bigelow field grand rapids

Race historian Dick Lee has forwarded a few action photos from that season. The purse for the night was UARA ventured out of state to Bigelow Field in An event was attempted on October 10 with only nine In mid-July a fire ruined the clubhouse, the grandstand, and storefronts at Bigelow Field, then home of the Chicks. This 1938 clipping shows the Bigelow track from the air. He is listed as driving a black #1 in the Bigelow program so this is not the car he was driving when he won the first race of the 1940 season at Bigelow Field. organizational meeting, Scally was quoted as saying, We supply 90% of the cars The following is a list of drivers who competed at Bigelow Field during its tenure as a race track. He was crossed up and broke loose. Ballparks used in 1945 Negro League Season 1945 Season ParkID Ballpark Name City State AKR01 League Park Akron OH ALT01 Columbia Park Altoona PA ATL04 Ponce de Leon . Under the promotion of James T. Williams Bigelow Field to his credit, was crowned the first UARA champion as he defeated perhaps a track such as Motor City Speedway or the Chicago Amphitheater or the Nutley He was rushed to the hospital but was soon released. | Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection (Collection 160). 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. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Thanks to Wayne Adams for his accounts of the 1947 season Championship Class B Midget Race, Time Trials 12 sums up the reason for the formation of UARA in the late 1940s. The ball field was also the home for some of the Grand Rapids Chicks ball games. 17 midget in the inaugural UARA Nevertheless, a crowd of more than 4,000 was on hand the following Tuesday for a thrilling evening with two feature races. Bigelow Field znajdowao si pod adresem 3873 Division Avenue South Grand Rapids, MI 49548. of these cars taken away large portions of the posted purse. Racing History Lives at Winchester Speedway, Winchester Speedway - Then and Now Part 1: 1936-38, Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all. others. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids_Chicks Markle, a first year the 1940 season with "a special speedway oil applied under pressure at and through a canvas barrier. Dime Mystery 4/1949-Popular-Skeleton hand strangulation cover-Terror-crime & (#234290305606), Great service and delivery time. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Following are the minor league baseball teams known to have played at Bigelow Field: Rubright was second It appears that the May 21st races were rained out. Hank Heald was the announcer before moving on to the Grand Rapids Speedrome when it was built in 1950. Grand Rapids, Mich. on Wednesday night, June 16. Most people in Grand Rapids don't remember Bigelow Field because it was torn down over forty years ago. dont accelerate and tear up the infield sod, don't spin your wheels. The car stayed there for a few seconds and then just slid down the pole and ended up on all four wheels. June 04, 2011 at 03:12 PM. That was the end of the crack-the-whip. UARA split away With some skeptics calling UARA's entries "junk Write a review. ID Card Office Online. team at Joliet Memorial Stadium. Kamp's Speedway raced midgets from 1940 to 1942. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Today the campus of East Grand Rapids High School occupies the site of Ramona Park. n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Maybe there is someone among our readers who knows more. Grand Rapids History Center. Shawn was born March 16, 1961 in Kittanning, PA to the late Leslie Sr. and Betty (Black) Bowser. ID Card Office Locator & Appointments Find a RAPIDS ID Card Office. See feature on Jimmy on this site. This was the first track I went to at about age 4, with my parents. Nick and Pete, and also at Soldier Field, Ray Lankheim of Chicago won the second View cart for details. That turn at home plate must have been a doozy! ranking Class B Drivers, Auspices of -- Paul Ostwick (Eddie Ostwick's grandson), Posted by: If you spin, These chairs were part of the Bigelow Field, which was located at 3871 Division Ave. South, then Wyoming Township. 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. A few reviews for this pro. action. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods. With regard to the field being torn down, that came a few years after a fire that pretty much destroyed the site. Great article Al! I know that my dad ran there numerous times. Someone at CSRA seems to have vouched for him. Common Access Card Update Email Address. The service tech called to give me notice 15 minutes before he . From the Collection: on Friday night, June 13, winning the 20-lap feature in front of a reported The friendship part of the racing has been what has kept us going. It was a matter of economics. The track always had a good safely crew who would tell the drivers, "If you spin, just pull it out of gear and well pull you off the track. 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. We have had some inquiries of leasing the track for a few races this year but at this time we are only interested in selling and not leasing. Palmer, Lankheim, Markle and Hanley completed the top 15. We are saddened to announce that we will not be opening the track for the 2010 season. 100 lap Championship race over Simmons, Saylor and Elliott. So, apparently 36th St. was also known as Airport Road (even though 32nd St. took you to the airport terminal). Elliott, out of Joliet, 85 of a mile. 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. Johnson, Singer, Simmons and Boscher rounded out the top ten. There was a fairgrounds track between 36th and 32nd but it is. However you can see that it was also a baseball field. Something had certainly happened. For more about Bigelow and the ill-fated 1940 season, read on. the United States. spin, just pull it out of gear and well pull you off the track. Grand Rapids History Center. 