First races you attended?

[Whitey741]

Pre-1972 Barberton Speedway In Barberton Ohio 1/4Mi Asphalt. Don't remember 1st race. Post 72 we moved from OH to within a mile or so of Meyer Speedway.

[Josh42]

I'm gonna say early 80's. It was either at Little River Dragway, Longhorn Speedway. I do know my parents took me to Reunion Arena in Dallas to see tractor pulls and BIGFOOT and i was only like 3 or 4 when that happened.

[debwill]

I forgot about going to Pan American Speedway in San Antonio before SAS opened. I have no clue what year it was, but it may have been in the early 70s.

[arob]

CC Speedway 1957.Dub Rollins ,the Silver Fox , ruled the roost then.There used to be a chicken coop outside turn 3.One night during the bomber feature a Packard went over the wall and into the chicken coop.End of chicken coop.I do remember feature races when the front row getting the green the back row was entering turn 3.Sportsmod I be wrong but another car you could at to those three would be the blue #1.I remember he and the 11 had some serious battles.

[FryarFan]

Early 70s at Pan American Speedway. Hubert Bean and dad were big friends, and Waldo Harper and dad went back to the 40s and 50s knowing each other. Buddy Yantis, Buddy Jerkins, and Jimmy Finger.....aahhhh those were the days.

 

Also impressive, was that Ricci and Mimi would be out front after you came in the gate welcoming you into the place. And when they would pack all the Lackland guys in to watch the races. What a promoter.

[PAPosse]

First race - my parents have a photo of me at about 2 years of age (1971) in the stands at Nazareth Raceway in Nazareth, PA.

 

My earliest memories are from being in the infield at Flemington Fairgrounds in NJ. I was probably 5 or so.

 

Both tracks were dirt (Flemington paved in 1991) and are gone now.

 

Looking forward to taking my son to his first race later this season, probably Perris Auto Speedway in Southern California. He is only 4 years old....a late bloomer I suppose.

[Justafan4]

Longhorn Speedway late 80's spent most my time under the bleachers picking up lugnuts bubblegum after he threw it in the stands lol. Also where i found out i was allergic to wasp/yellow jackets lol

[HiTech]

1987 @ CC speedway when they had a lots of cars like 30 in a feature, and had to park on Agnes and walk in!

Back then the pits were next to the stands . something missed now at most tracks ..just to see from the stands what goes on in pits during the night was interesting but more important let the drivers teams and fans interact more . now the fans cant see much of anything and the drivers don't have the time or desire to walk the footage to the stands .the old pits a driver could sit in the stands interact with the fans and only have a short walk to his car ..that is a big part missing in racing now .and going into the pits after the races is not the same .its late and most who would other wise want to meet drivers are tired and go home .i loved going out onto the track at the last race of the night .nothing like feeling those hot tires and worn out drivers .....

[NickHolt]

...nothing like feeling those hot tires and worn out drivers .....

I'm pretty sure the hot tires didn't mind, but the worn out drivers??? LOL

 

Nick

[HiTech]

...nothing like feeling those hot tires and worn out drivers .....

I'm pretty sure the hot tires didn't mind, but the worn out drivers??? LOL

 

Nick

yep maybe i should fix that lol .shaking hands with em ok ok .wow that was close would not want some to wonder .....

[outlaw]

Tri-city speedway Franklin Pa. mid 60s. I remember from the first time I saw a sprint car I was hooked, also the $100.00 claimers.

[rwracing10]

Late 70s at longhorn.

[CC57]

Meyer speedway 196? Too long ago for me to remember.

 

And Mr. Huff, my Mom tells me of the times when they would travel from East Bernard to Playland Park, watch Foyt and others race there.

[DonJuan]

My dad started taking me to the races in the late 60's / early 70's at Wilmot Speedway in Wilmot, Wisconsin. I was 4 or 5 and was hooked instantly. It became a regular family event on Saturday nights in the summer. Wilmot is a 3/8 mile simi banked cay oval, and is still in operation today. They ran the old style modifieds and stock cars. In the late 70' / early 80's, the modifieds where replaced by sprint cars. I went back there when I was visiting family in July. Many of the drivers last names where the same as when I was younger, but it was thier kids or grand kids racing now. There was one sprint car driver, who was one of the best back in the 80's, still going at it at 65 years old. That was cool to see.

[TheCloser]

CC Speedway 1957.Dub Rollins ,the Silver Fox , ruled the roost then.There used to be a chicken coop outside turn 3.One night during the bomber feature a Packard went over the wall and into the chicken coop.End of chicken coop.I do remember feature races when the front row getting the green the back row was entering turn 3.Sportsmod I be wrong but another car you could at to those three would be the blue #1.I remember he and the 11 had some serious battles.

 

Well didn't get to see the Blue #1 race. James Mikulencak was before my time lol.

[arob]

Sportsmod I kinda thought I was off in my time period but the mind is the second thing to go when you get old. HiTech I too remember the pits being next to the stands.The best part of that was the stampede to get along the end of the stands if the potential of a fight breaking out! People would be three or four deep !Saw some good ones over the years ! The edge of the stands back then were all wood framing covered with plywood.One night I was in the pits and something was happening that caused the stampede.It was then I noticed how far the stand wall bowed out from everyone leaning on it.It was a miracle it never collapsed!

[MatKam10]

1987 CC Speedway. I was 2 months old. My dad raced a pure stock.

[ratdaddy]

CC Speedway 1966, I was about 5 months old, and I still have the patch #17 that my Mom made for my "Baby drivers suit" that I wore to the races! We used to sit in the wooden benches where the entrance to the race track is now just left of the flagstand.

[Budman]

OAK HILL DOWNS - 1/4 mi. dirt, just S.W. of Austin, mid - '50's - Feature won by Jud Larson.

[HiTech]

Sportsmod I kinda thought I was off in my time period but the mind is the second thing to go when you get old. HiTech I too remember the pits being next to the stands.The best part of that was the stampede to get along the end of the stands if the potential of a fight breaking out! People would be three or four deep !Saw some good ones over the years ! The edge of the stands back then were all wood framing covered with plywood.One night I was in the pits and something was happening that caused the stampede.It was then I noticed how far the stand wall bowed out from everyone leaning on it.It was a miracle it never collapsed!

sometimes you did not have to move .flag stand was a good place for a fight .

[arob]

LOL ! Freddie Barnec vs. Fred Brown comes to mind!

[Radical]

My first circle track had to have been a dirt one in North Carolina probably early 70's. I remember going by Hickory Motor Speedway on the way to my Grand Mothers house and always wanted to go there. I didn't get the chance until about 5 years ago. My first drag strip was Shuffle Town Drag Strip. Also in North Carolina. I believe Gene Snow (I think that was his name) was runnning pretty darn good.

[legfixr]

1971 Chippenham Speedway in England, now the test track for LandRover.

At 16 Drove a street stock at Colorado SPrings International Speedway in Colorado Springs, USA

[AMRacer89]

San Antonio Speedway - 2002. The only things I remember was one driver's name was "Garfield" and he drove around with a Garfield the Cat stuffed animal in what would be the passenger seat, and the other thing I remember was the guy I was pulling for in the Late Model race got dumped while leading (or so it appeared anyway).... Turned out, the guy that got turned was a friend of my cousin's.

 

I was so glad I finally got to race there a few years later when I was with TPS, and horribly torn up when SAS was shut down the following year. Hopefully, she'll still be around in a couple years once I'm out of college and can get back to racing.

[clint]

Pan American Speedway with my grandmother early 70s ! After the races we would go to the Gas N Eat truck stop off oconnor where all the racers would go after . What a blast that was !