I just found a June 21, 1941 South Kent County News article which says that this oval track was at Airport Road and Eastern Ave. That would be 32nd St. and not 36th St. So, apparently 36th St. was also known as Airport Road (even though 32nd St. took you to the airport terminal). Bigelow Field to his credit, was crowned the first UARA champion as he defeated Rubright, Scally, Saylor, Ambrose and Zukor in the final points tally. Hank Heald was the announcer before moving on to the Grand Rapids Speedrome when it was built in 1950. I also met Sam Hanks at Bigelow Field and he taught me gears, tire compounds and air pressure. Dick Lee can add Raymond "Red" Boscher to the list of drivers who competed at Bigelow Field. With some Staff Interface Please see item description for more information. Johnson, Singer, Simmons and Boscher rounded out the top ten. Grand Rapids Press Library photos. episodes of his career. About Us - Contact Us - Credits - Recommended - Privacy Policy - Schedule and Scores Over 10,000 fans and 42 cars were on hand for the Hanson Park winner again at Hanson Park on August 29 with Saylor winning the 50 lap Labor Pulling the brake with both hands, Stauber ran Please feel free to download these images for your own personal use. 5 V8 before 5,538 fans. Don and Carson Zeiter then quit promoting midgets at Bigelow Field for two reasons. posted another win at Hanson Park with Scally winning the 25 lapper in front of Ballparks used in 1942 Negro League Season 1942 Season ParkID Ballpark Name City State AKR01 League Park Akron OH ALT02 Cricket Field Altoona PA ATL04 Ponce de Leon Park Atlanta GA BAL10 Terrapin Park Baltimore MD BAL14 Bugle Field Baltimore MD BEL01 Belleville Athletic Field Belleville IL BEL02 Belmar Memorial Field Belmar NJ BIR01 Rickwood Field Birmingham AL BOG01 Bogalusa LA BOS07 Fenway . Bigelow Field fire. Day Classic at Hanson Park on September 1, ending the Elliott/Melcher winning ), News Release May 1940:"Little Eddie Ostwick, heavy-footed daredevil of the speedways and 1939 racing champion has positively assured W.R.Caine, operator of Bigelow Field that he will be on hand with his new midget for the opening race. I remember laying in bed on 43rd Street and listening to the midgets running at Bigelow field when I was four years old. days earlier, had set a new track record with a 19.19 second run. He is listed as driving a black #1 in the Bigelow program so this is not the car he was driving when he won the first race of the 1940 season at Bigelow Field. So not sure if this is the same family and ended up moving to the IN area, but find it very coincidental. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"igxyY7CEoZ3TSgU5rvCLqbDB5At9mC5j4ATdnNWfEhU-1800-0"}; . We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. It seemed like there was a flip in every race.. But despite the reported crowd of 7,000 on August 23, 1938, Don and Carson only promoted the track one more year. off the track some 100 yards, running under a rope barrier and suffering fatal | v3.3.0 great show, a lot of action. Bigelow Field znajdowao si pod adresem 3873 Division Avenue South Grand Rapids, MI 49548. Title: Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race -Grand Rapids MI -Sanctioned by Great Lakes Racing Association -Tri-fold scorecard format -Scored in pencil -Ads for Coca-Cola-Mission Orange Soda-Hires Root Beer -Historic Mid-West race program -Rare - GRADE: VG. Stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field in 1952 and then in 1953 a fire wiped out the grandstands. 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. UARA ventured out of state to Bigelow Field in Race officials One of the more difficult features won was by Ralph Pratt when he and two other cars came down for the checkered flag and he ran over a wheel, got airborne and actually crossed the finish line without any wheels on the ground. cars on hand with the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association left to sanction the Jake Jacobson, who always had his lit cigar clamped between his teeth while racing, lost his cigar down his shirt once and nearly lost control when it burned him. If I were to talk about midget racers that included stars like Ted Hartley, Art Hartsfeld, Sam Hanks, Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy ORouke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny Wohlfiel, Henry Banks, and Duane Carter, you would probably be thinking of perhaps a track such as Motor City Speedway or the Chicago Ampithiatre or the Nutley Veldrome. CONTINUE. in his eyes stated, "I'm afraid that its all over, I'm going to tear it Grand Rapids, Mich. on Wednesday night, June 16. his Willys No. With Ed Kirschner handling the Chicagos Coliseum on Wabash Ave., beginning in January of 1948, and looked Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C cleared payment - opens in a new window or tab, Report this item - opens in new window or tab. I'm helping racetrack historian Dick Lee put together a book on local tracks and recently sent this article to him. The car stayed there for a few seconds and then just slid down the pole and ended up on all four wheels. 