ToryC Posted October 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 This has been more than an amazing trip down memory lane for me. Tom, Nick... all of you.... I thank you. Lilimodified... if you have some of those pics... please share them with us. Tom - wow... you were there for every one of my treasured memories. Thank you for bringing them back to life. And, YES, that's why we do what we do. Let's all continue to do what we can to keep this sport and these memories alive and creating new memories that we can talk about in another ten or twenty years to come. Kudos to all of you who keep it going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 my hair was longer than toms back then ...outside of reb .mine is still longer and it hardly touches my ears ..... ................ tory you sure know how toget poeple talking .....52 post in less than 24 hours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilmodified Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 toy... my pics are stored at my folks place in cuero, but i will be down there for the "havoc" at goliad this weekend...i will definately get them and share some! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 Found this pic from a previous poasting by Craig Schmidt. It is Wright and Banks on the backstretch wall. Wright in the blue Karman Ghia. In this pic there is a board advertising Leo's Welding and Fabrication. Was he the person who brought his welding truck to the track for those who needed emergency repairs? I remember looking at the fabricated service bumper on the front of that truck once. It had the most perfect welding stitched all the way across the top surface. Not a grind mark on it anywhere, and the whole thing had been chromed to show it off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 This has been more than an amazing trip down memory lane for me. Tom, Nick... all of you.... I thank you. Lilimodified... if you have some of those pics... please share them with us. Tom - wow... you were there for every one of my treasured memories. Thank you for bringing them back to life. Think it's been pretty good for all of us. I know Nick and I have spent a hour or three talking about PanAm in the past............ I kinda remember guys like you and Mike and others since we all went to school at Clemens together. Mike was a few grades ahead of me, but I had a class or two with his brother Tim. You were a couple behind me. In 78, David Montague ran the hobby class, did fairly well with a few wins, and he was in my class. Joe Schweiss had a kid a class behind me, and he lived on the same street as my parents. Bob York was around a couple corners. Gary Mahoney was in Universal City, and a couple more. So that area had a significant presence at the track. We need to get guys like Craig Schmidt and Jim Creech and Oatey and more of those on here to tell their tales. I talk to or see BobbyCaulfield now and then, and we laugh about the crap we did back then, both at and away from the track. He lives around Johnson City, big into his boy's baseball stuff. But we got more stories. Tonight, I'll tell ya a few about life in the infield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToryC Posted October 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 Tom - Awesome. I look forward to hearing those stories! Timer - 52 posts in under 24 hours is pretty easy when half of them are your own. And I do mean mine... not yours. But thanks for the contributions! LilMod - I'm sure we all look forward to seeing those pics. I'm gonna look for my old album today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest THRRD Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 Tom, That picture of Waldo's car was the second car I worked on for him. We built that car and Jimmy Finger was supposed to drive in Mexico at a road race. The race got cancelled, so Waldo told Jimmy he could drive the first two races of the year. The first race, the engine blew up. The second race, we were voted the best looking car, then in the feature, the throttle hung and Jimmy stuck it thru the fence. When we got him, there was "fuel" everywhere. He didn't care abought the fuel, he was worried about the rattle snakes that were all around. It was embressing to have walk out on the front straight the next week to get the trophy for the prettist car. Those were the days Terry Barden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 He didn't care abought the fuel, he was worried about the rattle snakes that were all around Not sure if it really happened, but Finger is supposed to have made a statement to the first folks to get to him that "Ya know, a feller could get snake-bit out here"! Do you remember the patch job they did on the wall, only to have a SECOND car, a red #6 chevelle, go through the same hole Finger made? Come on, Terry, let's have some more stories! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 Some of my memories from helping Bobby Caulfield in the infield: Bobby and his Dad Charles "Dick" Caulfield lived on property that his Aunt owned on the I-35 access road, and it backed to a trailer park that is still there just South of the Schertz Lowe's. Bobby always had a ready supply of teenagers that wanted to help out there. One of the funnier things we did was when we were trapped in the infield, and one of them needed to take a nature break. Well, no porta-lets out there, so we'd tell them to go around to the far side of the Stude from the stands. We always parked on the "X" in turn 3 and always left the engine running during racing for quick response and getaway-(More on getaway later)-and when the unfortunate kid got a real good flow going, Bobby or I, whoever was driving, would quietly put the truck in gear and launch forward, leaving the kid there with a big puddle around him. Bad enough everyone saw what he was doing, but then he is trying to stop the flow, and folks, that is just about near impossible to do. We usually only got a kid once on that one. We also knew where the ruts were in the infield, and some of the