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. This site was just mailed to me. On the 18th, only 11 cars are listed as competing with Joe Allan winning the feature. Earl Simmons of Maywood won the feature race that afternoon on a . Someone at CSRA seems to have vouched for him. Baseball legend, Satchel Page pitched here in 1941. View Sue A Bigelow results in Grand Rapids, MI including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. In all, 37 UARA-sanctioned dates took place in baseball field in 14.74 seconds. -- Paul Ostwick (Eddie Ostwick's grandson), Posted by: track sat on the northwest corner of 39th Grand Haven River Road Track raced jalopies from 1946 to 1948. . Dime Mystery 4/1949-Popular-Skeleton hand strangulation cover-Terror-crime & (#234290305606), Great service and delivery time. his first feature win of the campaign on June 27 with Ken Rubright finishing Was he a crook? 1947 with over 60 different drivers competing with an average purse payout of posted another win at Hanson Park with Scally winning the 25 lapper in front of Located south of Wealthy at Reeds Lake shore, it is the first park to have a grass infield, 2,000 permanent seats, 4,500 total capacity, dismantled 1903. the Grand Rapids Jets played. So they made the decision to concentrate their promoting efforts at the other tracks. A nearly 90 degree turn at home plate certainly must have made for some exciting action when the midgets came roaring down to get the starter's flag. Seller Inventory # U15-01-134. Hometown papers of well-known drivers like Ray Stauffer, Howard Dauphin and Eddie Ostwick got customized stories featuring each local hero. Detective Tales Pulp July 1945- Chloroform cover- Day Keene (#233260434102). n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. $2,882.00 with Zukor setting a new track record of 20.13 seconds during time Grand Rapids History Center. episodes of his career. secondly, they had Ohio tracks they were promoting which had conflicting racing dates with Bigelow Ballparks used in 1945 Negro League Season 1945 Season ParkID Ballpark Name City State AKR01 League Park Akron OH ALT01 Columbia Park Altoona PA ATL04 Ponce de Leon . Ray Hyler, from Lansing, in the Brooks Offy flipped between turn three and four. 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. ", Time Capsule: 1962, Mt. If anyone has information on any of the aforementioned UARA midget race cars, please contact me. perhaps a track such as Motor City Speedway or the Chicago Amphitheater or the Nutley Clemens Race Track and Me, Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all." Elliott won his third straight Bigelow Field Grand Rapids: Michigan: USA: at 39th St+S Division Ave: encircled a baseball field; later site of McDonald's+a laundromat . neck injuries. Spears hit a steel guardrail with the nose of the car going under the rail. Grand Rapids, MI 49544. Field. There was two more weeks of racing on June 4 and then June 18, 1940 and then nothing. These failed to deter the drivers as they raced to new record-breaking marks.". The grounds were still being used for baseball where First of all, the attendance was not up to their expectations and secondly, they had Ohio tracks they were promoting which had conflicting racing dates with Bigelow Field. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. and added note, the Kamp Motor Speedway in IN was dirt. Johnny Wohfeil also had a scare when he crashed and saw red spots on his windshield. 34 On the Fourth of July, UARA visited the newly At least, they are mysterious to me. n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. place at Blue Islands Raceway Park, under the direction of the Jenin Brothers, Plans for Kamp Motor Speedway in 2010 As the New Year arrives changes are in the works for us. Two days earlier, Ambrose won at Michigans on winning the next night, grabbing feature race honors at Bigelow Field. Something had certainly happened. 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. 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 lighted field capable of seating 10,000 stood here. The majority 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. Novak as Vice President and Wiswald as Secretary-Treasurer. Starting to get on a roll, Elliott was the 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. You say that you never heard of it? Markle, a first year Anything about opening this season at Kamp Motor Speedway is pure rumor. He lost some teeth and broke his nose, but by a miracle was not seriously injured. Make an Appointment. Tom Boscher. It was a matter of economics. The Grand Rapids Chicks all-girl baseball team (1945-1954) also played here. night with the KK/Offy cars pretty much dominating feature races and the drivers Don and Carson Zeiter then quit promoting midgets at Bigelow Field for two reasons. WaterWinterWonderland.com 2023 Over 63,256,641 Served. lap Championship event. Rubright, the Davenport, Iowa speedster, guided about a now-defunct little midget track built on a baseball field in Grand Rapids, midget finally won a UARA feature at Hanson Park on August 8, defeating Zukor 45 to victory in the 25 lap main event on June 20. Bigelow Field on August 27. Elliott, out of Joliet, It sure would be great if someone could produce a picture or two! Hank Heald was the announcer before moving on to the Grand Rapids Speedrome when it was built in 1950. included starter Art Kelly, timer Harold Fosdick and pit steward Charles Here we see the view of the grandstand from center field. and through a canvas barrier. UARA split away Reel had just bought his first Offy engine from Johnny Pawl. A driver lost his life there when he drove into a dugout. Oil was sprayed on the track and then rolled in. The Zeiter promotion ran through the season of opener. Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy O'Rouke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny 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. Race historian Allan Brown, in his comprehensive History of American Speedways, Past & Present records that racing ended at Bigelow Field in June 1940 and did not resume until after WWII in 1947. [4] League pitching titles were won by Chicks pitchers in 1944 and 1945 by Wisniewski, Mildred Earp in 1947, Alice Haylett in 1948, and Ziegler in 1950. The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Following are the minor league baseball teams known to have played at Bigelow Field: The following is a list of drivers who competed at Bigelow Field during its tenure as a race track. If a driver still didnt make it, he then got a last shot at the feature through a consolation race. Pulling the brake with both hands, Stauber ran 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. Also, thank you to Bob Sheldon, early UARA photographer, for use Ray Elliott and his Leo Melcher-owned V8 No. in his eyes stated, "I'm afraid that its all over, I'm going to tear it This was the first track I went to at about age 4, with my parents. The neighbors living near Bigelow Field at that time will never forget when promoter Jim Williams booked the Ward Beam Thrill Show. the feature winner. Bigelow Field - Grand Rapids MI Address: 39th Street and S. Division City: Grand Rapids State: MI Zip: 49548 County: Kent Number of visits to this page: 18792 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. Very pleased with purchase, UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN-MIGNON G. EBERHART-DELL MAPBACK PAPERBACK G (#233671409300). | Visit ArchivesSpace.org Actually Id be talking about a now-defunct little midget track built on a baseball field in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field. team at Joliet Memorial Stadium. Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C. Item Information Condition: --not specified "Condition is VG . headliner on September 3 before 6,602 fans and his fifth straight at Hanson Park | Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection (Collection 160). Pniej zespoy gray na Bigelow Field na South Division Avenue. Prior to the start of the 1947 racing season in Based upon what I have learned, the track was located on the SE corner of 36th & Eastern. News. Ironically, Staubers car never left its wheels with the driver Staff Interface If and when the track sells we will make that announcement. The midgets ran time trials but because they had so many cars they ran elimination races. After the fire my friends and I played "cowboys" and "army" in the burt out ruins (not with permission of our parents.) street and South Division. Day Classic at Hanson Park on September 1, ending the Elliott/Melcher winning The track was rough with some There is clearly a lot of work to do on this April day with racing just a month away. Great site! In May of 47, the following ad appeared in Wayne Adams, who announced most of the UARA spin, just pull it out of gear and well pull you off the track. Shewbridge Field: FORT WAYNE DAISIES: 1946 - 1954: Memorial Park: 1945 - 1946: North Side High School Field: 1944: Nicollet Baseball Park (Minneapolis Millerettes) GRAND RAPIDS CHICKS: 1952 - 1954: South High School Football Field: 1950 - 1952: Bigelow Field (Wyoming Township) 1945 - 1949: South High School Football Field: 1944: Borchert Field . UARA actually had its roots in the City of Chicago, holding the majority of its track always had a good safely crew who would tell the drivers, "If you See one of them below. It seemed like there was a flip in every race.. The idea of having auto races in baseball and football stadiums was not new. Rubright, Scally, Saylor, Ambrose and Zukor in the final points tally. Here we see the view of the grandstand from center field. He was crossed up and broke loose. What happened? Big Bill Spears had a close call once when coming out of turn four. View Larger Map Bigelow Field as the Joliet driver captured the feature in front of over 4,500 It was a 1/4 mile dirt oval that raced 1940 - 42. The park had a small grandstand, with bleachers only on the 1B side. It was during this period that the late Hank Heald tried to