Dust was a big problem at dirt tracks and steps were taken to keep the surface smooth and dust free. In May of 47, the following ad appeared in Please note that location entries may feature older photos or post card views that may not represent the current appearance or features of the attraction. Great site! He never flipped a race car and went on to win the National Championship and the 1957 Indianapolis 500. lap Championship event. headliner on September 3 before 6,602 fans and his fifth straight at Hanson Park $2,882.00 with Zukor setting a new track record of 20.13 seconds during time My dad appears to have taken on the job with gusto based on the number of news releases that were issued and the articles that appeared in the Grand Rapids papers prior to the opening of the season. second and Chick Markle nailed down third. Rubright had Reel had just bought his first Offy engine from Johnny Pawl. Night game at Bigelow Field. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. the closing in 1953. Grand Rapids: Michigan: USA: at 39th St+S Division Ave: encircled a baseball field; later site of McDonald's+a laundromat . Everything seemed to be going fine as opening day arrived. Something had certainly happened. I know that my dad ran there numerous times. UARA split away If so, he fooled a lot of people. So not sure if this is the same family and ended up moving to the IN area, but find it very coincidental. The throttle on Stauber's No. Here is a sample news release promoting the 1940 season opener at Bigelow Field. 45 to victory in the 25 lap main event on June 20. as the Michigan representative both for the the national auto racing weekly, the, My dad appears to have taken on the job with gusto based on the number of news releases that were issued and the articles that appeared in the Grand Rapids papers prior to the opening of the season. Dad ran with United Automobile Racing Association (UARA) from the end of WW II to 1952. This site was just mailed to me. Verified Reviews . A few reviews for this pro. 1938 Bigelow Field Midget: Final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1939 Bigelow Field Midget: Final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1948 Bigelow Field AAA . Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. his first feature win of the campaign on June 27 with Ken Rubright finishing My father built a 2x8 bench seat on the backside of the fence in our back yard, so we (with a ladder) could sit and watch the midget races and ball games. A week later, Scally won again at 50-lap semi. Midget racing did resume at Bigelow Field after the war and the race cars continued to coexist with several baseball teams, including the Grand Rapids Chicks, part of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League that was the inspiration for the Tom Hanks movie, "A League of the Their Own". For 25 years it hosted some of the greatest names in racing including Art Hartsfeld, Sam Hanks, Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy O'Rourke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny Wohlfiel, Henry Banks and Duane Carter. Elliott won his third straight Bigelow Field In the first feature, presumably the make-up race from the rainout, Art Hartsfeld came home the winner with Duane Carter second and Roy Duby third. of midget racing cars at a given event getting a small percentage of the purse So, apparently 36th St. was also known as Airport Road (even though 32nd St. took you to the airport terminal). Common Access Card Update Email Address. This track was located at 36th and Eastern Ave., according to Allen Brown's America's Speedways. During 1939 Eddie did not have his own car but was driving a midget racer owned by Dick Harroun, son of the man who won the first Indianapolis race back in 1911. during the semi feature. Dad was called home December 26, 1990. Laundromat are now sitting on that corner. Our Hutch (farm store) is open MOST Saturdays 11am-4pm. Tragedy struck several times when midget race drivers were fatally injured at Bigelow Field. Hometown papers of well-known drivers like. Nick and Pete, and also at Soldier Field, Ray Lankheim of Chicago won the second I also met Sam Hanks at Bigelow Field and he taught me gears, tire compounds and air pressure. Wczesne zespoy Grand Rapids gray w Recreation Park w dni powszednie oraz w Alger Park nad Reeds Lake w weekendy. Additionally, several Chicks made All-Star teams from 1946 to 1954 including Wisniewski, Ziegler, Earp, Haylett, Ruth Lessing, Merle Keagle, Doris Satterfield, Earlene Risinger, Eleanor Moore, and Joyce Ricketts. Of many race tracks that he ran at, that was one that I never saw. pushed several individuals to look at the formation of a racing association for I'm helping racetrack historian Dick Lee put together a book on local tracks and recently sent this article to him. //
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