History The Aurora Speedway, Seattle Washington

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

The Aurora Speedway, Seattle Washington

Continue reading the Original Blog Post

 

I have A LOT of vintage pictures from the speedway. Just as a note, I've never heard of the area that the speedway was at called "Aurora". Aurora is the name of the highway that it was on. Aka highway 99. And the neighborhood or suburb is Bitter Lake. Another side note, I worked at the Lincoln Dealership that stood on the corner of the land that was the speedway and Playland. It's now a strip mall. Anyways, it's really cool to see this posted.


here a a couple images. I could post more if people want to see it.

 

Here's a link to some additional info and some really good scans of a few programs.
https://pauldorpat.com/2010/08/21/seattle-now-then-the-seattle-speed-bowl/

 

Indeed, please do post more pictures of that area and of that time period, always cool to see the authentic stuff that used to be here in Seattle ! Thanks, @Hitchhiker

 

Ditto

 

The motorcyles are the Seattle Cossacks Stunt Riding Team. Still active with many of the same bikes.

Well that pic didn't work. Try this

 

My family moved to Bainbridge Island in Janurary of 58 and I think it was about the time as the last races at the speedway and the last days of the amusement park but we never made it to either. I'd see a picture in the paper once in a while.
My dad lived in Renton then and on Dad and kid weekends we often hit the Sea Tac / Midway speedway south of Seattle on Sunday nights for the races before he took me back to the ferry back to Bainbridge. That was between 1959 and spring of 63.

 

same thing happened to Spanaway Speed Way in Tacoma... more housing sprang up around the track.. noise complaints.. .. sad

 

Remember Aurora Ave. and Aurora Speedway, and Playland well. Never attended the Speedway
but I won many trips to Playland getting new subscriptions to the Seattle Postintelligencer daily newspaper. I'm a south end (Tukwila), boy. My younger brother had a girl friend when in Jr. high who mother raced with the men at Midway, between Seattle and Tacoma so we got in free there.
Back to Aurora. Had occasion to be out there before the Covid-19. Not much has changed. Still over crowded, dirty, cheap and the cheap whores still openly walk the "Ave" as they call it.

Well that "X" was a shot of the Ave, seems to groddy for even for hamb

 

Mel Anthony was a good friend. We raced against each other many times.

Val Hoyt was killed in the 45 car that was owned by the guy I worked for at the time.

I knew every one of the guys shown in the programs including the service people and the radio guys.

Thanks for the memories.


The number 10 Estes Special had a 315 ci flathead in it. A big engine for the day.


To the guy looking for Jack Choate, I can put you in touch with him if you are still looking.

 

Fun blog post, thanks!
Aurora Stadium Speedway, according to my treasured 1950 program.

Any local worth his salt will appreciate the ad for The Dog House. “It’s time folks. Get the $#@!#! out of my bar!”

 

I had lunch at the Doghouse a couple times a week.

 

Some more.

 

Jack Conner, one of my best friends.

 

Jack was a great guy !

 

The Roadster guys from Oregon used to travel to Aurora a lot. We had a similar facility in Portland, called Jantzen Beach, a 1/4 mile paved track, surrounded by a giant amusement park.

 

What I loved about the Doghouse was that it really got rolling at about 3:00 AM, and the people that introduced me to the place , we would go there to see if they could screw up a grilled cheese sandwich, it was a total universe unto itself, a great cast of characters, " Dick Dickerson at his organ " and the worlds largest cigarette machine and a wall of plush stuffed carnival animals behind the cashiers stand !

 

...This is one of those pics that shows the class in Hacking away major pieces of Body and adding Nerfs/Bumper Bars with thought given too Getting The Hotrod into The Look

...Its also interesting the Profiles in the fenders changing after the material was trimmed away...Love the Step pads still visible on the rear fender..

One Snotty Mopar...
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Info about the NW I was not aware of . Interesting thread

 

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Jack wasn't one to talk about it much but he was probably the best custom body guy in the area at that time. He usually did one custom job during the winter after the race car was ready to go for the next season.

I watched him through the whole job of chopping a 41 Ford business coupe one winter. There wasn't one drop of lead or filler in the body when he finished and it was flawless smooth.

I learned pickin' and filin' from him.

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I'd like to see a Street/Race Coupe along those lines...Stogys Dreamin'

Just as the Roaring Roadsters the Coupes had Hotrod written all over...and I agree Jack did have an Eye...many started off a Hotrod fresh out of the Shop and got bashed into pieces......it looked a winner there...Killer...You drove a 32 Roadster in racing that sported fenders trimmed similar in side profile I'm thinking...I recall a pic you shared some time ago...You lived a Great time in Hotrod Pete1, 65 and prior I'm referencing...

 

1954



1954 crash



Here is one from Portland




I think this was 1955



Checkerboard tavern 1954



Kenney McLaughlin



Smokey Blake



Logan Harter

 

June 30, 1958 Logan Harter and Rod Davis



1953 or 1954 crash through the fence



July 3, 1958.

Cliff Spaulding, Mike Ogden,Don Budwick



1955, A Main: 16 Don Ballmes, 50 Linne Rose, 5 El Schilling, 1 Jack Conner



1954 Kenny Peterson, WMRA President presents a trophy to Jack Conner.
Gene "Moose' Steier,on the right.



May 1954, Bremerton Washington

Jack Conner in #65.

 

Starting line June 1956



June 1955, # 18 John Ellis





Linne Rose

 

Finish line April 10, 1955



June 11, 1955



July 8, 1955 Tom Wallace, winner of trophy dash



The top photo is from June 11, 1955 and shows Fred Maser in the number 7 car and Kenny McLaughlin in the number 10 car. The other photo of Kenny McLaughlin is from July 1, 1955. McLaughlin died in 1960 during a race in Vacaville, California. Holding the trophy is Jens Kloster.

 

I can keep going if this interests anyone...

 

Allen Heath (January 3, 1918-March 6, 1981) began his racing career in Seattle in 1938 and became a successful driver in many parts of the U.S.
Heath appeared in the 1949 MGM movie "The Big Wheel" in which he did the driving scenes of the character played by Mickey Rooney.
Heath's left hand was amputated at the wrist after a 1953 accident at the Illiana Speedway in Indiana. He resumed his racing career in 1955. In 2000 Heath was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.



Logan Harter (also known as "Lovely Logan") with his car at the Aurora Speedway, 1952.
Harter died in 1989 at the age of 71




May 22, 1955. The flagger was Don Perry, car 54 was driven by Tom Wallace



Here's a photo of driver Shorty Templeman in July 1953. In addition to driving in the Northwest, Shorty raced in the Indianapolis 500 five times, finishing as high as 4th in 1961



This is probably my favorite picture I have saved. Color photos are rare. This is supposedly 1950.




This photo was taken at Seattle's Aurora Speedway in 1953. The man in front of the car is Jack Conner the owner & driver of number 65. The tall guy on the right in the racing jacket is George Cronn who was the mechanic for the car. George Cronn is also the original photographer for all these photos.

 

Great pics. Keep them coming.

 

Some north west history

http://befastpast.blogspot.com/

 

Great stuff...Thanks!