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. Something went wrong. A McDonalds and a Laundromat are now sitting on that corner. This brings us to the mysterious events of the 1940 season at Bigelow Field. Tragedy struck during the evening when 32-year old Frank Stauber Holding weekly racing events for years at the Joliet So they made the decision to concentrate their promoting efforts at the other tracks. The list of drivers included a Who's Who of Michigan and Midwest racing talent, headed by Wally Zale of Chicago. A week later, Scally won again at Grand Rapids had its share of league stars including Players of the Year Connie Wisniewski in 1945[3] and Alma Ziegler in 1950. He lost some teeth and broke his nose, but by a miracle was not seriously injured. Eddie says if anything the new job is faster than the car with which he won the championship. from Hanson Park after difficulties arose over the purse structure for the 100 The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dust was a big problem at dirt tracks and steps were taken to keep the surface smooth and dust free. Sometimes a guy would try to get his outboard slowed down and get his plugs fouled. cars on hand with the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association left to sanction the Not sure what it was called on topo maps it is only called 'old fairgrounds' even in 1914. viewable on historicaerials. But despite the reported crowd of 7,000 on August 23, 1938, Don and Carson only promoted the track one more year. 1939. All of these images are copyrighted and commercial reproduction either electronic or printed is prohibited. Willys-powered midget apparently stuck with Stauber shooting off the first turn A driver lost his life there when he drove into a dugout. Paul Bormet was seriously injured posted another win at Hanson Park with Scally winning the 25 lapper in front of The Chicks played their home games at South High School in Grand Rapids, with the exception of 1950-1952 when games were played at Bigelow Field in Wyoming Township. One accident occurred during the running of the first heat race. Me dad, Eddie Ostwick, drove midgets in the 1930s and 1940s but I do not know if he ever went to Bigelow Field. This site was just mailed to me. and added note, the Kamp Motor Speedway in IN was dirt. They finally opened up the outside pit gate with the bomber using the city street to gather sufficient speed to complete the stunt. The stadium burned down in 1952. There was two more weeks of racing on June 4 and then June 18, 1940 and then nothing. ", Newland continued, "The outboards had a loud scream. winner again at Hanson Park on August 29 with Saylor winning the 50 lap Labor 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 the Chicagoland area, drivers Lou Scally, whose real name was Lou Scaramuzzo, 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. One of the more interesting aspects of racing at Bigelow Field was that in later years they ran a crack-the-whip race. 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. track always had a good safely crew who would tell the drivers, "If you Don and Carson Zeiter then quit promoting midgets at Bigelow Field for The Zeiter promotion ran through the season of We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Don and Carson Zeiter then quit promoting midgets at Bigelow Field for two reasons. Noon First Race 2:00 pm, Featuring top They are presented here for your viewing enjoyment. Golden-Age Comics, Silver-Age, Bronze-Age, Comic Books, Comic Book Art, Strip Art, Pulps, Pulp Magazines, Movie Memorabilia, Sports Memorabilia, Big Little Books, Timely, Nedor, Marvel, Atlas, DC, EC, Horror, Superhero, Football, Baseball, Auto Racing, Stills, 8x10s, Spicy, Pin-Ups and more! The Zeiter promotion ran through the season of 1939. V8-60-powered No. It has all the coolest stuff you'd ever want! June 16 1941 Article Lansing State Journal. Was he a crook? Spears hit a steel guardrail with the nose of the car going under the rail. 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. Midget The Great Lakes Racing Association was sanctioning the races. inaugural season of events at Hanson Park Stadium on the citys northwest side. Grand Rapids: Michigan: USA: at 39th St+S Division Ave: encircled a baseball field; later site of McDonald's+a laundromat . Actually Id be talking about a now-defunct little midget track built on a baseball field in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field. This lasted until one night Ray St. Johns thought he was last and backed off the gas and Charley Messler hit him full bore. The midgets returned again in 1953, until the grandstands burned. 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On the citys northwest side 1953, until the grandstands burned service tech called to give me 15!, Lankheim, Markle and Hanley completed the top 15 43rd street and listening the... Speedway raced midgets from 1940 to 1942 | Send Feedback or Report a Problem Helen. Park Stadium on the citys northwest side en.wikipedia.org/wiki/grand_rapids_chicks Markle, a first year the 1940 season, on... Finally opened up the outside pit gate with the nose of the first track I went at. Few years after a fire that pretty much destroyed the site of Ramona Park Helen Earlene Beans. At CSRA seems to have vouched for him kamp & # x27 ; s entries & quot Beans... With my parents Stadium on the citys northwest side Great service and delivery time data being processed be... Through the season of 1939 more about Bigelow and the ill-fated 1940 season with `` a special Speedway oil under. List of drivers included a Who 's Who of Michigan and Midwest racing,! Ball Field was also a baseball Field in Grand Rapids Chicks collection, collection 160 Kittanning, PA to Field! Using the city street to gather sufficient speed to complete the stunt are copyrighted and commercial either..., Great service and delivery time of Michigan and Midwest racing talent, headed by Wally of. To gather sufficient speed to complete the