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ASTRO GRAND PRIX


73BOWTIE

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73BOWTIE ............................... I've bumped a thread to the top in the history section that has some stuff about the astrodome races, and a bunch of other stuff on midgets. Unfortunately, it appears quite a number of the pics have been lost on that thread.

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Buddy,

 

Unfortunately some people prefer to post links to pictures that are posted on other websites. The problem is that when that other website goes down or moves URLs, the links to those pictures no longer work and we are left with blank space instead of those pics.

 

This is why it's always preferable to post the actual picture here on Lone Star Speedzone rather than posting a link to other websites.

 

Nick

 

That's right Nick,

 

When in doubt, read the section that says "How to Post Pictures" at the top pf the forum.

 

-Randy

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NOW, THATS REAL INTERESTING. LIKE THE OLD NOSTALGIA STUFF.

 

WISH THEY WOULD JUST DO SOMETHING WITH THE DOME INSTEAD OF USE IT AS ANOTHER POLITICAL TOOL. BUT NOT WANTING TO START THAT WHOLE DEBATE.

 

HOPE PEOPLE POST MORE PICS

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Absolutely! I was 12 years old and all of my heroes were right there together racing. Foyt, Bill Vukovich Jr., Tony Bettenhausen, Merle Bettenhausen, Sammy Sessions, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Lloyd Ruby, Mel Kenyon, Joe Giba (in his outboard), Tom Bigelow, Jimmy Caruthers, Bob Tatersall, Les Scott, Larry Rice, George Snider, Jim McElreath, Lee Kunzman, Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser and Parnelli Jones. Sorry, I got carried away. Just real good boyhood memories with my dad, and didn't realize at the time that the "who's who" of racing were all in attendance. What is interesting to me looking back is in the 1969 race there were no roll cages. Then the next year there were a few because they were optional but the drivers knew they would soon be manditory.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Remember being there also..

 

The echo of the offy's bounced all around the Astrodome and tears from all the Alky fuel weas a little tuff to breath there.

 

By the time the feature race came along, the track was coming all apart. Mario and AJ ended up making a 10th mile track out of the whole arena before they red flagged the race.

 

Cocking the wheels to the right and standing on em they would cut under each other as the track got smaller and smaller

 

If I am correct, there was a race in 69 and maybe 70.

 

Chris Econamacke ( spelling )was the announcer at the one I attended..

 

The midgets were cool looking, the track was rough, and AJ put on one hell of show as you can see in the upper paper clipping with both wheels up!

 

I remember the audience applauding after that famous lap!

 

Don't remember cages on the midgets in '69 as with the photo of AJ's paper clipping reflecting just a Roll Bar!

 

The "Orange 83" was definitely rode hard and put up wet after AJ's dance with the midget!

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Here's a few of the promised photos of the Astro Grand Prix

post-12610-1295998072.jpg

Here's that "rode hard and put away wet" car - A.J.s car being pushed on the track

post-12610-1295998084.jpg

A.J. standing by his car prior to the start of the race

post-12610-1295998092.jpg

A.J.s car being pushed to the track

post-12610-1295998103.jpg

post-12610-1295998110.jpg

One of the many wrecks - identified are: #4 Mike McGreevy, #83 A.J. Foyt, #80 Hank Botcher, #96 Lee Kunzman, #3 Dave Strickland, #65 Chuck Weyant,

#66 Johnny Rutherford & #42 Gary Irvin - photos were labeled on the back - I must have gotten that info off the program

post-12610-1295998117.jpg

Another wreck, this one unlabeled as to who is who - I have no actual pictures taken during the race . I was high up in the stands, and the long telephoto lens

was just too shaky to use while the cars were moving!

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Tommy,

 

I do believe these photos were taken at the second event.. 1970?

 

I'll have to dig out my program from '69 as it is different then the one posted up the thread..

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Tommy,

 

I bet you are right on..!

 

By the way Tommy, your slacking with the photo posting, so let's move it along..LOL :D

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Remember being there also..

 

The echo of the offy's bounced all around the Astrodome and tears from all the Alky fuel weas a little tuff to breath there.

 

By the time the feature race came along, the track was coming all apart. Mario and AJ ended up making a 10th mile track out of the whole arena before they red flagged the race.

 

Cocking the wheels to the right and standing on em they would cut under each other as the track got smaller and smaller

 

If I am correct, there was a race in 69 and maybe 70.

 

Chris Econamacke ( spelling )was the announcer at the one I attended..

 

The midgets were cool looking, the track was rough, and AJ put on one hell of show as you can see in the upper paper clipping with both wheels up!

 

I remember the audience applauding after that famous lap!

 

Don't remember cages on the midgets in '69 as with the photo of AJ's paper clipping reflecting just a Roll Bar!

 

The "Orange 83" was definitely rode hard and put up wet after AJ's dance with the midget!

 

 

I was only 13, but what an impression those races left on mE i HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN.

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  • 6 months later...

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