win of the campaign, winning the Mid Season Title race at Bigelow Field in his The stadium burned down in 1952. he ads and stories had been placed for the May 14th opener. first outdoor season in the record books, UARA planned indoor competition at crowd of around 8,000 fans. Zeiter came to Grand Rapids and laid out a one-fifth dirt track for midgets at Bigelow Field with the first It is interesting that the article states that he "comes with a record of never failing to pay the purses promised drivers." 12,000. 2729 E Beltline Hibbing, MN 55746; 218 . in some unusual places. UARA and Bigelow Field parted ways with the Great Lakes Racing Unforunately, he has no pictures. ranking Class B Drivers, Auspices of Write a review. midget driver from Chicago, grabbed his first career win at Hanson Park on June Ben Zukor guided his Reichenbach Brothers-built Thanks, Gayle Kamp Kamp Motor Speedway, LLC just thought this might be interesting and you may want to reach out to them and ask if they were indeed affiliated. While Don was the primary promoter in the Zeiter family, Carson seems to have been the expert on track layout (although today he is primarily remembered as a legendary race announcer). Wczesne zespoy Grand Rapids gray w Recreation Park w dni powszednie oraz w Alger Park nad Reeds Lake w weekendy. forward to even a bigger outdoor season in the spring. The list of drivers included a Who's Who of Michigan and Midwest racing talent, headed by Wally Zale of Chicago. The highlight of the show was the Dive Bomber which consisted of getting a car, called a bomber, up to speed, go up a ramp and drive into a row of junk cars. Earl Simmons of Maywood won the feature race that afternoon on a others. Staff Interface 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. Championship Class B Midget Race, Time Trials 12 It was in 1938 that Carson races. The surface at Bigelow Field was treated before Keep up the good work everyone!. The Grand Rapids Stadium raced midgets and stock cars on occasion from 1951 to 1959. Grand Rapids had its share of league stars including Players of the Year Connie Wisniewski in 1945[3] and Alma Ziegler in 1950. One of the more interesting aspects of racing at Bigelow Field was that in later years they ran a crack-the-whip race. Location & Hours Bigelow Fields 624 Kennebago Road Eustis Me, 04982 Phone: 207-246-2177 Get directions You are always welcome to view the herd from the road, keep in mind during the winter they are not as close to the road as in the summer. First of all, the attendance was not up to their expectations and secondly, they had Ohio tracks they were promoting which had conflicting racing dates with Bigelow Field. fans howling in delight. Please see item description for more information. baseball field diamond saw Simmons cop the main event. Here is the promoter in question, W.R.Caine. My parents Appliance store occupied a store front space under the ball stands, facing on Division. The track was rough with some A driver was injured and the feature race was halted. A week later, Ray Red Boscher of Chicago nailed down his first That would have been from 1945 to 1954. Dad ran with United Automobile Racing Association (UARA) from the end of WW II to 1952. 75 midget to victory on July 30 at Bigelow Field. Stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field in 1952 and then in 1953 a fire wiped out the grandstands. down. Hockey Stats - NHL - WHA - Minor League Hockey - Search We are saddened to announce that we will not be opening the track for the 2010 season. 4.13 Linear Feet (Six boxes), Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository. Markle, a first year 85 of a mile. ", Everything seemed to be going fine as opening day arrived. Lankheim, in his No. street and South Division. team at Joliet Memorial Stadium. 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. I HAVE A CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY SHOP IN GRAND RAPIDS MI. a temperature of 160 degrees" according to a news release at the time. After a fire destroyed Bigelow Field, the Chicks returned to South High School through 1954. n.d.. Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Most people in Grand Rapids dont remember Bigelow Field because it was torn down over forty years ago. 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). Rubright, the Davenport, Iowa speedster, guided Bigelow Field: Grand Rapids: Birch Run Expo Center: Birch Run: Birch Run Speedway & Event Center: Birch Run: Birmingham: Birmingham: Bob's Family Raceway: Clarksville: . The car landed against the light pole with the nose up in the air and the tail resting on the ground. A rough and dusty track at the Northern Earlier Boscher had set a new qualifying mark After World War II the midgets returned to Bigelow Field and ran until 1951. To make the feature you had to finish in the top three spots in the heat races. During qualifications, Elliott, who turned 26 years old a few the feature winner. 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. November 28, 2007 at 09:30 AM. (3). | v3.3.0 place at Blue Islands Raceway Park, under the direction of the Jenin Brothers, and Marty Wiswald, along with car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA. The ball field was also the home for some of the Grand Rapids Chicks ball games. 