7/19/10

Posted two photos, one of Glen Guthrie and one of Jimmy Mairs, at Daytona in 1970 with their Late Model Sportsman cars. They are on page 3 of the Beltsville page.Jimmy ran 7th in Saturday's 300 mile Sportsman race while Glen suffered serious injuries when he wrecked in the same race. Glen did return to racing once he recovered.




7/19/10

I just added photos of the 2009 reunion. Several fellows bring their old race cars and street rods to the event. Junior Tauber brings his race car and trailer which features many pictures of the old days of racing in the Baltimore area. Eddie Drury, Potomac and Delaware International late model driver brought his trailer rig which you could walk into and get an up close and personal view of the underneath of a late model stock car. You see more from that angle then you can see from topside. One of the nice features of the bullroast is that if the weather is decent you can travel back and forth between the cars outside and the goings on inside.



7/18/2010

Just added some late model photos for the Dorsey page, Hagerstown and Potomac pages.. I also added photos of Bucky Guilfoy and Diz Dean to the Dorsey page.as I had somehow missed placing their pictures on site. Needless to say that they reminded me of this oversight. Go Daddy has made some changes to the way I have to upload photos and the old dog had to learn a few new tricks.

I just ordered hats for the Hall of Fame as I have sold out of them. I am in the process of designing a tee for the website. The tee company is working on it as I write.

I have a ton of material to add and will be updating the site over the next month.

Reunion Bullroast is getting line up and will be November 14.


6/4/10

Been awhile but we are still her. Just entered a new story from Harold Sears about one of the background guys at the track, Charlie Miles. Very nece satory. Enjoy.

I finished copying 30+ tapes of Dorsey and Potomac. They contain some outstanding racing at these two tracks. We will feature some of them at the Reunion bullroast in November.

I have alot more to add to the website and will do so in the next week or so. Time ti get into gear.


3/31/10

Joe Scaggs has done it again. Thanks to Joe I will be making dvd's of the 1985 Dorsey Speedways final races. Also I will have vintage Potomac Raceway dvd's. Gonna take some time though.

2/23/10
A big thanks go to former Dorsey/Potomac racer Joe Scaggs for a ton of photos and program covers from the good old days. I have posted new photos on the Beltsville, Marlboro, Dorsey and Potomac pages. I have alot more to go but this will be it for a day or two.


1/29/10

I can't believe it has been this long since I've done any updates. Time to go to press again. I have alot to put on the website in the next few weeks. Former driver Carter Ayres has sent in a story for the Memories Are Made of This page. It is posted now. Thanks Carter. I wonder how many others have spent similar nights on the tow home.

I hope to have a book published in the next couple of months and at least two videos made soon. One will be for Beltsville Speedway and the other will cover Westport, Dorsey and Potomac. I sold out of hats at the reunion and will be ordering more shortly.

Stay tuned.

Al




12/3/09

Well I have recovered from the Reunion. And what a reunion it was. Everyone had a great time. The Dorsey Speedway movies from 1984 were extremely popular. I will post photos of the race cars and street rods that the fellas brought in a couple of days. In additon, some of the drivers present. As is usual there were many former drivers present. Make your plans for next year's reunion now. Same place on November 14, 2010. Of course tickets will not be sale until late September.

Thanks Paul Zappardino, Carter Ayres, Harold Sears, Pete Kantorsky and Jodie Saylor I have posted several photos to the Dorsey, Beltsville and Marlboro pages.




10/26/09
I have added some new photos to the Photo Galleries, the Johnny Roberts page, the Beltsvile Page and the Elmo Langley page. I have also added a story to the Memories Are Made of This page. This story submitted by Harold Sears, former car owner in the early '60's, about the evening of the Johnny Roberts crash at Lincoln Speedway that took his life. I have to apologize to Harold for taking so long to put his tory on the site. Harold is coming up to the reunion from North Carolina and I am looking forward to seeing him again. One of the Johnny Roberts photo is of him and Ralph Earnhardt racing on the beach in 1956. A great photo. Harold sent me this photo and I really appreciate it. 


