1964- to current day
Showing posts with label Speedways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Speedways. Show all posts
Friday, August 20, 2021
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Jack Watts Jalopy Track, Mazeppa
The Jack Watts Jalopy track in Mazeppa was was on the property of Mr Watts and was either a 1/4 or 1/3 mile, depending on who showed up to plow that day.
Found on a racetrack message board
A 2016 article in the Sunbury Daily Item mentions that track, and states:
"The last track in the area was Jack Watts Jalopy Track near the twin bridges in Mazeppa. The track was either 1/4th or 1/3rd of a mile,depending on what was plowed out of the fields on race day. Originally built on the side of the hill, it was relocated to a flatter area when a car rolled the length of the track down the hill."
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Beaver Springs Dragway Racing
Still in Operation
"Ike McCardle and his grandson, Bob McCardle, developed the drag strip, opening on May 30, 1971. It opened under NHRA sanction. The McCardles utilized the layout of old Cameron Airport for the strip. It is located in the village of Benfer, two miles north of Beaver Springs. As the story goes, Bob McCardle was motivated to build the strip when he was cheated out of $20 by the owner of the Kreamer drag strip. When McCardle told the owner of the Kreamer strip that he was going to build his own strip in western Snyder County, all he got was ridicule. When the owner twice stepped and spit on his new sneakers, that just fueled McCardle's drive to make it happen. In the space of one month, with his grandfather's financial help, he turned the airport into a race track. It continues to run as an IHRA-sanctioned track today, still owned and operated by Bob McCardle. In 1988, the dragway was awarded track of the year honors by NHRA in its division. The track stayed with NHRA through at least 1998. At leatst by 2005, the track was under IHRA sanction. The weather conditions at the track are sometimes windy. Racer Clint Corbin, who raced at Beaver Springs in the 1980s and 1990s said, "Crosswinds, down there, can really give you a thrill!" On September 4, 1995, Carol "Bunny" Burkett crashed her funny car at over 220 MPH when her competitor veered over into her lane and forced her off the track. It was a serious accident and left her with partial paralysis, but she was able to continue racing after recovering." https://dragstriplist.com/pennsylvania
See a video from the 2012 Gasser Reunion here:
The 522 Drag O'Way - Kreamer Speedway
522 Drag O’Way, near Kreamer PA
Operated Between the 1950s and 1970s
Originally a 1/5 mile track, later changed to a 1/8 mile.
See video of the track here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHoB98Wnk98
Starting at the 5:32 minute mark
Operated Between the 1950s and 1970s
Originally a 1/5 mile track, later changed to a 1/8 mile.
See video of the track here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHoB98Wnk98
Starting at the 5:32 minute mark
"Pete Herman was the owner of the track. People say that Herman was known to carry a wad of money in each front pocket with Mail Pouch chew in his mouth. Herman was also said to have spit tobacco juice on the shoes of the people that made him mad."
The Daily Item
June 23 1869
A Jalopy Race At The McClure Bean Soup Supper
The Sunbury Daily Item
Sept 11 1940
The McClure Bean Soup Supper began as a reunion for civil war soldiers, and has evolved over the years into a full fledged fair. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2015/09/mcclure-bean-soup-festival-fair.html
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Friday, January 17, 2020
Hughesville Raceway
Located at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds.
August 1947
"Following World War II, automobile racing on the 1/2 mile dirt track drew large crowds. At that time, the races were sanctioned by the AAA. During these years many of the biggest names in American Auto Racing appeared at Hughesville. The field often included Indianapolis 500 veterans. Among the biggest were Ted Horn, Tommy Hinnershitz, Jimmy Bryan, Johnny Parsons, Le Wallard, and Joie Chitwood." - wikipedia article on the Lycoming County Fairgrounds
The Lewisburg Journal
Aug 29 1946
1946 Advertisement
Tommy Hinnershitz also raced at Hughesville.
From A Pictoral History Of Dirt Track Auto Racing
The Montandon Speedway
1947 -
Located off 45 in Montandon, "In a Swamp"
The Montandon track was 1/4 mile dirt oval that ran jalopies on Sundays. Montandon's sister track, Indian Park in Montoursville, ran on alternating Sundays. Johnny Crawford raced in Montandon. Not much of the track exists today, but a few fence posts with steel cables and some slight banking in turn 1 remains.
One article states that it was located behind Jim's auto sales [today Dollar General] , and that the fence posts can still be seen.
Another researcher posted these directions" Although now covered in growth, the track is still there. I have been told by people that have gone in there, it is also a swamp-like area.
To find Montandon Speedway, go east on Route 45 - Market Street - through Lewisburg. Cross the river bridge and enter the hamlet of Montandon. Travel a mile to the railroad crossing. The speedway is a third-mile north of Route 45, just west of the railroad. There is a small pond on the north end of the track."
The Sunbury Daily Item
June 18 1949
Researcher Steve Williams added, in a facebook post:
"Some of the stories I've heard are about the local junkyard owner that showed up every week with a new creation. The track held a raffle with a ham being the prize. Surprisingly the wife of the guy running the raffle won.
Years after it closed the nephew of the owner and a few local hot rods took some hot laps. When she found out she put a quick end to it..Johnny Crawford also raced there.
There was also Silver Sands, a kart track and the Milton Motorcycle Club oval dirt track nearby. I've also been told about another kart track, possibly under Route 147."
The Sunbury Daily Item
July 12, 1948
An article about Bob Bussey Jr's racing career notes that he raced a go-kart on the track in Montandon in the 1980s.
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Where The Jalopies Ran
According to a 1955 article in the Sunbury Daily Item,
"Jalopies are limited to American Passenger Cars with Motors, Bodies and Chassis from 1932 to 1948"
Race tracks popped up across the country after WWI. Veterans came home with money in their pockets and a need for excitement. In The History of America's Speedways Past and Present, Alan E. Brown lists 47 Ovals, 50 Drag Strips, 19 Road Courses, & 24 Figure Eight tracks that have existed in PA. Here are some that once were in out area:- Beaver Springs - still in operation
- Elimsport - Green Pine Drag Race Strip
- Hughesville - At the Lycoming County Fairgrounds
- Kreamer 522 Drag O'Way - 1/8 mile strip on sportsmans drive
- Lewisburg - At the Current Day Farmers Market. Pieces of the foundation of the grandstand can still be found in the weeds along bull run, and the contour of the third turn can be seen to the north near the baseball field.
- Mazeppa - Jack Watts Jalopy Track
- McClure - Possibly a 1x race, at the Bean Soup Supper in 1940
- Milton - Along 405, where the golf driving range is for the Blue Tee today
- Montoursville, in Indian Park
- Montandon Speedway - Located off 54 "in a swamp".
- Montgomery - Snyders Park, now a corn field along the river
- Montoursville
- Muncy Speedway AKA Warrior Run Speedway (in Delaware Twp, outside of Turbotville)
- Numedia (Catawissa - still running today)
- Selinsgrove Speedway (Still running today)
- Williams Grove Speedway (off 15 towards Harrisburg)
- Williamsport -
The Daily Item
May 18 2012
The Sunbury Daily Item
Oct. 21 1955
Oct. 21 1955
This ad ran in the Sunbury Daily Item
October 18 1941
July 7 1952
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