Where it all started for me...

[Krooser]

Hales Corners Speedway 1969... #133. My Buddy Ron Kubiak was the driver...I owned the car and he owned the $110.00 trailer. Ron Herman was the other pit crew guy. $75.00 car with a $50.00 engine. Towed with a '66 Charger...

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net...3a&oe=5A7E4FB6

[rickybrown1952]

Good post buddy

[Krooser]

Thanks... just found that photo after years of thinking we never had any on track pix...

[Chris Thomason]

Cool man! No power steering or women in the pits! Lol

[a25rjr]

My story......at birth. As I was born at Halifax Hospital (the same where they took Earnhardt) breathing gas fumes from DIS. My dad was crew member for Ray Fox and I was drug to tracks like Daytona, Darlington, Atlanta, and Charlotte as a little child. Then it was to every dirt track in Ga and Fla.

My dad passed away in 2009 but because of him, I enjoy stock car racing, especially dirt! Thanks dad!

[Kwd1253]

Hales Corners Speedway 1969... #133. My Buddy Ron Kubiak was the driver...I owned the car and he owned the $110.00 trailer. Ron Herman was the other pit crew guy. $75.00 car with a $50.00 engine. Towed with a '66 Charger...

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net...3a&oe=5A7E4FB6

Well I know where Dale Earnhardt learned his running in the infield move from now lol

[ptown]

Open face helmets, those were the days.

[Bob Hubbard]

Thanks for sharing .... My dad got me hooked on dirt racing too .... Sometimes when I walk through the gates at the local track I think of him & his stanley thermos bottle filled with coffee .... Thanks dad

[Krooser]

Keep those stories coming...

[rickybrown1952]

I got started late in life a little bit my 1st dirt race to watch was at I-55 Raceway at pevely mo in 1986 got hooked the 1st night still going to races and I'm 65 now and of course my favorite track is i-55 Raceway Been to a lot of different tracks but none quite like your 1st one I Love dirt racing my wife don't much but she understands Ain't nothin like a good fast pace fast Action DIRT RACE

[klemmabyna]

Krooser: the photo is a little later than when I started attending race (40's coupes. 50's chevy's), but (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), it brings back a bunch of good times and memories!!!

sidebar: maybe why still enjoy many of the support classes. great racing by teams that can still build a race car out of a junk yard and not an online catalog.

[a25rjr]

My story......at birth. As I was born at Halifax Hospital (the same where they took Earnhardt) breathing gas fumes from DIS. My dad was crew member for Ray Fox and I was drug to tracks like Daytona, Darlington, Atlanta, and Charlotte as a little child. Then it was to every dirt track in Ga and Fla.

My dad passed away in 2009 but because of him, I enjoy stock car racing, especially dirt! Thanks dad!

As a follow up.....heres some pics and info about my uncle who mainly raced on dirt all over the southeast. My dad was his crew chief back in the day. He's the reason my dad fell in love with dirt racing. He won nearly 400 features during his career.

http://www.legendsofnascar.com/larry_flynn.htm

[Josh Bayko]

First race I was ever at was a Silver Crown race at the Nazareth Mile in 83. Started a love affair that has lasted 34 years and counting.

[TheJet-09]

My earliest memories were going to Slinger Super Speedway on Sunday nights, probably late '70s, and getting to see the hotshot in the 97 WLPX car, who I later learned was Alan Kulwicki. I most certainly admired his determination in getting to where he did.

Around the same time I got to see my #1 guy of all time, A.J. Foyt, run a stockcar race at the Milwaukee Mile. I remember him getting tore up, come into the pits, but go back out onto the track every time the field was coming around under caution. My dad explained to me he was doing that to stay on the lead lap, and it was there that I first became aware of strategy and it's part in racing.

And my grandfather took me to Crazy Jim's demo derby at Hales Corners, probably around 1980. Seeing a school bus demo derby and roll-over contest blew my mind!

Around 1984 we moved to Illinois and Sycamore Speedway became the place to be on Saturday nights. Wanting to be a racecar driver virtually all my life, I bought my first car (a 1975 Monte Carlo street stock) and entered my first race in the spring of 1988. I knew absolutely nothing about cars, so I filled all four tires up to 32 psi, and away I went. I made it about 4 laps and got a flat. Didn't even have a spare, and didn't care! I was hooked for life!!!

[over4T]

The pic of Krooser's '60 Ford Starliner about brought tears to my eyes as that was one model I lusted after as a young guy just out of high school. It's fate was probably the same as the many '39 & '40 Ford sedans I cut down, raced and, usually, ended up hauling to the scrap yard for $15 or, on occasion, just left at the track when they were too torn up to flat tow home. Still doing it but it's Camaros we butcher now.

[Bob Hubbard]

Great thread ....Keep the stories coming ....

[CIRF]

My first exposure to racing was at Fairbury American Legion Speedway. I don't recall the exact year but I was a very young lad and it was in the late 1960's. My father was very good friends with one of the sprint car (rail cars/supermodifieds) drivers and one of the stock car drivers. Jack Tyne was the name of the sprint car driver. Jack later won several track championships in stock cars at FALS and was one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet. Luckily, later in life I too became good friends with Jack. Sadly we lost Jack several years ago. I'd venture a guess that Jack Tyne was the most universally beloved drivers ever to race at Fairbury. The stock car driver who my dad was friends with name escapes me but he drove a '37 Chevy coupe.

I'm very glad I was exposed to the sprint cars as well as the stock cars at FALS. It ingrained an appreciation for the open wheel cars in addition to my love the of the fendered cars. The sprinters/rail cars put on a spectacular show week in and week out at FALS!

[birky time]

early 80's around 5-6 yrs old dad would take me to KC raceway (Atomic) watch the sprint cars...gordan the kinsers wolfgang! I remember walking thru the parking lot hearing cars set back there and idle sounding like thunder in the distance giving me cold chills lol....Still gives me cold chills!Now I prefer watching late models becausemy opinion they produce better racing

[2drace]

My first exposure to racing was at Fairbury American Legion Speedway. I don't recall the exact year but I was a very young lad and it was in the late 1960's. My father was very good friends with one of the sprint car (rail cars/supermodifieds) drivers and one of the stock car drivers. Jack Tyne was the name of the sprint car driver. Jack later won several track championships in stock cars at FALS and was one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet. Luckily, later in life I too became good friends with Jack. Sadly we lost Jack several years ago. I'd venture a guess that Jack Tyne was the most universally beloved drivers ever to race at Fairbury. The stock car driver who my dad was friends with name escapes me but he drove a '37 Chevy coupe.

I'm very glad I was exposed to the sprint cars as well as the stock cars at FALS. It ingrained an appreciation for the open wheel cars in addition to my love the of the fendered cars. The sprinters/rail cars put on a spectacular show week in and week out at FALS!

Dang Cirf I could have written everything about the same except my favorites were Lynn Wilson and Bobby Shell. Rail cars were Boom Boom Cannon in his B4. My grandma and grandpa were the ones who took me to the races regularly

[golddirt]

Man these stories are great! Back when racers would race for a cup of coffee instead of making a living racing they had real jobs and built there own cars. Oh yeah the fancy guys had trailers!! Sweet times