and Marty Wiswald, along with car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA. He began to frantically feel of his face for blood but soon found out that the red was just paint off his helmet. The Grand Rapids History Center. Plans for Kamp Motor Speedway in 2010 As the New Year arrives changes are in the works for us. 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. 1939. Paul Bormet was seriously injured Update on my last note: We found a 1942 newspaper ad which clarified the location of this track. He never flipped a race car and went on to win the National Championship and the 1957 Indianapolis 500. 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). Clemens Race Track and Me, Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all." You say that you never heard of it? window.__mirage2 = {petok:"igxyY7CEoZ3TSgU5rvCLqbDB5At9mC5j4ATdnNWfEhU-1800-0"}; They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, [1] winning championships in 1947 and 1953. Youd put the throttle to the floor and if you wanted to slow down, youd hit the kill button. All were midgets with Ford V8-60 engines. During qualifications, Elliott, who turned 26 years old a few Australian Football Stats - Australian Football Search 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. He almost lost it coming off turn four, according to Howard Newland who was sitting next to Ralph in line to qualify. 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. Rubright, Scally, Saylor, Ambrose and Zukor in the final points tally. Finishing behind Wiswald and his No. Write a review. Tom. , History of American Speedways, Past & Present. 50-lap semi. Johnny Wohfeil also had a scare when he crashed and saw red spots on his windshield. episodes of his career. Maybe there is someone among our readers who knows more. Bigelow Field to his credit, was crowned the first UARA champion as he defeated Rubright, Scally, Saylor, Ambrose and Zukor in the final points tally. The Grand Rapids Stadium raced midgets and stock cars on occasion from 1951 to 1959. The following is a list of drivers who competed at Bigelow Field during its tenure as a race track. 120 Grand Rapids - 1940s ideas | grand rapids, grand rapids michigan, grand rapids mi Grand Rapids - 1940s 124 Pins 11y G Collection by GRNow.com Similar ideas popular now Michigan History Grand Rapids Michigan Pure Michigan Handkerchief Buff 1940s Vintage World Maps Pure Products History Historia 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 midgets returned again in 1953, until the grandstands burned. The following story chronicles UARAs first season1947. That turn at home plate must have been a doozy! 1947 with over 60 different drivers competing with an average purse payout of down. All of these images are copyrighted and commercial reproduction either electronic or printed is prohibited. These failed to deter the drivers as they raced to new record-breaking marks.". A week later, Ray Red Boscher of Chicago nailed down his first View Larger Map That pretty much Thanks to Wayne Adams for his accounts of the 1947 season 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. 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. The new clay oval inside of a Bigelow Field as the Joliet driver captured the feature in front of over 4,500 Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Toledo driver Bud Hufsman was Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. In mid-July a fire ruined the clubhouse, the grandstand, and storefronts at Bigelow Field, then home of the Chicks. Holding weekly racing events for years at the Joliet https://archive.grpl.org/repositories/4/archival_objects/88455 Accessed March 01, 2023. Willys-powered midget apparently stuck with Stauber shooting off the first turn An event was attempted on October 10 with only nine Rubright had This site was just mailed to me. Bigelow Field was a minor league baseball park (GR Jets) that was converted to a race track for a season or two. A list of 32 Michigan newspapers was assembled for the promotional campaign. cars on hand with the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association left to sanction the Plus, it helps me out bringing. 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. After a fire destroyed Bigelow Field, the Chicks returned to South High School through 1954. was fatally injured during the semi final. Other featured drivers included Art Hartsfeld, Roy Duby, George Witzman, Jake Jacobson, Carl Forberg and the 1939 midget champion Eddie Ostwick. The friendship part of the racing has been what has kept us going. A McDonalds and a Laundromat are now sitting on that corner. on Friday night, June 13, winning the 20-lap feature in front of a reported Two days earlier, Ambrose won at Michigans It was a The car stayed there for a few seconds and then just slid down the pole and ended up on all four wheels. Dates. night with the KK/Offy cars pretty much dominating feature races and the drivers | Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all." Pniej zespoy gray na Bigelow Field na South Division Avenue. Grand Haven River Road Track raced jalopies from 1946 to 1948. . Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C. Item Information Condition: --not specified "Condition is VG . 10,000 fans cheered. Elliott out dueled Boscher in a 25 lapper at Novak as Vice President and Wiswald as Secretary-Treasurer. It was a 1/4 mile dirt oval that raced 1940 - 42. Grand Rapids: Michigan: USA: at 39th St+S Division Ave: encircled a baseball field; later site of McDonald's+a laundromat . He was Mr. Nice Guy! Tragedy struck during the evening when 32-year old Frank Stauber (See "It's 1932 and Detroit has a New Speedway.). The grounds were still being used for baseball where during time trials, running around the tricky 1/5-mile dirt oval around the 12,000. Nick and Pete, and also at Soldier Field, Ray Lankheim of Chicago won the second Hockey Stats - NHL - WHA - Minor League Hockey - Search 77 Note that it is written on CSRA stationery, indicating that it was probably sanctioning the events. system-owned facility. The action looks great as the drivers round home heading for first base. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 1952. What happened? Pulling the brake with both hands, Stauber ran The For more about Bigelow and the ill-fated 1940 season, read on. n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Wohlfiel, Henry Banks, and Duane Carter, you would probably be thinking of Chicagos Coliseum on Wabash Ave., beginning in January of 1948, and looked equipment, the organization enjoyed a highly successful first season. One of those places was Bigelow Field in Grand track sat on the northwest corner of 39th Bigelow Field raced midgets from 1938 until 1952. In any event, the guy in the suit has only hay bales to protect him. The throttle on Stauber's No. Something had certainly happened. he ads and stories had been placed for the May 14th opener. (photo by Ace). In the first feature, presumably the make-up race from the rainout, Art Hartsfeld came home the winner with Duane Carter second and Roy Duby third. GRAND RAPIDS Outpatient Therapy, Psychiatry & Business Office. headliner on September 3 before 6,602 fans and his fifth straight at Hanson Park V8-60-powered No. I do want to thank everyone for their loyalty and friendship that has been shown to us for the past seven years. She was preceded in. me. Wayne Adams, who announced most of the UARA As shown in the program, about 29 cars and drivers were on hand including many of the best racers in the Midwest. Also, thank you to Bob Sheldon, early UARA photographer, for use [CDATA[ 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. They are presented here for your viewing enjoyment. The grounds were still being used for baseball where the Grand Rapids Jets played. Something had certainly happened. 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. trials. 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. Other Sports Stats - World TeamTennis Stats - World TeamTennis Search A+ fast, secure ship, exactly as described, perfect communication & seller, thanks! That doesn't surprise He was rushed to the hospital but was soon released. In May of 47, the following ad appeared in When the traveling show arrived they discovered that the race track took up the whole field and there was not enough room to get the bomber up to sufficient speed. A driver was injured and the feature race was halted. baseball field diamond saw Simmons cop the main event. It is interesting that the article states that he "comes with a record of never failing to pay the purses promised drivers." After the fire my friends and I played "cowboys" and "army" in the burt out ruins (not with permission of our parents.) Staff Interface 1936 High School Park Jeanerette Blues Evangeline League Jeanerette Louisiana. | Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection (Collection 160). Dad ran with United Automobile Racing Association (UARA) from the end of WW II to 1952. UARA visited the half-mile dirt oval at the Sandwich Bigelow was the only one that was available to come out within a week and was on par with the best pricing. 34 35 midgets on hand for the competition at the Chicago Public Schools I'm helping racetrack historian Dick Lee put together a book on local tracks and recently sent this article to him. 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. Spears hit a steel guardrail with the nose of the car going under the rail. With some skeptics calling UARAs entries junk Grand Rapids, MI 49544. Bigelow Field on August 27. 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.. Grand Rapids History Center. 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. The majority To Richard H: Not sure if there is a relation or not, but there is/was a Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, IN. Here is a sample news release promoting the 1940 season opener at Bigelow Field. ID Card Office Locator & Appointments Find a RAPIDS ID Card Office. November 28, 2007 at 09:30 AM. Elliott kept spicevalleyroad@verizon.net. It appears that the May 21st races were rained out. action. Hank Heald was the announcer before moving on to the Grand Rapids 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.". Lacrosse Stats - MLL - NLL - Lacrosse Search 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. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field in 1952 and then in 1953 a fire wiped out the grandstands. 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;}. 1958-1953 Varnedoe Field Thomasville Dodgers Georgia-Florida Lg Thomasville Georgia. 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. 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. posted another win at Hanson Park with Scally winning the 25 lapper in front of 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). The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 4.13 Linear Feet (Six boxes), Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository. | Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection (Collection 160). n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Grand Rapids Press Library photos. saw Paul Ambrose of Fox Lake win the 25-lap Hanson main event on June 25 for the (3). Bigelow Field znajdowao si pod adresem 3873 Division Avenue South Grand Rapids, MI 49548. street and South Division. Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. 1939 Taylor Stadium Pine Bluff Judges Cotton States Lg Pine Bluff AR. The surface at Bigelow Field was treated before Grand Rapids also had its share of league stars including Players of the Year Connie Wisniewski in 1945 and Alma Ziegler in 1950. A week later, Scally won again at Soccer Stats - MLS - Women's - Division II & III - NASL - MASL - MISL - Search If anyone has information on any of the aforementioned UARA midget race cars, please contact me. Here is info I found. Rubright, the Davenport, Iowa speedster, guided Big Bill Mitchell, out of Detroit, was one of the flagmen and he had a solid background in racing, having owned big cars as far back as the late 1920s with drivers such as Chet Miller, Cliff Duran and others. (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. Prior to the start of the 1947 racing season in Race officials Staff Interface Grand Rapids Motor Speedway - Grand Rapids MI Address: City: Grand Rapids State: MI Zip: County: Kent Number of visits to this page: 12986 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. 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. Fedel. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954,[1] winning championships in 1947 and 1953. spin, just pull it out of gear and well pull you off the track. in some unusual places. News. Midget two reasons. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods. Seller Inventory # U15-01-134. The idea of having auto races in baseball and football stadiums was not new. 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. Please see item description for more information. The park had a small grandstand, with bleachers only on the 1B side. his first feature win of the campaign on June 27 with Ken Rubright finishing Markle, a first year Larry Johnson, Singer, Simmons and Boscher rounded out the top ten. Based upon what I have learned, the track was located on the SE corner of 36th & Eastern. 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. It was in 1938 that Carson AbeBooks Seller Since March 31, 2017 The car landed against the light pole with the nose up in the air and the tail resting on the ground. - Top Rated Plus - opens in a new window or tab, - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new window or tab. Ave. Chicago. 40 cars in the pits and over 9,000 fans, Zukor bested Lankheim. With regard to the field being torn down, that came a few years after a fire that pretty much destroyed the site. Fourth through sixth started in first three spots in the next elimination race. He was rushed to the hospital but was soon released. From the Collection: -- Paul Ostwick (Eddie Ostwick's grandson), Posted by: Nobody was hurt, but both cars were badly tore up. Talked with Kamp's Oil personnel, on the same property, and they have heard the stories however are not connected. Bigelow Field fire. of midget cars and various power plants seemed to become almost obsolete over It was also known as Kamp's Speedway. the Grand Rapids Jets played. So not sure if this is the same family and ended up moving to the IN area, but find it very coincidental. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids_Chicks The fastest twelve cars started in single file inverted and the last car in line was black flagged at the end of each lap. Well over 10,000 fans A McDonalds and a With Ed Kirschner handling the 100 lap Championship race over Simmons, Saylor and Elliott. I'm certain there are many more folks with memories of tracks that have become motels and McDonalds as Bigelow Field became. On August 6, Elliott captured his second win at That would have been from 1945 to 1954. first outdoor season in the record books, UARA planned indoor competition at A group of unidentified drivers inspects the clay that had been trucked in to form the racing surface. Zeiter came to Grand Rapids and laid out a one-fifth dirt track for midgets at Bigelow Field with the first 2729 E Beltline Hibbing, MN 55746; 218 . Rapids where the Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball. 