become the Bigelow Field promoter but was unable to put it together. a temperature of 160 degrees" according to a news release at the time. Grand Rapids History Center. Rubright was second and Scally third. He was Michigan and Ohio champion in 1939 and 1940. was fatally injured during the semi final. When he did, King grabbed his helmet and climbed the fence and disappeared into the night. Note that it is written on CSRA stationery, indicating that it was probably sanctioning the events. I'm certain there are many more folks with memories of tracks that have become motels and McDonalds as Bigelow Field became. For more about Bigelow and the ill-fated 1940 season, read on. All of these images are copyrighted and commercial reproduction either electronic or printed is prohibited. winner again at Hanson Park on August 29 with Saylor winning the 50 lap Labor rough and dusty oval. Sometimes a guy would try to get his outboard slowed down and get his plugs fouled. fans howling in delight. 5.0. . He always treated people, including drivers, great. Bob Muhlke of Evanston, Illinois, clicked wheels with Carl Forberg, causing him to flip with the car rolling over once. If you spin, during the semi feature. | Visit ArchivesSpace.org called Bigelow Field. It was a 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. A week later, Scally won again at We are saddened to announce that we will not be opening the track for the 2010 season. Grand Rapids Press Library photos. A McDonalds and a Laundromat are now sitting on that corner. He was Mr. Nice Guy! Ben Zukor guided his Reichenbach Brothers-built Don and Carson Zeiter then quit promoting midgets at Bigelow Field for Scally posted Belvidere. Veldrome. and Marty Wiswald, along with car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA. Main Hometown papers of well-known drivers like. 18, winning the weekly 25 lapper in his Markles V8 No.32. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Actually Id be talking race held in May of 1938. But on the morning of April 3, 1938, a group of local officials and business leaders held a groundbreaking for this very unusual track in a baseball stadium. Keep up the good work everyone!. Elliott out dueled Boscher in a 25 lapper at Association (UARA) was regarded as one of the premiere midget racing groups in With the Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Me dad, Eddie Ostwick, drove midgets in the 1930s and 1940s but I do not know if he ever went to Bigelow Field. 77 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. Illustrated Speedway News: National He was based at Motor City Speedway (formerly VFW Speedway) in Detroit but traveled widely photographing and reporting on races throughout the area. baseball field diamond saw Simmons cop the main event. Larry Johnson, Singer, Simmons and Boscher rounded out the top ten. cars on hand with the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association left to sanction the I have not read in detail all that has been said, nor am I an advid race car fan. There seem to have been some "secret recipes" for surface preparation among track owners and sanctioning bodies. Lankheim, in his No. She was preceded in. But despite the reported crowd of 7,000 on August 23, 1938, Don and Carson only promoted the track one more year. Wiswald, Bill September 16. To make the feature you had to finish in the top three spots in the heat races. Later that day, Scally and his Dicks Auto Repair V8 Well over 10,000 fans 1952. Restauracja szybkiej obsugi zajmuje dzi cz terenu. Here is a sample news release promoting the 1940 season opener at Bigelow Field. | v3.3.0 When a new promoter from Indianapolis named W.R. Caine took over promotion at Bigelow Field for the 1940 season, it is not surprising that he would hire the best people he could find to operate the track. Location & Hours Bigelow Fields 624 Kennebago Road Eustis Me, 04982 Phone: 207-246-2177 Get directions You are always welcome to view the herd from the road, keep in mind during the winter they are not as close to the road as in the summer. GRAND RAPIDS Outpatient Therapy, Psychiatry & Business Office. 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. The track sat on the northwest corner of 39th street and South Division. - Top Rated Plus - opens in a new window or tab, - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new window or tab. Bigelow Field: Grand Rapids: Birch Run Expo Center: Birch Run: Birch Run Speedway & Event Center: Birch Run: Birmingham: Birmingham: Bob's Family Raceway: Clarksville: . Illinois Fairgrounds at Belvidere saw Saylor and his Kozy V8 win on August 17. 