10/21/09
The bullroast reunion is fast approaching. Many Dorsey and Beltsville drivers are coming. Sure to be a great time. We have a new caterer this year and new movies of Beltsville and Dorsey. This is a great event and excellent chance to meet some really great drivers.
I have alot of things to add to the website but am tied up with the reunion. I will add new photos and stories after the reunion.

8/10/09
Carter Ayres, former Westport, Dorsey, Beltsville and Marlboro driver,has sent in a story from the past. Enjoy.
8/9/09
Paul Zappardino has written another story for our pleasure on the Memories Are Made of This page. Thanks Paul
I have just about lined up everything for the reunion and will have something definite by weeks end. I am really happy to report that the ticket prices will not go up this year. Hallelujah!

I bought some old Calvalcade of Atuo Racing books from the mid-70's on a gamble and it paid off. There are alot of photos from Beltsville and some write ups about Beltsville in them. Unfortunetly they are not of a high enough quality to put on the website but they will be available in the Beltsville scrapbooks at the reunion. November 15, 2009. Mark your calenders.


7/28/09
Oldtime Maryland racefan Frank Taylor attended races at Pomonkey Speedway in the early '50's. Frank has retired and has taken up painting as a hobby in Grafton, W. Va. He has sent me one of his very nice paintings of Modified Champion Glen Guthrie. As I do not have enough information currently about Pomonkey Speedway I have not created a page for it. I am putting the painting of Glen on the Marlboro page for the time being. Enjoy and thanks go to Frank for this one.

I'm still waiting for more stories. They don't have to be long or involved jsu a short memory of a driver, race, speedway, etc. Get those creative juices flowing.



7/24/09

Paul Zappardino of Baltimore has sent in two stories he remembers from the past. They are posted on the Memories Are Made Of This page. Enjoy. Thanks Paul. 


7/21/09
I thought it would be a nice idea to welcome input from from those who enjoy the website. Specifically for the "Memories Are Made of This" page. Everyone is welcome to submit their favorite race story from the past. I will be happy to place it on that page. The following requirements should be met: aproximate date (ex. summer 1965 or more specific), it does not necessarily have to be about a Maryland speedway but must be about Maryland drivers, it can be about a race, meeting drivers etc., meeting famous drivers at Maryland tracks, any experience that has left an indelible memory. You must give your name and address (hometown and state). Stories should be sent to: oldtimers@mdscrhof.org


7/16/09
Welcome back. I have just posted some nice photos on the Beltsville page from 1966, the Dorsey page, the Johnny Roberts page and the Marlboro page. The photo of Johnney Roberts was received from Jeff Hardifer who has a Wally Campbell website, Wally raced at Westport and Lanham in the earley '50's. The photo is from a Poloroid picture in the early '50's. Possibly on the beach at Daytona. This is rare photo indeed. Larry Jendras, Jr., Maryland's Dean of Stock Car Racing History, was kind enough to provide some photos of Dorsey in the early '60's, Beltsville and a wonderful shot of Preston Welsh's '37 at Marlboro. Again we thank Steve Rader of Baltimore for some Figure 8 and Late Model photos at Dorsey.

