Old Aerial pics of race tracks

[txtom]

Here is another one for the straight line gang, and a little bit for the road course guys.

 

This is Austin Raceway Park, circa 1973. It is situated between Loop 1 and I-35, and just south/southeast of Burnet Road. If you find where Quick Hill Road dead-ends into Burnet Road, you can find the top end of the dragstrip. It will be straight across Burnet from Quick Hill.

 

 

Austin Raceway Park

[Midget 85]

Tom,

 

If you go to the Playland Park link and then Pan north- northeast, you will see a little 1/10 mile track behind what appears to be a building and located to the east of South Main as it gradually turns..

 

That was another test track and the one on another thread that describes Larry Schild and I testing our midgets ..

 

It became a Go-Kart track and was converted to Go-Kart racing as Quarter Midget Racing began to die in Houston.

[4PROP]

Please,

Can someone look at this link and provide information on this track. It was just east of Sheldon Road back in 1957:

 

http://www.historicaerials.com/?poi=3476

 

I do remember it being a fairly well built asphalt track with lights for night events, plenty of chain-link retention fence and steel beachers if I recall corrrectly. Sometimes stockers from Playland would compete there. I think my grand dad would send his #53 with driver Billy Wade there occasionally. Could this have been Channelview?

[txtom]

Could this have been Channelview?

 

4PROP,

 

The listing I have for Channelview goes like this:

 

1/4 Paved oval (in very early 1952), then a 1/4 mile dirt oval from late March 1952 to closing sometime later in the same year. It is listed as being located on Market Street Road. I do not know how accurate that is; it is out of a book I have.

 

I have seen some reference to the track you asked about, I'll have to look for it. It is East of Sheldon Road as you stated, and between North Wood and Bear Bayou streets. And that is some kind of paperclip shaped track.

Unfortunately, it is not in the book I have; and I cannot remember where I saw it.

 

If I find anything, I'll post it here.

[Modracer]

Up until about 6 months ago you could still see the dragstrip from Burnet FM1325. Its now commercial buildings and apartment buildings. Austin Raceway Park

[txtom]

4PROP,

 

Take a look at this; it is a quote from another forum:

In the late 40's and early 50's there was a dirt track located in Channelview near the intersection of Sheldon Rd and Bear Bayou. It was active until about 1955 at the latest because I learned to drive on the old abandoned track in about 1958. Anyhow, it was only open on weedends and mostly stock cars built by local junkyard operators raced there but occassionally midget races and modifieds ran. These were mostly drivers from out of town (Houston was considered a long way off from Channelview in the 50's before I-10 was built.) I cannot remember any drivers who raced there but am sure some of the ones you have mentioned made the circuit.

 

I do not know who the poster was, nor do I know how accurate the info is. But here is the link to the entire thread. The quote above was pulled from page 4, about halfway down.

Link

[4PROP]

Could this have been Channelview?

 

4PROP,

 

The listing I have for Channelview goes like this:

 

1/4 Paved oval (in very early 1952), then a 1/4 mile dirt oval from late March 1952 to closing sometime later in the same year. It is listed as being located on Market Street Road. I do not know how accurate that is; it is out of a book I have.

 

I have seen some reference to the track you asked about, I'll have to look for it. It is East of Sheldon Road as you stated, and between North Wood and Bear Bayou streets. And that is some kind of paperclip shaped track.

Unfortunately, it is not in the book I have; and I cannot remember where I saw it.

 

If I find anything, I'll post it here.

txtom,

Thanks for your response. Your reference to the market Street track must have come from "The History of Americas Speedways Past & Present" by Allan Brown. That's a great book though a little brief in detail on many of the tracks. The post you referred to was by "riverrat". It sounds like he could provide some pretty good feedback. I hope he is still around the forums and pops in with more details and stories from the Sheldon track. Anything else you dig up will be greatly appreciated. I always wondered why such a well built facility as that one near Sheldon would not get more events scheduled than a dump like that North Houston converted horse track off of Greens road did.

[txtom]

Your reference to the market Street track must have come from "The History of Americas Speedways Past & Present" by Allan Brown. That's a great book though a little brief in detail on many of the tracks.

 

You're right, 4PROP. I met and talked with Allan Brown many years ago; I remember it was a TIDA race at the Altus Speedway before Dickinson and Spears reopened Sooner for big races. That puts it about 1990 or 1991. Anyway, we talked at length about his Track Directories which were so popular back then, and some of the places he had been. We ran into each other again at North Texas Motor Speedway in Royce City for a WoO show.

