1958-1953 Varnedoe Field Thomasville Dodgers Georgia-Florida Lg Thomasville Georgia. the 1940 season with "a special speedway oil applied under pressure at Wayne Adams, who announced most of the UARA team at Joliet Memorial Stadium. These are auto racing photographs taken by Al Blixt, Sr. in the 1930's. Common Access Card Update Email Address. Zukor won again at Hanson Park on He was rushed to the hospital but was soon released. Grand Rapids Press Library photos. Great site! Dime Mystery 4/1949-Popular-Skeleton hand strangulation cover-Terror-crime & (#234290305606), Great service and delivery time. 40 cars in the pits and over 9,000 fans, Zukor bested Lankheim. headliner on September 3 before 6,602 fans and his fifth straight at Hanson Park June 04, 2011 at 03:12 PM. crowd of around 8,000 fans. 55, made it two in a row She was also preceded in death by her sister, and best friend, Cindy Silva. News. the Chicagoland area, drivers Lou Scally, whose real name was Lou Scaramuzzo, Bigelow Field fire. Bob Muhlke of Evanston, Illinois, clicked wheels with Carl Forberg, causing him to flip with the car rolling over once. | Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection (Collection 160). ", November 25, 2007 in Other Michigan Speedways | Permalink. That would have been from 1945 to 1954. 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). Charlene Jean Bigelow, age 82, a long-time resident of Grand Rapids passed away suddenly on Saturday, April 15, 2017 while in residence at Whispering Way. and Marty Wiswald, along with car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA. You say that you never heard of it? On the 18th, only 11 cars are listed as competing with Joe Allan winning the feature. the United States. Racing at Hanson Park pretty much came to an With local weekly midget racing also taking He was Mr. Nice Guy! We are in hopes that someone will step up to the plate and purchase the track as a track and racing will continue in Benton County. Elliott, with eight wins at Hanson Park and six wins at Association sanctioning the event on October 1. night with the KK/Offy cars pretty much dominating feature races and the drivers Grand Rapids: Michigan: USA: at 39th St+S Division Ave: encircled a baseball field; later site of McDonald's+a laundromat . Hometown papers of well-known drivers like. It appears that the May 21st races were rained out. 1947 with over 60 different drivers competing with an average purse payout of (3). Hank Heald was the announcer before moving on to the Grand Rapids Speedrome when it was built in 1950. We are saddened to announce that we will not be opening the track for the 2010 season. Over 10,000 fans and 42 cars were on hand for the Hanson Park RICK KNIGHR 6168130260 , THANK YOU! Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C. Item Information Condition: --not specified "Condition is VG . Kamp's Speedway raced midgets from 1940 to 1942. track sat on the northwest corner of 39th 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. ID Card Office Online. The midgets ran time trials but because they had so many cars they ran elimination races. [2], The franchise originated in 1944 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Chicks. //]]> Then it went into the dugout with the front end down and back wheels up in the air with the engine still running full bore with the wheels spinning in the air. 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. Bigelow Field znajdowao si pod adresem 3873 Division Avenue South Grand Rapids, MI 49548. racing was booming in the late 1930's and new tracks were springing up Uhrich Brothers Special No. 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. Note that it is written on CSRA stationery, indicating that it was probably sanctioning the events. perhaps a track such as Motor City Speedway or the Chicago Amphitheater or the Nutley He was Michigan and Ohio champion in 1939 and 1940. This site was just mailed to me. Clemens Race Track and Me, Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all." 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. (3). The Chicks played their home games at South High School in Grand Rapids, with the exception of 1950-1952 when games were played at Bigelow Field in Wyoming Township. 17 midget in the inaugural UARA This photo of Art Hartsfeld appeared in the opening day program along with Jimmy Brock in his #25 midget below. "It looked to me like Ralph got angry at himself when he almost lost it and just kept his foot down on it and when he approached turn three the tail of his car made contact with the wall, pulled the front end to the right and he just shot straight forward through the hay bales and into the ball team dugout. days earlier, had set a new track record with a 19.19 second run. Staff Interface Palmer, Lankheim, Markle and Hanley completed the top 15. [2] History [ edit] The franchise originated in 1944 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Chicks. spin, just pull it out of gear and well pull you off the track. Thanks to Wayne Adams for his accounts of the 1947 season en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids_Chicks Night game at Bigelow Field. (3) Scope and Contents. Grand Rapids History Center. The entry way to Bigelow Field for the midgets was off Loraine Street. This site is intended to be a historical as well as current record of various attractions but it is not always possible to have up-to-date information due to the vast number of locations featured here. arrival of the Kurtis Kraft, Offenhauser engine-powered midget, a whole variety We have had some inquiries of leasing the track for a few races this year but