1901 Grand Rapids Lambs play in the Western Association Great article Al! | v3.3.0 They finally opened up the outside pit gate with the bomber using the city street to gather sufficient speed to complete the stunt. off the track some 100 yards, running under a rope barrier and suffering fatal Images of the coach and a couple of team photos are included. 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. Race historian Dick Lee has forwarded a few action photos from that season. August 1 with over 8,000 screaming fans in attendance. It appears that the May 21st races were rained out. posted another win at Hanson Park with Scally winning the 25 lapper in front of on winning the next night, grabbing feature race honors at Bigelow Field. The Grand Rapids Stadium raced midgets and stock cars on occasion from 1951 to 1959. June 04, 2011 at 03:12 PM. Three photos in the collection document the fire at Bigelow Fields where the Chicks played, in 1952. Rubright, the Davenport, Iowa speedster, guided Grand Rapids, MI 49544. Actually Id be talking about a now-defunct little midget track built on a baseball field in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Bigelow Field. crowd of around 8,000 fans. I'm sitting here now looking at his trophy for winning the Bigelow Field Mid-Season Championship on August 13, 1947. Michigan driver Don Ingersoll won at Bigelow Field on August 20. On the 18th, only 11 cars are listed as competing with Joe Allan winning the feature. Toledo driver Bud Hufsman was If anyone has information on any of the aforementioned UARA midget race cars, please contact me. Elliott made it eight in a row, winning on the Hanson Park dirt on September 23. | Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection (Collection 160). | Send Feedback or Report a Problem, Helen Earlene "Beans" Risinger Grand Rapids Chicks collection (Collection 160). Common Access Card Update Email Address. sums up the reason for the formation of UARA in the late 1940s. Bigelow Field on August 27. included starter Art Kelly, timer Harold Fosdick and pit steward Charles That was the end of the crack-the-whip. 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". There was two more weeks of racing on June 4 and then June 18, 1940 and then nothing. Rubright came home second with Simmons third. There is clearly a lot of work to do on this April day with racing just a month away. $2,882.00 with Zukor setting a new track record of 20.13 seconds during time 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. The midgets ran time trials but because they had so many cars they ran elimination races. Grand Rapids History Center. during time trials, running around the tricky 1/5-mile dirt oval around the 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. 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. Bob Muhlke of Evanston, Illinois, clicked wheels with Carl Forberg, causing him to flip with the car rolling over once. Grand Rapids History Center. The next night saw Saylor end Elliotts reign at Illinois Fairgrounds at Belvidere saw Saylor and his Kozy V8 win on August 17. Bob Muhlke of Evanston, Illinois, clicked wheels with Carl Forberg, causing him to flip with the car rolling over once. https://archive.grpl.org/repositories/4/archival_objects/88455 Accessed March 01, 2023. Novak as Vice President and Wiswald as Secretary-Treasurer. Larry 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). Not sure what it was called on topo maps it is only called 'old fairgrounds' even in 1914. viewable on historicaerials. Someone at CSRA seems to have vouched for him. The economy is another factor in our decision. Bigelow Field fire. Tragedy struck during the evening when 32-year old Frank Stauber 2729 E Beltline Hibbing, MN 55746; 218 . Two days earlier, Ambrose won at Michigans So they made the decision to concentrate their promoting efforts at the other tracks. street and South Division. Manage Settings Grand Rapids also had its share of league stars including Players of the Year Connie Wisniewski in 1945 and Alma Ziegler in 1950. You say that you never heard of it? My dad appears to have taken on the job with gusto based on the number of news releases that were issued and the articles that appeared in the Grand Rapids papers prior to the opening of the season. Jim Williams, the owner and promoter of the facility called a press conference and with tears The following story chronicles UARAs first season1947. Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy O'Rouke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny Grand Rapids Press Library photos. BIGELOW, Shawnee D. Coopersville, MI Age 60, passed away unexpectedly April 1, 2021. Zukor won again at Hanson Park on Belvidere. Add Joint Data Model Applet. Under the leadership of Willliam Mabin, a local group of young men and boys form the Colored Giants, the first local team of black players. 1952. A list of 32 Michigan newspapers was assembled for the promotional campaign. Ambrose drove the Nelsen Hirschberg At least, they are mysterious to me. 1938 Bigelow Field Midget: Final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1939 Bigelow Field Midget: Final Standings:1-Art Hartsfeld: 1948 Bigelow Field AAA . Illustrated Speedway News: National Pniej zespoy gray na Bigelow Field na South Division Avenue. ", Newland continued, "The outboards had a loud scream. Great site! ", Stock cars ran briefly for one season at Bigelow Field in 1952 and then in 1953 a fire wiped out the grandstands. Grand Rapids History Center. (3) Scope and Contents. 35 midgets on hand for the competition at the Chicago Public Schools One accident occurred during the running of the first heat race. ", Everything seemed to be going fine as opening day arrived. pushed several individuals to look at the formation of a racing association for 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." These are auto racing photographs taken by Al Blixt, Sr. in the 1930's. the 1940 season with "a special speedway oil applied under pressure at 516 South Pokegama Ave Grand Rapids, MN 55744; 218-327-2001; HIBBING Outpatient Therapy, Psychiatry Office & Outpatient Substance Use Services. The grounds were still being used for baseball where team at Joliet Memorial Stadium. The entry way to Bigelow Field for the midgets was off Loraine Street. as the Michigan representative both for the the national auto racing weekly, the, My dad appears to have taken on the job with gusto based on the number of news releases that were issued and the articles that appeared in the Grand Rapids papers prior to the opening of the season. A lighted field capable of seating 10,000 stood here. lap Championship event. There was a fairgrounds track between 36th and 32nd but it is. . opener. system-owned facility. Grand Haven River Road Track raced jalopies from 1946 to 1948. . 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. I know that my dad ran there numerous times. The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. However you can see that it was also a baseball field. Bigelow Field znajdowao si pod adresem 3873 Division Avenue South Grand Rapids, MI 49548. Paul | down. UARA officials included Scally as President, November 28, 2007 at 09:30 AM. before the gates opened. Grand Rapids: Michigan: USA: at 39th St+S Division Ave: encircled a baseball field; later site of McDonald's+a laundromat . 75 midget to victory on July 30 at Bigelow Field. The fire stopped just short of their store. UARA visited the half-mile dirt oval at the Sandwich Grand Rapids, Mich. on Wednesday night, June 16. Was he a crook? The ball field was also the home for some of the Grand Rapids Chicks ball games. Football Stats - NFL - CFL - AFL - Arena Football - Indoor Football - Search Based on later articles, there were still problems with dust from time to time at Bigelow Field. The fastest twelve cars started in single file inverted and the last car in line was black flagged at the end of each lap. 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. Golden-Age Comics, Silver-Age, Bronze-Age, Comic Books, Comic Book Art, Strip Art, Pulps, Pulp Magazines, Movie Memorabilia, Sports Memorabilia, Big Little Books, Timely, Nedor, Marvel, Atlas, DC, EC, Horror, Superhero, Football, Baseball, Auto Racing, Stills, 8x10s, Spicy, Pin-Ups and more! On the Fourth of July, UARA visited the newly 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 . com. Here we see the view of the grandstand from center field. 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. Wally Zale lost a rear wheel in that event but repaired his car only to go out again with mechanical problems while dueling with Tony Willman in the Australian pursuit. IM THE GRANDSON OF LATE GREAT ROBERT "KING OF THE DIRT" KNIGHT. dirt oval: r5/3/1938-40, 47-c52: defunct: TRACK DRIVER STANDINGS. 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. 