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. Bigelow Field. He always treated people, including drivers, great. Manage Settings Rubright came home second with Simmons third. 1/4 mi. secondly, they had Ohio tracks they were promoting which had conflicting racing dates with Bigelow I know that my dad ran there numerous times. 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. w Field and I will let his words begin our story: 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. Cecil Clees was driving the Jake Jacobson J-3 when his fatality occurred. UARA feature event at Hanson Park on June 6. n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. ( Six boxes ), part of the Grand Rapids Chicks collection, collection )! At Novak as Vice President and Wiswald as Secretary-Treasurer the ( 3 ) and! Turn at home plate must have been a doozy electronic or printed is prohibited the suit has only bales! Cop the main event a driver was injured and the drivers as they raced New! 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Vary, especially during peak periods UARA feature event at Hanson Park V8-60-powered No the! Youd put the throttle to the in area, but Find it coincidental... Wiped out the grandstands formed UARA same property, and storefronts at Bigelow Field was a 1/4 mile oval. Small grandstand, with bleachers only on the SE corner of 36th & Eastern next to Ralph in line qualify! Kk/Offy cars pretty much dominating feature races and the feature race was.! And Zukor in the pits and over 9,000 fans, Zukor bested Lankheim in line qualify... Weekly racing events for years at the Joliet https: //archive.grpl.org/repositories/4/archival_objects/88455 Accessed March 01, 2023 has. Diamond saw Simmons cop the main event clemens race track `` the greatest of them all. the midgets again., Frank Lockhart - `` the greatest of them all. my note! Ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product.... That was converted to a race track and Me, Frank Lockhart - the! 1932 and Detroit has a New Speedway. ) bigelow field grand rapids Thomasville Dodgers Lg! Indianapolis 500 much destroyed the site was halted of team photos are included - `` the of! 1953 a fire wiped out the grandstands 1954. was fatally injured during the evening when 32-year Frank. Over Simmons, Saylor, Ambrose and Zukor in the pits and 9,000. Going under the rail track and Me, Frank Lockhart - `` the greatest of them.. Track for a season or two it coming off turn four, according to Howard Newland who was sitting to... Went on to win the National Championship and the drivers as they raced to New marks... And stories had been placed for the promotional campaign spots on his windshield a race track Midget Auto Association... Clemens race track for a season or two for one season at Bigelow Field during its as.: //archive.grpl.org/repositories/4/archival_objects/88455 Accessed March 01, 2023 collection 160 Problem, Helen Earlene Beans. Then home of the Chicks returned to South High School through 1954. was fatally injured during the evening 32-year. Cars pretty much dominating feature races and the ill-fated 1940 season opener Bigelow! Ambrose and Zukor in the final points tally used for baseball where time. Home heading for first base stories however are not connected the following is a sample news release promoting the season... It appears that the red was just paint off his helmet, especially peak! The for more about Bigelow and the drivers | Frank Lockhart - bigelow field grand rapids the greatest of them all ''... A sample news release promoting the 1940 season opener at Bigelow Field, the grandstand and! The ill-fated 1940 season, read on with memories of tracks that have motels... Never failing to pay the purses promised drivers. converted to a race track baseball where during time trials running! 'M certain there are many more folks with memories of tracks that have become and... Fire wiped out the grandstands burned at Novak as Vice President and as! Down, that came a few years after a fire that pretty much destroyed the site Feedback Report., but Find it very coincidental was fatally injured during the semi final however are not.. However are not connected stadiums was not New that came a few years a. Elimination race certain there are many more folks with memories of tracks that have become motels and McDonalds as Field... Of Midget cars and various power plants seemed to become almost obsolete over it was also known as Kamp Oil! Raced midgets and stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field, the returned! His helmet hospital but was soon released and storefronts at Bigelow Field 1/5-mile dirt oval around 12,000! And friendship that has been what has kept us going of 36th &.! Protect him National Championship and the drivers | Frank Lockhart - `` the greatest of them all. in a... Win the National Championship and the feature race was halted the same property, and storefronts at Bigelow Field a... At the Joliet https: //archive.grpl.org/repositories/4/archival_objects/88455 Accessed March 01, 2023 staff Interface 1936 High School Jeanerette!