Looking for info. on early 50's racing in St. Louis area

R

RBBurben

New Member
I live in Oregon, moved here from St. Louis in 1956. I have been involved in Oregon racing since 1957 and just finished my 47th season as a racer, announcer/reporter and "Gas Fumes" columnist.

A couple of years ago there was a thread on stlracing about racing at the Lake Hill Speedway in Valley Park and some very good photos of racing there in the early days of that track. Any one know when racing started there?
Was it sanctioned by Allied Auto Racing A'ssn? In the early 50's my cousin, George L. Bennett raced at Lake Hill. He drove a Black 37 Chev coupe #7.
At the time he lived in St. Ann and worked at Emerson Electric.

I didn't get out there too often (Lake Hill), (too young to drive) but seldom missed a Friday night or Tuesday night race at Walsh (later Oakland) Stadium. I was about 11 or 12 yrs. old at the time so it must have been from 1949 thru mid season 1956 that I was a regular customer at the Stadium.

Anyone remember St. Louis area racing from those days? Tracks operating in that area in those days were Walsh Stadium, Lake Hill, Belleville, Godfrey/Alton, Wentzville and at the old track at Pevely.

I would very much appreciate any Walsh Stadium, Lake Hill, Allied Auto Racing news from the late 40's up to the closing of the Stadium and Lake Hill.

Thanks, Ron Bennett....Eugene, Oregon
 
The earliest race within 100 miles of St. Louis (the Arch) was held in 1903 at a track tied to the 1904 World's Fair. The Maxwellton track was a 1 mile dirt oval which ran from 1903 - 7/4/1907 and again from 8/9/1914 - 11/22/1922.

The earliest race within 100 miles of St. Louis on the Illinois side was 1910 at the Springfield Mile and the track at that time ran East/West (as opposed to its current North/South layout). That track was there until 8/17/1929. The grandstands faced South. The track was rebuilt and ran from 8/24/1934 - 8/16/1941. During the war years the track was not in use and it has been in operation since 8/17/1946. Which makes it the longest continuous running track within 100 miles of St. Louis.

Lake Hill was a 1/5 mile dirt oval beginning 6/29/1948 until 1966. It was a 1/3 mile paved oval 1967 - 1978. Here's a list of the Lake Hill promoters in I believe to be the correct order from first to last:

Marty Heutel, Sr.
Josephine Heutel
Marshall Yost
Marty Heutel, Jr.
Jesse Tettaton/Joe Findley

Also Dan Frye, Sr. and Bob Mueller promoted there, but I'm not certain where they fall into the list.

Check with "Parts Gal" a.k.a. Linda Schaefer on this message board about Allied Auto Racing Association history. She is currently putting together a 50th anniversary program book for 2006 (? I think it is 2006, maybe 2005).

The current St. Louis Science Center sits roughly where Walsh Stadium used to be. Katherine Walsh, the widow of Ed Walsh, who's family donated the land to St. Louis University High School died either last December or the December before that. Ed Walsh, who died in October of 1991, not only won a midget title there he was a AAA Champion car owner, an Indy 500 winning car owner, part owner of Kurtis Kraft, the last nationally elected president of the SCCA, a member of the Knights of Malta (a honor bestowed only by the Pope), a SCCA national champion in road racing, and served as the Police Commissioner of St. Louis. Walsh Stadium was torn down in April of 1957.

Back in the late 50's you would have had Godfrey (or whatever they called it then.....it has had so many name changes over the years), Belleville/Belle Clair, Allied Auto Racing, possibly Broken Springs Speedway in Dupo, Cahokia Dragstrip, Chester Speedway at the Randolph Co. Fairgrounds, Jacksonville Raceway at the Morgan County Fairgrounds, Mt. Vernon Fairgrounds at the Jefferson Co. Fairgrounds, Olney City Park at the Richland County Fairgrounds, and Little Springfield Speedway all on the Illinois side. West of the Arch you might have had Fredericktown Speedway, Lake Hill, Oakland Stadium/Walsh Stadium, Pevely, Smartt Field (a paved road course), Swanterville (possible near Wentzville), Wentzville (a dirt oval track was there in the 50's, but the drag strip/road course wasn't built until 1964......I don't know maybe Swanterville and Wentzville were the same track with different names).