braver kids liked to sit on the bed rails of the truck. One good run across a rut, and one good butt landing would usually stop them from that. On the subject of "getaway", we kept the trucks running to escape the errant car spinning into the infield. I learned the hard way one night, when the Stude was down for an engine change. We used my pristine faded black with krylon white wheels and mirrors '59 Ford F-100 at the track. Had a 289 in it, and it never gave me a problem starting. You know what is next. Late model heat race, and I am sitting there in the X, with Dick Caulfield in his blue ford P/U next to me. Of course, his is running. Well, Carl Wentreck spins off turn 2, and I immediately turn the key, Away goes Dick, and away goes my starter. WWWHHHHIIIIRRRRR is all I am getting. When the engine finally hit, Carl's back bumper was about 8 inches from my left rear tire. He drives off, and here come Dick back laughing hysterically at me with my "I think I crapped my pants look". Needless to say, the truck ran the rest of the night. I got to relive that story at Corpus earlier this year; Carl was at the TSRS race, and I spent about a half hour catching up. We also fun with Ware telling us to go skimpy on the rosin we dropped just before the features, and after he walked off, all manner of drivers are coming at us with knives trying to cut bigger holes in the burlap sack, or telling us exactly where they thought it should go. One night we witnessed something both sad and funny at the same time. They had those one lap races for fans and their personal cars. Well, some older teenager showed up with a super clean 69 Camaro. He sailed that thing down the backstretch, crossed it up between 3 and 4, and promply stuffed it into the frontstretch wall. Peeled away damn near the entire right side. It was sad to ruin a great car like that. It was funny to get to the guy, who was bawling like a baby, We asked him if he was alright, and he finally calmed down enough to tell us 'It's my dad's car, and he doesn't know I took it". All we could do to keep from falling out laughing right then and there. Later found out it was about 5 months new from a restoration. never heard what happened to the kid, though. These were just a few of the many memories I had at that place. Most nights, I was at PanAm, but some at Hwy 16, also. While I have vivid fond memories of 16, it didn't have the sheer fun factor of PanAm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToryC Posted October 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 That is hysterical about the "pee breaks"! I had no idea such shenanigans were going on!!! Do you have any idea whatever became of the old Studebaker? What a classic that was! And the story of the Camaro fan race was truly sad and really funny at the same time! Keep the stories coming, Tom! Maybe we can get a few of us together and tell tales in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilmodified Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 tom! what great stories! i used to listen to my dad & grand-dad tell stories like these and i would get completely lost in them...as i did yours! looking forward to more of them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 The last time I saw the Stude, I was coming back to Schertz from New Braunfels, and I am thinking about 98 or so. On the Southbound access road of I-35. sorta across from Bussey's flea market, there was a guy with a bunch of old cars and junk at the remains of an old style gas station. You have seen it, it has a brown stone facade on the front, and an old ramshackle building that has been a bar in the past next to it. (It is still there today with a for sale sign on it) Anyway, That Stude was there for sale in all it's rusted bright orange glory. I circled back and talked to the guy, who stated that Bobby had left it with him to sell. I think you coulda gotten it for around 3-400 dollars. a few months later, it was behind the garage, and a few months after that was the last I ever saw of it. Bobby doesn't know, either. He never saw any money from it. It would not have been a good candidate for restoration. hard to find skin for it. We repainted the thing about 1975 or 6, and it musta had 50 pounds of bondo on it. But it never failed us getting to the track. We worked Speedorama on Friday nights, would get back to PanAm to unload about 1 in the morning, and do it all over again Saturday. I can still remember the only two 8-track tapes I ever saw Bobby listen to, and they were Neil Diamond and the Beach Boys. oh well, it WAS his truck...................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 I can still remember the only two 8-track tapes I ever saw Bobby listen to, and they were Neil Diamond and the Beach Boys. oh well, it WAS his truck...................... Interesting to find out the truck was privately owned. I always assumed it belonged to the track, I guess because the bright color seemed like something a track vehicle would sport. On the other hand, a Ricci Ware vehicle would surely be lettered up in an unmistakeable manner....(Ricci Ware was the forerunner to Mattress Mac, our noted Houston pitchman) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilmodified Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 tory! i did find something kinda interesting! these are from the old San Antonio dragstrip...circa the early 60's...my dad went thru a "straight-liner" phase for a while, but fortunately, he got over it! (the roundy-round pics ARE in cuero, tho...and the attached pics are really old...hope you can see them) is this track even still down there????? does anyone know? sa_dragstrip_early_60__s.bmp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 tory! i did find something kinda interesting! these are from the old San Antonio dragstrip...circa the early 60's... Oh, WOW!!! Thanks for sharing these! These pictures have a very special significance to me, even more so than the ones from Pan Am. When I was around Pan Am I was roughly 12-22, and the circumstances were such