meyer and beat him. I had one, and it has disappeared. Kent gave it to me a few years back, and I am sick that I cannot find it.

 

If anyone knows of one around, any condition, please let me know.

 

Also, I need some help putting something together. There is an article to be done on Playland/Meyer Speedway and how racing developed in our SOUTH, and how Houston's drivers influenced and crossed paths with the known story of how racing started in the SOUTH. From what I read, there is something missing, and it is how it started. How did it all come about? Charlie (Charles Ray) Schild, MJ Burton, Foyt, etc street racing? I don;t think they were running moonshine thru the mountains of Houston ....... is there a story somewhere? I mean WHERE did it start, and what was the bite that kept it moving forward. I like the stories that I was told when I was looking at some of the Playland Park pictures with my grandfather, Charles Ray like they used to put water in the tires thinking it gave kept the tires to the track. (I think that's what he meant)

 

Is there someone that can help me weave through the various things? I would really like for it to be like a puzzle piece that fits into the 'running moonshine' beginning, but with our Texas story. Any recommendations?

[Budman]

The industrialization of the USA----------->mass production of automobiles--------------->lots of old horse racing tracks around ----------->a few adventurous souls ................... but all that is very general, not specific just to the Texas region.

[RETrott]

Darrell,

 

I think he was an out of town driver and I remember a photo shot taken of the midget up in the air and the drivers arms straight up in the air as the photo was taken,

 

Way before hand restraints or cages were even introduced.

 

Must have been a horrible experience as expressed on the drivers face in the photo taken...

 

Randy & Darrell,

I seem to recall a USAC Midget Car event at Meyer Spdwy/Houston in about '62 when a Midget got upside down in turn one after running over the RR wheel on a Midget being driven by Ronnie Chumley that had lost power. As I recall, Ronnie was watching to see which way the car behind was going to go before turning down, but the following car also stayed in the groove and went for a ride. From what I remember the driver was not fatally injured. That may or may not be the same incident, but somewhat similiar, and it may have occurred in practice. The Feature Race was won by Jim McElreath Sr.

[mfbarnes]

Anyone out there remember Monty Decker? He came over and helped out in my Goddaughters pit the other night, when they were thrashing around chasing the setup at the ASCS race. They crew told me on the phone, when they called me to tell me about her coming in 5th in the feature, that he asked about me, he evidently recognized some of my old photos they have in the lounge of the hauler. If memory serves me right he drove a Ford in the Broncos out at Meyers, for a few years. Anyway, he evidently is alive and well, and was helpful as hell, according to Robert and them. He helped them with a Bar and shock choice to deal with the bumpy track, and got Brandie's car handling. I owe him a steak dinner, when I get back to the states. I think Richard "Crazy" Cooper was the man of the hour as I understand, he out dueled Kent Lewis Jr., glad to hear he's still turning left.

[jakdad]

Yep, Monty was friends with us at the "junk yard". I ended up with Monte's Bronco as a back up car. I think he spent one season building the car and after a few races decided "What's a nice guy like me doing here on Saturday nights". I had an early 55 Chevy pickup he wanted, so we traded race car for truck. Glad to hear he is doing well.

[AndyD]

Well I'm a newbie and stumbled upon the Speedvone Forums and boy am I glad I did. Great to get a history of that great track. I'm a little later than most of the posts here, I enjoyed the Sat. night racing in the late 60's to early 70's. I had a college roommate at UT and we'd go home on various weekends to water ski in the Houston Ship Channel and take in the races. There sure were some great moments that I remember! Being a Ford fan I sure appreciated Mr. Plowman and his Torino. IIRC one of the programs mentioned how smart he was engineering wise and Ford rewarded him for said smarts with numerous trips or the like. Also, and somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but he had the track record there for awhile in Late Model's. I sure loved to hear that 361 (I think that's what was written on the hood!) sing when it was about 3/5ths of the way down the backstretch and it got on the cam. You could visually see it accellerate more appreciably and then he'd get on the brakes to set up the corner turn in..Magic! Does anybody here have any info on how he made that thing so fast???

 

Those were the days of "Cronin's Corner". He blew his engine so many times going into turn one that they christened it in his "honor"! I also remember Freddy Fryer coming in from Bayou Country to steal some high dollar features too! And when TWS was going I remember the Allison brothers and Richard Petty and Pete Hamilton running. I believe Pete won a big one also.

 

Then there's the super-modified(?) class.. Didn't Bill White experiment with a 4 wheel drive car??? He was just pure poetry in motion. I also seem to remember someone coming down from Big D and trying to make a Porsche engined mod competitive...Anybody remember his name??

 

I like that he willed it to be a race track in perpetuity!! It'd be great if AJ or some other successful motorsports Texan with deep pockets could resurrect it and get programs running again!!

 

Period photos/videos of that time would sure be appreciated!!

 

Andy

 

Anyways thanks for the memories.

