Did You Know
April 2013
Things that I haven’t forgotten over the years. I am supposed to talk about race tracks, but there are some things that not many people know about. One time Bill Mepham called me up and said there’s a show and some track time for old race cars at Freedom Speedway in New York State. He also said, that will give us four hours driving time and I (Bill) will tell you some great stuff. I said Ok, I picked him up in Hamilton and much to my delight Bill never stopped talking about racing in the early ’50s. I had heard some of it before and Bill told me the same thing word for word…
Clarke Hodd, a very good friend of mine told me this story. It happened at Mohawk Park in Brantford. It seemed that Bill Mepham in his #22 or most familiar #69 had not won a race at Mohawk. It just happened that there was a sponsor that was going to give an expensive watch to the winner of an extra race at the Friday night card, no money, just the watch for the winner. So, with no money up for grabs, the drivers got together and decided that Bill was going to win the race. It was preplanned that Bill was to start on the pole and no one was to pass him no matter what. Bill knew nothing of this. Green flag, they’re off, Bill is leaving the pack in the dust. Everything is fine until half way, then, Bill’s flathead goes “BYE BYE”. Before he could pull over and get out of the way, someone gets behind him and starts pushing. By this time the rest of the pack gets caught up and sees what’s happening. They took turns pushing Bill, they would fake spin outs as they tried to pass while somebody else took over pushing Bill. This continued until the checker was presented to Bill along with the watch. Bill was none the wiser. Don Henderson Sr. also told me this story word for word. On the trip to Freedom Speedway, Bill told me his story of the same incident, except he still never knew. He said there were cars on both sides… “I couldn’t get out of the way” and they just kept pushing. I wish I could have seen that.
In my list of race tracks I have Fergus as a track. It was, but only once. It seems that twelve cars and crew members from the Ancaster/Mohawk tracks went to Timmins Ontario to race. After the race the promoter was gone…So, the racers pooled all their money in hopes that everyone would get home. They only got as far as Fergus. There, parked on the side of the road, trying to think of a way just to get home. So, a police car pulls up, he must have been a race fan as he felt sorry for them, no motor homes, I don’t imagine they even had trailers, no money. Being the smart folks that people were in those days and this being in the early morning they came up with a plan. The plan was that this police officer would get some help to go around town and spread the word that there was going to be a Stock Car race at the very park that to this day you pass on Hwy #6 right in town. But, after the race, they had to get out of there and go home. The plan did work, if I remember correctly they ran 4 heats and a main, this gave them enough money for gas and some food. That’s why, when we say “The Good Old Days”, no one can say different. What would happen now a days.
I got an email from Carl Kohler, asking me about pay offs for the Jalopy class that ran at Bridgeport Speedway from 1955 on. I never knew what or how they paid as I only finished in the money I think, only once. I won the main and picked up $25.00 using a $3.00 motor… yes, “The Good Old Days”. If I can find them, I have the pay out from Acton and Tiviotdale tracks, both under $100.00. Acton never did have large crowds but a few times we went to Tiviotdale. The place was packed as were the pits with over 80 cars. Tiviotdale ran Friday nights under the lights where as Acton ran Sunday afternoons (very hot). Both tracks are still there, both started out as dirt tracks and both tracks were eventually paved.
Charley Greenly, the same Charley Greenly that owned the the original 1/2 mile Pinecrest at Hwy #7 and Jane in Concord was one of the promoters. He was also the fellow that paved Tiviotdale 1/5 of a mile. There was a driver from Hamilton, Chuck Corrigan #222 that was a good friend of Greenly’s and they made a deal for about $10.00 a race meet that Chuck would come off turn two, crash through the wooden fence, and just before turn three he would crash through again to get back on the track. This worked well for Mr. Corrigan until one time on the quick trip outside of the track, he found a tree stump that he had never seen before. The car was the only one injured, I wonder if he got the $10.00…
Courtesy of Jim Dunham
