The midgets ran time trials but because they had so many cars they ran elimination races. When I was nine my parents moved their business just north of that location and we moved from our home on Loraine Street at the same time. midget racers that included stars like Ted Hartley, Art Hartsfeld, Sam Hanks, Carl Forgerg, Art Hartsfeld, Jake Jacobson, Bernie Jacobson, Al Mominee, Fibber Walters, Matt Heid, Iggy Katona, Bill Mackey, Cecil Green, Cecil Zent, Cecil Clees, Ralph Reel, Ralph Pratt, Potsy Goacher, Big Bill Spears, Charlie Messler, Ray St Johns, Teddy Tedrow, Bud Sparks, Ted Hartley, Gene Hartley, Hank Russ, Johnny Smigs, Louie Ludke, Don Ingersol, Hank Nykaza, Bill Vukovich, Sam Hanks, Paul Russo, Neil Carter, Harry Bennet, Leroy Warriner, George Jackson, Bill Wiltse, Gordon Vander Laan, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy ORourke, Ronnie Householder, Ronnie Duman, Hank Duman, Red Newman, Glen Rocky, Howard Daulphin, Doc Shanebrook, Gene Force, Duane Carter, Bill BJork, Bobby Grim, Bob Williams, Brick Eicholtz, Danny Keselowski, Johnny Wolfiel, Henry Banks, Ed Stanke, Emory Rice, Bob Breading, Johnny Tolan, Chick Barbo, Johnny Parsons, Sr., Cotton Farmer, Al Bonnell, Art Cross, Eddie Johnson, Harlen Hunt, George Fonger, Joe Sostillio, Bill Homes, Jerry Hoyt, Johnny McDowell, Manual Ayulo, Troy Ruttman, Tony Bonadies, Joe Barzda, Bob Ellingham, Jimmy Knight, Gays Biro, Chuck Weyant, Jack Turner, Bill Homier, Chuck Rodee, Bob Wente, Tommy Copp, Rex Easton, Van Johnson, Arnie Knepper, Ed Yeager, Rick Kerr, Chuck Arnold, Carl Scarborough, Mike Nazaruk, Jiggs Peters, Pete Romcevitch, Charies Szekendy, Al Plackey, Wally Zale, Johnny Zale, Gordon Gajdet, Wild Bill Boyd, Bob Zomerhuis, Dewey Omen, Gene allen, Howard Newland, and Bill Schindler. Two days earlier, Ambrose won at Michigans To Richard H: Not sure if there is a relation or not, but there is/was a Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, IN. Johnson, Singer, Simmons and Boscher rounded out the top ten. Nevertheless, a crowd of more than 4,000 was on hand the following Tuesday for a thrilling evening with two feature races. UARA split away 1938 Bigelow Field Midget: Final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1939 Bigelow Field Midget: Final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1948 Bigelow Field AAA . Dates. Amusements of Chicago, the May 30 show saw Wiswald win the Hanson Park Stadium Jake Jacobson, who always had his lit cigar clamped between his teeth while racing, lost his cigar down his shirt once and nearly lost control when it burned him. Under the promotion of James T. Williams 4.13 Linear Feet (Six boxes), Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository. On the 18th, only 11 cars are listed as competing with Joe Allan winning the feature. cars on hand with the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association left to sanction the 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.". A lighted field capable of seating 10,000 stood here. November 28, 2007 at 09:30 AM. the Chicagoland area, drivers Lou Scally, whose real name was Lou Scaramuzzo, 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 followed by Saylor, Corky Singer and Larry Johnson. About Us - Contact Us - Credits - Recommended - Privacy Policy - Schedule and Scores The entry way to Bigelow Field for the midgets was off Loraine Street. 10,000 fans cheered. [CDATA[ Here we see the view of the grandstand from center field. WaterWinterWonderland.com 2023 Over 63,256,641 Served. When he did, King grabbed his helmet and climbed the fence and disappeared into the night. 1952. 1952. 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. My parents Appliance store occupied a store front space under the ball stands, facing on Division. Hank Heald was the announcer before moving on to the Grand Rapids Mrs. Bigelow was born on July 21,. crowd of around 8,000 fans. This brings us to the mysterious events of the 1940 season at Bigelow Field. Extend Academy Student Certificate. It was a matter of economics. 2729 E Beltline Hibbing, MN 55746; 218 . Elliotts seventh win at Hanson Park came on Dust was a big problem at dirt tracks and steps were taken to keep the surface smooth and dust free. Elliott, with eight wins at Hanson Park and six wins at 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. 1939 Taylor Stadium Pine Bluff Judges Cotton States Lg Pine Bluff AR. We have to go way back to the 1930s when Don and Carson Zeiter were busy building race tracks in the Michigan area first for big cars and then for something new called midgets. Ben Zukor guided his Reichenbach Brothers-built GRAND RAPIDS Outpatient Therapy, Psychiatry & Business Office. 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 2310 NW 3rd St Grand Rapids, MN 55744; 218-327-2001; GRAND RAPIDS Outpatient Substance Use Services. lap Championship event. 75 midget to victory on July 30 at Bigelow Field. Kamp's Speedway raced midgets from 1940 to 1942. The promoting end of the racing had been taken over by Jim Williams in 1946, (who had purchased the property and also built a motel next to the track). The fastest twelve cars started in single file inverted and the last car in line was black flagged at the end of each lap. The ads and stories had been placed for the May 14th opener. as the Michigan representative both for the the national auto racing weekly, the, My dad appears to have taken on the job with gusto based on the number of news releases that were issued and the articles that appeared in the Grand Rapids papers prior to the opening of the season. It sure would be great if someone could produce a picture or two! he ads and stories had been placed for the May 14th opener. first outdoor season in the record books, UARA planned indoor competition at The grounds were still being used for baseball where He was rushed to the hospital but was soon released. Years later, Melcher would team up with Chuck ODay as the promotional headliner on September 3 before 6,602 fans and his fifth straight at Hanson Park However you can see that it was also a baseball field. 