KCTA - Kansas City Timing Association

Can anyone tell me about the Kansas City Timing Association? I saw a reference to KCTA Chris and in the www.hollywoodcrossspeedshop.com web site. Did a web search, didn't come back with much but what little I did it sounds in it was big deal in the early 1950's Kansas / M0 area. I'd love to hear the old stories if anyone can remember.

Is it still around? If not any interest in starting it up again?

 

Chris is probably your best source of info, there may be a few old guys who still remember.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/member.php?u=531

 

Yeah the KCTA was a pretty big deal, they timed the old city built drag strip. I have a bag full of black and white pictures from the 1954 Nationals (year?) at the old KC dragstrip. If I get a chance today I'll scan em' so you can go back in time to the old KCTA days. The president is still alive, I'm pretty sure it was Ray Ericson (Spelling?) for at least a while in the early-mid 50s he has a chopped and channeled Packerd now. His wife had the infamous "whistle bait" 52 Ford here in Kansas City in the 50s. The last few years the old drag strip has actually had a meeting and the old drivers have come back to KC for a reunion at the old location.

The story of the birth of the KCTAs drag strip is actually a great one. The kids were racing so much on the streets that the KCMO police dept. actually built a totally free drag strip (ahh the days before law suits ruined the world). It was on what is now front street here in KC at what is now a quicktrip gas station. At that time is was in the middle of nowhere so it wouldn't bother anyone.

There was no take off lights at first, just the KCTA to flag, and a KCTAer with a stop watch from what I understand but I could be wrong. And it was just a strip with a gravel return lane to a gravel parking area. Man you should hear some of the old race stories...... If you want to hear some let me know and I'll pass on some of the ones I've heard from Ray and some of the other oldtimers.

Boy was I born too late..

 

Also I think someone has taken apart an old KCTA book and reprinted a few. I don't know if it's a HAMBer but you might ask around. It seems like someone brought one by the shop a few years back and got everyone excited.

 

I have one of the original books from the group that built the strip. I go it from one of the original guys and it is primo shape. I made some copies recently but would love to find someone here local in KC that can professionally copy it for others to enjoy. Ideas?
Tom

 

...... If you want to hear some let me know and I'll pass on some of the ones I've heard from Ray and some of the other oldtimers. ....

You bet Grim, pass the stories on. I love old hot hod & racing history.

Out in California in the early 1990's I became friends with an elderly gentlemen named James Dunham. As we talked, he mentioned that he won the Indy 500. Now, I've followed Indy racing forever and as a kid read all the books on Indy history but I didn't remember anyone by that name. I kinda figured that maybe his memory was a little in question, I mean he was in his 80's.

Well I get back to the house, I check my books and low and behold there he was. Back in the 1930's Indy cars had two people in the car. Mr. Dunham was the riding mechanic for Kelly Petillo in the 1935. This was also the very first Offy, meaning here was the first mechanic to work on an Offy engine. Wow, wow, wow.

I went back to California in 2004 for a visit and talked to him again. Yep, he was still alive and kicking at 90+. Some of the stories he told me were amazing. Those guys had big nads. "You wore this little leather helmet, no seat belts, going 110 mph on bricks?" wow.

Needless to say, I have tremendous respect for old racers and would love to hear the KCTA stories. We need to pass them on....

Thanks,

 

I'd love to see it, I'd even buy a copy. Other's rodders might like see it also. Keep the history alive.

 

My old man ran there in the sixties and it is one of the places he had to run to certify his world recor run's after running them at other tracks in the area. I believe they were the only AHRA santioned track in the area for a long time and to be accepted in the record books they had to be the ones in the area to time you. I would be interested in getting ahold of some of the books in certain dates to go along with the original time slips I have from those runs. I have the record, time slips, and a copy of the AHRA magazine stating the times with name and car. I posted copies of these in the past and when I get home tonight I will post them again as they are not on my work computer.

 

Here is the cover.
Our sympathy to our northern friends in Minnesota.

