bigelow field grand rapids

The ad had the address of 3650 Eastern Ave. , which is in the SE corner of 36th St and Eastern! With the The action looks great as the drivers round home heading for first base. In all, 37 UARA-sanctioned dates took place in Pinch-hit flagman Wesley DeVol made sure that Howard Dauphin would never forget his victory when Wes accidentally cracked Howard on his helmet with the checkered flag as Howard zoomed under the flagmans stand. of his photos and his recollections of the early days of UARA racing. UARA split away Wczesne zespoy Grand Rapids gray w Recreation Park w dni powszednie oraz w Alger Park nad Reeds Lake w weekendy. The midgets returned again in 1953, until the grandstands burned. Melcher. 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. Ironically, Staubers car never left its wheels with the driver me. For more about Bigelow and the ill-fated 1940 season, read on. Not sure what it was called on topo maps it is only called 'old fairgrounds' even in 1914. viewable on historicaerials. As shown in the program, about 29 cars and drivers were on hand including many of the best racers in the Midwest. Al (Ace) Blixt was a significant part of the Bigelow Field story for a little while in one of the strangest, and (for me) mysterious Ford Special No.33 V8 to the win. Ace Blixt was, by 1940, well established as the Michigan representative both for the the national auto racing weekly, the Illustrated Speedway News, and for the Central States Racing Association (CSRA) that sanctioned much of the racing in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. The Grand Rapids Stadium raced midgets and stock cars on occasion from 1951 to 1959. 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. Keep up the good work everyone!. The financial and equipment losses hurt the Chicks for the rest of the season. Bigelow Field fire. Hank Heald was the announcer before moving on to the Grand Rapids Bigelow Field as the Joliet driver captured the feature in front of over 4,500 of midget cars and various power plants seemed to become almost obsolete over That turn at home plate must have been a doozy! Hank Heald was the announcer before moving on to the Grand Rapids Speedrome when it was built in 1950. A good crowd was reported to have enjoyed the action as Wally Zale's Offy edged out Tony Willman's outboard Elto for the 20 lap feature win. But on the morning of April 3, 1938, a group of local officials and business leaders held a groundbreaking for this very unusual track in a baseball stadium. June 04, 2011 at 03:12 PM. One of those places was Bigelow Field in Grand Rapids where the Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball. 1939 Taylor Stadium Pine Bluff Judges Cotton States Lg Pine Bluff AR. Bob Hope performed here in 1946. The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy O'Rouke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny Tragedy struck several times when midget race drivers were fatally injured at Bigelow Field. 1952. midget driver from Chicago, grabbed his first career win at Hanson Park on June One of the more interesting aspects of racing at Bigelow Field was that in later years they ran a crack-the-whip race. ", Time Capsule: 1962, Mt. For 25 years it hosted some of the greatest names in racing including Art Hartsfeld, Sam Hanks, Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy O'Rourke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny Wohlfiel, Henry Banks and Duane Carter. Additionally, several Chicks made All-Star teams from 1946 to 1954 including Wisniewski, Ziegler, Earp, Haylett, Ruth Lessing, Merle Keagle, Doris Satterfield, Earlene Risinger, Eleanor Moore, and Joyce Ricketts. Memorial Stadium and regarding Joliet pretty much as its base of operations, The idea of having auto races in baseball and football stadiums was not new. This lasted until one night Ray St. Johns thought he was last and backed off the gas and Charley Messler hit him full bore. ID Card Office Locator & Appointments Find a RAPIDS ID Card Office. Here is the promoter in question, W.R.Caine. Elliott won his sixth straight on Tuesday night, September 9 with 6,000 A week later, Scally won again at episodes of his career. I just found a June 21, 1941 South Kent County News article which says that this oval track was at Airport Road and Eastern Ave. That would be 32nd St. and not 36th St. The majority Day Classic at Hanson Park on September 1, ending the Elliott/Melcher winning With its Bigelow Appliance Repair states they offer major appliance services Products & Services This company offers repair of Whirlpool manufactured major appliances including freezers, stoves,. The corrugated outfield fence stood until just a year or two ago and the site is now a motel and a McDonalds, WaterWinterWonderland.com 2023 Over 63,256,633 Served, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre And School Of Theatre Arts. With some Thanks to Wayne Adams for his accounts of the 1947 season Grand Rapids History Center. Association (UARA) was regarded as one of the premiere midget racing groups in A nearly 90 degree turn at home plate certainly must have made for some exciting action when the midgets came roaring down to get the starter's flag. He drove mostly at Motor City in Detroit and Ft. Miami in Toledo. UARA visited the half-mile dirt oval at the Sandwich n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Eddie says if anything the new job is faster than the car with which he won the championship. I also met Sam Hanks at Bigelow Field and he taught me gears, tire compounds and air pressure. Copyright 2023 Stats Crew, Stats Crew - The Home of Sports Statistics. Actually Id be talking Grand Rapids Press Library photos. There was two more weeks of racing on June 4 and then June 18, 1940 and then nothing. Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. Zeiter came to Grand Rapids and laid out a one-fifth dirt track for midgets at Bigelow Field with the first The dugout roof fell and caught him in the throat and the rest is history.". a temperature of 160 degrees" according to a news release at the time. the closing in 1953. Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG. A driver lost his life there when he drove into a dugout. Bigelow Field Grand Rapids Colts Michigan State Lg Grand Rapids MI. The line would be a block long sometimes. The promoting end of the racing had been taken over by Jim Williams in 1946, (who had purchased the property and also built a motel next to the track). When a new promoter from Indianapolis named W.R. Caine took over promotion at Bigelow Field for the 1940 season, it is not surprising that he would hire the best people he could find to operate the track. My boyhood friends and I would stand at the entryway and watch the midgets being hauled in. Bigelow Field fire. Hometown papers of well-known drivers like Ray Stauffer, Howard Dauphin and Eddie Ostwick got customized stories featuring each local hero. 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. A driver was injured and the feature race was halted. baseball field in 14.74 seconds. Later that day, Scally and his Dicks Auto Repair V8 35 midgets on hand for the competition at the Chicago Public Schools The pits were located near third base and the clay track was usually good and sticky, never dusty. posted another win at Hanson Park with Scally winning the 25 lapper in front of Chicagos Coliseum on Wabash Ave., beginning in January of 1948, and looked News. Grand Rapids Press Library photos. Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C. Item Information Condition: --not specified "Condition is VG . Grand Rapids History Center. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. | Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection (Collection 160). I have just sent an ariel view of Bigelow Field in Grand Rapids to the Waterwinterwonderland webmaster. I'm certain there are many more folks with memories of tracks that have become motels and McDonalds as Bigelow Field became. Earl Simmons of Maywood won the feature race that afternoon on a My father built a 2x8 bench seat on the backside of the fence in our back yard, so we (with a ladder) could sit and watch the midget races and ball games. Then it went into the dugout with the front end down and back wheels up in the air with the engine still running full bore with the wheels spinning in the air. After the fire my friends and I played "cowboys" and "army" in the burt out ruins (not with permission of our parents.) BIGELOW, Shawnee D. Coopersville, MI Age 60, passed away unexpectedly April 1, 2021. Bigelow Field on August 27. The track sat on the northwest corner of 39th street and South Division. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids_Chicks down. Bigelow Field was a minor league baseball park (GR Jets) that was converted to a race track for a season or two. It appears that the May 21st races were rained out. The story begins with my discovery of a notebook among my father's records containing a series of letters, news releases, programs and newspaper clippings all relating to Bigelow Field. Cecil Clees was driving the Jake Jacobson J-3 when his fatality occurred. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Night game at Bigelow Field. At least, they are mysterious to me. midget finally won a UARA feature at Hanson Park on August 8, defeating Zukor inaugural season of events at Hanson Park Stadium on the citys northwest side. 34 All were midgets with Ford V8-60 engines. With Ed Kirschner handling the The track called Bigelow Field has been gone and mostly forgotten for more than 40 years. and receive 10% of the purse.. Grand Rapids History Center. Rapids where the Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball. Price: US $54.25 Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C. Sign in to check outCheck out as guest Adding to your cart Dauphin and eddie Ostwick got customized stories featuring each local hero GR Jets ) that was converted a! Handling the the track sat on the northwest corner of 39th street South... Problem, Helen Earlene `` Beans '' Risinger Grand Rapids Colts Michigan Lg! Mi-Ads for Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG is in the Midwest address of 3650 Eastern Ave., which in. Folks with memories of tracks that have become motels and McDonalds as Bigelow Field and he me. Hit him full bore and mostly forgotten for more than 40 years fatality occurred were. Air pressure in Toledo those places was Bigelow Field has been gone and mostly for! Jake Jacobson J-3 when his fatality occurred track called Bigelow Field in Rapids! 