txtom Posted May 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 THis next one is just west of the Midget track. This is Dragon Speedway, which ran cars in the early 40's. It was between 3/8th's and a half-mile, and flat. Started and ended as a cycle track, and was open from about 1936 to the early 50's. This track is bordered by present day I-10 on the south, and Gembler Street on the North. There is a subdivision on the south side of Gembler, and situated between where Creekview and Grubb Streets intersect Gembler. Dragon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted May 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 This location is possibly where two different tracks were located. The first track would have been called Southwest Speedway. Opened in 1934, it was a half mile, and ran two seasons. The second track was the second track to be called San Antonio Speedway. (Hiway 16 was the 3rd) SAS #2 opened around 1936 or 1937, and it's closing date is unknown. The location is bordered by I-10 to the North, Houston Street to the south, and W.W. White to the east. This location is due south of the Midget track and Dragon mentioned in above postings. Southwest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted May 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 This one is a maybe. Ya'll have heard about a track called Devil's Bowl. It was a rough 1/4 mile dirt and gravel steeplechase track that had a jump section on one of the straights that sent the cars airborne as they went over it. I am not positive about this location; I am basing it off a conversation with a friend. It is south of I-10, and East of Ackermann Road, and Insurance Auto Salvage sits on top of it. Opened in 1939, it closed during WW2 and after the war, ran until about 1948. Devil's Bowl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted May 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 We'll leave South San Antonio and travel to the west side for this one. It is Alamo Downs, and at the same location of the current business park of the same name inside Loop 410 between Ingram and Culebra. While you see the mile horse track, the speedway was a 1/5th mile that is not seen. The Midget track was only operational from late 1940 to early 1941. Location is roughly parallel to, and west of, Alamo Downs Parkway, and bordered on the south by Culebra. Alamo Downs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doitinthedirt Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 tom my grandfather ran devils bowl and austin hwy. will you be at i37 tomarrow? would like to meet you . have few stories . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted May 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 tom my grandfather ran devils bowl and austin hwy. will you be at i37 tomarrow? would like to meet you . have few stories . Sorry, I have a prior obligation, but I will get in touch with you about any stories you have. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Thanks to this subject, I have located, at least for myself, the location of the Almeda Spdwy dirt track south of Houston that operated in the late '60s. I remember a post saying it was exactly where S Sam Houston Tollway E crosses FM 521, aka Old Almeda Rd. I went along with that info at the time, but always wondered. Now I have located the track on the 1973 aerial picture, which is about 1/4 mile farther south and actually at the N E corner of FM 521 and Riley Rd. The 1/4 mile track shows up well, and the additional portion of the 5/8 mile track is visible also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Here is a link for others to see the track you found, Trott. Almeda Speedway Thanks for finding that. I am still looking around more tracks, will post as I find them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETrott Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Thanks Tom, As one can see, it started out as a 5/8 mile, but was reduced to about a 1/4 mile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Thanks Larry and Tom. I tried to find that and failed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldfigure8er Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 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 When it was called outlaw speedway before becoming grand prairie speedway, it was owned by merle watson, who was a modified driver at sportsdrome, buffallo park and cowtown in the 80's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfbarnes Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Got bored and put this together http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l222/mfb...mview=slideshow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Thats really Cool and a little sad. I watched this thing about 10 times. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Thanks Mark, Great job as usual. If I could get 40 years back, I'd run on more of them...................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racevw112 Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 Cool put together on the tracks!!!! Thanks!