One thing I remember him stating about the History of Speedways book project was a lot of information in it was sent by racers and fans like all of us here on this forum. I have sent stuff to him on several different occasions, and have a small list of clarifications I will send him again some time. Possibly in the interest of space, he does not use everything sent to him; that is apparant from some of what I have sent to versus what he used. Example, physical addresses of some of them. I notice he puts a lot of info on some of them, and very little on others. And i have no idea what his criteria is on that.

 

It'd be neat to put together a list of Texas tracks with a little more detail of where, when, and what is there now.

[fast18]

As a kid I always loved going to the races. My parents took us to several these tracks back in the mid 60's up to the early 70's. I couldn't remember the name of the drag strip up near round rock or the drag strip in Oak Hill. My mom worked the front gate some as I remember (Oak Hill). My dad drove a lavender Ford wrecker with a 312 T-Bird engine. I hadn't thought about it in a long time but I remember a friend of his rolling a car at the far end and him hauling ass down to see if he was ok. It was a pretty good running wrecker ! I guess these 2 drag strips & Little River left lasting impressions on me. My dad would drive mom and us kids to Little River, race the family car (56 chevy) load us up and come on back to Austin. Drag strips were one thing but SpeedaRama left the biggest impression on me. Thanks for the cool info txtom.

[4PROP]

Your reference to the market Street track must have come from "The History of Americas Speedways Past & Present" by Allan Brown. That's a great book though a little brief in detail on many of the tracks.

 

 

It'd be neat to put together a list of Texas tracks with a little more detail of where, when, and what is there now.

 

That's so cool you had/have some influence on Allan's project! I would certainly second your motion for a "Texas specific" book. Let me know if your push needs a shove.

[txtom]

Maybe a small part of it, but I really enjoy the historical side of racing.

 

I am going to put a track listing on my "things to do" list. As soon as I finish up some job stuff, I have three photo collections to scan; I think ya'll will like them.

 

In the meantime, Some folks have asked about a track in Benbrook, Texas called Greater Southwest Raceway. It was open about 1987. Lyle Graham was one of the first to mention this track.

This might be it, based on where I was told it was:

Benbrook

[jakdad]

Sure looks like a track. That big turn would be a long time to be sideways..................

[RETrott]

Tom,

 

If you go to the Playland Park link and then Pan north- northeast, you will see a little 1/10 mile track behind what appears to be a building and located to the east of South Main as it gradually turns..

 

That was another test track and the one on another thread that describes Larry Schild and I testing our midgets ..

 

It became a Go-Kart track and was converted to Go-Kart racing as Quarter Midget Racing began to die in Houston.

 

I think I remember the 1/10 M Oval, as a Go-Kart Ride track in the '60s. Didn't it belong to someone formerly involved in QM Racing? Possibly a racer named Johnny? He would have been about your age, and possibly later operated a road course GK Ride facility farther out S Main, past the S Loop.

[RETrott]

Back to Houston,

I believe this is the Arrowhead Park Speedway, near South Main and Old Spanish Trail. Ran from 1947 to about 1954. Site of A.J. Foyt's first win in 1953, a trophy dash.

 

If you pan Southwest from here, you run into Playland Park real quick.

 

Arrowhead

 

Tom, correct about Arrowhead Spdwy. I recently had some minor DermSurgery done at 7515 Main, aka S Main, and from the parking garage behind the office building, I could look across Braes Bayou at what is now N Stadium Dr at Braeswood Blvd and remember back about 54 years...

[txtom]

Alright, here is one for you Houston guys.

 

In the pic, the large road running at an angle from left to right is South Main. At the right of the pic, you can see Meyer Speedway running North to South.

 

At the left of the pic, there is another oval that appears to be about the same size, and it's orientation parallels South Main. The exact location is just a block West of South Cravens Road on the South side of 90.

Any ideas on what it is?

 

Link

[jakdad]

Tom,

 

If you go to the Playland Park link and then Pan north- northeast, you will see a little 1/10 mile track behind what appears to be a building and located to the east of South Main as it gradually turns..

 

That was another test track and the one on another thread that describes Larry Schild and I testing our midgets ..

 

It became a Go-Kart track and was converted to Go-Kart racing as Quarter Midget Racing began to die in Houston.

 

I think I remember the 1/10 M Oval, as a Go-Kart Ride track in the '60s. Didn't it belong to someone formerly involved in QM Racing? Possibly a racer named Johnny? He would have been about your age, and possibly later operated a road course GK Ride facility farther out S Main, past the S Loop.

 

I raced go carts on that track. I didn't know it had any quarter midget history. They stayed open late or maybe until they ran out of customers. I know there were times we were racing out there at 2:00 A.M.