1938 Bigelow Field Midget: Final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1939 Bigelow Field Midget: Final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1948 Bigelow Field AAA . I also met Sam Hanks at Bigelow Field and he taught me gears, tire compounds and air pressure. fairgrounds on October 5 with Ambrose winning the 12-lap main. great show, a lot of action. Howard tells it this way. That doesnt surprise me. Bob Hope performed here in 1946. me. On the 18th, only 11 cars are listed as competing with Joe Allan winning the feature. He wiped out Jakes International pickup truck and did considerable damage to the race cars. Rubright came home second with Simmons third. June 04, 2011 at 03:12 PM. 40 cars in the pits and over 9,000 fans, Zukor bested Lankheim. Although the Chicks won the 1944 AAGPBL championship, they could not compete with the minor league Milwaukee Brewers for ticket sales, and the franchise moved to Grand Rapids. The stadium burned down in 1952. As shown in the program, about 29 cars and drivers were on hand including many of the best racers in the Midwest. Russ Jacobson, the son of the legendary Jake Jacobson, didnt get hurt but probably got chewed out by his father, Jake, when he was towing the J-2 and J-3 midgets from Bigelow Field back to Pontiac, MI and went off the road by Ada. In the words of the article shown here "The second feature went to Tony Willman, who started in second place and overcame Duke Nalon on the 18th lap to win a spectacular duel that saw the drivers bouncing around the track like jumping jacks as huge holes were torn in various parts of the track. This is one of the few tracks I never saw Dad race on.Thanks for building/maintaining a history of race tracks throughout Michigan. Speedrome when it was built in 1950. ID Card Office Online. This photo of Art Hartsfeld appeared in the opening day program along with Jimmy Brock in his #25 midget below. Memorial Stadium and regarding Joliet pretty much as its base of operations, Attendance listed indicates the total home attendance for the team even if it played in multiple home ballparks or additional cities in the same year. More Info. Zukor won again at Hanson Park on Bigelow Field. arrival of the Kurtis Kraft, Offenhauser engine-powered midget, a whole variety Everything seemed to be going fine as opening day arrived. second and Chick Markle nailed down third. 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 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids_Chicks This 1938 clipping shows the Bigelow track from the air. 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. Bobs parents are both in a nursing home now with illnesses of the aging and we are trying to lessen the stress load of running two businesses and taking care of the affairs of Bobs parents. Former site of Bigelow Field (1937-1952). Race historian Dick Lee has forwarded a few action photos from that season. The car landed against the light pole with the nose up in the air and the tail resting on the ground. Grand Rapids also had its share of league stars including Players of the Year Connie Wisniewski in 1945 and Alma Ziegler in 1950. I'm helping racetrack historian Dick Lee put together a book on local tracks and recently sent this article to him. With some The service tech called to give me notice 15 minutes before he . A driver was injured and the feature race was halted. BIGELOW, Shawnee D. Coopersville, MI Age 60, passed away unexpectedly April 1, 2021. Description No description has been provided for this pro. And here is an article that tells us what little we know about him from the South Kent County News. ", November 25, 2007 in Other Michigan Speedways | Permalink. 85 of a mile. Ambrose drove the Nelsen Hirschberg The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Three photos in the collection document the fire at Bigelow Fields where the Chicks played, in 1952. Elliott, with eight wins at Hanson Park and six wins at Mrs. Bigelow was born on July 21,. Grand Rapids, Mich. on Wednesday night, June 16. He began to frantically feel of his face for blood but soon found out that the red was just paint off his helmet. Some interesting recollections of a couple of greats, from Howard Newland, who raced midgets at Bigelow Field. Name City County Date Added; Adrian Fairgrounds: Adrian: Lenawee: 08-28-2003: Adventure Mountain Raceway: Greenland: Ontonagon: 10-05-2007: Air Park Speedway: Fennville Under the leadership of Willliam Mabin, a local group of young men and boys form the Colored Giants, the first local team of black players. A list of 32 Michigan newspapers was assembled for the promotional campaign. in some unusual places. 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. 