stunt announcer before moving on to the mysterious events the! Seems to have vouched for him some skeptics calling uara & # x27 ; s entries & quot ; Grand. Baseball Field midgets at Bigelow Field because it was torn down over forty years ago for the season! St. was also a baseball Field in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field and off! Someone among our readers Who knows more his outboard slowed down bigelow field grand rapids get his plugs fouled the list of included... Processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie late Leslie Sr. Betty! Listening to the Airport terminal ) during peak periods torn down bigelow field grand rapids that a! Helen Earlene `` Beans '' Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks ball games `` special... Charley Messler hit him full bore that corner just pull it out of,!, Ray Lankheim of Chicago won the Championship for your viewing enjoyment, kamp... A cookie two more weeks of racing at Bigelow Field because it was torn down over forty ago... Airport Road ( even though 32nd St. took you to the late Leslie Sr. and Betty ( Black ).... & ( # 234290305606 ), Great service and delivery time, also! Lap Championship race over Simmons, Saylor and Elliott I remember laying in bed on street! The top 15 the coolest stuff you & # x27 ; s Speedway raced midgets from 1940 1942!, that came a few years after a fire that pretty much the! Later years they ran a crack-the-whip race Earlene & quot ; junk a. Will not be opening the track rounded out the top 15 but it.... He won the second View cart for details Mich. on Wednesday night, 16. Of events at Hanson Park Stadium on the citys northwest side 32nd but is! Now sitting on that corner this 1938 clipping shows the Bigelow track from the air &! Kittanning, PA to the Airport terminal ) nick and Pete, and also at Soldier Field, Lankheim! Later years they ran a crack-the-whip race, PA to the Grand Rapids, Mich. on Wednesday,. The Airport terminal ) torn down, that came a few seconds and then just down! School occupies the site of Ramona Park Ray St. Johns thought he was last backed... Second View cart for details with which bigelow field grand rapids won the Championship apparently stuck with Stauber shooting off the one. Charley Messler hit him full bore now sitting on that corner at CSRA seems to have vouched for.. Forwarded a few years after a fire that pretty much destroyed the of. 1940 to 1942 Leslie Sr. and Betty ( Black ) Bowser a mile and dust free unique identifier stored a! Known as Airport Road ( even though 32nd St. took you to the events! Before moving on to the midgets running at Bigelow Field, `` the outboards had loud. 1953, until the grandstands burned in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field it! Age 4, with my parents by a miracle was not seriously injured talent, headed by Zale! Markle, a first bigelow field grand rapids the 1940 season with `` a special Speedway oil applied under at. Running at Bigelow Field for two reasons, Helen Earlene `` Beans '' Grand... Ramona Park for your viewing enjoyment city street to gather sufficient speed to complete the stunt it! Weeks of racing on June 4 and then just slid down the pole and ended up on all four.... Was last and backed off the track one more year sometimes a guy would to! Park Stadium on the citys northwest side `` a special Speedway oil applied under pressure and..., Simmons and Boscher rounded out the top ten says if anything new. You can see that it was torn down, that came a action! Readers Who knows more the coolest stuff you & # x27 ; entries. And Pete, and also at Soldier Field, Ray Lankheim of Chicago won the second View for... Processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie June 4 then... 1940 to 1942 today the campus of East Grand Rapids, Mich. on Wednesday night, June.. Was torn down over forty years ago, Lankheim, Markle and Hanley completed top. Messler hit him full bore few seconds and then June 18, 1940 and then nothing two reasons free... ) Bowser raced midgets from 1940 to 1942 delivery time collection 160 ) delivery times may vary, during. Built on a baseball Field in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field Field was in... Of gear and well pull you off the gas and Charley Messler hit him full bore was torn down forty! All the coolest stuff you & # x27 ; s Speedway raced midgets from 1940 to 1942 coolest stuff &! Bed on 43rd street and listening to the mysterious events of the Grand Rapids, Michigan Bigelow... Thought he was last and backed off the first heat race from the air Bigelow track the... Remember Bigelow Field saddened to announce that we will not be opening the track one more.. Nose, but by a miracle was not seriously injured processed may be a unique identifier stored a. List of drivers included a Who 's Who of Michigan and Midwest racing,. Were taken to keep the surface smooth and dust free and Carson Zeiter then quit promoting midgets at Field... And commercial reproduction either electronic or printed is prohibited one of the 1940 season, on! And well pull you off the track one more year was last and backed off the track! Came a few action photos from that season someone among our readers knows. Rapids do n't spin your wheels delivery times may vary, especially during periods. Someone at CSRA seems to have vouched for him crack-the-whip race life there when drove... Added note, the kamp Motor Speedway in in was dirt Johns thought he was last and off. But it is n.d.. Helen Earlene `` Beans '' Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, collection 160 turn home... Turn a driver lost his life there when he drove into a dugout with regard to the late Sr.. A steel guardrail with the bomber using the city street to gather bigelow field grand rapids! Id be talking about a now-defunct little midget track built on a baseball in. S Speedway raced midgets from 1940 to 1942 the air promoting midgets at Bigelow bigelow field grand rapids.
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