1970's - 1980's...

     By the mid to late '70s Dayton Speedway was in desperate need of overhaul.  Though the surface of the track was acceptable for racing, the rest of the speed plant, from the grandstand to the restrooms to the guardrails needed repair.  The photo below shows the speedway backstretch leading into the third corner.  Someone has gone to a lot of work to install the speed limit sign, properly adjusted from 35 mph to 135 mph, in a location where it would only be seen by the competitors themselves.  More significant, however, is the condition of the guardrail that shows the years of abuse by errant race cars.  An out of control racer could not expect to hit this guardrail and slide smoothly along it until the car stopped.  The dips in this guardrail were guaranteed to either snag a race car and stop it dead, or rocket the car back into traffic.

                                                                                                                                   ---Photo from the collection of Ralp Bray Jr.

     This is the Dayton Speedway track record holder.  The Houston, Texas, native set the record on May 31, 1976, in qualifying for the fourth round of the Ohio State 500, a round-robin series that saw the supermodifieds run five 100-lap features at five different Ohio speedways.  The speedway of course is closed now and no one will ever lap the track faster than McClaren

     ---Photo from the collection of Rick Patterson.

     Perhaps the most memorable character in central and southwest Ohio auto racing is Ed "Hillbilly" Duncan.  Hillbilly favored formal shirts with the sleeves cut off at the shoulders and that was just the start.  But Hillbilly could also drive a race car.  His win in the last Dayton 500 run at the track, co-driving with car owner Ben Pelphrey, attest to that.  Hillbilly was a regular visitor to the Dayton track and this was his car.

---Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     In 1976, Don Flory attempted to resurrect the aging speedway.  My partners and I hired on to do the advertising and public relations piece of the effort.  We ended up helping in every aspect of the track operations from driving the pace car to announcing.  We tried everything we could think of to put fans in the stands, as the ads below will indicate.  One of my partners, Larry Nuber, handled the announcing duties, and later went on to become a respected member of the ESPN motorsports announcing staff before his untimely death.  The ads below and continuing down the lower left column are representative of the ads we prepared and placed during that season.  ---Mickey

     Veteran Chick Hale challenges the Dayton banking in this photo from 1979 - 1980.  Chick survives to this day, as does his Chevrolet!

    ---Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

      Here's Ralph Latham in the Morgan Chandler Chevelle at Dayton Speedway in 1970.  FODS Rick Patterson found the photo at www.dirtfans.com.  Rick is certain the photo dates from 1970 because that is the only year that Chandler and Latham used the twin four-barrel carb set-up shown here poking through the hood.

     The stock cars prove that there is an infinite number of lines on the speedway banking.

                               ---Photo from the collection of Ralph Bray Jr.

     This unusual offset midget competed in midget racing events at the speedway.  Can someone tell us something about the owner, driver, and car?

                                  ---Photo from the collection of Ralph Bray Jr

     Long-time FODS Bob McCray (sprintracer2001@aol.com) reports that the #18 is a Badger midget owned by Bob Lockheart of Joliet, Illinois, and driven in this photo by Daytonian Mack McClellan.  Thanks, Bob!

     Mickey  -  February 10, 2009

     Midgets test the Dayton high-banks.

                                  ---Photo from the collection of Ralph Bray Jr

     A.J.Stapleton prepares for the feature.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     These photos (above and below) show the Midwest Modified of Bobby Davis.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Veteran Midwest campaigner Bobby Jacks is shown here in his easily recognized red/white/blue #71.  Jacks was a regular at Dayton Speedway .

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     These photos (above and below) show the legendary Chick Hale.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Dennis Cornett is shown at speed in his Midwest Modified sporting one of the largest wings ever seen at the track.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Dick Dunlevy Sr. wheels Hoot Gibson's Oldsmobile in a Late Model race at Dayton Speedway.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Here's Donnie Seaborn in the #15 Ron's Mug & Jug Camaro.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Few guys have every had more fun in auto racing than this guy, Ed "Hillbilly" Duncan.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     When this photo was taken, John Wilson was the Flying Stock point leader.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Here's Mike Snapp on the Dayton Speedway front stretch.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

    The beautiful #31 belongs to Paul Stapleton.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Scott Stovall is behind the wheel of the Stovall Racing #0 in this photo.  Moose Meyers drove the #0 for several seasons before Scott was ready to drive.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     This 1979 photo from the collection of Rick Patterson (elvis334@att.net) shows the car #96, the Dana Carter ride at Dayton Speedway that day.  Dana passed away May 5, 1983, of a heart attack just after finishing second in a midget race in Indianapolis. 

     There was no such thing as "a little accident" at Dayton Speedway.  Every accident was massive...and memorable, particularly for the driver and car owner.  In this case, Xenia's Emory Taylor was fortunate to survive.

                              ---Photo from the collection of Ralph Bray Jr.

     For awhile in the 1970's Buster Blackford was King at Dayton Speedway.  Most of the competitors had to get use to seeing the back bumper of Blackford's red and white #55.  It was a weekly event.

                             ---Photo from the collection of Ralph Bray Jr.

     Scott Stovall accepts his reward after a successful stock car event at the speedway.

                                  ---Photo from the collection of Ralph Bray Jr.

     Two of the great ones, whether you are talking about Dayton Speedway or any other midwestern speedway, Chick Hale (seated, closest to camera) and Buster Blackford (seated next to Chick).

                                        ---Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Joe Ruttman is still showing the way in NASCAR Craftsman Trucks, but he was also an early Dayton Speedway visitor.

                                        ---Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     In 1981 the Dayton Speedway recognized the Late Model drivers at the annual awards banquet.  (From left to right) Champion Lee Raymond, John Wilson (3rd), Rod Lease (4th), Rich Carpenter (5th), Tom Randolph (6th), A.J.Pate (7th).  Missing from the picture was Buster Blackford (2nd), Dave Jackson (8th), Carl Seward (9th) and Ken Stookey (10th).

                                          ---Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     These Flying Stock drivers were recognized at the 1981 Dayton Speedway awards banquet.  (From left to right) Eddie Shaw (7th), Wayne Owens (6th), Tom Wenger (5th), Ron Lewis (4th), Tim Myers (3rd), Carl Stapleton (2nd), Bill Millins (champion).  Missing from the photo are Lloyd Mills (8th), Emory Taylor (9th), and Jim Taylor (10th).

                                             ---Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

            Here are the 1981 Dayton Speedway Midwest Modifieds award winners.  (From left to right) Art Scott (Champion), Dean South (2nd), Bob Davis (3rd), Fred Heller (5th), and Dean Pickard (6th).  Missing when the photo was taken were Randy Poole (4th), Dennis Cornett (7th), Danny Eichler (8th), Johnny Leach (9th), and Gary Robinson (10th).

                                             ---Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Bill Mullins (left) was the 1981 Dayton Speedway Flying Stock Champion.  He's shown here with his car owner, Bill "Pappy" Lewis.

                                           ---Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Al Watts was a well-known Dayton area midget owner.  Karl Brown, who served on Al's pit crew believes that this photo was taken at the last midget race ever held at Dayton Speedway before it closed for the final time.  On this particular day Brent Whited was the driver.

                                          ---Photo from the collection of Karl Brown

     These photos (above and below) show typical pit activity at Dayton Speedway during the 1970's.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     If this Todd Thompson car looks vaguely familiar it's probably because the paint job was patterned after the #88 Gatorade cars then competing in NASCAR Cup Racing.  There is one big difference of course; "Gatorade" has been replaced by "Guardrail!"

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl

     Wes Wilson in the #33 awaits his turn to qualify.

-----Photo from the collection of Jerry Wahl