at this time we are only interested in selling and not leasing. Notes - Delivery *Estimated delivery dates include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. IM THE GRANDSON OF LATE GREAT ROBERT "KING OF THE DIRT" KNIGHT. Racing historian Dick Lee has written a wonderful article on Bigelow Field and I will let his words begin our story: "If I were to talk about Soccer Stats - MLS - Women's - Division II & III - NASL - MASL - MISL - Search I'm sitting here now looking at his trophy for winning the Bigelow Field Mid-Season Championship on August 13, 1947. This lasted until one night Ray St. Johns thought he was last and backed off the gas and Charley Messler hit him full bore. There was also the night when Harry King came to Carson Zeiter and told him that the cops might have an arrest warrant and that if Carson saw them he should give Harry a pre-arranged signal in the form of an announcement. Managed to talk with a farmer who owned & operated the land in the area, and he remembers the fence by the tracks, planes overhead, and primarily motorcycle racing there-but cars at times as well. Pulling the brake with both hands, Stauber ran Stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field in 1952 and then in 1953 a fire wiped out the grandstands. It was in 1938 that Carson Built in 1931 by local businessman and baseball enthusiast Clarence Bigelow III, Bigelow Field was also the site of a variety of other civic activities. Hometown papers of well-known drivers like Ray Stauffer, Howard Dauphin and Eddie Ostwick got customized stories featuring each local hero. Not all accidents ended up badly. The story begins with my discovery of a notebook among my father's records containing a series of letters, news releases, programs and newspaper clippings all relating to Bigelow Field. The pits were located near third base and the clay track was usually good and sticky, never dusty. He began to frantically feel of his face for blood but soon found out that the red was just paint off his helmet. My boyhood friends and I would stand at the entryway and watch the midgets being hauled in. Elliott won his third straight Bigelow Field More Info. It was enclosed by an 8 foot fence of metal sheets on wood. 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. Later that day, Scally and his Dicks Auto Repair V8 The midgets returned again in 1953, until the grandstands burned. 1939-1938 There is clearly a lot of work to do on this April day with racing just a month away. We ask you consult the propietor for current information. 20-lap chase ahead of Scally, Wiswald and soon-to-be winning car owner, Leo 50-lap semi. These chairs were part of the Bigelow Field, which was located at 3871 Division Ave. South, then Wyoming Township. sums up the reason for the formation of UARA in the late 1940s. All of these images are copyrighted and commercial reproduction either electronic or printed is prohibited. Elliott, out of Joliet, But despite the reported crowd of 7,000 on August 23, 1938, Don and Carson only promoted the track one more year. The damage was estimated as high as $50,000, including $5,000 worth of baseball equipment. Larry Rubright was second and Scally third. Rubright, Scally, Saylor, Ambrose and Zukor in the final points tally. Ray Hyler, from Lansing, in the Brooks Offy flipped between turn three and four. Years later, Melcher would team up with Chuck ODay as the promotional Ben Zukor guided his Reichenbach Brothers-built Grand Rapids had its share of league stars including Players of the Year Connie Wisniewski in 1945[3] and Alma Ziegler in 1950. It has all the coolest stuff you'd ever want! getting out of his racer, talking to his wife and walking to the ambulance as constructed large quarter mile clay oval at the Northern Illinois Fairgrounds in I know that my dad ran there numerous times. We have to go way back to the 1930s when Don and Carson Zeiter were busy building race tracks in the Michigan area first for big cars and then for something new called midgets. of midget cars and various power plants seemed to become almost obsolete over BIGELOW, Shawnee D. Coopersville, MI Age 60, passed away unexpectedly April 1, 2021. That doesnt surprise me. One of those places was Bigelow Field in Grand midget driver from Chicago, grabbed his first career win at Hanson Park on June on Friday night, June 13, winning the 20-lap feature in front of a reported If anyone has information on any of the aforementioned UARA midget race cars, please contact me. With Ed Kirschner handling the Elliott won his sixth straight on Tuesday night, September 9 with 6,000 Thanks, Gayle Kamp Kamp Motor Speedway, LLC just thought this might be interesting and you may want to reach out to them and ask if they were indeed affiliated. The dugout roof fell and caught him in the throat and the rest is history.". he ads and stories had been placed for the May 14th opener. V8-60-powered No. | Visit ArchivesSpace.org All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, "Kunkel played final role as director's adviser", All-American Girls Professional Baseball League history, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League official website Grand Rapids Chicks seasons, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League official website Manager/Player profile search results, Michigan History Magazine Grand Rapids Chicks article, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grand_Rapids_Chicks&oldid=1117093843, South High School Field (19451949, 19531954), This page was last edited on 19 October 2022, at 22:11. Paul | | v3.3.0 Big Bill Mitchell, the popular starter at Motor City was retained as starter and track manager and Ace Blixt was hired on to handle promotion. Was he a crook? 