If you could resurrect any dirt track from the dead, which would it be?

[CIRF]

Thanks for the Santa Fe memories, guys. I drove up to that Miller 200 from Decatur that day. Had been to many Santa Fe half mile shows and a few Clay Track Championships. That day I decided to sit on the backstretch for a different view. Santa Fe would always be packed for the 200 lap race.

My memories were the race had its normal late afternoon start. Track was always dry by then. Drivers drove into turn 3, right into the sun. I thought Lil John pulled to the inside of the backstretch, causing the big dust cloud to go up. Dust and sun started that big pileup. I remember getting blinded and just hearing the sounds of cars crashing into each other. Amazing Lil John won. CIRF, your comments about Tom are right on. Amazing no fire started. I think (and others can verify) that Santa Fe had a big horn they blew for any red flag condition. I seemed to hear that other times before. Clearly the horn sounded that day.

I drove over to the old Santa Fe location one trip to Chicago to say a final goodbye. Huge homes were built on that site. Also remember the old billboard that stood off the Tri-State Tollway for many years. I've seen that photo on here, too. Amazing many times Santa Fe raced 4 nights a week.

DC, I remember that old billboard! As of 3 or 4 years ago there was also a faded old wooden billboard on the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) just south of the Kingery Road (Rt. 83) exit. Kingery was the street we always took south off of I-55 to go to Santa Fe.

As a child I remember Jan Gabriel doing the radio commercials on WLS radio for Santa Fe and all the drag strips in the chitcago listening area. We could get WLS perfectly even though we're over 100 miles from chitcago. They had a jingle for Santa Fe that went something like "Santa Fe, the track of clay, you ain't seen NOTHIN' 'till ya' been to Santa Fe"!! They must have run that commercial 40 times a day! I got in on the last days or good ol' Santa Fe Speedway. The quality of competition was dwindling by then and the handwriting was on the wall in regards to the fact that it's days were numbered.

I've been told that sometime back in the 1950's Santa Fe actually hosted a NASCAR Grand National (Cup) race.

[Dirt Clod]

Boy, us old timers sure have great Santa Fe memories. I probably passed that I-55 board many times, too. My brother lived in Clarendon Hills. I used to take the County Line Road exit. I think we drive through Burr Ridge. Hard to believe how that area grew up.

Yes, Jan was an incredible announcer. His voice on WLS carried for many years. You're right.....his Santa Fe commercials were legendary. I think he was famous for the US 30 drag racing commercials, too. SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY. You can find them on You Tube. I might have talked to Jan once at SF and I think he was a big Indy 500 fan. Pretty sure he attended the Indy 500, then went to Santa Fe to announce that evening. I made trips to those half mile races and loved to watch Pete Parker come down and challenge them. Those Santa Fe guys treated him pretty good. I do remember hearing about your Tom Rients comment on how he hated racing at SF. Lot different that the downstate IL tracks. Interesting about the SF NASCAR race. Need to look that up and learn something new.

[dmr37]

From ChicagolandRacing .com


On July 10, 1954, the first-ever NASCAR Grand National stock car race in the Chicago area took place at Santa Fe with (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) Rathmann winning the 200-lap race and a reported $1,000 for his efforts. Rahtmann, a California native, guided his Pure Oil-sponsored 1954 Hudson to the win over Herb Thomas, Hershel McGriff, Lee Petty, Buck Baker and Jim Reed, all NASCAR regulars. Over 6,000 fans were said to have witnessed the event, which saw Baker, the fastest qualifier, lead the first 46 laps until Rathmann took over. A number of local drivers participated including Hal Ruyle, Art Doogan, Frank Ropp, Robert “Legs” Whitcomb, Bill Brown, Bay Darnell and Bill Moore, who turned in the best performance by a “local” with his 10th place finish in his 1950 Plymouth among a field of 23.

[AllenK]

I don't see how that whole Santa Fe wreck didn't explode. That's a lot of metal rubbing together due to the wreck and getting the cars separated also.

[EvelB7]

I remember being at 34 Raceway in late 70's-early 80's and my dad was talking to Joe Merryfield about going to Santa Fe, Joe told him about his experience and we decided to skip that trip.... Joe said they 'rented' him tires, dq'd him when he won and knocked the lights out of his hauler as he left-seemed like they didn't care for ol Injun Joe in the Chicago area at that time....

[Slideways]

Concord (N.C.) Speedway

Before they "paved it to death".

[BloomerWon]

https://youtu.be/R1rAcZxZa1c