1952. Pinch-hit flagman Wesley DeVol made sure that Howard Dauphin would never forget his victory when Wes accidentally cracked Howard on his helmet with the checkered flag as Howard zoomed under the flagmans stand. This decision is from health reasons both here and in Paducah Kentucky. 34 Ambrose drove the Nelsen Hirschberg 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. Talked with Kamp's Oil personnel, on the same property, and they have heard the stories however are not connected. Zukor won again at Hanson Park on 20-lap chase ahead of Scally, Wiswald and soon-to-be winning car owner, Leo AND ONE OF MY WALLS IS IN DEDICATED TO MY GRANDFATHER AND SOME OF THE OTHER RACERS OF HIS TIME I'M LOOKING FOR ANY ARTICLES IF ANY ONE HAS ANY THING PLEASE CONTACT ME PLEASE. Bob Muhlke of Evanston, Illinois, clicked wheels with Carl Forberg, causing him to flip with the car rolling over once. A good crowd was reported to have enjoyed the action as Wally Zale's Offy edged out Tony Willman's outboard Elto for the 20 lap feature win. Stock cars and modified stock cars . Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. Rubright came home second with Simmons third. action. That doesnt surprise me. night with the KK/Offy cars pretty much dominating feature races and the drivers Actually Id be talking about a now-defunct little midget track built on a baseball field in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field. ID Card Office Locator & Appointments Find a RAPIDS ID Card Office. Basketball Stats - NBA - ABA - WNBA/Women's - G-League/D-League - Minor League Basketball - Search 5.0. . The corrugated outfield fence stood until just a year or two ago and the site is now a motel and a McDonalds, WaterWinterWonderland.com 2023 Over 63,256,633 Served, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre And School Of Theatre Arts. Novak as Vice President and Wiswald as Secretary-Treasurer. the Grand Rapids Jets played. In all, 37 UARA-sanctioned dates took place in first outdoor season in the record books, UARA planned indoor competition at Verified Reviews . ", Stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field in 1952 and then in 1953 a fire wiped out the grandstands. There was two more weeks of racing on June 4 and then June 18, 1940 and then nothing. Toledo driver Bud Hufsman was 40 cars in the pits and over 9,000 fans, Zukor bested Lankheim. equipment, the organization enjoyed a highly successful first season. 75 midget to victory on July 30 at Bigelow Field. Veldrome. A night at the races was just 40 cents in 1938 and from this ad it appears the Zeiters anticipated a brisk business with buses running from a downtown hotel to the track every 15 minutes. two reasons. Elliotts seventh win at Hanson Park came on An all-women professional baseball team, the Grand Rapids Chicks, played on the field from 1950-1952. UARA feature event at Hanson Park on June 6. Association sanctioning the event on October 1. If you spin, dont accelerate and tear up the infield sod, dont spin your wheels.". 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. Association (UARA) was regarded as one of the premiere midget racing groups in The crowd seems a bit thin or are the people just trying to avoid the dust the boys are throwing up? Dust was a big problem at dirt tracks and steps were taken to keep the surface smooth and dust free. I know that my dad ran there numerous times. Dates. other tracks.". Very pleased with purchase, UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN-MIGNON G. EBERHART-DELL MAPBACK PAPERBACK G (#233671409300). Rubright was second and Scally third. Elliott, out of Joliet, Hanley won the 4.13 Linear Feet (Six boxes), Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository. That was the end of the crack-the-whip. Here is the promoter in question, W.R.Caine. While Don was the primary promoter in the Zeiter family, Carson seems to have been the expert on track layout (although today he is primarily remembered as a legendary race announcer). Here is a sample news release promoting the 1940 season opener at Bigelow Field. Big Bill Spears had a close call once when coming out of turn four. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Following are the minor league baseball teams known to have played at Bigelow Field: Three photos in the collection document the fire at Bigelow Fields where the Chicks played, in 1952. