Marion, IL - Turnpike Speedway

ghost67, so you're from Cobden. Actually Jim and my dad are cousins, but my brothers and I always called him uncle Jim.
apoe. I remember skating at your family's roller rink with Jims family and mine. I remember that they sold pictures of all of the cars at the rink. I thought that was pretty neat. I have only one picture of Jim's car (his last one) and I would like to have more. If you might have some I would be willing to pay for them.

Brian #44
 
Schrader fan. You're right, this is an awesome thread. It's great that everyone is remembering the old days instead of bashing a driver or track.

Brian #44
 
My search is getting me somewhere...talked to a lady today whose family MAY have a VHS tape of 8mm footage they shot at Turnpike! I appreciate everybody's help!
 
I remember Jim in the square top #44 and seen it roll at the benton fairgrounds track when they first started runnin on the little oval inside the horse track. After he had a round topped car , I went out on the track after the races and picked up chunks of bondo and lead with hes car number on it at about 6 or 7 years old . He still around I spoke with him several years ago at Mt Vernon,,,told me a few things about my late model from watchin it in the stands Great guy
 
Anybody remember the 4F car that was on the pole at turnpike? It used to set outside turn 3 when Rex Pigg or was it hogg that got the track last . Always wondered about that. I heard it was simmions car. and actually raced there.
 
Something I can remember about Marion and Benton in those days were the picture stands, where you could go and buy pictures of your favorite car/driver. I was amazed by that. Things have certainly changed
 
For those of you who are on Facebook, I have a Fan Page for my work at the TV station:

http://www.facebook.com/racingsuperfan

I also have an album on there of some vintage pics I found in "The Southeast Missourian" from the Cape track in the 1960's and a pic of my grandpa from Terre Haute in 1971!!
 
My Dad helped on Ray Emling's car & also worked the pit gate, I think! He will be 80 this year & is still going to the races on a regular basis!!! It's definitely in our blood!! LOL He taught me to love them just as much as he did!!
 
I ran my first race at I 57 in benton it was 1980 i will never forget it.i had a 64 chevelle an raced in the sportsman class.my dad built me a nice car for it to be my first. i got some pics i will try to post them later today.i was 15 years old an was racing with some of the best racers around them was the days.seems like yesterday but it was 30 years ago.rob timmons
 

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My uncle took me to see my first auto race ever at the Benton Fairgrounds. Must have been late '50's, very early '60's. I remember Chuck Amati winning the sprint feature, and a stock car (modified, maybe?) barrel-rolling in the 4th turn, with the entire rear end, leaf springs and all, coming out and cartwheeling down the track. I was hooked from then on. I lived in Marion at the time, and me and a buddy would hike down to the Shell station on south main and climb all over the modifieds they kept there (outside!). Dick Poe was our hero, and we were in awe when he would talk to us at the skating rink.

I seem to remember an oval track just on the east side of Rt. 37 between Benton and West Frankfort, about a half-mile south of the Midway Drive-in. This had to be 1963 or earlier, before I-57. Does anyone else remember this track? My cousins have lived in Benton their entire lives and say I'm imagining it, but I dunno.

When the dragstrip first opened, they didn't have a christmas tree, they had a big clock for each lane, on the outside of the lane. The hand started it's "countdown" at 12:00, and moved around the whole dial real fast, probably 1 1/2-2 seconds. When it got to 12:00 again, that was the green light. As you left the line, the hand would stop and you could see how good of a light you had cut. The first time up, it threw me a little, but by the end of time trials, I could cut it like you wouldn't believe. But so could everyone else.
 
Reading all of this stuff is neat. I was raised here in St. Louis, but my mom's family is from Cobden (Stone) and my dad's from Marion (Heiple). I grew up at Belleville, St. Charles, Valley Park and occasional DeSoto. We did go to the Marion County Fairgrounds for a few races too. My grandma lived right across the street from the Fairgrounds and the ice cream parlor.
 
Brian, here's another oldie - Marion County Speedway in Centralia, IL.

No fence on the back straight, you could see the pits. Old Ray Emling and Don Carter raced hard there too.
Coolest haulers were chopped school buses.

Larry Gowler promoted I-57. I worked for Ken Keene there too.

TTG/MM
 
you can still see some of the old track in centralia heard many stories about it what about the track in sandoval next to the drive in were studio 50 is now
 
Here is a pic of an old modified that I have, I'm told it ran at the track in Centrailia.
This is a 33/34 Ford sedan, shortened and narrowed, center steer.
The only names I can make out on it are Bill & Jim Scott. I have never been able to find any remnants of a number.
The doors have the drivers name but I can't make it out.

The #24 car is another car I have that ran in that area. It's a 34 or so Olds, that origionally ran a nailhead Buick. It was driven by Butch Burwell's Father in law (I think)
The car in primer is the #24 car as it sits today.

THANX RICH

People say I'm getting crankier as I get older. That's not it. I just find I enjoy annoying people a lot more now. Especially younger people!!!
 

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Does any one remember the flag stand in the middle of the track at the fair grounds That is when Cliff Cockrum ran the track I had tn paint it. It was made out of old railroad ties it took about 20 coats on it. And I remember when they ran on the horse track the first year. I wish it was still there I live 3 blocks from it now it is all house
 
I remember the 24 car well. It was driven by Johnny Powell. My brother Jeff informed me that he was Jimmy Burwell's grandfather. I didn't know that.

Brian #44
 
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