ok, old timers, do you remember this?

[dennismopar73]

[92ga]

Yep, that's where I started, 1970. I believe the old blue vette belonged to George Tapscott, who lattter married Donna, the tracks owners daughter. I also believe the yellow road runner that was in the last pair, was my car from 68 to 72. I pulled my 69 camaro on a trailer to the track with that road runner, untill early 72 when I bought a new chevy truck. The new truck was purchased out the door for 2850.00. I raced there till George and Caroll shut the track down. Raced at Motion, and Beardstown too. They were both open later than Drag City. Some of the early funny cars and top fuel cars made the show there too. Havana was open then too, but most of the guys I ran with didn't care for Mason County Raceway. I didn't either, too much sand. Amazing how a fellow changes his mind when that's all thats left in the area. Sure glad Havana will have somebody else managing this year, may still end up running Gateway.

[dennismopar73]

I just happened across this film, on youtube, couldn't find anything else , I had heard about the track from my days at Motion.
hope you like it , can you tell where the track was located, I thought it was on the north -east side like n dirkson ?

[92ga]

The track was about 1/2 way between Springfield and Rochester on the south side of Rt 29. It ran right along side of Rt 29. The police ended up putting no parking signs along 29 to keep people from stopping to watch. i have a bunch of pics from that erra. Gartlits, Pruedon, Jungle Jim were a few big timers that ran there. They had match races a couple time a year, and I believe thats what did the track in. They paid those guys a lot of show up money, and most class races were either throphy or very little cash to win. They didn't draw enough paying crowd to be paying all the show up money to the big boys. The track had some bite though. No water box, we had to pour our own, and most of us used bleach, to heat the tires quicker. I really can't remember if we ever went bracket racing there or not. I know we did go to bracket racing at Beardstown some time in 75. I hung it up right after we started bracket racing, didn't like it at all. Most all of us were running 4 speeds, not too many of us could run the number consistantly. Sure is differant today, then 5 percent autos 95 percent 4 speeds.

[eticket]

Brings back memories I long ago have forgotten. I was raised in Springfield over by Illini country club. Moved away in '63. But kept close contact with friends. Made the trek from Stl. to Springfield many times with my '64 Falcon Sprint convertable. It had a huge 260 v8 and a 2spd. Thanks to the Mansion House construction the car was totaled. The crane excavating for the garage tipped over and dropped 2 cubic yards of dirt on it. Tough for the body and conv. top.

[92ga]

Dec 24, 2011 22:40:13 GMT -6 dennismopar73 said:

I just happened across this film, on youtube, couldn't find anything else , I had heard about the track from my days at Motion.
hope you like it , can you tell where the track was located, I thought it was on the north -east side like n dirkson ?

I'll bet the track you was thinking about that was at Clearlake Ave. and Dirkson {Rt 66} was Shaheens. That was a small round dirt track. Very popular, till Joe passed away. I remember thinking I was one h-ll of a driver [yea right] till I took a couple laps around that track. Couldn't wait till that heat race was over, seemed like it lasted for an hour. Never to enter another round track race, those guys have some big ;D ;D. I did go watch though.

[george]

The track at Clearlake and Dirksen was Joe Shaheen's Springfield Speedway. springfieldsspeedway.webs.com/

The dragstrip location is now a compose site. I live a few miles from the site. I raced at Drag City while in high school, probably 1972.

[problemchild]

made my first pass down that track in 1967. then went into the air force to miss the draft.
i believe george's blue vette became the bluevetvet and was owned by a guy named kevin moore.
remember kinsel and carter, lawson and sustzer(?), the white lighting corvair, or the butler bros chevy 2?
they had dickie harrell racing the kansas badman one weekend but dickie broke something and borrowed that green 66 altered wheelbase nova from decatur so he could at least run him. dickie showed what that nova could really do.
they were having a drag city reunion for a while and bob gibson had some vhs tapes of the GOOD OLE DAYS.

[george]

I had a draft card but never got called. Ed Carter ( Joe's brother) and I went to High school together. We helped each other on our projects. Ed had an early Falcon with a SBC.I had a 66 Mustang fastback, 289 2v with a 4sp. JC Pennys sold speed equiptment back then. I bought a set of headers and found myself in a Modified class, got smoked. Later I bought the "Black Panther" mustang from Rexroad and took it over to Havana and tore the rearend out of it. I ended up parting the race car out. By 1978 I was on a Turbocharged Kawasaki and racing at Assumption, did that until the track closed. Today I am partners with a FED running a injected SBC. Ran 5.08 @ 137 at Havana last September. Currently making some engine changes. We will be in the 4s and running with the NQSA.

[92ga]

george's blue vette became the bluevetvet and was owned by a guy named kevin moore.
remember kinsel and carter, lawson and sustzer(?), the white lighting corvair, or the butler bros chevy 2?

Last I seen of Georges vette, a fellow in Riverton owned it, last name Lyons
I don't remember Gerald or Ronnie Butler having a nova, They had a Camaros, the one I remember was painted by Ernie Ball. Red, white and blue stars and strips.
Doc Faris & George went together on a White Nova after Georges vette.
I still have some pictures, but the ex has, or had most of them.
Seen Gerald Butler over at Havana a couple years ago. I know a few guys that raced there, that took several years off and then built cars and started again a few years ago. I hung it up in late 73, and raced motocross bikes for a few years. Gave that up in late 77. Got into snowmobiles till 01, and then hit the drags again. Just had to do it again before I go.

[problemchild]

i guess lyons sold the vette to Kevin Moore, he's blind, and Ed Jackson redid the chassis. The Butler bros ran a chevy 2 back in 67, i want to say it was called Sidewinder. got some old pictures of the place my self.

[bobg]

George Tapscott first had the Vette then sold it to Ron Phillips, ron had Ernie paint it and letter it "Blue Velvette"
Ed Jackson's brother bought it from Ron Phillips and had Ed rebuild the chassis, the car was later sold to Kevin Moore and Kevin still has it.