Goodness!!

[Bama]

I was just browsing thru your website and it is amazing how things have changed over the years.
I was just wondering if many people was hurt before the tracks added so many safety precautions.
misschicken.com/262-Ralph%20McCurray-T2.JPG

[oldtimeracinlady]

Here is a picture of my husband's brother,s car that he wrecked back in the late 60's. He walked away from it and he thanked my husband many times for saving his life. My husband built the car. The car was flipping end over end as high as the light poles. It landed on it's top hard enough that it bent the frame.

[Bama]

Hi oldtimeracinlady and welcome to Southern Dirt!!
Thanks for sharing the photo... I am sure he was glad he had a well built car. I remember when we first started going to races, I would panic anytime someone wrecked until I learned that the cars were built for that lol
It pays for drivers to know and trust the car builder.

[34flathead]

Many of the early tracks the cars raced on were built for horse racing. The track in your picture was Speedbowl Park in Jackson. It was made for auto racing. The dirt bank walls in the turns were a lot softer then the concrete wall of today. The things that killed drivers back when was poor roll cages, poor welding, standard gas tanks and no fire walls. Check out the firewall (or lack of) in this photo:


Miss Chicken was rebuilt just as she came off the track in 1962. She has 1 working brake, an expanded metal floor, no side impact bars and no complete firewall (front or back).

[Bama]

I have often wondered if drivers had rather know they was facing a cement wall or going off the track or hitting a dirt wall.
I am glad things have improved so much as for safety features, but the drivers of back when were really dare devils lol

[oldtimeracinlady]

Actually, the picture of the 45 [Ted Anderson] car was taken at Crawford County Speedway also known as the Crawdad Hole. The Speedway was and still is located about 8 miles north of VanBuren, Ar. on Ar. 59 Highway. The walls at this track were constructed of railroad ties standing on end. They were buried in the ground several feet deep and there were several strands of big cable running through them. These provided for some exciting times. I saw a payback one night when a car was put into the fence and he took 7 railroad ties out. He drove a little cleaner after that. He mistakenly thought he could push some of these redneck boys around and they would't push back. Those were the days when there was just about as much fighting in the pits and in the stands as there was racing on the track. Those were the days-I miss em!

[Bama]

I have learned so much from you all posting!! First time I have heard railroad ties being used. Very interesting.

[34flathead]

Back in the day, they didn't stop the race when a car spun out. I remember 2 car got together in turn 2 at Jackson Sports Arena. The two driver got out and started fighting on the track while the race was still going on. There was a ruckus in the stands behind us. We turned to see the two wives going at it also....

[Bama]

I was talking to a friend of mine and they was talking about how even the nascar drivers used to drive their cars to the races lol
Can't imagine that today!