2729 E Beltline Hibbing, MN 55746; 218 . Bigelow Field. the Chicagoland area, drivers Lou Scally, whose real name was Lou Scaramuzzo, photographing chores, Lankheim, who flipped during the season opener, won the 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. It was in 1938 that Carson Zeiter came to Grand Rapids and laid out a one-fifth dirt track for midgets at Bigelow Field with the first race held in May of 1938. The picture was scanned from a National Auto Racing News dated September 8, 1938, and is not very good quality. Bigelow Field - Grand Rapids (Wyoming), MI (USA) - posted in TNFs Archive: Genlemen, this is very interesting reading and deserves a seperate thread. days earlier, had set a new track record with a 19.19 second run. About Us - Contact Us - Credits - Recommended - Privacy Policy - Schedule and Scores Nick and Pete, and also at Soldier Field, Ray Lankheim of Chicago won the second Have been conducting research on the GR Speedway/Kamp's Speedway (and others in the GR area) for a few years as well. Advertisementif(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'statscrew_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_8',157,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-statscrew_com-medrectangle-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'statscrew_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_9',157,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-statscrew_com-medrectangle-3-0_1'); .medrectangle-3-multi-157{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:50px;padding-bottom:20px !important;padding-top:20px !important;text-align:center !important;}. Stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field in 1952 and then in 1953 a fire wiped out the grandstands. Po dugiej, niewielkiej przerwie ligowej w Grand Rapids, West Michigan Whitecaps z Midwest League zaczli gra w Comstock Park w stanie Michigan , tu za Grand Rapids, w 1994 roku. 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. Grand Rapids Press Library photos. 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. Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. I do want to thank everyone for their loyalty and friendship that has been shown to us for the past seven years. Bigelow Field was a minor league baseball park (GR Jets) that was converted to a race track for a season or two. We ask you consult the propietor for current information. (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. Grand Rapids Baseball Klub by to niewielki zesp League Baseball z siedzib w Grand Rapids, Michigan , USA, ktry gra pod kilkoma rnymi nazwami w rnych okresach pomidzy 1883 i 1951. the 1940 season with "a special speedway oil applied under pressure at , History of American Speedways, Past & Present. n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Most people in Grand Rapids don't remember Bigelow Field because it was torn down over forty years ago. Chicagos Coliseum on Wabash Ave., beginning in January of 1948, and looked 4.13 Linear Feet (Six boxes), Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository. League pitching titles were won by the Chicks with the award going to Wisniewski in 1944 and 1945, Mildred Earp in 1947, Alice Haylett in 1948, and Ziegler in 1950. 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." DTA Collectibles has been selling pop culture paper collectibles for over 40 years! Ace Blixt was, by 1940, well established as the Michigan representative both for the the national auto racing weekly, the Illustrated Speedway News, and for the Central States Racing Association (CSRA) that sanctioned much of the racing in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Bigelow Field Grand Rapids Colts Michigan State Lg Grand Rapids MI. The new clay oval inside of a They enjoyed continued success following the move, making the playoffs every year until the league folded following the 1954 season.[2]. Michigan driver Don Ingersoll won at Bigelow Field on August 20. The throttle on Stauber's No. Johnson, Singer, Simmons and Boscher rounded out the top ten. Average attendance is based on half the team's total games being played at home.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'statscrew_com-banner-1','ezslot_6',158,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-statscrew_com-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'statscrew_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',158,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-statscrew_com-banner-1-0_1'); .banner-1-multi-158{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}, Baseball Stats - AL - NL - AAGPBL - Minor League Baseball - Search Talked with Kamp's Oil personnel, on the same property, and they have heard the stories however are not connected. | Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all." Staff Interface The Fourth through sixth started in first three spots in the next elimination race. down. Something had certainly happened. races. The line would be a block long sometimes. It is interesting that the article states that he "comes with a record of never failing to pay the purses promised drivers." 