55, made it two in a row https://archive . He was rushed to the hospital but was soon released. I have just sent an ariel view of Bigelow Field in Grand Rapids to the Waterwinterwonderland webmaster. in his columns and race reports which appeared in Illustrated Speedway days earlier, had set a new track record with a 19.19 second run. Later that day, Scally and his Dicks Auto Repair V8 See feature on Jimmy on this site. , History of American Speedways, Past & Present. Well over 10,000 fans Bigelow Field was a minor league baseball park (GR Jets) that was converted to a race track for a season or two. The park had a small grandstand, with bleachers only on the 1B side. fairgrounds on October 5 with Ambrose winning the 12-lap main. 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. 1940 found a new promoter out of the Indianapolis area who failed to pay some purses and soon vanished. PayPal Me: https://www.paypal.me/michigandermanPlease check out my Zazzle store! 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. Scally posted He almost lost it coming off turn four, according to Howard Newland who was sitting next to Ralph in line to qualify. 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). window.__mirage2 = {petok:"igxyY7CEoZ3TSgU5rvCLqbDB5At9mC5j4ATdnNWfEhU-1800-0"}; The track was rough with some track always had a good safely crew who would tell the drivers, "If you his Willys No. and Marty Wiswald, along with car owner Wally Novak, formed UARA. followed by Saylor, Corky Singer and Larry Johnson. Detective Tales Pulp July 1945- Chloroform cover- Day Keene (#233260434102). Three photos in the collection document the fire at Bigelow Fields where the Chicks played, in 1952. Starting to get on a roll, Elliott was the Elliott won his sixth straight on Tuesday night, September 9 with 6,000 Carl Forgerg, Art Hartsfeld, Jake Jacobson, Bernie Jacobson, Al Mominee, Fibber Walters, Matt Heid, Iggy Katona, Bill Mackey, Cecil Green, Cecil Zent, Cecil Clees, Ralph Reel, Ralph Pratt, Potsy Goacher, Big Bill Spears, Charlie Messler, Ray St Johns, Teddy Tedrow, Bud Sparks, Ted Hartley, Gene Hartley, Hank Russ, Johnny Smigs, Louie Ludke, Don Ingersol, Hank Nykaza, Bill Vukovich, Sam Hanks, Paul Russo, Neil Carter, Harry Bennet, Leroy Warriner, George Jackson, Bill Wiltse, Gordon Vander Laan, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy ORourke, Ronnie Householder, Ronnie Duman, Hank Duman, Red Newman, Glen Rocky, Howard Daulphin, Doc Shanebrook, Gene Force, Duane Carter, Bill BJork, Bobby Grim, Bob Williams, Brick Eicholtz, Danny Keselowski, Johnny Wolfiel, Henry Banks, Ed Stanke, Emory Rice, Bob Breading, Johnny Tolan, Chick Barbo, Johnny Parsons, Sr., Cotton Farmer, Al Bonnell, Art Cross, Eddie Johnson, Harlen Hunt, George Fonger, Joe Sostillio, Bill Homes, Jerry Hoyt, Johnny McDowell, Manual Ayulo, Troy Ruttman, Tony Bonadies, Joe Barzda, Bob Ellingham, Jimmy Knight, Gays Biro, Chuck Weyant, Jack Turner, Bill Homier, Chuck Rodee, Bob Wente, Tommy Copp, Rex Easton, Van Johnson, Arnie Knepper, Ed Yeager, Rick Kerr, Chuck Arnold, Carl Scarborough, Mike Nazaruk, Jiggs Peters, Pete Romcevitch, Charies Szekendy, Al Plackey, Wally Zale, Johnny Zale, Gordon Gajdet, Wild Bill Boyd, Bob Zomerhuis, Dewey Omen, Gene allen, Howard Newland, and Bill Schindler. Bigelow Field - Grand Rapids MI Address: 39th Street and S. Division City: Grand Rapids State: MI Zip: 49548 County: Kent Number of visits to this page: 18792 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. 1939 Taylor Stadium Pine Bluff Judges Cotton States Lg Pine Bluff AR. Write a review. Earl Simmons of Maywood won the feature race that afternoon on a He never flipped a race car and went on to win the National Championship and the 1957 Indianapolis 500. a temperature of 160 degrees" according to a news release at the time. and through a canvas barrier. The list of drivers included a Who's Who of Michigan and Midwest racing talent, headed by Wally Zale of Chicago. Bigelow Field fire. arrival of the Kurtis Kraft, Offenhauser engine-powered midget, a whole variety races. The The Elliott, out of Joliet, Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. From the Collection: Hometown papers of well-known drivers like Ray Stauffer, Howard Dauphin and Eddie Ostwick got customized stories featuring each local hero. UARA feature event at Hanson Park on June 6. neck injuries. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, [1] winning championships in 1947 and 1953. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. AbeBooks Seller Since March 31, 2017 Bigelow Field Raceway Midget Auto Race Program 1950-Grand Rapids MI-Ads for C cleared payment - opens in a new window or tab, Report this item - opens in new window or tab. You say that you never heard of it? He was rushed to the hospital but was soon released. //

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