| Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection (Collection 160). The Grand Rapids Chicks all-girl baseball team (1945-1954) also played here. However you can see that it was also a baseball field. 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 They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, [1] winning championships in 1947 and 1953. The picture was scanned from a National Auto Racing News dated September 8, 1938, and is not very good quality. These chairs were part of the Bigelow Field, which was located at 3871 Division Ave. South, then Wyoming Township. Unforunately, he has no pictures. 516 South Pokegama Ave Grand Rapids, MN 55744; 218-327-2001; HIBBING Outpatient Therapy, Psychiatry Office & Outpatient Substance Use Services. Melcher. other tracks.". 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. https://archive.grpl.org/repositories/4/archival_objects/88455 Accessed March 01, 2023. Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. sums up the reason for the formation of UARA in the late 1940s. streak for the time being. View Larger Map Illustrated Speedway News: National Everything seemed to be going fine as opening day arrived. The fastest twelve cars started in single file inverted and the last car in line was black flagged at the end of each lap. neck injuries. See one of them below. I have not read in detail all that has been said, nor am I an advid race car fan. When the traveling show arrived they discovered that the race track took up the whole field and there was not enough room to get the bomber up to sufficient speed. Bigelow Field Location: Grand Rapids, MI 39th Street (3B) & S. Division (1B). Rapids where the Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball. Elliotts seventh win at Hanson Park came on AbeBooks.com: Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for Coca-Cola-Hires Root Beer-VG: -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 https://archive.grpl.org/repositories/4/archival_objects/88454 Accessed March 01, 2023. Bigelow Field raced midgets from 1938 until 1952. 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. street and South Division. Name City County Date Added; Adrian Fairgrounds: Adrian: Lenawee: 08-28-2003: Adventure Mountain Raceway: Greenland: Ontonagon: 10-05-2007: Air Park Speedway: Fennville Berlin Raceway began racing in 1951 and is still racing. Later that day, Scally and his Dicks Auto Repair V8 the Chicagoland area, drivers Lou Scally, whose real name was Lou Scaramuzzo, Racing History Lives at Winchester Speedway, Winchester Speedway - Then and Now Part 1: 1936-38, Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all. The only clue we have is a line in Dick Lee's story that states, "1940 found a new promoter out of the Indianapolis area who failed to pay some purses and soon vanished." DTA Collectibles has been selling pop culture paper collectibles for over 40 years! 1952. 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. 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. Grand Rapids History Center. The friendship part of the racing has been what has kept us going. Hometown papers of well-known drivers like Ray Stauffer, Howard Dauphin and Eddie Ostwick got customized stories featuring each local hero. Bigelow Field znajdowao si pod adresem 3873 Division Avenue South Grand Rapids, MI 49548. Memorial Stadium and regarding Joliet pretty much as its base of operations, down. On August 6, Elliott captured his second win at Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. -- Paul Ostwick (Eddie Ostwick's grandson), Posted by: If a driver still didnt make it, he then got a last shot at the feature through a consolation race. All of these images are copyrighted and commercial reproduction either electronic or printed is prohibited. If you spin, dont accelerate and tear up the infield sod, dont spin your wheels.". Earlier Boscher had set a new qualifying mark 34 Dad ran with United Automobile Racing Association (UARA) from the end of WW II to 1952. Reel had just bought his first Offy engine from Johnny Pawl. Midget racing did resume at Bigelow Field after the war and the race cars continued to coexist with several baseball teams, including the Grand Rapids Chicks, part of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League that was the inspiration for the Tom Hanks movie, "A League of the Their Own". A few reviews for this pro. Talked with Kamp's Oil personnel, on the same property, and they have heard the stories however are not connected. We are in hopes that someone will step up to the plate and purchase the track as a track and racing will continue in Benton County. They enjoyed continued success following the move, making the playoffs every year until the league folded following the 1954 season.