Saw Jan Opperman for the first time in Mercer, Pa around 1975. Bobby Allen won the feature but I couldn’t get over Opperman riding the rim. Great driver and a great person
My Dad and I would go to Lincoln Speedway every Saturday night to watch Bobby Able, Lynn Paxton, Bobby Allen race! We drove from Baltimore and were always at church first thing on Sunday mornings.
I have many fond memories of the Grove. Started going there in the 60's. Always loved the 150 open. Back then racers were like family to each other. I can remember local families opening their homes to racers who came from far away to race the 150. They would allow them to spend the night, and fed them at the dinner table, just like family. It saved many racers and their family money on meals and hotel costs. The racers really appreciated this. Don't you all wish that we could get back to those times in our lives when racing was a family sport. You could afford to take your family to enjoy a race. I love dirt racing. It has been a part of my life for over half a century.
I've been going and driving hobby stock sportsman outlaw super late s all my life nothing beats racing fri sat nights and Sunday afternoon. Been going since I was 5 now I'm almost 69 love my racing
That was indeed back in the good old days. The very beginning segment was in the 1960's. The covered front stretch grandstand did not make it to 1970. My favorite vacation day as a kid was to go to WG Park all day on a Friday, eat picnic supper while watching all the cars arrive on open trailers, then going to the race in the evening. RIP #99 Jesus is Lord.
Great video, about that time frame the May brothers Steve Siegal Tony Diaz left El Paso for Pennsylvania my dad taught Tony how to weld as for me Iam still building sprint cars I grew up with them my favorite racecar by far people in PA are spoiled rotten by the good racing there probably where sprint cars were invented .
Spoiled rotten with sprint cars we are. And i love every damn second of it rip silver springs and penn national for a shitty mall and a shitty horse track and casino
@@billy9995 absolutely 💯 another sprint car fiend iam a hard core sprint car lifer just like you I hope to return to PA it's a magical place heaven on 🌎
This, kids, is the bygone era of true motorsport in its purest form. The rumors are true. There was a time when cars were designed on paper and built in small garages by actual mechanics instead of on a computer by NPC's with doctorate degrees in warehouse sized super team shops. Mechanics actually tuned everything by ear and instinct, and were, for the most part, free to try out new ideas. This was when drivers made it up through the ranks by skill, not by corporate sponsor contracts. Instead of telemetry systems, a driver had a good ass that could tell them everything the car under them was doing. Most importantly, racing was a passion, not a corporate run exercise...you didn't need to look like an underwear model or care about political correctness...jut be good at what you did.
Nice, very nice. My first sprnit car race was at Doug Forts Santa Maria Speedway on central coast of CA during the tracks 1976 season. We moved into a house right behind the track. As an eleven/twelve year old boy, this was incredible. Because of the noise he let the occupants of about six nearby homes have free season passes. My brothers and sister never missed a race the following four years. The wings and side pods on some of the sprints in your vedio bring fond memories. Sprints were and are the most exiting. To this day I make as many sprint car races within a three hour drive when l can afford to go. This has been five to twenty five sprnts shows a year at many CA tracks. Thanks for your post. Took me back and put a big smile on me. George ✌
I can remember those back in the Midwest my dad was partners in a track Midwest speedway from 62 to 72 had racers at our house often. I remember Jan overman Joey Saldona I believe Doug Wolfegang and Kenny weld went through there and many others
Oh the memories
great to see this...thanks Strawser Video!!!
MORE!!!
Saw Jan Opperman for the first time in Mercer, Pa around 1975. Bobby Allen won the feature but I couldn’t get over Opperman riding the rim. Great driver and a great person
Great driver.... I was there Bobbie called it the bull ring....
My Dad and I would go to Lincoln Speedway every Saturday night to watch Bobby Able, Lynn Paxton, Bobby Allen race! We drove from Baltimore and were always at church first thing on Sunday mornings.
Never met Jan O .but I can remember hearing how great of a wheel man he was .
I have many fond memories of the Grove. Started going there in the 60's. Always loved the 150 open. Back then racers were like family to each other. I can remember local families opening their homes to racers who came from far away to race the 150. They would allow them to spend the night, and fed them at the dinner table, just like family. It saved many racers and their family money on meals and hotel costs. The racers really appreciated this. Don't you all wish that we could get back to those times in our lives when racing was a family sport. You could afford to take your family to enjoy a race. I love dirt racing. It has been a part of my life for over half a century.
I've been going and driving hobby stock sportsman outlaw super late s all my life nothing beats racing fri sat nights and Sunday afternoon. Been going since I was 5 now I'm almost 69 love my racing
That was indeed back in the good old days. The very beginning segment was in the 1960's. The covered front stretch grandstand did not make it to 1970. My favorite vacation day as a kid was to go to WG Park all day on a Friday, eat picnic supper while watching all the cars arrive on open trailers, then going to the race in the evening. RIP #99 Jesus is Lord.
My memories of opperman are when to manzanita phx az
Great video, about that time frame the May brothers Steve Siegal Tony Diaz left El Paso for Pennsylvania my dad taught Tony how to weld as for me Iam still building sprint cars I grew up with them my favorite racecar by far people in PA are spoiled rotten by the good racing there probably where sprint cars were invented .
Spoiled rotten with sprint cars we are. And i love every damn second of it rip silver springs and penn national for a shitty mall and a shitty horse track and casino
@@billy9995 absolutely 💯 another sprint car fiend iam a hard core sprint car lifer just like you I hope to return to PA it's a magical place heaven on 🌎
Went to the grove as a youngster on friday nights in the 72-75 timeframe. Great racing back then. Still prefer dirt track over pavement.
This, kids, is the bygone era of true motorsport in its purest form. The rumors are true. There was a time when cars were designed on paper and built in small garages by actual mechanics instead of on a computer by NPC's with doctorate degrees in warehouse sized super team shops. Mechanics actually tuned everything by ear and instinct, and were, for the most part, free to try out new ideas. This was when drivers made it up through the ranks by skill, not by corporate sponsor contracts. Instead of telemetry systems, a driver had a good ass that could tell them everything the car under them was doing. Most importantly, racing was a passion, not a corporate run exercise...you didn't need to look like an underwear model or care about political correctness...jut be good at what you did.
Nice, very nice. My first sprnit car race was at Doug Forts Santa Maria Speedway on central coast of CA during the tracks 1976 season. We moved into a house right behind the track. As an eleven/twelve year old boy, this was incredible. Because of the noise he let the occupants of about six nearby homes have free season passes. My brothers and sister never missed a race the following four years. The wings and side pods on some of the sprints in your vedio bring fond memories. Sprints were and are the most exiting. To this day I make as many sprint car races within a three hour drive when l can afford to go. This has been five to twenty five sprnts shows a year at many CA tracks. Thanks for your post. Took me back and put a big smile on me. George ✌
I can remember those back in the Midwest my dad was partners in a track Midwest speedway from 62 to 72 had racers at our house often. I remember Jan overman Joey Saldona I believe Doug Wolfegang and Kenny weld went through there and many others
Jan Opperman
Vv🎉
Thank you for this blessed video
Have you seen this video
It’s still just racing you just need a lot more money now.
It was a lot of money then too
Did Ed Spencer SR race there at that time?
yes #24
Best stock car driver EVER!
Yes and Fast Eddie was the man...
👍