Russell Fox who raced at Walsh Stadium is still around and still as big a character as he ever was. Jr. Knepper is still "racing".......his son Steve has driven for him for probably over 20 years now and between them they have about 15 MARA Midget championship trophies as driver (Steve) and car owner (Jr.). Danny Frye, Sr. is also around and boy can he tell some stories. Bud Hoppe is around, but might not be in the best of health.......I haven't checked on him lately. Elmer Freber who owned Marquette Tool and Die which also owns Margay Karts died a couple of years ago.

Anyway, I hope this helps answers some of your questions.

If you need something else please let me know.
 
More on early 50's racing.

Thanks to Eileen for her reply.

One of the earliest speedways in the St. Louis area may have been the old board track in the western suburbs of the city. I can remember seeing the remains of one of the banked turns (late 40's - early 50's). I think it was on Maxwell Rd. Another track (before my time), was known as Saint Louis Speedway (aka Ball Park Speedway). This info from Allen Brown's book called America's Speedways.
I can remember seeing a track in Dupo, Illinois in the late 40's/early 50's but never saw races there.
I also saw the old Pevely track several times when traveling south on Hwy 67. Never saw a race there but remember a Walsh Stadium Friday night race when a collection was taken for a Walsh regular who had been injured in a racing accident at Pevely the previous Wednesday night. I've been told that this track was located a couple of miles north of the present I-55 Spdy.
I can't remember the exact year when I attended my first race at Walsh Stadium but will never forget coming in the east side ticket gate and making the walk around the walkway on the outside of the 3-4 turns and watching a black and white #circle7 bycicle thru the turn on 2 wheels and never lifting.
I later learned that the driver was Don Gerstner and the circle 7 became this wide-eyed kids favorite driver. I beleive the promoter was Joe Shaheen who also promoted the "Little" Springfield track on Sunday nights. The top drivers at the Stadium were St. Louis drivers, Al King in the "Flying 1", Art Aubuchon in the Pepsi #4, Gerstner in the Circle 7, the Evans brothers (Don & Ed). Two other St. Louis cars were the F-40 and F-41 which were owned by Smitty's Garage. These cars were driven by Illinois drivers Ernie Strate and "Bullet" Joe Brandenberg. Other top Illinois drivers were Paige Baker, Nelson Rice and "Gentleman Jim" McKay. Since Belleclair also raced on Friday nights I could only keep up with those drivers through the newspaper results or go see them on Sunday nights at Lake Hill.
I could go on for hours about the racing that I saw in the St. Louis area up to mid-65 when I moved to Oregon. Seeing Cal Niday win the midget feature at Walsh Stadium in 1952 and seeing the great Jud Larson there in one of those early AAA races plus some of the Lake Hill races are among my fondest memories of growing up in the St. Loius area.

Anyone wishing to trade information about old racing in that area or anyone
interested in present day Dirt Late Model racing in Oregon can contact me via private e-mail or on this thread. RBBurben
 
Don Gerstner is still alive & well, just saw him @ duquion mile on labor day watching usac champ cars. Belive it or not I have a pitcure or 2 of the old circle 7 with me sitting in it. Don lives in Breese Ill. Good Memories!
 
Thanks for Don Gerstner info (Old St. Louis races)

Thanks to Luckybuc97 for the info on Don Gerstner. Glad to hear he is well and still going to races.

Here are a few other memories from races that I attended in the St. Louis area prior to moving to Oregon in July 1956.