[2]. Baseball legend, Satchel Page pitched here in 1941. One of those places was Bigelow Field in Grand Rapids where the Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball. Anything about opening this season at Kamp Motor Speedway is pure rumor. IM THE GRANDSON OF LATE GREAT ROBERT "KING OF THE DIRT" KNIGHT. , History of American Speedways, Past & Present. Bigelow Field as the Joliet driver captured the feature in front of over 4,500 (3). All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, "Kunkel played final role as director's adviser", All-American Girls Professional Baseball League history, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League official website Grand Rapids Chicks seasons, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League official website Manager/Player profile search results, Michigan History Magazine Grand Rapids Chicks article, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grand_Rapids_Chicks&oldid=1117093843, South High School Field (19451949, 19531954), This page was last edited on 19 October 2022, at 22:11. I'm helping racetrack historian Dick Lee put together a book on local tracks and recently sent this article to him. With regard to the field being torn down, that came a few years after a fire that pretty much destroyed the site. The Grand Rapids Stadium raced midgets and stock cars on occasion from 1951 to 1959. Race historian Dick Lee has forwarded a few action photos from that season. The post holding the rail pulled out of the ground and the steel guardrail popped up and stopped just short of Spears face. 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. This 1938 clipping shows the Bigelow track from the air. One accident occurred during the running of the first heat race. Race officials Paul | Actually Id be talking about a now-defunct little midget track built on a baseball field in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field. After the fire my friends and I played "cowboys" and "army" in the burt out ruins (not with permission of our parents.) The damage was estimated as high as $50,000, including $5,000 worth of baseball equipment. June 04, 2011 at 03:12 PM. during the semi feature. You say that you never heard of it? This is one of the few tracks I never saw Dad race on.Thanks for building/maintaining a history of race tracks throughout Michigan. I know that my dad ran there numerous times. Staff Interface 1940 found a new promoter out of the Indianapolis area who failed to pay some purses and soon vanished. Bigelow Field fire. Wayne Adams, who announced most of the UARA Other Sports Stats - World TeamTennis Stats - World TeamTennis Search spicevalleyroad@verizon.net. 1936 High School Park Jeanerette Blues Evangeline League Jeanerette Louisiana. Finishing behind Wiswald and his No. 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. two reasons. dont accelerate and tear up the infield sod, don't spin your wheels. Championship Class B Midget Race, Time Trials 12 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. Grand Rapids History Center. 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. But despite the reported crowd of 7,000 on August 23, 1938, Don and Carson only promoted the track one more year. Illinois Fairgrounds at Belvidere saw Saylor and his Kozy V8 win on August 17. 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. 1943-2009 At this time the track is for sale but there has been no tangible offers. Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C. Item Information Condition: --not specified "Condition is VG . in his eyes stated, "I'm afraid that its all over, I'm going to tear it Race historian Allan Brown, in his comprehensive History of American Speedways, Past & Present records that racing ended at Bigelow Field in June 1940 and did not resume until after WWII in 1947. He never flipped a race car and went on to win the National Championship and the 1957 Indianapolis 500. Grand Haven River Road Track raced jalopies from 1946 to 1948. . Ray Hyler, from Lansing, in the Brooks Offy flipped between turn three and four. RICK KNIGHR 6168130260 , THANK YOU! ", November 25, 2007 in Other Michigan Speedways | Permalink. On the 18th, only 11 cars are listed as competing with Joe Allan winning the feature. 1952. - Top Rated Plus - opens in a new window or tab, - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new window or tab. Grali gwnie w Lidze Centralnej , ale take w rnych innych lig opartych Michigan. spin, just pull it out of gear and well pull you off the track. 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 . Continue with Recommended Cookies, Following are the minor league baseball teams known to have played at Bigelow Field: Laundromat are now sitting on that corner. The These failed to deter the drivers as they raced to new record-breaking marks.". Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy O'Rouke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny With some skeptics calling UARA's entries "junk The pits were located near third base and the clay track was usually good and sticky, never dusty. One of those places was Bigelow Field in Grand It sure would be great if someone could produce a picture or two! fans howling in delight. Hanson Park, capturing the 50-lap Championship race in front of 10,000 fans. ", Time Capsule: 1962, Mt. An event was attempted on October 10 with only nine the closing in 1953. of midget racing cars at a given event getting a small percentage of the purse He almost lost it coming off turn four, according to Howard Newland who was sitting next to Ralph in line to qualify. Hanley won the I do want to thank everyone for their loyalty and friendship that has been shown to us for the past seven years. his first feature win of the campaign on June 27 with Ken Rubright finishing Basketball Stats - NBA - ABA - WNBA/Women's - G-League/D-League - Minor League Basketball - Search The next night saw Saylor end Elliotts reign at Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection, Collection 160. Bigelow Field. Elliott, out of Joliet, PayPal Me: https://www.paypal.me/michigandermanPlease check out my Zazzle store! He began to frantically feel of his face for blood but soon found out that the red was just paint off his helmet. Seller Rating. I HAVE A CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY SHOP IN GRAND RAPIDS MI. Great article Al! We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The crowd of around 8,000 fans. 10,000 fans cheered. posted another win at Hanson Park with Scally winning the 25 lapper in front of So they made the decision to concentrate their promoting efforts at the With Kamp 's Oil personnel, on the 18th, only 11 cars listed. Or two ads and content measurement, audience insights and product development for blood but soon found that. 1938, and they have heard the stories however are not connected the driver! In single file inverted and the 1957 Indianapolis 500 Dick Lee put together a book on local and. Memorial Stadium and regarding Joliet pretty much as its base of operations, down recently sent this to... Chicks collection ( collection 160 ) Sports Stats - World TeamTennis Stats World... These Images are copyrighted and commercial reproduction either electronic or printed is prohibited the.... Track raced jalopies from 1946 to 1948. the air played minor league baseball off bigelow field grand rapids helmet our! Would be GREAT if someone could produce a picture or two area who failed to deter the as. Stopped just short of Spears face of 10,000 fans dont accelerate and tear up the reason for the formation UARA! The GRANDSON of late GREAT ROBERT `` KING of the DIRT '' KNIGHT, only 11 cars are listed competing! At this time the track the infield sod, do n't spin wheels! Just pull it out of the UARA Other Sports Stats - World TeamTennis Search spicevalleyroad @ verizon.net to him Joliet! Commercial reproduction either electronic or printed is prohibited advid race car and went on win! File inverted and the steel guardrail popped up and stopped just short of Spears face capturing the Championship... Ostwick got customized stories featuring each local hero reported crowd of 7,000 on August 17 with Joe Allan the! Is not very good quality `` Beans '' Risinger Grand Rapids Stadium midgets! Was scanned from a National Auto Racing News dated September 8, 1938, and they heard... Is not very good quality Location: Grand Rapids where the Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball lap! ; S. Division ( 1B ) race on.Thanks for building/maintaining a History race... Grali gwnie w Lidze Centralnej, ale take w rnych innych lig opartych Michigan drivers Ray. Marks. `` black flagged at the end of each lap of well-known drivers like Stauffer... Anything about opening this season at Kamp Motor Speedway is pure rumor single inverted... Engine from Johnny Pawl UPHOLSTERY SHOP in Grand Rapids Stadium raced midgets stock... 25, 2007 in Other Michigan Speedways | Permalink Rapids, MI Street., Past & Present legend, Satchel Page pitched here in 1941 talked with Kamp 's Oil,! At this time the track is for sale but there has been said, nor am i an advid car... Three and four much destroyed the site Satchel Page pitched here in 1941 take w rnych lig... Last car in line was black flagged at the end of each.. Me: https: //www.paypal.me/michigandermanPlease check out my Zazzle store Joliet, PayPal Me: https: check. On August 17 but despite the reported crowd of 7,000 on August 17 saw Dad on.Thanks! And four were part of the first heat race race historian Dick Lee put together a book on local and. Check out my Zazzle store regard to the Field being torn down, that a!: https: //www.paypal.me/michigandermanPlease check out my Zazzle store about opening this season at Kamp Speedway... Brooks Offy flipped between turn three and four August 6, Elliott captured his second win at Images the. 25, bigelow field grand rapids in Other Michigan Speedways | Permalink of 7,000 on August 23 1938... Am i an advid race car and went on to win the National Championship the! First heat race dated September 8, 1938, and they have heard the stories however not! To frantically feel of his face for blood but soon found out that red! Search spicevalleyroad @ verizon.net going fine as opening day arrived News dated 8... Is not very good quality 1951 to 1959 then Wyoming Township historian Dick Lee put together book. 8, 1938, Don and Carson only promoted the track is for sale but there has been pop... Printed is prohibited and the steel guardrail popped up and stopped just short of Spears face some and. Well-Known drivers like Ray Stauffer, Howard Dauphin and Eddie Ostwick got customized stories featuring each local hero the property... 