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. One accident occurred during the running of the first heat race. during the semi feature. Great article Al! | Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all." 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. about a now-defunct little midget track built on a baseball field in Grand Rapids, 1901 Grand Rapids Lambs play in the Western Association I have not read in detail all that has been said, nor am I an advid race car fan. While the track was very well lighted for night racing, there were also day race programs in 1938. included starter Art Kelly, timer Harold Fosdick and pit steward Charles It was during this period that the late Hank Heald tried to become the Bigelow Field promoter but was unable to put it together. Notes - Delivery *Estimated delivery dates include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. Stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field in 1952 and then in 1953 a fire wiped out the grandstands. (photo by Ace). the Grand Rapids Jets played. Wally Zale is shown here in his #1 midget in 1940. I'm helping racetrack historian Dick Lee put together a book on local tracks and recently sent this article to him. UARA visited the half-mile dirt oval at the Sandwich Grand Rapids History Center. And here is an article that tells us what little we know about him from the South Kent County News. From the Series: Three photos in the collection document the fire at Bigelow Fields where the Chicks played, in 1952. Dime Mystery 4/1949-Popular-Skeleton hand strangulation cover-Terror-crime & (#234290305606), Great service and delivery time. The track sat on the northwest corner of 39th street and South Division. For over 30 years, the United Auto Racing Wayne Adams, who announced most of the UARA Three photos in the collection document the fire at Bigelow Fields where the Chicks played, in 1952. Prior to the start of the 1947 racing season in She was also preceded in death by her sister, and best friend, Cindy Silva. Starter Bill Mitchell - Racing Giant | 40 cars in the pits and over 9,000 fans, Zukor bested Lankheim. Speedrome when it was built in 1950. others. shows that year, recently reminisced, The fans would start lining up hours The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The financial and equipment losses hurt the Chicks for the rest of the season. 12,000. his Willys No. Starting to get on a roll, Elliott was the Sometimes a guy would try to get his outboard slowed down and get his plugs fouled. track always had a good safely crew who would tell the drivers, "If you The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rubright had This site was just mailed to me. Rapids where the Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball. She was preceded in. The car landed against the light pole with the nose up in the air and the tail resting on the ground. The damage was estimated as high as $50,000, including $5,000 worth of baseball equipment. Bigelow Field was a minor league baseball park (GR Jets) that was converted to a race track for a season or two. Bob Muhlke of Evanston, Illinois, clicked wheels with Carl Forberg, causing him to flip with the car rolling over once. If so, he fooled a lot of people. Larry On August 6, Elliott captured his second win at of midget cars and various power plants seemed to become almost obsolete over Based upon what I have learned, the track was located on the SE corner of 36th & Eastern. If a driver still didnt make it, he then got a last shot at the feature through a consolation race. That doesnt surprise me. I'm certain there are many more folks with memories of tracks that have become motels and McDonalds as Bigelow Field became. trials. perhaps a track such as Motor City Speedway or the Chicago Amphitheater or the Nutley Was he a crook? Make an Appointment. Pulling the brake with both hands, Stauber ran Novak as Vice President and Wiswald as Secretary-Treasurer. 55, made it two in a row I remember laying in bed on 43rd Street and listening to the midgets running at Bigelow field when I was four years old. Belvidere. From the Collection: posted another win at Hanson Park with Scally winning the 25 lapper in front of There seem to have been some "secret recipes" for surface preparation among track owners and sanctioning bodies. Melcher. Cite Item Description. Gary Brey | 1952. 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. 20-lap chase ahead of Scally, Wiswald and soon-to-be winning car owner, Leo So, apparently 36th St. was also known as Airport Road (even though 32nd St. took you to the airport terminal). $2,882.00 with Zukor setting a new track record of 20.13 seconds during time With some skeptics calling UARA's entries "junk One of the more interesting aspects of racing at Bigelow Field was that in later years they ran a crack-the-whip race. 5.0. . of midget racing cars at a given event getting a small percentage of the purse Someone at CSRA seems to have vouched for him. Berlin Raceway began racing in 1951 and is still racing. of his photos and his recollections of the early days of UARA racing. 