As is the case I have alot of irons in the fire. It's time to get the ball rolling on the Reunion. It will be on Sunday, November 15, 2009 at Earleigh Heights Fire Dept. I have not priced the tickets but will keep them as cheap as possible.
11/18/08
One word sums up the Second Annual Reunion: WOW, approx 225 in attendence.
What a time this was. Here is a list of the drivers who were present, sorry if I miss a few):
Reds Kagle, Bobby Ballantine, Dick Boswell, Carter Ayres, Junior Tauber, Pee Wee Pobletts, Pete Kantorsky, Ken Festerman. Kevin Sprague, John Imler, Jim Dockery, John Broussard, Bobby Sherbs, George Lorton, Mike Tauber, Ace Canupp, Andy Anderson, Fred Krickbaum, Ernie Tester, Bucky Guilfoy, Chuck Talbert, Slim Devilbiss, Ed Chaney, Jim McBee, Duane Lowrey, Ron Rowles, Mike Heath, Butch Barkey, John  Dodd Jr., Rick Mendelson and I know there were more.
Other notobles attending:Bob Adams, the owner of the famed Flying 11 late model Chevies driven by Ray Hendrick at Beltsville, of Richmond, Va., 1959 NASCAR National Modified Champion Glen Guthrie's daughter, Janie and her husband were in from California, modified star Ed Lindsey's wife and daughter Sharon, mechanic Spider Thomas, modified driver Walt Bowman's sons, and my memory is slipping.
Race cars on display were: Junior Taubers NASCAR Sportsman '39 Ford no. 115, PeeWee Pobletts no. 46 supermodified, An Al Hamilton Sprint car, The Flying Dutchman cut down modified from New York, Fred Krickbaum's PenMar vintage racer cutdown coupe, Walt Bowman's early '30's modified .
Frankm Sagi, legendary announcer at Beltsville, Hagerstown and Lincoln was our Emcee and Doo Wop Jack played the music.
Movies shown were from Westport Stadium, Dorsey Speedway, Potomac Speedway, Hagerstown Speedway. 
At least 15 large scrapbooks were available to bring back the memories. 
Mike Tauber brought two really large display boards of old photos.
It was so neat to walk by the movie and hear someone say "hey that's me on there". 
The group consumed: approx. 300 beers, 250 soft drinks, over 100 cups of coffee, 60 lbs of potato salad, 45 lbs of cole slaw. 200 lbs of meat, 240 kaiser rolls, many jars of pickles, umpteen bags of chips. 
Ray Herrod of Dover, Pa. and Greg Deeth of Midlothian, Va. were on hand with many very nice die cast cars and not NASCAR Cup stuff. Old coupes and late models.
I don't think any one would disagree that this was truly an event to be remembered.
We'll be there same time next year.



The mission of this Hall of Fame is to preserve the history of stock car racing in the state of Maryland and to maintain the memory of those individuals who excelled in the sport. The Maryland Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization created to provide a history of stock car racing in Maryland. Access to the website is free and plans are to keep it that way. Hopefully the Hall of Fame will bring back many pleasant memories of those days spent at the wonderful speedways that once thrived in the Free State. I hope many of you are still supporting our current speedways: Potomac, Hagerstown and Cumberland.
 
Induction to the Hall of Fame will be determined by the following criteria: a track, state or national championship in the following categories: 1950's Sportsman, Modified, Late Model Sportsman, Sprint Car, Super Late Model and Grand National (Currently Nextel Cup). To simplify things the term Super Late Model will be used for the Late Model class that replaced the Modifieds as the primary class at Hagerstown and Dorsey. Potomac also had a late model class as their primary class. These late models evolved into the Super Late Model class. The Hall of Fame is for drivers, mechanics and car owners who were from Maryland. Drivers from other states that raced in Maryland to win national championships and Maryland speedway championships will also be included. There will be special Hall of Fame categories for promotors, officials and others that contributed to the sport in Maryland.
 
All of the material contained in the website is from my own personal collection which has been acquired over the years. A special thank you is due Mike and Junior Tauber, Danny Woolford, Bucky Guilfoy and Jim Carlsen for loaning me their scrap books and video tapes. Additionally I would like to thank the following: Doug Johnson, Dick and Merrilee Jones, Harold Sears, the Danie Ferguson Family, George Dilks, Jeffrey Slayton, Franklin Taylor and Roddy Langley. Viewers are welcomed to notify me of any errors that may appear. If you possess any photos, stories or other information that you would like to have included on the website please notify me. I am currently looking for info about Potomac Speedway champions and Hagerstown Modified champions for the 50's and early 60's. Also, if you reproduce anything from the website it would be appreciated that you acknowlege us. Contact us at: oldtimers@mdscrhof.org

As information: My Name is Al Torney and I live in Annapolis, Maryland. I attended my first stock car race in 1953 at Westport Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. I have been a fan ever since. More than any thing else I miss the old Sportsman-Modifieds of the '50's and early '60's before they started cutting them down. However,I still love them all. 
 

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