 

Rear

 

Center Spread

 

Dad took us starting around 1960. We saw the Dodge Charger blown 64s in 1964 . Later in its life, it seems whoever got there first took money from whoever showed up. We used to go in the mid-late 60s and run on Saturdays. Any one could run anyone. Flag man start, no officials, no ambulance. I recall Dad ran his big 9 passenger, 1965, 389 Tri-power Safari Pontiac wagon against about four locals in their 65 Grand Prix 421. The wagon used to run 15.30s on a good track so on a slick track, it put the hurt on real muscle cars and really put this poor car full of kids in the 65 GP to shame.
Tom

 

Alot of the guys are still around and they have a "reunion" at KCIR in late May. I have a messload of old newspaper clippings from the drag racing era in KC that an old timer gave me. Also, there is a guy in KC that "scans" and collects everything that he can find about his old club the KCTA. He mentioned that he would give me some prints of the "glass slipper" Chrisman car if he could scan some of my stuff. Heck ya'........He also had a pix of the Chrisman car in front of a pub that was down the street from the track and everyone would stop by there for a beverage after running at the track.

A quick story that a guy told me...........Mr. Bardol (from the Bardol oil co.) brought down a trailer full of drag cars and all of the local KC boys kept beating him on the track and he was running car after car and they local boys were smoking him........so he just loaded all the cars back up on the trailer and headed back home to Texas. (a couple of the cars were newer Vettes).

Chris Nelson
Kansas

 

Oh yea, Tom........where do you live?

 

Another with ads.

 

Chris, five miles from the new strip. Lee's Summit!
We used to drive the wagon with pipes open from Hickman Mills to the old strip up in the north part of KC. I still to this day can tell you which way we drove. I was 7 to 10 years old.

 

I may be able to get that book reproduced for you.

Does anyone think there's enough interest for a guy to repop it and sell a few copies and maybe cover what it took to make 'em?

~Jason

 

Yeah I'd love to, I'll shoot you some stories I've heard when the little lady goes to bed and I have a minute to type. In the mean time, strap in, we're going back to 1954. I scanned those pictures I was telling you about from the 54 nationals. Enjoy, these were originally taken by my father Jim Greene (WildChild).

 

Damn Grim...........I would love to flip thru those pix sometime........heck, I just thought that I missed the coffee run this past weekend. Are you guys going to be around the shop this weekend? I have a free pass the wife is outta' town.

Chris Nelson

 

---

 

Grim, Jim from Wild Child on about 33rd and Main? He painted my Barracuda in 1978!!
Tom

 

Yeah sure anytime just give me a yell and I can swing over and open up if you want to come by. Give me one sec and I'll shoot you a telephone number-

 

Alright, back in the bus... Unless you want to stay behind

 

(You know it . We moved over to a bigger shop on 32nd and Holmes right after that the same year.)

Actually, here you go, here's a shot of Ray Erickson right here. Him and my dad were messing around and my Pop grabbed this sneaky pic. That white primered car in the background is Ray's "Whistle Bait". Well my Dad just chopped this Merc so Ray stopped in driving by to hang out. He's laughing and sticking his tongue out because the Merc's already lower than his 52, and it's not even lowered yet . Ray's a class act, and this is what it's all about, too many new timers I meet just don't get it. Friendly fun, no petty personal competitions..

 

You got my interest I'll buy one.

 

Great Pics!

Thanks for the info guys! I love it!

 

I saw the reunion mentioned at the KCIR web site. I didn't make it this year, but will for sure next year.

 

Thanks VOETOM for the pics. I love fliping through old Hot Rod mags.

 

This is what its all about, hot rods and fun.

 

Hey 49,
Just read the message and great that there is finally a post going, I love it when the stories and pics come out.

I have the copy of the book as well as a vhs tape (Soon as Grimlock returns it wink wink) John Povenmeyer found all the footage a nd made the copies. It follows opening day as well as most the big races plus a Bville and the Kansas City sports car club outting.

There are a few reprints of shirts around as well.

I post more tonight.