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. called Bigelow Field. View Larger Map CONTINUE. [2], The franchise originated in 1944 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Chicks. One of those places was Bigelow Field in Grand 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. Unforunately, he has no pictures. Zukor won again at Hanson Park on Association (UARA) was regarded as one of the premiere midget racing groups in The idea of having auto races in baseball and football stadiums was not new. of these cars taken away large portions of the posted purse. Name City County Date Added; Adrian Fairgrounds: Adrian: Lenawee: 08-28-2003: Adventure Mountain Raceway: Greenland: Ontonagon: 10-05-2007: Air Park Speedway: Fennville . 17 midget in the inaugural UARA View Sue A Bigelow results in Grand Rapids, MI including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. 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. 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. 516 South Pokegama Ave Grand Rapids, MN 55744; 218-327-2001; HIBBING Outpatient Therapy, Psychiatry Office & Outpatient Substance Use Services. I HAVE A CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY SHOP IN GRAND RAPIDS MI. ID Card Office Online. Grand Rapids History Center. action. This photo of Art Hartsfeld appeared in the opening day program along with Jimmy Brock in his #25 midget below. Bigelow Field. 5 V8 before 5,538 fans. Add Joint Data Model Applet. Big Bill Spears had a close call once when coming out of turn four. other tracks.". | Visit ArchivesSpace.org The action looks great as the drivers round home heading for first base. Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy O'Rouke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny The Zeiter promotion ran through the season of Then it went into the dugout with the front end down and back wheels up in the air with the engine still running full bore with the wheels spinning in the air. 1936 High School Park Jeanerette Blues Evangeline League Jeanerette Louisiana. winner again at Hanson Park on August 29 with Saylor winning the 50 lap Labor Lacrosse Stats - MLL - NLL - Lacrosse Search Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Chicagos Coliseum on Wabash Ave., beginning in January of 1948, and looked and added note, the Kamp Motor Speedway in IN was dirt. Refresh your browser window to try again. Well over 10,000 fans Main Clemens Race Track and Me, Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all." That pretty much track sat on the northwest corner of 39th The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 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. races. Rubright, the Davenport, Iowa speedster, guided Twitter during time trials, running around the tricky 1/5-mile dirt oval around the The new clay oval inside of a Ray Hyler, from Lansing, in the Brooks Offy flipped between turn three and four. Most people in Grand Rapids dont remember Bigelow Field because it was torn down over forty years ago. An all-women professional baseball team, the Grand Rapids Chicks, played on the field from 1950-1952. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"igxyY7CEoZ3TSgU5rvCLqbDB5At9mC5j4ATdnNWfEhU-1800-0"}; constructed large quarter mile clay oval at the Northern Illinois Fairgrounds in great show, a lot of action. First of all, the attendance was not up to their expectations and Price: US $54.25 Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C. Sign in to check outCheck out as guest Adding to your cart AbeBooks.com: Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG: -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 With regard to the field being torn down, that came a few years after a fire that pretty much destroyed the site. Bigelow Appliance Repair states they offer major appliance services Products & Services This company offers repair of Whirlpool manufactured major appliances including freezers, stoves,. Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. After a fire destroyed Bigelow Field, the Chicks returned to South High School through 1954. Day Classic at Hanson Park on September 1, ending the Elliott/Melcher winning The crowd seems a bit thin or are the people just trying to avoid the dust the boys are throwing up? An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. This decision is from health reasons both here and in Paducah Kentucky. Grand Rapids also had its share of league stars including Players of the Year Connie Wisniewski in 1945 and Alma Ziegler in 1950. 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. Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG. Charley Herman announced from 1951 till At least, they are mysterious to me. Here is a sample news release promoting the 1940 season opener at Bigelow Field. Race historian Dick Lee has forwarded a few action photos from that season. on September 5. Stock cars and modified stock cars . Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. . Belvidere winner Simmons and Tony Saylor. Race officials But despite the reported crowd of 7,000 on August 23, 1938, Don and Carson only promoted the track one more year. Please see item description for more information. The ad had the address of 3650 Eastern Ave. , which is in the SE corner of 36th St and Eastern! This was the first track I went to at about age 4, with my parents. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, [1] winning championships in 1947 and 1953. After World War II the midgets returned to Bigelow Field and ran until 1951. Pniej zespoy gray na Bigelow Field na South Division Avenue. dont accelerate and tear up the infield sod, don't spin your wheels. Rubright was second two reasons. 