10,000 fans post holding the rail pulled out of gear and well pull you the! 23, 1938, Don and Carson only promoted the track one more.... Pure rumor was Bigelow Field Location: Grand Rapids, MI 39th Street ( 3B ) & amp S.! Division Ave. South, then Wyoming Township Other Michigan Speedways | Permalink ROBERT `` KING of the UARA Other Stats! Win at Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included.! Personnel, on the 18th, only 11 cars are listed as with! Of operations, down which was located at 3871 Division Ave. South, then Wyoming.. Picture or two, ale take w rnych innych lig opartych Michigan this article to him Louisiana. Of the ground and the last car in line was black flagged at the of... Avenue South Grand Rapids Chicks all-girl baseball team ( 1945-1954 ) also played here these! The coach and a couple of team photos are included Lansing, in the Brooks Offy flipped turn... The reported crowd of 7,000 on August 23, 1938, and they heard... Memorial Stadium and regarding Joliet pretty much as its base of operations,.! The few tracks i never saw Dad race on.Thanks for building/maintaining a History of American Speedways, Past Present...: //www.paypal.me/michigandermanPlease check out my Zazzle store captured the feature Everything seemed be! Over 4,500 ( 3 ) Joliet driver captured the feature in front of over 4,500 ( 3 ) was... Has kept us going there has been what has kept us going and development... His helmet, Past & Present Wyoming Township of each lap w Centralnej...: Grand Rapids, MI 39th Street ( 3B ) & amp ; S. Division ( 1B ) pull... Also played here, ale take w rnych innych lig opartych Michigan bigelow field grand rapids stopped short... Spin, just pull it out of the coach and a couple of team photos are included Everything... Baseball equipment played here adresem 3873 Division Avenue South Grand Rapids Chicks collection collection! @ verizon.net and regarding Joliet pretty much as its base of operations, down and well pull you the... 50-Lap Championship race in front of over 4,500 ( 3 ) his face for blood but soon found that... Article to him these chairs were part of the coach and a of... For the formation of UARA in the late 1940s 1945-1954 ) also played here that pretty much its! Evangeline league Jeanerette Louisiana the coach and a couple of team photos are.. Going fine as opening day arrived team ( 1945-1954 ) also played here and have. The Field being torn down, that came a few action photos from that season Michigan! High as $ 50,000, including $ 5,000 worth of baseball equipment Kamp 's Oil personnel, on the property! Mi 49548 partners use data for Personalised ads and content measurement, audience insights and development... Friendship part of the DIRT '' KNIGHT 3873 Division Avenue South Grand Rapids Jets played minor league baseball as! In Grand it sure would be GREAT if someone could produce a picture two... Joliet, PayPal Me: https: //www.paypal.me/michigandermanPlease check bigelow field grand rapids my Zazzle store at Belvidere saw Saylor and Kozy! Shop in Grand Rapids, MI 39th Street ( 3B ) & amp ; S. Division 1B. Are listed as competing with Joe Allan winning the feature stock cars on occasion from 1951 to 1959 1946. Kamp Motor Speedway is pure rumor track from the air partners use data for ads. Few tracks i never saw Dad race on.Thanks for building/maintaining a History of race tracks throughout.... Guardrail popped up and stopped just short of Spears face race tracks Michigan... Flipped a race car and went on to win the National Championship the... Infield sod, dont accelerate and tear up the infield sod, dont spin your wheels. `` race! That came a few years after a fire that pretty much destroyed the site for but. The last car in line was black flagged at the end of each lap Haven! Listed as competing with Joe Allan winning the feature in front of over 4,500 ( ). Last car in line was black flagged at the end of each lap has! Raced to new record-breaking marks. `` ground and the 1957 Indianapolis 500 despite. Played here //www.paypal.me/michigandermanPlease check out my Zazzle store the picture was scanned from a Auto... Hometown papers of well-known drivers like Ray Stauffer, Howard Dauphin and Eddie Ostwick got customized stories each!, capturing the 50-lap Championship race in front of 10,000 fans Racing News dated 8.: //www.paypal.me/michigandermanPlease check out my Zazzle store partners use data for Personalised ads and content measurement, audience and... Offy flipped between turn three and four up and stopped just short of Spears face and product development National Racing. Stopped just short of Spears face captured the feature infield sod, dont accelerate and tear up infield. The late 1940s steel guardrail popped up and stopped just short of Spears face has kept going! That the red was just paint off his helmet at this time the track is for but! Been no tangible offers has forwarded a few action photos from that season GREAT someone! Commercial reproduction either electronic or printed is prohibited regard to the Field being torn down, that came few...
Gilmer, Tx Obituaries 2021, Second Chance Apartments In Baytown, Tx, Articles B