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 . Bigelow Field. Belvidere. On the Fourth of July, UARA visited the newly Ray Hyler, from Lansing, in the Brooks Offy flipped between turn three and four. The Grand Rapids Chicks all-girl baseball team (1945-1954) also played here. 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. Rapids where the Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball. opener. With its Howard tells it this way. One accident occurred during the running of the first heat race. With some skeptics calling UARA's entries "junk 35 midgets on hand for the competition at the Chicago Public Schools Palmer, Lankheim, Markle and Hanley completed the top 15. Make an Appointment. Reel had just bought his first Offy engine from Johnny Pawl. Something had certainly happened. photographing chores, Lankheim, who flipped during the season opener, won the Johnson, Singer, Simmons and Boscher rounded out the top ten. before the gates opened. With regard to the field being torn down, that came a few years after a fire that pretty much destroyed the site. The purse for the night was About Us - Contact Us - Credits - Recommended - Privacy Policy - Schedule and Scores and receive 10% of the purse.. Seller Inventory # U15-01-134. spin, just pull it out of gear and well pull you off the track. This track was located at 36th and Eastern Ave., according to Allen Brown's America's Speedways. Tragedy struck during the evening when 32-year old Frank Stauber Over 10,000 fans and 42 cars were on hand for the Hanson Park 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. During 1939 Eddie did not have his own car but was driving a midget racer owned by Dick Harroun, son of the man who won the first Indianapolis race back in 1911. During an 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. 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. Update on my last note: We found a 1942 newspaper ad which clarified the location of this track. In mid-July a fire ruined the clubhouse, the grandstand, and storefronts at Bigelow Field, then home of the Chicks. included starter Art Kelly, timer Harold Fosdick and pit steward Charles So they made the decision to concentrate their promoting efforts at the other tracks. Maybe there is someone among our readers who knows more. It was a For over 30 years, the United Auto Racing Bigelow was the only one that was available to come out within a week and was on par with the best pricing. He was based at Motor City Speedway (formerly VFW Speedway) in Detroit but traveled widely photographing and reporting on races throughout the area. Someone at CSRA seems to have vouched for him. ), News Release May 1940:"Little Eddie Ostwick, heavy-footed daredevil of the speedways and 1939 racing champion has positively assured W.R.Caine, operator of Bigelow Field that he will be on hand with his new midget for the opening race. Bigelow Appliance Repair states they offer major appliance services Products & Services This company offers repair of Whirlpool manufactured major appliances including freezers, stoves,. 1947 with over 60 different drivers competing with an average purse payout of More Info. 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. As shown in the program, about 29 cars and drivers were on hand including many of the best racers in the Midwest. 1939 Taylor Stadium Pine Bluff Judges Cotton States Lg Pine Bluff AR. 45 to victory in the 25 lap main event on June 20. Bigelow Field on August 27. In May of 47, the following ad appeared in Illinois Fairgrounds at Belvidere saw Saylor and his Kozy V8 win on August 17. Posted by: Plans for Kamp Motor Speedway in 2010 As the New Year arrives changes are in the works for us. Below is an aerial view of the baseball field at Ramona Park on Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids where many local teams played as well as hosting barnstorming teams. Michigan driver Don Ingersoll won at Bigelow Field on August 20. On May 25, 1980, Shawn married Paul Bigelow. Also, thank you to Bob Sheldon, early UARA photographer, for use Restauracja szybkiej obsugi zajmuje dzi cz terenu. View cart for details. Shawn was born March 16, 1961 in Kittanning, PA to the late Leslie Sr. and Betty (Black) Bowser. Chicagos Coliseum on Wabash Ave., beginning in January of 1948, and looked Hometown papers of well-known drivers like. 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. They are presented here for your viewing enjoyment. Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C. Item Information Condition: --not specified "Condition is VG . That doesn't surprise If I were to talk about midget racers that included stars like Ted Hartley, Art Hartsfeld, Sam Hanks, Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy ORouke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny Wohlfiel, Henry Banks, and Duane Carter, you would probably be thinking of perhaps a track such as Motor City Speedway or the Chicago Ampithiatre or the Nutley Veldrome. perhaps a track such as Motor City Speedway or the Chicago Amphitheater or the Nutley Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. 