Anyone remember the 500 lap race that they ran at Lake Hill Speedway in the early 50's??
It was run at the end of the season on a very warm Sunday afternoon. I must have been around 12 or 13 so that would have been in the early 50's.
I remember that there was a overflowing pit area in the center of the track and some cars pitted outside. All cars had their regular numbers covered and were assigned team numbers. Three cars per team, all with same number.
One team car per team in the feature, each car would run a certain number of laps then go to pit. As soon as the car entered the pit entrance, his team mate would go roaring out to replace him in the race. It was pretty wild, cars racing and then handing off to a team car who raced a certain number of laps then was replaced by another team member.
The dust was thick, the sun was hot and the fans were coated with dirt. As a kid, I was in heaven until about a hundred laps in to the 500, my parents said it was too much dirt and heat and we had to go. I was broken-hearted and couldn't understand why anyone would leave such a beautiful thing.
Little did my parents know that in less than ten years (1957), my father and I would be racing against each other on a 5/8ths mile dustbowl in Lebanon, Oregon.....RBBurben
 
If memory serves me correct & it better! donnie,s has the helmet he was wearing that same night. It was Leather... Man, were those guys tough or what!!!
 
Thanks for info on early 50's St. Louis racing.

Thanks to everyone who posted info about racing in the St. Louis area in the early 50's. To Eileen: Thanks for your response. To "Parts Gal" aka Linda Schaefer: I would like to buy a copy of your "50th Anniversary program for AARA when it is available. To "luckybuc97": Thanks for the Donnie Gerstner info. To "HWORRELL: Thanks for the info on the "Smitty F-39, F-40 & F-41" cars and the Joe Shaheen "Godfrey" info.

I have seen mention of the track at Wentzville and some were not sure of the name of the track. I don't know a lot about it but here is what I recall. The track was located by the Bob Swantner Ford dealership in Wentzville and was called "Swantnerville Speedway" in the newspaper ads. It was a very high-banked "bowl", probably a 1/5 mile like BelleClaire. I think it was a Saturday night track. It may have already closed by the time I left the St. Louis area in mid-1956.

I vacationed in the St. Louis area in 1966 & 1967 (I think this is correct.) I visited Lake Hill on a Sunday night and watched the AARA coupes in a very good show. The following year when I returned it had been stretched out to a third-mile and paved. No AARA coupes, instead there was Late Models, I think Russ Wallace was racing there at the time. Being a dirt-track fan I was very disappointed to see the pavement but must admit that the center of the landscaped track was beautiful but dissapointing because of being unable to see the cars in the pits. During these two visits I also visited Tri-City Speedway and the dirt track at St. Charles. (Both were built after I had moved in 1956.) The Modifieds at Tri-City were a mixture of Modifieds and Sprint cars. I think Jerry Blundy won the feature. At the time I was writing for the "Racing Wheels" newspaper (Vancouver, WA.) and after the race I talked to Blundy and showed him an ad in that paper for the upcoming J.C. Agajanian promoted US Modified Nationals at the Sacramento mile that Fall.
When I returned to the west coast I told some friends that Blundy had shown some interest in coming out for the race. They said, "Jerry who?" I predicted that Blundy would clean house over the best in the west and he not only won, he returned the following year and took the money back to Galesburg again! If I remember correctly, I think the promoter was Wib Spaulding at the time of my visit to Tri-City and that he ran the #444 car at St. Charles the following night. I also remember seeing a "Smitty's Garage" F-40 Modified at Tri-City on the night Blundy won there.
I also worked in a Friday night show at Belleville during that time period. The AARA coupes were still running there. I looked over the Ray Eby Chevy coupe in the parking lot and was glad to see one of my old "heroes" from Lake Hill.
This same night, there was a Henry-J bodied #91 (blue) car that posted fast time. If I remember right, that was the first time that anyone in AARA had ever been in the 12 second (12.91) bracket.
During one of those trips (1966-67?) I also made it down to Fredricktown and pitted for my cousin Bob Bennett and his ("Lightning" #1) car, a 32-34 Orange Ford coupe. I had raced with Bob during his rookie year here in Oregon before he returned to Missouri. I think he won a track championship at Fredricktown.

