History Balboa Stadium Jalopy Racing / Bob Hardee Photos

Years ago there was a story about a house being sold in a older neighborhood in San Diego. Apparently the son was a jalopy racer, and when he stripped early Fords, he put the extra parts under his mothers house. The lady had died, and the house was being sold. The parts were discovered during a home inspection, and a local Antique Auto dealer was contacted. There were several truck loads of 32 Ford parts including fenders, bumpers, gas tanks, hoods, and what ever else...

 

I was there when Frenchie was killed, my dad and uncle raced at Balboa and El Cajon. Les Crawford, uncle Herb

 

I was there that night too watching in the stands with my dad & a cousin. I was 7 years old. It was awful.
That memory never left.
I remember at the next event all the racers went up into the stands and passed the hats to take up donations for Faulkner's family.

In 1961 the AFL San Diego Chargers came to town from L.A. and took over Balboa Stadium.
That pushed the local circle track racers out to a new track in El Cajon "Cajon Speedway" (closed in 2004).
Balboa Stadium was eventually demolished when San Diego City College expanded, that and the old stadium no longer could comply with ADA & Earthquake regulations. There is a smaller athletic field there now.

 

Just up
link to Balboa Stadium 1942 midget race pics
History - Balboa Stadium 1942 Midget Races | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

 

A very similar happening at the top of the page by contributor (sdroadster) ocurred here in the Omaha area during the 60's by the original owner of my avatar...having built & raced (3) 32 coupes through the years he carefully removed all non essential parts & stored them in a chicken coop for a rainy day so to speak, however while on an extended south-east racing venture some unsavory type character helped himself to the entire contents.