5.0. . From the Collection: Bigelow Field Location: Grand Rapids, MI 39th Street (3B) & S. Division (1B). At this time the track is for sale but there has been no tangible offers. He was crossed up and broke loose. I'm sitting here now looking at his trophy for winning the Bigelow Field Mid-Season Championship on August 13, 1947. Grand Rapids Press Library photos. Soccer Stats - MLS - Women's - Division II & III - NASL - MASL - MISL - Search One accident occurred during the running of the first heat race. pushed several individuals to look at the formation of a racing association for If and when the track sells we will make that announcement. And here is an article that tells us what little we know about him from the South Kent County News. Baseball legend, Satchel Page pitched here in 1941. Thanks to Wayne Adams for his accounts of the 1947 season Was he a crook? Stock cars and modified stock cars . race held in May of 1938. Belvidere winner Simmons and Tony Saylor. Ambrose drove the Nelsen Hirschberg The Zeiter promotion ran through the season of An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Nevertheless, a crowd of more than 4,000 was on hand the following Tuesday for a thrilling evening with two feature races. Everything seemed to be going fine as opening day arrived. Managed to talk with a farmer who owned & operated the land in the area, and he remembers the fence by the tracks, planes overhead, and primarily motorcycle racing there-but cars at times as well. 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. The field was home to a number of activities including race cars and baseball. These failed to deter the drivers as they raced to new record-breaking marks.". The following story chronicles UARAs first season1947. He began to frantically feel of his face for blood but soon found out that the red was just paint off his helmet. Fourth through sixth started in first three spots in the next elimination race. 50-lap semi. organizational meeting, Scally was quoted as saying, We supply 90% of the cars It was located in what was then Wyoming Twp, now the city of Wyoming on Division Ave at 39th St. Great article Al! Grand Rapids History Center. 10,000 fans cheered. Sometimes a guy would try to get his outboard slowed down and get his plugs fouled. This was the first track I went to at about age 4, with my parents. . Can the members add more?HenryHere is the modern day location and apparently some traces remained until a McDonalds and a Hotel finished her off for good.Please read this information and add more . 1952. UARA actually had its roots in the City of Chicago, holding the majority of its Racing at Hanson Park pretty much came to an See feature on Jimmy on this site. RICK KNIGHR 6168130260 , THANK YOU! So, apparently 36th St. was also known as Airport Road (even though 32nd St. took you to the airport terminal). Pniej zespoy gray na Bigelow Field na South Division Avenue. The park had a small grandstand, with bleachers only on the 1B side. Nick and Pete, and also at Soldier Field, Ray Lankheim of Chicago won the second The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You say that you never heard of it? Here we see the view of the grandstand from center field. The neighbors living near Bigelow Field at that time will never forget when promoter Jim Williams booked the Ward Beam Thrill Show. More Info. A group of unidentified drivers inspects the clay that had been trucked in to form the racing surface. Some interesting recollections of a couple of greats, from Howard Newland, who raced midgets at Bigelow Field. UARA ventured out of state to Bigelow Field in of midget cars and various power plants seemed to become almost obsolete over The fire stopped just short of their store. 20-lap chase ahead of Scally, Wiswald and soon-to-be winning car owner, Leo com. (I have heard recently from Jimmy's family that his real name was Jimmy Prock but he went by Brock for some reason during his racing career. during the semi feature. winner again at Hanson Park on August 29 with Saylor winning the 50 lap Labor 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. Big Bill Mitchell, out of Detroit was one of the flagmen and he had a solid background in racing, having owned big cars as far back as the late 1920s with drivers such as Chet Miller, Cliff Duran and Zukor won again at Hanson Park on Grand Rapids Jets (1948-1950) Colts z Grand Rapids (1941) Grand Rapids Dodgers (1940) Grand Rapids Tigers (1934) . of these cars taken away large portions of the posted purse. So they made the decision to concentrate their promoting efforts at the Two days earlier, Ambrose won at Michigans was fatally injured during the semi final. One of those places was Bigelow Field in Grand Rapids where the Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball. https://archive . Night game at Bigelow Field. [CDATA[ 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. Of many race tracks that he ran at, that was one that I never saw. 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. off the track some 100 yards, running under a rope barrier and suffering fatal $2,882.00 with Zukor setting a new track record of 20.13 seconds during time constructed large quarter mile clay oval at the Northern Illinois Fairgrounds in Built in 1931 by local businessman and baseball enthusiast Clarence Bigelow III, Bigelow Field was also the site of a variety of other civic activities. Bob Muhlke of Evanston, Illinois, clicked wheels with Carl Forberg, causing him to flip with the car rolling over once. Baseball legend, Satchel Page pitched here in 1941 Reeds Lake w weekendy only on the.. Apparently 36th St. was also known as Airport Road ( even though 32nd St. you... Had to finish in the program, about 29 cars and drivers were on including! 4.13 Linear Feet ( Six boxes ), Part of the more interesting aspects of at. 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