Again, Thanks to everyone for the memories, I love reading about racing in that part of the country, especially the "old days". RBBurben.
 
RBBurben You can e-mail me at bellevellautomo@aol.com if you would like i have some info. Still working on the book. We've had a bust summer just like evertone else,working racing & family things. It would be good to hear from you.
 
I'm in the process of restoring the Don Gerstner midget....I'm looking for any photos of the car back when it raced. Here are photos of the car as it currently sits. Thanks
 

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A guy who comes in our shop to chat from time to time used to race in the St Louis area during some of that era, Norm Heironimus. He drove stock cars and then later on moved to Super Modifieds. He said that racing at Wash stadium was crazy back when he ran a coupe and they would do a standing start.
 
eileen: i think there was a also a small track in evansville, il. across the river. when i was young my dad & i would meet some of our chester relatives there.i think it ran sat, as know we'd never miss bel-clair on a fri & if we went on sun it was to st charles. so think it ran on sat same as lake hill.
 
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mvalentine said:
eileen: i think there was a also a small track in evansville, il. across the river. when i was young my dad & i would meet some of our chester relatives there.i think it ran sat, as know we'd never miss bel-clair on a fri & if we went on sun it was to st charles. so think it ran on sat same as lake hill.
Click to expand...
There was a track in evansville
 
RBBurben said:
Thanks for info on early 50's St. Louis racing.

Thanks to everyone who posted info about racing in the St. Louis area in the early 50's. To Eileen: Thanks for your response. To "Parts Gal" aka Linda Schaefer: I would like to buy a copy of your "50th Anniversary program for AARA when it is available. To "luckybuc97": Thanks for the Donnie Gerstner info. To "HWORRELL: Thanks for the info on the "Smitty F-39, F-40 & F-41" cars and the Joe Shaheen "Godfrey" info.

I have seen mention of the track at Wentzville and some were not sure of the name of the track. I don't know a lot about it but here is what I recall. The track was located by the Bob Swantner Ford dealership in Wentzville and was called "Swantnerville Speedway" in the newspaper ads. It was a very high-banked "bowl", probably a 1/5 mile like BelleClaire. I think it was a Saturday night track. It may have already closed by the time I left the St. Louis area in mid-1956.

I vacationed in the St. Louis area in 1966 & 1967 (I think this is correct.) I visited Lake Hill on a Sunday night and watched the AARA coupes in a very good show. The following year when I returned it had been stretched out to a third-mile and paved. No AARA coupes, instead there was Late Models, I think Russ Wallace was racing there at the time. Being a dirt-track fan I was very disappointed to see the pavement but must admit that the center of the landscaped track was beautiful but dissapointing because of being unable to see the cars in the pits. During these two visits I also visited Tri-City Speedway and the dirt track at St. Charles. (Both were built after I had moved in 1956.) The Modifieds at Tri-City were a mixture of Modifieds and Sprint cars. I think Jerry Blundy won the feature. At the time I was writing for the "Racing Wheels" newspaper (Vancouver, WA.) and after the race I talked to Blundy and showed him an ad in that paper for the upcoming J.C. Agajanian promoted US Modified Nationals at the Sacramento mile that Fall.
When I returned to the west coast I told some friends that Blundy had shown some interest in coming out for the race. They said, "Jerry who?" I predicted that Blundy would clean house over the best in the west and he not only won, he returned the following year and took the money back to Galesburg again! If I remember correctly, I think the promoter was Wib Spaulding at the time of my visit to Tri-City and that he ran the #444 car at St. Charles the following night. I also remember seeing a "Smitty's Garage" F-40 Modified at Tri-City on the night Blundy won there.
I also worked in a Friday night show at Belleville during that time period. The AARA coupes were still running there. I looked over the Ray Eby Chevy coupe in the parking lot and was glad to see one of my old "heroes" from Lake Hill.
This same night, there was a Henry-J bodied #91 (blue) car that posted fast time. If I remember right, that was the first time that anyone in AARA had ever been in the 12 second (12.91) bracket.
During one of those trips (1966-67?) I also made it down to Fredricktown and pitted for my cousin Bob Bennett and his ("Lightning" #1) car, a 32-34 Orange Ford coupe. I had raced with Bob during his rookie year here in Oregon before he returned to Missouri. I think he won a track championship at Fredricktown.