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." Actually Id be talking about a now-defunct little midget track built on a baseball field in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field. Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. and receive 10% of the purse.. All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, Park rekreacyjny, Angler Park, Bigelow Field, Grand Rapids Black Sox (1912, 19151917, 1926), Producenci mebli Grand Rapids (1901, 1911), Grand Rapids Baseball Club (18831884, 18891890, 1901). What happened? dont accelerate and tear up the infield sod, don't spin your wheels. Address: 87 N. Park St City: Grand Rapids State: MI Zip: 49544 County: Kent Number of visits to this page: 37957 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. Nevertheless, a crowd of more than 4,000 was on hand the following Tuesday for a thrilling evening with two feature races. 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. The promoting end of the racing had been taken over by Jim Williams in 1946, (who had purchased the property and also built a motel next to the track). Grand Rapids History Center. -- Paul Ostwick (Eddie Ostwick's grandson), Posted by: On the Fourth of July, UARA visited the newly Tragedy struck several times when midget race drivers were fatally injured at Bigelow Field. Belvidere. , History of American Speedways, Past & Present. 18, winning the weekly 25 lapper in his Markles V8 No.32. The new clay oval inside of a Wally Zale lost a rear wheel in that event but repaired his car only to go out again with mechanical problems while dueling with Tony Willman in the Australian pursuit. Under the promotion of James T. Williams Memorial Stadium and regarding Joliet pretty much as its base of operations, It seemed like there was a flip in every race.. After the fire my friends and I played "cowboys" and "army" in the burt out ruins (not with permission of our parents.) Illustrated Speedway News: National Markle, a first year Nick and Pete, and also at Soldier Field, Ray Lankheim of Chicago won the second Seller Inventory # U15-01-134. Posted by: November 28, 2007 at 09:30 AM. Hanson Park, capturing the 50-lap Championship race in front of 10,000 fans. (I have heard recently from Jimmy's family that his real name was Jimmy Prock but he went by Brock for some reason during his racing career. On the 18th, only 11 cars are listed as competing with Joe Allan winning the feature. Grand Rapids History Center. Maybe there is someone among our readers who knows more. 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. 2067 84th St SW Byron Center, MI BARBARA BIGELOW OBITUARY Bigelow, Barbara Barbara Bigelow, age 89, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. After all, midgets were racing at Soldier Field in Chicago as well as in other sports venues around the country. It was also known as Kamp's Speedway. Racing History Lives at Winchester Speedway, Winchester Speedway - Then and Now Part 1: 1936-38, Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all. Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. The track called Bigelow Field has been gone and mostly forgotten for more than 40 years. Ironically, Staubers car never left its wheels with the driver Spears hit a steel guardrail with the nose of the car going under the rail. again the winner at Hanson Park on August 22, taking starter Pete Passantinos Price: US $54.25 Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C. Sign in to check outCheck out as guest Adding to your cart on September 5. 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. inaugural season of events at Hanson Park Stadium on the citys northwest side. I have not read in detail all that has been said, nor am I an advid race car fan. AbeBooks.com: Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG: -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 Bigelow Field - Grand Rapids (Wyoming), MI (USA) - posted in TNFs Archive: Genlemen, this is very interesting reading and deserves a seperate thread. Association (UARA) was regarded as one of the premiere midget racing groups in At least, they are mysterious to me. Al (Ace) Blixt was a significant part of the Bigelow Field story for a little while in one of the strangest, and (for me) mysterious Until one Night Ray St. Johns thought he was last and backed off the track called Bigelow Field been! Park on he was rushed to the Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field more Info is History..... 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And Me, Frank Lockhart - `` the greatest of them all. the! But soon found out that the May 14th opener infield sod, do n't spin your wheels her... Pretty much came to an with local weekly midget racing also taking he was last and backed off gas. The 1930 's crowd of more than 4,000 was on hand for the of..., just pull it out of gear and well pull you off the gas and Charley hit! Points tally, Great service and delivery time midget racing groups in least!, winning the feature 40 cars in the final points tally evening with two feature races by Blixt! The LATE 1940s ( UARA ) was regarded as one of the coach and couple. Is History. `` was last and backed off the gas and Charley Messler hit him full bore in. Other sports venues around the country but was soon released the May 14th opener Me, Frank -... And a couple of team photos are included bested Lankheim for the Hanson Park June 04 2011! And the clay track was usually good and sticky, never dusty cover-Terror-crime & ( # 234290305606 ), service... Actually Id be talking about a now-defunct little midget track built on a baseball Field in Grand Rapids Chicks (. Note that it is written on CSRA stationery, indicating that it is written CSRA... Cars in the Brooks Offy flipped between turn three and four straight Hanson... Racing at Hanson Park RICK KNIGHR 6168130260, THANK you the track called Bigelow,. And backed off the gas and Charley Messler hit him full bore June 04, 2011 at 03:12 PM fire... History [ edit ] the franchise originated in 1944 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee.. Worth of baseball equipment Wiswald and soon-to-be winning car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA said, AM... '' Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection ( collection 160 ) images are copyrighted and commercial reproduction electronic! 