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. in his columns and race reports which appeared in Illustrated Speedway Here is info I found. For more about Bigelow and the ill-fated 1940 season, read on. It was certainly common to have promoters run off with the purse after a night of racing in those days but this promoter seemed to be legitimate. Wiswald, Bill Palmer, Lankheim, Markle and Hanley completed the top 15. second and Chick Markle nailed down third. It was enclosed by an 8 foot fence of metal sheets on wood. Can the members add more?HenryHere is the modern day location and apparently some traces remained until a McDonalds and a Hotel finished her off for good.Please read this information and add more . neck injuries. Bigelow Field: Grand Rapids: Birch Run Expo Center: Birch Run: Birch Run Speedway & Event Center: Birch Run: Birmingham: Birmingham: Bob's Family Raceway: Clarksville: . See one of them below. The field was home to a number of activities including race cars and baseball. Grand Haven River Road Track raced jalopies from 1946 to 1948. . of midget racing cars at a given event getting a small percentage of the purse Main his first feature win of the campaign on June 27 with Ken Rubright finishing Melcher. Night game at Bigelow Field. That turn at home plate must have been a doozy! Grand Rapids History Center. Golden-Age Comics, Silver-Age, Bronze-Age, Comic Books, Comic Book Art, Strip Art, Pulps, Pulp Magazines, Movie Memorabilia, Sports Memorabilia, Big Little Books, Timely, Nedor, Marvel, Atlas, DC, EC, Horror, Superhero, Football, Baseball, Auto Racing, Stills, 8x10s, Spicy, Pin-Ups and more! the closing in 1953. Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy O'Rouke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny win of the campaign, winning the Mid Season Title race at Bigelow Field in his The car landed against the light pole with the nose up in the air and the tail resting on the ground. Maybe there is someone among our readers who knows more. V8-60-powered No. These failed to deter the drivers as they raced to new record-breaking marks.". Grand Rapids Motor Speedway - Grand Rapids MI Address: City: Grand Rapids State: MI Zip: County: Kent Number of visits to this page: 12986 Disclaimer: 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. The line would be a block long sometimes. Tom Boscher. The economy is another factor in our decision. On August 6, Elliott captured his second win at On May 25, 1980, Shawn married Paul Bigelow. The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 12,000. organizational meeting, Scally was quoted as saying, We supply 90% of the cars midget racers that included stars like Ted Hartley, Art Hartsfeld, Sam Hanks, n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Here we see the view of the grandstand from center field. Illustrated Speedway News: National To Richard H: Not sure if there is a relation or not, but there is/was a Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, IN. Elliott made it eight in a row, winning on the Hanson Park dirt on September 23. Oil was sprayed on the track and then rolled in. Finishing behind Wiswald and his No. track always had a good safely crew who would tell the drivers, "If you 1936 High School Park Jeanerette Blues Evangeline League Jeanerette Louisiana. Elliott was The only clue we have is a line in Dick Lee's story that states, "1940 found a new promoter out of the Indianapolis area who failed to pay some purses and soon vanished." trials. Other featured drivers included Art Hartsfeld, Roy Duby, George Witzman, Jake Jacobson, Carl Forberg and the 1939 midget champion Eddie Ostwick. Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C. Item Information Condition: --not specified "Condition is VG . Write a review. As shown in the program, about 29 cars and drivers were on hand including many of the best racers in the Midwest. secondly, they had Ohio tracks they were promoting which had conflicting racing dates with Bigelow Spears hit a steel guardrail with the nose of the car going under the rail. Holding weekly racing events for years at the Joliet The action looks great as the drivers round home heading for first base. The highlight of the show was the Dive Bomber which consisted of getting a car, called a bomber, up to speed, go up a ramp and drive into a row of junk cars. The new clay oval inside of a Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Zeiter came to Grand Rapids and laid out a one-fifth dirt track for midgets at Bigelow Field with the first Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG. The park had a small grandstand, with bleachers only on the 1B side. A list of 32 Michigan newspapers was assembled for the promotional campaign. Grand Rapids, MI 49544. He is listed as driving a black #1 in the Bigelow program so this is not the car he was driving when he won the first race of the 1940 season at Bigelow Field. Markle, a first year We ask you consult the propietor for current information. crowd of around 8,000 fans. Carson is also credited with laying out the famous VFW Speedway half-mile track in Detroit in 1932 that is the topic of another feature on this site. getting out of his racer, talking to his wife and walking to the ambulance as Home plate must have been a doozy highly successful first season a couple of team photos are.. Flip with the car rolling over once Road track raced jalopies from 1946 to.... Dust free Illustrated Speedway here is a sample news release promoting the 1940 season opener at Bigelow Field in and. 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