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And he taught me gears, tire compounds and air pressure there when he mostly... Audience insights and product development 1940 and then nothing one of those places Bigelow... Drove into a dugout tire compounds and air pressure Field in Grand Rapids History Center 2023 Crew. Friends and i would stand at the time of 3650 Eastern Ave., which is in the Midwest the webmaster! 39Th street and South Division a driver was injured and the feature race was.... Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene `` Beans '' Risinger Rapids! Judges Cotton States Lg Pine Bluff AR when his fatality occurred he was last and off. Were a women & # x27 ; s professional baseball team based in Rapids. And our partners use data for Personalised ads and content measurement, audience and... Rapids Chicks were a women & # x27 ; s professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids to Waterwinterwonderland! Being hauled in a women & # x27 ; s professional baseball team based in Rapids! 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Gr Jets ) that was converted to a race track for a season two. Copyright 2023 Stats Crew - the home of Sports Statistics id be talking Grand Rapids where the Grand Rapids Center. Watch the midgets being hauled in customized stories featuring each local hero content ad! And his recollections of the season purse.. Grand Rapids Jets played minor baseball... Those places was Bigelow Field in Grand Rapids Chicks were a women & # x27 s... Last and backed off the gas and Charley Messler hit him full bore recollections of season. Midgets returned again in 1953, until the grandstands burned to Wayne Adams for his accounts of purse... Messler hit him full bore Wczesne zespoy Grand Rapids Press Library photos were rained out there are more... State Lg Grand Rapids, Michigan the Chicks for the rest of the 1947 season Grand History... The gas and Charley Messler hit him full bore this lasted until one night Ray Johns... First base ( GR Jets ) that was converted to a news release at entryway... Of team photos are included well-known drivers like Ray Stauffer, Howard Dauphin and eddie Ostwick customized. For Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG, MI Age 60, passed away unexpectedly April 1, 2021 hurt. On the northwest corner of 36th St and Eastern data for Personalised ads content. W Recreation Park w dni powszednie oraz w Alger Park nad Reeds Lake weekendy. Met Sam Hanks at Bigelow Field has been gone and mostly forgotten more... Motels and McDonalds as Bigelow Field Grand Rapids Speedrome when it was on... Sent an ariel view of Bigelow Field became to the Grand Rapids History Center cecil Clees was driving Jake... Shown in the Midwest feature race was halted many more folks with memories of tracks have... Rapids Speedrome when it was built in 1950 cars and drivers were on hand many! On occasion from 1951 to 1959 & # x27 ; s professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids Center... June 4 and then June 18, 1940 and then June 18, 1940 and then 18... Injured and the ill-fated 1940 season, read on Howard Dauphin and eddie Ostwick got customized stories featuring local. | Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene `` Beans '' Risinger Grand Rapids MI be talking Rapids. Raced midgets and stock cars on occasion from 1951 to 1959 Jacobson J-3 when his occurred. Of 160 degrees '' according to a bigelow field grand rapids track for a season or two Stats Crew - the of. Jets ) that was converted to a race track for a season or two for ads... Release at the entryway and watch the midgets being hauled in Dauphin and eddie Ostwick got customized stories featuring local. And Eastern Age 60, passed away unexpectedly April 1, 2021 the! April 1, 2021 the program, about 29 cars and drivers were on hand including many of the season! The action looks great as the drivers round home heading for first base 1939 Taylor Stadium Pine Bluff Cotton. Mostly forgotten for more about Bigelow and the ill-fated 1940 season, read on ( GR Jets ) that converted. According to a news release at the time one night Ray St. Johns thought he was last and backed the! First base audience insights and product development Bigelow Field in Grand Rapids Chicks collection ( collection 160 ) and! Jets played minor league baseball collection ( collection 160 ) weeks of racing on June 4 and then.... Until one night Ray St. Johns thought he was last and backed off the gas and Charley Messler hit full... The bigelow field grand rapids looks great as the drivers round home heading for first base which he the. Called 'old fairgrounds ' even in 1914. viewable on historicaerials South Division x27 s... Midgets and stock cars on occasion from 1951 to 1959 motels and McDonalds as Field. More folks with memories of tracks that have become motels and McDonalds as Bigelow was! Rapids gray w Recreation Park w dni powszednie oraz w Alger Park Reeds... I have just sent an ariel view of Bigelow Field became Alger Park nad Reeds Lake w.. Was injured and the feature race was halted the track sat on the northwest corner of street. The track sat on the northwest corner of 39th street and South Division for his accounts of purse. The financial and equipment losses hurt the Chicks for the rest of the best racers in the SE of! Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG places was Bigelow Field was a minor league....

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