[RETrott]

Yep, Monty was friends with us at the "junk yard". I ended up with Monte's Bronco as a back up car. I think he spent one season building the car and after a few races decided "What's a nice guy like me doing here on Saturday nights". I had an early 55 Chevy pickup he wanted, so we traded race car for truck. Glad to hear he is doing well.

Jim,

Monty's name sounds very familiar, but I can't put it together with a race car. Any other hints?

[jakdad]

His car was red with white 00 on it. He probably wasn't there long enough for you to know him. A really nice guy that liked racing. He was also one hell of a mechanic.

[mr427]

Well,

 

The Bronco driver lived in High Meadow subdivision on the north side of Houston off of Aldine Mail Route Rd. back then, which was close to MacArthur High School.

 

He had a couple of 56 Chevy's and a strange last name that started with a "K" if I recall and maybe first name was Ray.

 

In 1968 he hitched a ride in a purple 55 Chevy ( Maybe Pancho's) not sure and I think it was # 22 or possibly #27.

 

He was sorta tall, thin, and wore a flat top hair cut sandy hair type of guy.

 

I used to stop by and visit him when he was working on his Bronco since he lived down the street from the chick I was dating back then.

 

Occasionally he stopped by my house after I had bought my project 55 Bronco that never got off the ground.

 

He worked for Sunbeam Bread company if I haven't totally lost my memory. Drove a 67 or 68 Chevy truck like a bat out of a furnace everywhere he went.

 

I think his name was Hillenzager?? or Kilindagger maybe?

 

It will hit me one of these days and maybe I will snap. I was about 17 years old then and he was in his early 20's maybe. He was by nature kind of high strung fella.

 

Hope this rings a bell. I will see if I can find his name somewhere. I used to know all these names and numbers and darn if it ain't frustrating when you can't remember like you used to!

 

-Randy

 

The racer was Ray Kuhlhonic(sp?}

[mfbarnes]

Are you referring to Ray Gene Kulhanek Sr.? Raymond Peter Kulhanek (the original) is still alive and living in Fayetteville. He's 92 years old. Ray Gene Kulhanek Sr. is 65 years old and living in Fayetteville taking care of his father, Ray Gene Kulhanek Jr. is in his late forties probably 48 or 49 and living out in Angleton, probably on probation for driving like hell and fighting in a bar. Ray Allen Kulhanek lives over here in Conroe, and races ASCS Sprint Cars. Know them all very well.

[Midget 85]

Regarding Post # 379

 

Hey guys..

 

I remember Ray driving an orange 56 Chevy at Meyerland and also getting upside down with a few Barrel Rolls on the front stretch in 1968.

 

This is not the the guy I am trying to identify.

 

The mystery driver I am referring to was name Ken something.. and I just need to find an old program from 67-68 to find his name among the Bronco drivers during his brief racing career.

[BarbPlowman]

I have old picture of him for ya! Can't seem to get it posted...... can someone please post it for me??

 

Thanks,

Samatha (aka BarbPlowman)

 

**********************************************************************

 

Barb,

 

I received your photo of Joe by email.

 

If possible, you need to scan and save as a JPEG file and send to me again for posting to this forum.

 

Looking forward to getting the photos posted.

 

Thanks again!

-Randy

/ LSSZ

[mfbarnes]

Here's a picture of one of Joe's Torino's, For some reason, I think this one was aquired from Banjo Mathews, and it was 351 on the hood as well as under the hood. Pretty sure this one had a 351C beneath the bonnet. Joe Plowman was always fast in everything he drove.

 

Especially this fine modified Coupe.

[mfbarnes]

[RETrott]

His car was red with white 00 on it. He probably wasn't there long enough for you to know him. A really nice guy that liked racing. He was also one hell of a mechanic.

 

Probably so Jim, but that name rings a loud (but rusty) bell. Maybe someone else from somewhere else.

[RETrott]

Are you referring to Ray Gene Kulhanek Sr.? Raymond Peter Kulhanek (the original) is still alive and living in Fayetteville. He's 92 years old. Ray Gene Kulhanek Sr. is 65 years old and living in Fayetteville taking care of his father, Ray Gene Kulhanek Jr. is in his late forties probably 48 or 49 and living out in Angleton, probably on probation for driving like hell and fighting in a bar. Ray Allen Kulhanek lives over here in Conroe, and races ASCS Sprint Cars. Know them all very well.

 

Mark,

I seem to recall a Ray Kulhanek (sp?) that raced some Crazy 8 events and possibly some Bronco Stocks at Meyer Spdwy in the '60s, and maybe some Stock Cars on dirt in Cleveland TX also during that time. Possibly nicknamed The Ricefield Kid.

 

Also, there was a Bronco Stock Car racer of note during the '60s named Charlie Kahanek (sp?). He raced an orange '56 Chevy, #97, as I recall. A good looking and good running car. Good driver too!