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted October 17, 2009 Report Share Posted October 17, 2009 Here's one that we may have discussed already. It was very near the Cotton Bowl on the State of Texas Fair Grounds. I don't remember the name but I think it's one of the tracks my dad took me to watch Midgets in the 40s. I think it was 1/4 mile dirt. I bet Tom knows this one. http://www.historicaerials.com?poi=7782 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted October 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2009 Here's one that we may have discussed already. Yep, I talked about that one in post #10 on page 1 of this thread. My Father watched many a Wednesday night Midget show at that track with his father. watched racers like Jud Larson, Cecil Green, Cotton Farmer, and others there. Larson used to drive a Offy Powered Midget for a guy named Elton Chester, whose son Elton JR was a classmate of my Dad's at Dallas Hillcrest High before Pops moved out to Mesquite. All my reference stuff is in boxes while I attempt to complete my LATEST house remodel, but I believe it was called the Dallas Fairgrounds Speedway. You may or not may know that there were a few other tracks at that location; I will get that stuff, also. The Cotton Bowl itself was built on top of a half-mile dirt track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 Good luck on the remodel!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfbarnes Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 The first track at the State Fair was actually a surrey track 1 mile in length erected where the Cotton Bowl sits, the track was first used in 1886. In October 1902 automobile and motorcycle races held at the racetrack during State Fair. In 1906 they outlawed Horse betting and it was forever a car and motorcycle track after that. Horse races helf off and on, without "official betting". In 1908 steel grandstand built to replace old wooden racetrack grandstand. In 1914 the first Texas-O.U. football game at Fair Park was held in the infield of the race track, to make use of the large steel grand stands Texas wins, 32 to 7. In 1927 the steel stands were taken down and move to another location south east on the Fair Grounds, where a 3/4 mile dirt track was constructed for both auto and horse racing. In 1928 a 45,507-seat Fair Park with wooden stands, Construction began on Fair Park Stadium in early 1930 in Fair Park, Dallas on the same site as a wooden football stadium. Completed that year, the first game in the stadium was between Dallas-area high schools in October 1930. Built for a cost of $328,000, the stadium held 46,200 spectators. In 1936, the name officially changed to the Cotton Bowl. October 6-27, 1934 Last year of horse racing at Fair Park; betting allowed for first time in 25 years. May 23, 1946 Midget Racer Speedway opens at Fair Park, where the Livestock Coliseum now stands. In 1950 it was officially named Fair Park Speedway. Last race run was on November 14th 1958 1958 construction begins on new Livestock Coliseum. October 1959 New Livestock Coliseum opened for the State Fair. A lot of people saw the movie "State Fair" ( Not the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1945 version Filmed in Iowa) the 1962 version was filmed in Dallas, Texas, where the State Fair of Texas. And in the Movie Bobby Darrin raced in a race. That race was not held on the fair grounds as the movie depicts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilmodified Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 One for the straightliners--- Double Eagle Dragway, San Antonio, 1973. I think it was closed by then. Located on Gibbs-Sprawl Road. That oval to the west of the dragstrip was a 1/4 mile Motorcycle track that ran from 1968 to 1970. It was called "Action Raceway". Double Eagle would this be the dragstrip in the pics i posted in the thread tory started the other day? i wasn't around yet when those pics were taken, so i'm not sure of the dragstrip...i do remember going to a couple when i was really young, but not sure which one's they were.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMMAN Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 I have been reading these posts and love the history. I am 44 years young and have been to more race tracks across the USA than I can remember. My dad is a huge fan and I saw a lot of states thru the window of a station wagon while attending. I caught the bug and have raced for around 10 years. My question is this. My dad called me this year and said he was dove hunting close to and behind SAS/HWY 16 and there was a race track that had been started many years ago and was not completed. He even said that there is a tunnel for infield access in the ground large enough for 18 wheelers and he could see the old outline of a lay out for a track that was never completed? Cheers! Craig Crawley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 I think this is the track he is talking about. Story has it that it started out as a horse training track. If there ever was any plans to convert it to a race track for cars it never happened. Thats what I heard anyway. SAS is in the lower right of pic along with Alamo Dragway and the old dirt track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMMAN Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 I think this is the track he is talking about. Story has it that it started out as a horse training track. If there ever was any plans to convert it to a race track for cars it never happened. Thats what I heard anyway. Thanks. I was on Google earth and found the same track. Funny it would have a tunnel for horse racing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMMAN Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 my dad also said that the dirt was piled up for banking at both ends? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted October 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 Craig, That was going to be an asphalt super speedway, around 1 1/4 or so mile. Terry Barden has told us a little about this one in the past; evidently, it was laid out in the early 70's, but the big money investors pulled out before it got close to being finished. Maybe Terry will see this, and add some more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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