Again, Thanks to everyone for the memories, I love reading about racing in that part of the country, especially the "old days". RBBurben.
Click to expand...
I was told that they tried to race at the Valley Mount Horse Stables horse show arena off old route 66 at 141.
RBBurben said:
Thanks for Don Gerstner info (Old St. Louis races)

Thanks to Luckybuc97 for the info on Don Gerstner. Glad to hear he is well and still going to races.

Here are a few other memories from races that I attended in the St. Louis area prior to moving to Oregon in July 1956.

Anyone remember the 500 lap race that they ran at Lake Hill Speedway in the early 50's??
It was run at the end of the season on a very warm Sunday afternoon. I must have been around 12 or 13 so that would have been in the early 50's.
I remember that there was a overflowing pit area in the center of the track and some cars pitted outside. All cars had their regular numbers covered and were assigned team numbers. Three cars per team, all with same number.
One team car per team in the feature, each car would run a certain number of laps then go to pit. As soon as the car entered the pit entrance, his team mate would go roaring out to replace him in the race. It was pretty wild, cars racing and then handing off to a team car who raced a certain number of laps then was replaced by another team member.
The dust was thick, the sun was hot and the fans were coated with dirt. As a kid, I was in heaven until about a hundred laps in to the 500, my parents said it was too much dirt and heat and we had to go. I was broken-hearted and couldn't understand why anyone would leave such a beautiful thing.
Little did my parents know that in less than ten years (1957), my father and I would be racing against each other on a 5/8ths mile dustbowl in Lebanon, Oregon.....RBBurben
Click to expand...
I was reading all the posts and came across the 500 lap race at Lake Hill. I believe it was won by Wal Treppler. Wayne Marberger may actually have the trophy from that race. Irene Treppler was also known to have run a few powder puff races at Lake Hill back in those days. Lake Hill actually closed in 1980. Joe Shaheen promoted The USAC midgets at Lake Hill many times .He tried sprint cars on the pavement at least once. I remember Chuck Amati telling us he wasn't sure it was a good idea after he took a few laps.

Marty Heutel
 
I was the last actual race car to cross under the checkered flag @ lake hill in a "OFFICAL"race-they did have a reunion but that was just a FEEL GOOD day making hot laps and the drift cars were there---I have been to way to many ""LAST NIGHT OF RACING" @ many area tracks---
 
FIREBALL said:
I was the last actual race car to cross under the checkered flag @ lake hill in a "OFFICAL"race-they did have a reunion but that was just a FEEL GOOD day making hot laps and the drift cars were there---I have been to way to many ""LAST NIGHT OF RACING" @ many area tracks---
Click to expand...
Fireball- I am glad you were the last one and that you share your memories of the tracks we all knew and loved so much. I find myself picking up the old picture albums and visiting with my friends and memories now and then. It seems like only yesterday...….those were the days my friends.

MH
 
just a tid bit story--I ran the wrecker @.charles back in the 70s--but I also raced--my old tow truck was a bit hard to operate the winch so when there was a crash during a race I was in I would have to jump out f my car-hook up the crashed cars and get back in my racer-only happened a few times and I never had to pick up my own car--yup-''THOSE WERE THE DAYS-WE HOPED THEY WOULD NEVER END"
 
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