97car Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Yes the post #3 looks like it could be the track I remember when we tested it had to have been between 69 and 71 I think. Thanks Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 Let's go way back, to the original Devils Bowl on John West Road in Dallas, circa 1957. It was basically a gravel pit. Devils Bowl #1 Tom, If you look close at the link you have posted above of the Devil's Bowl, you will see the 1/4 midget race track located to the north of turns 3 and 4. That is the track we traveled to in my young years to compete in 1957. We drove from Houston to Dallas just to race in the infancy of 1/4 midgets. Below is a shot of me and #7 coming out of turn 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 Randy, doin' it in the dirt............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasrick64 Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 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. The wilmer track was @ 45 and Pleasant run. It was a 1/4 mile asphalt track.It was the first asphalt figure-8 track in Texas. In the late 70's My Dad was driving a Sprint car and was going to several 1/4 mile tracks around the country so we went out there to play with the gears one Sat afternoon. Do you have ANY IDEA how many OLD dirt right rears you you can totally demolish in one afternoon!! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasrick64 Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 The old Big D speedway was located across the street from Sportsdrome( were Grimes Wrecking Yard is) Sportsdrome didnt have Bleachers until Big D closed down Virgina the owner of Sportsdrome got voluntiers to help take the bleachers down and move them to Sportsdrome. There were two other tracks in the area. They were both on Jefferson one was the DUST BOWL the other was COUNTRY SIDE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted February 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 TexasRick, Take a look at this link: DFW You can see the present day DFW Speedway and Yello belly Dragstrip. Click where it says "View 1955'. then "1972", and so on. You can see a definite track west of the DFW site, and a couple different configurations on the DFW site itself. In the 1972 view, I am wondering if that track with the figure 8 in it to the west of the DFW site was Sportsdrome. Also, in that same pic, the DFW site looked like a half mile, although I have never seen reference to it. Horse track, maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Yes that is the Sportsdrome track, but how old is yellow Belly drag strip? It is in the 1955 view. To add a little bit more to this, if I remember right the bleachers at 85 speedway are from Sportsdrome only thing is they added steel instead of the boards to sit on. Which would mean that they were also the ones from Big D speedway from what has been read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted February 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Everything I have seen or heard has Yello Belly opening around 1955. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4PROP Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 TexasRick, Take a look at this link: DFW You can see the present day DFW Speedway and Yello belly Dragstrip. Click where it says "View 1955'. then "1972", and so on. You can see a definite track west of the DFW site, and a couple different configurations on the DFW site itself. In the 1972 view, I am wondering if that track with the figure 8 in it to the west of the DFW site was Sportsdrome. Also, in that same pic, the DFW site looked like a half mile, although I have never seen reference to it. Horse track, maybe? The 1972 view offers a rare find. It caught an airplane in flight over Jefferson Rd. The plane's shadow is just south of the oval track. I know people who spend a lot of time and effort searching for those type of photo easter eggs. I would never admit it if I was one of them. Thanks, (Now let me log that one down.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 I see four airplanes in that 1972 view and they're all dragging banners that say "Historic Aerials." What a coincidence that four bi-planes would all be in the same photo at the same time and that all would be displaying ads for a website that hadn't even been thought of in 1972! LOL Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted February 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 I see four airplanes in that 1972 view and they're all dragging banners that say "Historic Aerials." What a coincidence that four bi-planes would all be in the same photo at the same time and that all would be displaying ads for a website that hadn't even been thought of in 1972! LOL And they are in a perfect 4 ship formation! As for the advertising, they were thinking ahead; looks like they had ESP N......................... The 1972 view offers a rare find. It caught an airplane in flight over Jefferson Rd. The plane's shadow is just south of the oval track. I know people who spend a lot of time and effort searching for those type of photo easter eggs. I would never admit it if I was one of them. Thanks, (Now let me log that one down.) I found an airplane image right on top of Jefferson road almost due south of the dragstrip. It is light in color, and flying to the southeast. And based on the shape and width of the tail section, and the fuselage length, it appears to be a Lockheed Constellation, Model 1049. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 That old Lockheed looked like it belly landed there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4PROP Posted February 12, 2009 Report Share Posted February 12, 2009 I found an airplane image right on top of Jefferson road almost due south of the dragstrip. It is light in color, and flying to the southeast. And based on the shape and width of the tail section, and the fuselage length, it appears to be a Lockheed Constellation, Model 1049. My first thought was also for a Constellation, but the year 1972 threw me off. Not too many were around by then. Neverless, I second the motion for "Connie". .....This is the "airplanes over racetracks" topic, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted February 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2009 You're right, they were getting scarce by '72; A TWA L749 flew the last passenger service flight in 1967. In 72, they would have been either freight haulers, or military, as the USAF and USN flew them into the early 80's. With the Dallas Naval Air Station just west of the image of the plane, and (at that time) Amon Carter field to the north, either the freighter or Military theory could be correct about this plane. But all that aside, it was one damn beautiful airplane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasrick64 Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 TexasRick, Take a look at this link: DFW You can see the present day DFW Speedway and Yello belly Dragstrip. Click where it says "View 1955'. then "1972", and so on. You can see a definite track west of the DFW site, and a couple different configurations on the DFW site itself. In the 1972 view, I am wondering if that track with the figure 8 in it to the west of the DFW site was Sportsdrome. Also, in that same pic, the DFW site looked like a half mile, although I have never seen reference to it. Horse track, maybe? txtom, That is Sportsdrome. DFW was never bigger than a 1/4 mile. I think but dont quote me that DFW was originally called Outlaw Speedway and I believe was built by Perk Perkins and was a 1/8 mile track built to race mini stocks and Quarter Midgets in the late70's they made a short come back. Like I said I "THINK" LOL I know im only 44 but I went to my first race in WILMER when I was 3 months old and there is a lot of facts rolling around in my head LOL Rickey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 They enlarged DFW speedway and made it a d shaped quarter mile, but it wasn't called DFW anymore, now it is Grand Prarie Speedway same location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted February 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 I found this one based on info from Kevin's Southwest Racing News thread. It is a track called "The Greater FT Worth Racing Bowl" at Benbrook Lake. Benbrook The location would be just southwest of where Hwy 377 and Lakeside Drive intersect, on the south side of the highway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted February 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 How about Green Valley Dragstrip, 1979. Click the others years to see the great early days, and the sad finale. Green Valley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 It took them long enough to finally cut into the drag strip, I think it closed about 1981. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumper Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 I was wondering if any of those old books said anything about the South Texas track called Harbenito?It was a dirt track running about 1950 located between Harlingen and San Benito hence the name I am told it was where the electric plant for San Benito is now.I also heard it was dominated by Hudsons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 The Hudson part is probably true, don't know about the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted March 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 I was wondering if any of those old books said anything about the South Texas track called Harbenito?It was a dirt track running about 1950 located between Harlingen and San Benito hence the name It was a 1/5 mile that ran under two names, Harlingen Speedway, and Harbenito Devils Bowl. It opened 23 Mar 1947, and closed around 1950. Harlingen also has a 1/2 mile dirt track from 1926 to 1935, and a 1/5 mile in 1939 in a different location than the one above. orry, specific locations are not listed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Here is another track that is long gone, the Dallas International motor Speedway. Dallas International What could have been a great facility didn't last very long. History shows the drag strip opening in June, 1969, hosting the 1969 NHRA Spring Nationals. Tragedy struck the track early, as Round 1 Funny Car competitors Pat Foster and Gerry Schwartz collided down track, killing Schwartz. After the Road Course was added for the 1970 season, rain and flooding forced cancellation of several events, including Trans-Am. By this time, whiney neighbors had also gotten the Lewisville City council to impose a 10PM curfew on the track. Another tragic event happened in 1971. A Dallas TV news reporter named Gene Thomas came to the track to a story on drag racing. Art Arfons was there with his two-seat "Super Cyclops" 280-mph jet-powered dragster, and Thomas strapped in for a ride. At the end of the pass, the dragster blew a tire and went through the guardrail. The crash killed Thomas and two spectators. Arfons never raced after that. By 1973, in an effort to become profitable, it had gone to the new IHRA group led by Larry Carrier, who only requested 25% of the gate, versus 50% for NHRA. It was not enough, and the track entered into bankruptcy, and was closed forever. Interestingly, if you look at the 1979 pic, you can see the remains of an oval on the site, on the southside of the dragstrip runoff area. Supposed to have been a half-mile asphalt track, but I have never heard if it was ever completed or ran a race. It would have been built after the other venues were closed. If any of the Dallas Racers have any more info on this, We'd appreciate hearing from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 It was basically a cow pasture again back in 79, it was meant as a tax write off, but began loosing too much money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted May 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 Back to San Antonio for a few stops. A book I have, and some conversations led me to the location of a few tracks around the W.W. White and Ackermann road area where they cross Old Hwy 90, now present day I-10. The first one is located on the Northwest corner of W.W.White road, and Hwy 90. It is an old dog track converted for car and bike racing. Called either San Antonio Midget Speedway, or Alamo Midget Speedway, it was a 1/5th mile track. It was active from 1935 until the start of WW2. The location is now the two Hotels with the Wendy's burger place between them on the west side of W.W. White just north of I-10. Midget track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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