that I went often, and have strong memories. But I have been having very faint memories of my Dad taking me to a drag strip when I was maybe 6-8. They were having dragsters that day and I remember those pretty vividly. However, I questioned the memories because they contained a flimsy two wire fence between the stands and the track, and my adult mind says that couldn't be right, there had to have been more than that separating the spectators from the cars. Plus, I have never seen any pictures of such a set up, and I didn't think I ever would. But there it is, actually TWO two-wire fences, plus a shallow ditch. That is the place. Many thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilmodified Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 ur very welcome, bobby... and, it's amazing how little safety they had back then, huh? also, i believe that white car was my dad's, but i'm not 100% sure about that. gotta check with the "keeper of the memory" dept (aka: my mom) lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilmodified Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 wow! MUCH better!! thanks for fixing those for me, nick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Not a problem. Very interesting pics that help fill in the history of our sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 a '39 Willy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Interesting to find out the truck was privately owned. I always assumed it belonged to the track, I guess because the bright color seemed like something a track vehicle would sport. On the other hand, a Ricci Ware vehicle would surely be lettered up in an unmistakeable manner Actually, when I first got hooked up with Bobby, it was lettered down the side of the bed with "Pan American Speedway", and a couple other sinage things. This was his daily driver, and I approached him in the Clemens School parking lot about it. I had already seen it at the track when I went a few time as a spectator only. That lettering was the reason we painted the thing as previously mentioned. I don't remember the particulars, but I think that the letttering on the side made it a liability toward the track in case Bobby was in an accident or something. So Ware had him remove it. Since it was all hand-painted back then, we just sanded everything and re-did the whole truck. Bobby liked the color, which was Competition Orange. Wasn't another truck in the county that looked like it, which means he had to kinda behave himself while driving it. My truck was the same way, a 59 F-100 that was fading black with bright white wheels and mirrors; nothing else in Guadalupe County like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToryC Posted October 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Wow, LilMod! Cool pics. Anyone know where that Drag Strip was in San Antonio. Tom - I think we need to organize a search party for the whereabouts of the Orange Stude! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dano36 Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 I might be wrong on this but wasn't the old drag strip on Gibb Sprawl Road just past where Walzem intersects it now? That is the one I recall which shut down when the built the new track on Hwy 16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Lil's drag pics were take at Double Eagle on Gibbs-Sprawl. In one of Lil's pics, you can see "San Antonio" on the starting line. That track was also known as San Antonio Dragway during it's life. it was built sometime in the 1950's, and closed in 1969-70. Was very popular back in the day as a Sunday afternoon track. The starting line end of the track backed up to Gibbs-Sprawl, and the track ran in a slight Northwest direction. A housing development has been built on the site of the track, and they have finally covered the last of the old track. Located on Gibbs between Rittiman and the Walzem turnoff (FM1976) on the North side of Gibbs. Find the main entrance of the housing development, and that is directly over the starting line of the old track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest THRRD Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Tom, I can remember when Ed Bowls first dug out the ground for Pan Am., and hit the motherload of ratlle snakes. My dad and a few others did nit want to run at the new Pan Am and tried to keep the old one opened under the name of Mercury Speedway. I don't remember how long thye ran, but I don't think it was log. The new Pan Am started letting the v-8s from austin run and not the six cylinder old cars When Ricci finally said OK, all the old guys that were running the 6 cylinder car went to then new place and ran with th v-8s. They v-8s out ran the old car on the straights, but thru the turns the old jallopies would eat their lunch. that was the last time we were allowed to run, and it didn't hurt we had Don Folw;er driving for my dad. Do you remeber the car that Don Bierswald and uncle Jim built, the one Buddy Yantis and jimmy finger drove? Don always said that was the begining of his envolvment in racing, and for am glad it happened. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Terry, That stuff is a little before my San Antonio time; after a short stint in '68, I came to the area in late 71. Late 72 is when I first experienced Pan Am. (Dad was in Thailand, mom was NOT taking me to any racing..) The Mercury Speedway , according to history, lasted a little less than a year in 1965; had trouble competing with the new Pan Am. Now for a little history on one of Tory's original pics. My old friend John Schultz got with Wayne Deckard about the pic of the #17: The story is this is actually taken at Speedorama in Austin. Wayne was driving this car while in High School, and had a tangle in hot laps with Alvin Stewart. Deckard landed at the edge of the pit area near turn 1 and 2. One Leroy Brooks' crew members, a guy named Mike Cofield or something like that, liked to crapped on himself, as he was right were the car ended up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.