Meyer Speedway

[jakdad]

Sorry to hear that. Our prayers go out to his family. RIP................................................

[JohnnyMac]

I remember Mike. Sorry to hear that. Praying for the family.

God speed Mike.

[JohnnyMac]

My father pastered the Burbank Assembly of God Church one block north of Tidwell on Fulton and we lived behind the Church. That was about a block from Johnny Reves (spelling) house. This was in the mid 50's. Any time I heard the race car fire up I would come running. Johnny would let me ride with them out to Playland Park and Billy (Griswold) would have me crawl up under the back of the car and pour tigalene (spelling again, some kind of paint thinner, I think) into the gas tank, LOL. Billy in that Fisher Head GMC was an almost unbeatable combination on the short tracks. He could put that thing on the pole and hold it there. Someone said of him (I think maybe it was M.J. Burton, can't remember) that Billy was the only driver that you could see the back of his head on his own mirror, LOL. When he bought the Ford 6 powered dirt car from Cowboy Bunch (out of Marshal), Billy, Bill Breshears (my brother in law) and I took it up to the 1/4 mile dirt track that used to be just south of Cleveland to play with it and Billy let me hot lap it. That was my first time in a race car and I was bitten and knew that was what I just had to do. I'm thinking that this was in the late 60's or early 70's. Shortly afterwords I starting building my 1st race car in Bill Breshears shop.

Edited March 19, 2010 by JohnnyMac

[PAPA]

This is GREAT!!! Keep those stories coming please.

[JohnnyMac]

I just remembered a few other drivers that drove for Bill Breshears (my brother in law) over the years were Jimmy Mckinney and Gordon Wolley (one night at Navasota). There is one other driver that I can't recall his name. Maybe someone can help me. He drove the Edmonds copy yellow Super at Myers speedway and one night him and Bill White locked wheels sending them both over the wall and he spent several weeks in a coma before coming out of it and never drove again. The car may have had a 5 something on it 55, 56, 58 can't remember or may have had an 8 on it. Ronny Burke also drove for him at Myers the first night after the car was put back together. I drove that same car it Moodey Clary in Navasota. Later on a Benny Coats (who worked with me and pitted for me at Navasota) bought the car, put coil over shocks on the front and won the limited modified championship at Big-H. That was Benny's first ride.

 

Update:

I just talked to Bill White and he told me it was Jackie Woosley that went over the wall with him at Myers.

Edited March 21, 2010 by JohnnyMac

[mfbarnes]

Jackie's last ride

 

 

Here's Bill walking behind the car giving it the once over, little did he know the fate to come

Edited March 20, 2010 by mfbarnes

[mfbarnes]

Sonny's Wood brothers ride

[mfbarnes]

Glen Wood with the car at the Shop

[mfbarnes]

Glen behind the wheel

[JohnnyMac]

Jackie's last ride

 

 

Here's Bill walking behind the car giving it the once over, little did he know the fate to come

 

That is it. It was #8. It made a heck of a good dirt car. I drove it later at Moody Clary in Navasota with a #55 on it. Then Benny Cotes purchased it from Bill Breshears. (see post above).

Edited March 21, 2010 by JohnnyMac

[JohnnyMac]

Here I am in the above car a Beaumont after it was put back together.

 

And here I am resting behind Bill Breshears shop.

 

Me in the Midget I drove at Big-H for Honest Al.

 

And finally, me carrying the checkered at Big-H in the #55 Limited Modified Sprinter

I got Johnny Rutherford to autograph it for me when he did a Saftey meeting a few years back where I worked.

Edited March 27, 2010 by JohnnyMac

[JohnnyMac]

Here is what I've been doing for the last 15 years, racing on-line with friends from 4 countries at www.christianracing.com under the name GrandPaJmc. If I wreck I don't have to work all week to put it back together anymore, just hit a button on my computer and I have a new car.

 

 

 

 

And here I am leading the pack at the Taladega Short Track

Edited March 21, 2010 by JohnnyMac

[mfbarnes]

Longtime project starting to come together, just sure miss the old coupes.

 

 

 

 

[jakdad]

Longtime project starting to come together, just sure miss the old coupes.

Drool, Drool.................

[Budman]

Lincoln motor?

[jakdad]

Looks like an old Lincoln V-12.

http://hotrodsandjalopies.blogspot.com/200...arlie-ryan.html

[Budman]

Cool!

[jakdad]

The story goes that Charlie couldn't fit the long V-12 in the coupe so he set the coupe down on the modified Lincoln frame. Charlie was a gearhead of the highest order.

Edited March 21, 2010 by jakdad

[mfbarnes]

Right you are. This is one of the few times you catch me not in a bowtie. I just love the old Lincoln flathead. It's got torque and revs like a spotted ape. This is a 38 Lincoln I drug back in pieces from Mooresville. A bootleggers car deluxe, had cable operated cutouts, and lots of extra trunk space with big truck springs under the rear, imagine that. You know me Jim, I got to have a multi-carb setup, it's just in my blood.

 

 

[JohnnyMac]

Longtime project starting to come together, just sure miss the old coupes.

 

Beautiful mfbarnes, love that era of cars. That engine is a work of art.

 

Being that you are from Montgomery, did you ever race at Moody Clary or Big-H? If so what name did you race under?

[Budman]

That's really cool Mark. The Lincoln was often over-looked by the hot-rod crowd, but there is really nothing better than a '39 Linc. coupe. Maybe you need to get with Hrodder on here. The last time I was at his shop, he had an unrestored '39 sitting outside his shop.

 

I'm reminded of when I was a kid. Dad brought home a '58 Linc. Continental that became the family car. While everyone was messing around with trying to hot-rod the 292 and 312 Y-blocks, out Linc. came with a 430 cu in Y-block, heavy duty truck motor. They'd increased the compression ratio to make the car more responsive. Had to run it on ethyl. I don't know the hp rating, but that thing, as big and long and heavy as it was, would get up and GO!

[JohnnyMac]

Does anyone remember the exact location of the old North Houston Racetrack? It was a deserted horse track near where Bush Airport is now. This was back in the mid 50's the best I remember.

[jakdad]

Does anyone remember the exact location of the old North Houston Racetrack? It was a deserted horse track near where Bush Airport is now. This was back in the mid 50's the best I remember.

Map the corner of Greens Rd. And Lee Rd. The track, barely visible is Northwest of that corner. I raced there about 1957 or 1958. Fun asphalt track. Pretty much overgrown now.

[JohnnyMac]

Thanks, I went to the races there during that period. What name did you race under?

[JohnnyMac]

And here it is. That's a shame. It started out as a dirt track. After the races I would hot lap my new 55 Chevy till my Dad found out and put a stop to it. LOL. I was only 19 which was a minor back then. LOL again.

 

Edited March 22, 2010 by JohnnyMac