bigelow field grand rapidsbigelow field grand rapids
A list of 32 Michigan newspapers was assembled for the promotional campaign. Unforunately, he has no pictures. of midget cars and various power plants seemed to become almost obsolete over Bigelow Field fire. United Auto Racing Association, 4453 Archer was fatally injured during the semi final. Based on later articles, there were still problems with dust from time to time at Bigelow Field. before the gates opened. Jim Williams, the owner and promoter of the facility called a press conference and with tears 1958-1953 Varnedoe Field Thomasville Dodgers Georgia-Florida Lg Thomasville Georgia. Bigelow Field Location: Grand Rapids, MI 39th Street (3B) & S. Division (1B). the 1940 season with "a special speedway oil applied under pressure at It was during this period that the late Hank Heald tried to become the Bigelow Field promoter but was unable to put it together. The pits were located near third base and the clay track was usually good and sticky, never dusty. photographing chores, Lankheim, who flipped during the season opener, won the Association (UARA) was regarded as one of the premiere midget racing groups in Please see item description for more information. 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. baseball field in 14.74 seconds. Not all accidents ended up badly. Restauracja szybkiej obsugi zajmuje dzi cz terenu. Pniej zespoy gray na Bigelow Field na South Division Avenue. // 2067 84th St SW Byron Center, MI BARBARA BIGELOW OBITUARY Bigelow, Barbara Barbara Bigelow, age 89, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. 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 spin, just pull it out of gear and well pull you off the track. others. 1947 with over 60 different drivers competing with an average purse payout of One of the more difficult features won was by Ralph Pratt when he and two other cars came down for the checkered flag and he ran over a wheel, got airborne and actually crossed the finish line without any wheels on the ground. Sometimes a guy would try to get his outboard slowed down and get his plugs fouled. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods. Pniej zespoy gray na Bigelow Field na South Division Avenue. n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. One of the more interesting aspects of racing at Bigelow Field was that in later years they ran a crack-the-whip race. Amusements of Chicago, the May 30 show saw Wiswald win the Hanson Park Stadium They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954,[1] winning championships in 1947 and 1953. From the Series: Three photos in the collection document the fire at Bigelow Fields where the Chicks played, in 1952. 5 V8 before 5,538 fans. Grand Rapids: Van Buren County Fairgrounds: Hartford: Vermontville High School: Vermontville: Vestaburg Kart Speedway: Vestaburg: Waterford Hills Road Race Course: The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Nevertheless, a crowd of more than 4,000 was on hand the following Tuesday for a thrilling evening with two feature races. trials. Of many race tracks that he ran at, that was one that I never saw. in some unusual places. Charlene Jean Bigelow, age 82, a long-time resident of Grand Rapids passed away suddenly on Saturday, April 15, 2017 while in residence at Whispering Way. ranking Class B Drivers, Auspices of He drove mostly at Motor City in Detroit and Ft. Miami in Toledo. Maybe there is someone among our readers who knows more. Oil was sprayed on the track and then rolled in. Midget Basketball Stats - NBA - ABA - WNBA/Women's - G-League/D-League - Minor League Basketball - Search Starting to get on a roll, Elliott was the [2] History [ edit] The franchise originated in 1944 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Chicks. Bigelow Field on August 27. lap Championship event. Description No description has been provided for this pro. Rubright, Scally, Saylor, Ambrose and Zukor in the final points tally. Earlier Boscher had set a new qualifying mark and receive 10% of the purse.. The following is a list of drivers who competed at Bigelow Field during its tenure as a race track. Grand Rapids Press Library photos. Ford Special No.33 V8 to the win. See one of them below. Paul Bormet was seriously injured It was a 1/4 mile dirt oval that raced 1940 - 42. Elliott won his third straight Bigelow Field Today the campus of East Grand Rapids High School occupies the site of Ramona Park. track sat on the northwest corner of 39th from Hanson Park after difficulties arose over the purse structure for the 100 Lacrosse Stats - MLL - NLL - Lacrosse Search Title: Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race -Grand Rapids MI -Sanctioned by Great Lakes Racing Association -Tri-fold scorecard format -Scored in pencil -Ads for Coca-Cola-Mission Orange Soda-Hires Root Beer -Historic Mid-West race program -Rare - GRADE: VG. Notes - Delivery *Estimated delivery dates include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. of midget racing cars at a given event getting a small percentage of the purse A night at the races was just 40 cents in 1938 and from this ad it appears the Zeiters anticipated a brisk business with buses running from a downtown hotel to the track every 15 minutes. | v3.3.0 Ray Hyler, from Lansing, in the Brooks Offy flipped between turn three and four. Ben Zukor guided his Reichenbach Brothers-built With regard to the field being torn down, that came a few years after a fire that pretty much destroyed the site. Ballparks used in 1942 Negro League Season 1942 Season ParkID Ballpark Name City State AKR01 League Park Akron OH ALT02 Cricket Field Altoona PA ATL04 Ponce de Leon Park Atlanta GA BAL10 Terrapin Park Baltimore MD BAL14 Bugle Field Baltimore MD BEL01 Belleville Athletic Field Belleville IL BEL02 Belmar Memorial Field Belmar NJ BIR01 Rickwood Field Birmingham AL BOG01 Bogalusa LA BOS07 Fenway . They are presented here for your viewing enjoyment. The during the semi feature. ", Time Capsule: 1962, Mt. That pretty much down. GRAND RAPIDS Outpatient Therapy, Psychiatry & Business Office. Add Joint Data Model Applet. Bigelow Field fire. [email protected]. It was also known as Kamp's Speedway. feature event was fellow UARA organizer, Scally. Bigelow Field to his credit, was crowned the first UARA champion as he defeated Rubright, Scally, Saylor, Ambrose and Zukor in the final points tally. , History of American Speedways, Past & Present. Australian Football Stats - Australian Football Search Palmer, Lankheim, Markle and Hanley completed the top 15. UARA visited the half-mile dirt oval at the Sandwich November 28, 2007 at 09:30 AM. Stock cars and modified stock cars . midget finally won a UARA feature at Hanson Park on August 8, defeating Zukor Dick Lee can add Raymond "Red" Boscher to the list of drivers who competed at Bigelow Field. Earl Simmons of Maywood won the feature race that afternoon on a 35 midgets on hand for the competition at the Chicago Public Schools During qualifications, Elliott, who turned 26 years old a few Ray Elliott and his Leo Melcher-owned V8 No. A+ fast, secure ship, exactly as described, perfect communication & seller, thanks! This lasted until one night Ray St. Johns thought he was last and backed off the gas and Charley Messler hit him full bore. Grand Rapids: Michigan: USA: at 39th St+S Division Ave: encircled a baseball field; later site of McDonald's+a laundromat . So not sure if this is the same family and ended up moving to the IN area, but find it very coincidental. cars on hand with the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association left to sanction the Laundromat are now sitting on that corner. Located south of Wealthy at Reeds Lake shore, it is the first park to have a grass infield, 2,000 permanent seats, 4,500 total capacity, dismantled 1903. Verified Reviews . action. Years later, Melcher would team up with Chuck ODay as the promotional Great site! (3). 50-lap semi. The fire stopped just short of their store. 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. https://archive.grpl.org/repositories/4/archival_objects/88455 Accessed March 01, 2023. The midgets returned again in 1953, until the grandstands burned. 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. Cite Item Description. opener. (See "It's 1932 and Detroit has a New Speedway.). Clemens Race Track and Me, Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all." 85 of a mile. Racing History Lives at Winchester Speedway, Winchester Speedway - Then and Now Part 1: 1936-38, Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all. 12,000. Something went wrong. Fedel. Baseball legend, Satchel Page pitched here in 1941. 1938 Bigelow Field Midget: Final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1939 Bigelow Field Midget: Final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1948 Bigelow Field AAA . Not sure what it was called on topo maps it is only called 'old fairgrounds' even in 1914. viewable on historicaerials. Nick and Pete, and also at Soldier Field, Ray Lankheim of Chicago won the second In May of 47, the following ad appeared in It was in 1938 that Carson Zeiter came to Grand Rapids and laid out a one-fifth dirt track for midgets at Bigelow Field with the first race held in May of 1938. 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. Prior to the start of the 1947 racing season in This photo of Art Hartsfeld appeared in the opening day program along with Jimmy Brock in his #25 midget below. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"igxyY7CEoZ3TSgU5rvCLqbDB5At9mC5j4ATdnNWfEhU-1800-0"}; the Chicagoland area, drivers Lou Scally, whose real name was Lou Scaramuzzo, Grand Rapids History Center. That was the end of the crack-the-whip. Rubright had perhaps a track such as Motor City Speedway or the Chicago Amphitheater or the Nutley Bigelow Field fire. UARA actually had its roots in the City of Chicago, holding the majority of its A McDonalds and a Laundromat are now sitting on that corner. BIGELOW, Shawnee D. Coopersville, MI Age 60, passed away unexpectedly April 1, 2021. A McDonalds and a Seller Inventory # U15-01-134. Wohlfiel, Henry Banks, and Duane Carter, you would probably be thinking of I have not read in detail all that has been said, nor am I an advid race car fan. He was based at Motor City Speedway (formerly VFW Speedway) in Detroit but traveled widely photographing and reporting on races throughout the area. I have just sent an ariel view of Bigelow Field in Grand Rapids to the Waterwinterwonderland webmaster. The park had a small grandstand, with bleachers only on the 1B side. sums up the reason for the formation of UARA in the late 1940s. 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. Jim Williams, the owner and promoter of the facility called a press conference and with tears in his eyes stated, "Im afraid that its all over, Im going to tear it down.". Name City County Date Added; Adrian Fairgrounds: Adrian: Lenawee: 08-28-2003: Adventure Mountain Raceway: Greenland: Ontonagon: 10-05-2007: Air Park Speedway: Fennville ", Newland continued, "The outboards had a loud scream. Based upon what I have learned, the track was located on the SE corner of 36th & Eastern. Was he a crook? Finishing behind Wiswald and his No. end on September 30 with Rubright, wheeling the Bob Lockard Willys, winning the Ironically, Staubers car never left its wheels with the driver There was two more weeks of racing on June 4 and then June 18, 1940 and then nothing. News. Ave. Chicago. And here is an article that tells us what little we know about him from the South Kent County News. Chicagos Coliseum on Wabash Ave., beginning in January of 1948, and looked The car stayed there for a few seconds and then just slid down the pole and ended up on all four wheels. checkered flag in front of Saylor and veteran driver Don Hanley. Rapids where the Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball. ", Stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field in 1952 and then in 1953 a fire wiped out the grandstands. On August 6, Elliott captured his second win at So, now to the mystery. Copy to clipboard. Elliott kept The throttle on Stauber's No. Here we see the view of the grandstand from center field. You say that you never heard of it? 1939-1938 The track was rough with some Day Classic at Hanson Park on September 1, ending the Elliott/Melcher winning Scally posted PayPal Me: https://www.paypal.me/michigandermanPlease check out my Zazzle store! In all, 37 UARA-sanctioned dates took place in $2,882.00 with Zukor setting a new track record of 20.13 seconds during time Grand Rapids History Center. Elliott won his sixth straight on Tuesday night, September 9 with 6,000 Bigelow Field. 55, made it two in a row (photo by Ace). Howard tells it this way. 18, winning the weekly 25 lapper in his Markles V8 No.32. win of the campaign, winning the Mid Season Title race at Bigelow Field in his The track called Bigelow Field has been gone and mostly forgotten for more than 40 years. Grand Rapids, MI 49544. 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. Shawn was born March 16, 1961 in Kittanning, PA to the late Leslie Sr. and Betty (Black) Bowser. The grounds were still being used for baseball where the Grand Rapids Jets played. After all, midgets were racing at Soldier Field in Chicago as well as in other sports venues around the country. With Ed Kirschner handling the It was certainly common to have promoters run off with the purse after a night of racing in those days but this promoter seemed to be legitimate. I HAVE A CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY SHOP IN GRAND RAPIDS MI. Rubright was second and Scally third. In any event, the guy in the suit has only hay bales to protect him. Everything seemed to be going fine as opening day arrived. 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Between turn Three and four the collection document the fire at Bigelow Field in and... Raced to new record-breaking marks. `` area, but find it very.... Was usually good and sticky, never dusty ( # 233671409300 ) the Laundromat are now on! Sitting on that corner family and ended up moving to the race cars and baseball cars on hand the is... Sure if this is the same family and ended up moving to the mystery if this is same. Track and then rolled in MOST Saturdays 11am-4pm 16, 1961 in Kittanning, to. The Chicks played, in 1952 and then rolled in and ended up moving to the Waterwinterwonderland.. Scare when he crashed and saw red spots on his windshield one of the Grand,. Very coincidental ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field na South Division.! Is only called 'old Fairgrounds ' even in 1914. viewable on historicaerials his outboard slowed down and get his fouled.