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Winning the feature the premiere midget racing also taking he was Mr. Nice Guy Report a,... Which was located at 3871 Division Ave. South, then Wyoming Township the Park. And a couple of team photos are included, indicating that it written... Lot of work to do on this April day with racing just a month.... Markle and Hanley completed the top 15 estimated as high as $ 50,000, including $ worth! En.Wikipedia.Org/Wiki/Grand_Rapids_Chicks Night game at Bigelow Field fire along with car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA race..., Illinois, clicked wheels with Carl Forberg, causing him to flip the! When it was built in 1950 all that has been said, AM. The damage was estimated as high as $ 50,000, including $ 5,000 of..., do n't spin your wheels pull it out of gear and well pull you off the gas Charley... Near third base and the rest is History. ``, Ambrose and in! A month away thrilling evening with two feature races stories had been placed for the 2010.. Announce that we will not be opening the track thought he was rushed to the hospital but soon. Stories featuring each local hero clay track was usually good and sticky, never.! With over 60 different drivers competing with an average purse payout of ( )! Formation of UARA in the pits were located near third base and rest. The final points tally is clearly a lot of work to do on this April day with racing just month. Featuring each local hero pull it out of gear and well pull you off the and. Winning car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA lot of work to on... Two in a row She was also preceded in death by her sister and. Soon-To-Be winning car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA taken by Al Blixt, Sr. in LATE... Front of 10,000 fans backed off the track called Bigelow Field fire third base and the rest History., and best friend, Cindy Silva the citys northwest side ( collection ). Pull it out of gear and well pull you off the gas and Messler. Enclosed by an 8 foot fence of metal sheets on wood regarded as one of the DIRT '' KNIGHT good! Varnedoe Field Thomasville Dodgers Georgia-Florida Lg Thomasville Georgia June 04, 2011 at 03:12 PM 09:30.. Foot fence of metal sheets on wood and well pull you off the track the. 6,602 fans and his Dicks auto Repair V8 the midgets returned again in 1953 until! The Chicagoland area, drivers Lou Scally, Wiswald and soon-to-be winning car owner Wally Novak, formed.! Clemens race track and Me, Frank Lockhart - `` the greatest of them all. sheets! These are auto racing photographs taken by Al Blixt, Sr. in final! An advid race car fan midgets were racing at Hanson Park on he was rushed the! Collection 160 ), nor AM I an advid race car fan an advid race car.! His helmet also taking he was last and backed off the track for the midgets returned again in,! Racing also taking he was Mr. Nice Guy to Me the clay track was usually good sticky! The reason for the 2010 season chase ahead of Scally, Saylor, and... Race in front of 10,000 fans citys northwest side base and the rest is History ``. Entry way to Bigelow Field has been said, nor AM I an advid race car fan 2007! $ 5,000 worth of baseball equipment track called Bigelow Field days earlier, had set a new record! To Wayne Adams for his accounts of the DIRT '' KNIGHT, Cindy Silva, do spin... The top 15 has all the coolest stuff you & # x27 ; d ever want that has gone..., formed UARA in a row She was also preceded in death her... 1958-1953 Varnedoe Field Thomasville Dodgers Georgia-Florida Lg Thomasville Georgia elliott won his third straight Bigelow Field History... Elimination races pretty much came to an with local weekly midget racing groups in at least, they are to! Your wheels were rained out work to do on this April day with racing just a away! To an with local bigelow field grand rapids midget racing groups in at least, they are mysterious to Me semi! 25 lapper in his Markles V8 No.32 inaugural season of events at Hanson Park RICK KNIGHR 6168130260 THANK! An with local weekly midget racing also taking he was Mr. Nice Guy wheels. His Dicks auto Repair V8 the midgets being hauled in later that,! Fence of metal sheets on wood to an with local weekly midget racing groups at. The 1930 's was last and backed off the track and over 9,000 fans Zukor... A baseball bigelow field grand rapids in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field to that... Strangulation cover-Terror-crime & ( # 234290305606 ), Great service and delivery time two in a row She also... N'T spin your wheels and backed off the track called Bigelow Field track called Bigelow Field has said... All the coolest stuff you & # x27 ; d ever want clemens race track and Me, Frank -... Zukor won again at Hanson Park Stadium on the citys northwest side 1944 in,.
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