[RETrott]

Regarding post # 40, I have no idea. Very close to Stafford, but could also have a Missouri City address. Looks bigger than a 1/4 mile. My only guess would be possibly a former Motorcycle Spdwy. Unless it has something to do with Regal Ranch. I'll have to look it up.

 

Nope, not Regal Ranch!

[4PROP]

Correct! Regal Ranch was west of Murphy. There was a horse ranch at the site indicated. It was eventually taken over partially by the South Beltway.

 

I had to go back to 1957 to get a good look at the motorcycle flat track in Stafford. It was just west of Stafford where the S/W Freeway would eventually cross. I went to the MC races there just once. Don't recall any details. They just couldn't match the action at Playland.

 

http://www.historicaerials.com/?poi=3521

[RETrott]

One more tonight.........................

 

My Father has a fondness for this track. The 1/5th Mile at the Dallas State Fairgrounds, 1956. They raced midgets on Wednesday nights, and he watched guys like Jud Larson, Cecil Green, and a host of others.

The Cotton Bowl is immediately west of the track.

 

Dallas Fairgrounds

 

Tom,

I'm fairly sure that the Dallas Fairgrounds Spdwy is where Houston area racer Cecil Elliot was killed in a Midget Car crash in '57, driving an Ebb Rose owned car. In '58, the Cecil Elliot Memorial 100 Lap Midget Car Race was held at Playland Park Spdwy/Houston, won by Lloyd Ruby in a Rose owned car.

[Midget 85]

Larry,

 

I think you are right about the track.

 

Somewhere, I have the newspaper article on Cecil and his last ride and ill fate and will try to find it to verify the track.

 

Jim, Larry,

 

As to the 10th mile track near Playland Park on South Main, I am not sure who owned that track. We only tested our midgets there when we needed to see what they would do.

 

There was only one pre seasonal Sunday race there that I recall for the quarter midgets and for some reason and I can't recall, the deal to race there on a more permanent basis was canceled. It was then we moved to Pasadena race track.

 

I can remember how neat it was to race there and see Playland Park and the lighted Roller Coaster in the evening. Guess we thought we were part of Playland.

 

What memories ..

 

-Randy

[txtom]

A quote about Cecil Elliot on the Racing from the past website:

 

JIMMY GRISWOLD (ELLIOTT) August 30th 2003 09:41:15 AM

HOUSTON, TEXAS

JUST WANTED TO SAY I LOVE YOUR SITE. WISH THERE WAS MORE ABOUT SOUTH TEXAS RACING ON IT. MY STEP DAD DROVE THE OLD LIGHTING BOLT#9 FISHER GMC AT PLAYLAND PARK SPEEDWAY IN THE 50'S. MY UNCLE CECIL ELLIOTT WAS KILLED IN A MIDGET IN 1957 IN DALLAS.I DROVE AT A NUMBER OF TRACKS AROUND HOUSTON AND DALLAS AND WAS TRACK CHAMPION SEVERAL YEARS. I'M LOOKING TO BUY A VINTAGE MIDGET. LOVE TO HERE FROM SOME OF THE OLD GUYS. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

[Midget 85]

Thanks Tom,

 

We appreciate all that you've done with the race track history and links provided.

 

Sure brings back a lot of memories as to the way it was.

 

-Randy

[RETrott]

Thanks Tom. I had no idea Jimmy Griswold was related to Cecil Elliot.

[97car]

Can someone try and find shots of the track that used to be near Wilmer, I think it was at highway 67 and zion road area at least that is what the 1962 paper has on it. I would also like to find Big D speedway that was on Davis I think, no this was not Sportsdrome either, but I think it was in the same area. How about the old Devils Bowl on Buckner or the former Riverside that was in Fort Worth. Or make it real interesting how about the tracks that have been around San Angelo, Abilene or Wichita Falls thru the years. The paper did not give zip codes for either of the tracks around Dallas.

[txtom]

Kevin,

Take a look at this pic, it shows the remains of an oval at Hwy 67 and Zion Road. But this is also in Garland just before you cross Lake Ray Hubbard. Those two roads are nowhere near Wilmer.

Garland

There is a reference to a 1/4 mile dirt track in Garland called "North Star Speedway", but only about 1971. The oval in the link is '72, and it is not in any other shot.

 

As for Wilmer, you might be thinking of the asphalt track between Wilmer-Hutchins just south of Fulghum Road. Look back through this thread to post #3 to see that track.

 

The first Devil's Bowl is at post #9. You can see the theatre to the east of the oval, and White Rock airport to the west.

 

I have been searching for Riverside, just cannot find it. The site was a bicycle BMX track in the 80's; went there to watch a friend's kid, but really don't remember where on Riverside it was.

 

I'd like to map the ovals in West Texas, but the imagery on this site doesn't go back in time for those locations.