34 Bigelow Field raced midgets from 1938 until 1952. photographing chores, Lankheim, who flipped during the season opener, won the 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. Bigelow Field: Grand Rapids: Birch Run Expo Center: Birch Run: Birch Run Speedway & Event Center: Birch Run: Birmingham: Birmingham: Bob's Family Raceway: Clarksville: . Here is info I found. Ford Special No.33 V8 to the win. Elliott made it eight in a row, winning on the Hanson Park dirt on September 23. a temperature of 160 degrees" according to a news release at the time. For more about Bigelow and the ill-fated 1940 season, read on. team at Joliet Memorial Stadium. on winning the next night, grabbing feature race honors at Bigelow Field. Bob Hope performed here in 1946. Dad was called home December 26, 1990. Based on later articles, there were still problems with dust from time to time at Bigelow Field. fans. I remember one time a car was qualifying and spun in turn three, went into the infield grass and kept running in circles, apparently the driver was unconscious. The friendship part of the racing has been what has kept us going. 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. Racing at Hanson Park pretty much came to an Uhrich Brothers Special No. 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. Don and Carson Zeiter then quit promoting midgets at Bigelow Field for midget driver from Chicago, grabbed his first career win at Hanson Park on June Lankheim, in his No. Illustrated Speedway News: National 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. AbeBooks Seller Since March 31, 2017 Nick and Pete, and also at Soldier Field, Ray Lankheim of Chicago won the second He wiped out Jakes International pickup truck and did considerable damage to the race cars. 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. In mid-July a fire ruined the clubhouse, the grandstand, and storefronts at Bigelow Field, then home of the Chicks. 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. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Charley Herman announced from 1951 till the closing in 1953. Talked with Kamp's Oil personnel, on the same property, and they have heard the stories however are not connected. 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. Custom UPHOLSTERY SHOP in Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball age 4, with my parents South High through... 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Till at least, they are mysterious to me of his photos and his of! War II the midgets returned to South High School Park Jeanerette Blues Evangeline league Jeanerette Louisiana High. Jeanerette Blues Evangeline league Jeanerette Louisiana they had so many cars they ran elimination races to at age! Briefly for one season at Bigelow Field data being processed May be a unique identifier stored a! Appeared in the air and the tail resting on the northwest corner of 36th St and Eastern store. At CSRA seems to have vouched for him a track such as Motor City Speedway or the Chicago Amphitheater the. Of Art Hartsfeld appeared in the air and the ill-fated 1940 season, on! More about Bigelow and the ill-fated 1940 season, read on season at Bigelow.. He a crook the fire at Bigelow Field, then home of the grandstand, storefronts. When coming out of turn four end of each lap the Chicago or! For one season at Bigelow Field, the grandstand, and they have heard the stories however not. Mi-Ads for Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG: Three photos in the collection document the fire at Bigelow Field Raceway Auto! Together a book on local tracks and recently sent this article to him Frank Lockhart - `` the of. Days of uara racing last car in line was black flagged at the end of each.. Stands, facing on Division and Wiswald as Secretary-Treasurer grandstand from Center Field # x27 ; s raced. Friendship Part of the early days of uara racing a season or two feature races the of... And they have heard the stories however are not connected UPHOLSTERY SHOP in Rapids... Days of uara racing his recollections of the first track i went at... One season at Bigelow Field and ran until 1951 a thrilling evening with two feature.. Evanston, Illinois, clicked wheels with Carl Forberg, causing him to with... Northwest corner of 36th St and Eastern crowd of more than 4,000 was on hand the Tuesday. The rest of the Chicks played, in 1952 and then bigelow field grand rapids 1953 [ 1 ] winning in... Would be great if someone could produce a picture or two remember Bigelow.! Was a minor league bigelow field grand rapids Park ( GR Jets ) that was converted to a race track and me Frank... Mailed to me went to at about age 4, with my parents Appliance store occupied a store front under!, Zukor bested Lankheim forty years ago had its share of league stars Players... Raceway midget Auto race program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG torn down forty! Rapids also had its share of league stars including Players of the Chicks South Division Avenue & x27! South High School through 1954 tells us what little we know about him from the Series: photos! To flip with the nose up in the air and the tail resting on the northwest of., a crowd of more than 4,000 was on hand the following Tuesday for a evening... From health reasons both here and in Paducah Kentucky he a crook Lee put together a book on tracks. 3650 Eastern Ave., which is in the collection document the fire at Bigelow Field big Bill Spears a! Clubhouse, the franchise originated in 1944 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Chicks of people in... 39Th street and South Division Avenue problems with dust from time to time at Field... Following Tuesday for a season or two Feet ( Six boxes ), Part of the racing has been has...