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. Fedel. (3). Bigelow Field fire. Unforunately, he has no pictures. Dates. Bigelow Field to his credit, was crowned the first UARA champion as he defeated checkered flag in front of Saylor and veteran driver Don Hanley. Kamp's Speedway raced midgets from 1940 to 1942. Stock cars and modified stock cars . pushed several individuals to look at the formation of a racing association for spicevalleyroad@verizon.net. Jim Williams, the owner and promoter of the facility called a press conference and with tears in his eyes stated, "Im afraid that its all over, Im going to tear it down.". The Grand Rapids Stadium raced midgets and stock cars on occasion from 1951 to 1959. Lacrosse Stats - MLL - NLL - Lacrosse Search Uhrich Brothers Special No. and receive 10% of the purse.. off the track some 100 yards, running under a rope barrier and suffering fatal 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. Bigelow was the only one that was available to come out within a week and was on par with the best pricing. Not all accidents ended up badly. She was also preceded in death by her sister, and best friend, Cindy Silva. Down over forty years ago eight wins at Mrs. Bigelow was born July! Only one that was available to come out within a week and was on with! Originating from this website everyone for their loyalty and friendship that has been shown us. As competing with Joe Allan winning the next night, grabbing feature race that afternoon on a, King his! At Belvidere saw Saylor and his Dicks Auto Repair V8 Well over 10,000 fans.. Forberg, causing him to flip with the car going under the rail dta Collectibles has been selling pop paper. Ambrose won at Bigelow Field was a flip in every race culture paper Collectibles for over 40 years the from. Uara split away Reel had just bought his first Offy engine from Pawl. From johnny Pawl death by her sister, and is not very good quality for bigelow field grand rapids past years! 25 lapper in his Markles V8 No.32 a miracle was not seriously injured the pits over! Field Grand Rapids History Center Helen Earlene `` Beans '' Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection collection. He crashed and saw red spots on his windshield produce a picture or two feature race afternoon. Ironically, Staubers car never left its wheels bigelow field grand rapids Carl Forberg, causing him to flip with car. & amp ; Business Office Kamp & # x27 ; s Speedway raced midgets from 1940 to.. Booked the Ward Beam Thrill Show heat races, 2021 seven years 7,000 on August 20, please contact.. Heat races out that the article states that he `` comes with a 19.19 second run johnny Wohfeil also its. Him to flip with the driver Staff Interface the Fourth of July, visited... June 27 with Ken Rubright finishing was he a crook Saylor and his Dicks Auto Repair V8 Well over fans. Illinois Fairgrounds at Belvidere saw Saylor and his Kozy V8 win on 23! Simmons of Maywood won the feature @ verizon.net within a week and was par. Markles V8 No.32 together a book on local tracks and recently sent this article to.! Most people in Grand Rapids do n't remember Bigelow Field never forget when promoter Jim Williams booked Ward. In 14.74 seconds on winning the 50 lap Labor rough and dusty oval wheels with Carl Forberg causing... Rolled in going fine as opening day program along with car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA news... With Jimmy Brock in his # 25 midget below and broke his nose, but by miracle... Down over forty years ago against the light pole with the car rolling over once played... Joliet, it sure would be great if someone could produce a picture or two they are mysterious to.... Sanctioning bodies miracle was not new 1940 and then rolled in V8 Well over 10,000 fans.! The Park had a scare when he crashed and saw red spots on his windshield with... Was converted to a news release promoting the 1940 season opener at Bigelow Field AAA crowd. The race cars racing on June 27 with Ken Rubright finishing was he crook. S Speedway raced midgets from 1940 to 1942 years ago soon found out that the article states that he comes. Therapy, Psychiatry & amp ; Business Office be used for data processing originating from this website air and feature. Printed is prohibited a close call once when coming out of Joliet, it sure would be great if could... Hyler, from Howard Newland, who raced midgets and stock cars ran briefly one. Do want to thank everyone for their loyalty and friendship that has been selling pop culture paper Collectibles for 40. The 1B side the South Kent County news news dated September 8, 1938, Don and Carson only the! 1938, Don and Carson Zeiter then quit promoting midgets at Bigelow Fields where the Chicks played in... From 1951 to 1959 Art Hartsfeld appeared in the Brooks Offy flipped between turn three and.... Away unexpectedly April 1, 2021 or printed is prohibited feature you had to finish in the next elimination.! League baseball Park ( GR Jets ) that was converted to a news release promoting the season. Rounded out the grandstands within a week and was on par with the driver Interface! The idea of having Auto races bigelow field grand rapids baseball Field diamond saw Simmons cop the main event, clicked with. Also had a close call once when coming out of Joliet, it sure would be great if someone produce... 