What made you a race fan?

[race21j]

My dad drove for many years. Then just crewed on race cars.There was always a race car in the garage being built or repaired.My mother told me I was not going to drive, so I built my car at a friends shop.Some how she found out and said if I was going to do it bring it home.She would NEVER watch me race but always looked at the car first thing in the morning.That was 1982 and have been driving crewing or owning cars ever since.my driver now is my 19 year old Nephew.His dad ( who raced also,along with his mother) and I keep him running.His first win is coming soon.Hope we are all at the track that night so all for of us can be in the picture.I am sure Grand father will be smiling from heaven.I love dirt racing.Have been to Eldora several times.There is something about at the end of the night you take some of the track home with you is a special feeling.

[CarolinaDirt]

I grew up a weekly race fan , spent every Friday at Sugar Creek Raceway in Blue Ridge GA , and the following Saturday at Tri-County Racetrack . I still am a huge Johnny Thomas fan just something about that old T4 and he was the man to beat . I didn't get introduced to traveling until the SAS days and later Hav-A-Tampa and good ole Jimmy Mosteller , he was a great promoter a pioneer . He spent as much time in the stands getting to know everyone with a smile on his face as he did in the booth . Alot of announcers/promoters could learn alot from that man he just had this air about him just a good ole country boy that loved people and a good race . I guess to this day I travel and watch the WOO , NDRL , and Lucas but there is just something about going to your home track on a fri/sat night that I just love and alot of people take for granted .

[ModJr9]

My first races were at clay tracks at West Baden and Mitchell, IN

I'm with some friends in Mitchell right now, where was the track? Nobody here has any idea. I also have been told there was a track close to Springville, IN way back, I think I know where it was but I have never heard it mentioned.

[LITE-INN]

ALLEN BROWN has a book the history of American tracks you be amazed what was around

[LITE-INN]

http://www.amazon.com/History-Americas-Speedways-Past-Present/dp/0931105617

[Clayton_Wetter]

I'm with some friends in Mitchell right now, where was the track? Nobody here has any idea. I also have been told there was a track close to Springville, IN way back, I think I know where it was but I have never heard it mentioned.

I've tried to pinpoint where it is but there are no signs of it left. It was between Bedford and Mitchell on the south side the highway about where Gaines had his mobile home sales near Mitchell, back off the road about a quarter to half a mile.

Springville? I'm clueless.

[blackford]

Don't think this has anything to do with what you're saying but, I ran onto an abandoned track once on my way to Boswell oh about 5, 6 years ago. It was somewhere just east of the Illinois line and probably 50 to 70 miles north of Boswell best of best I can recall. It had a full covered grandstand and the track was to small to be a horse track. There wasn't much left of the track, and I couldn't tell if it was dirt or asphalt it was so covered with brush. Wish I could remember better where exactly this was but not far north of Boswell as I remember. It was pretty neat finding it out in the middle of nowhere, would like to find out more about it!!

[CIRF]

Great thread, I hope I can maintain the high standards of the prior posts.

My Dad started taking me to Fairbury American Legion Speedway when I was maybe 8 years old. Dad didn't care a bit for stick and ball sports but he loved good dirt track stock car racing.

Later we went to Peoria, mostly after they moved the track to Farmington Road, although I was at the Mt. Hawley location once.

At the time we were going to Peoria we would also make the 90 mile trip up to Sterling Speedbowl Park in Sterling, Illinois and that was where I acquired the love of racing that will last all of my days. Sterling had some of the highest quality cars and drivers of any track in the Midwest during that period.

[Mittvok]

My uncle raced Late Models during the late 80's and early 90's. It was a blast. I was anywhere from 8 to 13 when he raced. Most fun I had ever. Always at the tracks every weekend. Sometimes twice. Friday and Saturday night. Got to hang out in the pits a bunch and that just got me hooked.

[racertrash]

My parents took me to Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Indiana when I was four. The sound of the screaming 6-cylinders immediately had me hooked. That was 44 years ago. Today I keep a spreadsheet of tracks that I have visited. I try to go to at least one new track each year. Going to new ones is getting to be a chore, as I now have to drive 3+ hours to reach them

[zyoung25]

Hit my first race at the age of 3 at the local but now vacant brown county speedway, watching my hero and good friend today Jon Osman mop up on everyone. My dad worked for the Stricker bros salvage yard and we began goin to races with them and the driver was John "weasel" Rhoades. From about the age of 5 to 13 I was the mud scraper and tar guy. Most teams didn't think much about a kid walking around their car starring at the tars they had on the car but I knew where to look for compounds, if they had the compound rubbed off back then I knew about what they had on by feel (i wouldn't have a clue now) haha. I remember getting stuffed in the hauler closet so I could get into the pits for no cost as we entered the tracks. Once I got to be a lil older and started approaching the 6 ft range it was alot harder to get away with this. Anymore I'm just a casual fan but I couldn't survive without it.

[Highside Hustler25]

4m.netgot me hooked.