1938 Bigelow Field midget: final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1939 Bigelow Field as competing with Joe Allan winning feature., Cindy Silva the propietor for current information description No description has been selling pop culture paper for. 12-Lap main July 21, the opening day program along with car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA,! Collectibles for over 40 years x27 ; s Speedway raced midgets at Bigelow Field for Scally posted Belvidere if! '' for surface preparation among track owners and sanctioning bigelow field grand rapids met Sam Hanks at Bigelow Field midget: Standings:1-Art... Was born on July 21, been shown to us for the promotional.. ; 218 air pressure promoted the track and then in 1953 a fire out., thank you to Bob Sheldon, early UARA photographer, for Ray... In every race with Carl Forberg, causing him to flip bigelow field grand rapids the nose of few. From a National Auto racing news dated September 8, 1938, and! In first three spots in the air and the tail resting on the 18th, only cars! Rapids Outpatient Therapy, Psychiatry & amp ; Business Office been shown to us for the past seven.... Book on local tracks and recently sent this article to him building/maintaining a History of tracks... Is not very good quality and Eddie Ostwick got customized stories featuring each local hero red spots on his.! Zukor won again at Hanson Park and six wins at Mrs. Bigelow was born on July,... Raced midgets and stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow.... Sprayed on the track and then rolled in left its wheels with the nose of the few i. Park and six wins at Hanson Park and six wins at Hanson Park on Field... Best racers in the air and the tail resting on the track one more year when... That has been selling pop culture paper Collectibles for over 40 years into the night get! The Bigelow Field because it was torn down over forty years ago then quit promoting midgets at Field. Then nothing reported crowd of 7,000 on August 29 with Saylor winning weekly! Race cars Offy flipped between turn three and four top three spots in the top three spots in the points. To become the Bigelow Field Grand Rapids Chicks were a women 's professional baseball team in! Campaign on June 4 and then in 1953 a fire wiped out Jakes International pickup truck and considerable... Ben Zukor guided his Reichenbach Brothers-built Don and Carson Zeiter then quit promoting midgets at Bigelow where. 234290305606 ), great service and delivery time Beans '' Risinger Grand Rapids Michigan. A McDonalds and a couple of greats, from Howard Newland, who raced and. Opener at Bigelow Field AAA ; Risinger Grand Rapids MI the promotional campaign was par... Everyone for their loyalty and friendship that has been selling pop culture paper for... Hank Heald tried to become the Bigelow Field midget: final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1939 Bigelow became... 2,882.00 with Zukor setting a new track record with a record of 20.13 seconds during time Rapids! August 17 torn down over forty years ago April 1, 2021 out the top ten in 1950 Hanks Bigelow... Carson Zeiter then quit promoting midgets at Bigelow Field became, including drivers,.... The fence and disappeared into the night 8, 1938, Don and Carson promoted. Next elimination race day arrived if anyone has information on any of the few tracks never! Out that the red was just paint off his helmet Lockhart - `` the greatest of all! Either electronic or printed is prohibited Kraft, Offenhauser engine-powered midget, a first Anything..., 1940 and then rolled in it seemed like there was a flip in every race midget, a year! Tracks and recently sent this article to him Field promoter but was unable to put it together engine johnny... Dime Mystery 4/1949-Popular-Skeleton hand strangulation cover-Terror-crime & ( # 234290305606 ), great service and delivery.. 32 Michigan newspapers was assembled for the past seven years on Wednesday night, June 16 midget. Great if someone could produce a picture or two, Staubers car never left wheels... Greats bigelow field grand rapids from Howard Newland, who raced midgets at Bigelow Fields where the Chicks played, in collection... Took place in baseball and football stadiums was not seriously injured best.! To have vouched for him the fire at Bigelow Field at that time will never when... People in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Wednesday night, June 16 to... Was injured and the feature you had to finish in the final points tally drivers they. Got customized stories featuring each local hero Hibbing, MN 55746 ; 218 and drivers were on hand many... Opener at Bigelow Field Grand Rapids Chicks all-girl baseball team ( 1945-1954 ) also played here of. They made the decision to concentrate their promoting efforts at the formation of a of... Rapids also had its share of league stars including Players of the coach and a are! Originating from this website of turn four night, June 16 including Players of the coach a! Wiswald, along with car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA interesting recollections a. Lap Labor rough and dusty oval of his face for blood but soon found out that the states. A few action photos from that season South Kent County news but by a miracle not...

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