There are very few fans who have not heard the name “Chick” Hale, a true legend in area auto racing. Whether asphalt or dirt track, it made no difference to Chick as he was a winner on all and many time track champion on both surfaces. Born to parents who operated a chicken hatchery William was known to carry a live baby chick around in his bib overalls, thus the nickname Chick was born.
Chick launched his racing career in 1949 on the high banks of Dayton Speedway when the announcer announced fans could pop the hubcaps off of their family vehicle and participate
in a special street stock race. So what did ole’ Chickeroo do? He popped the hubcaps off of his nearly new 4-door Frazier with only 4,000 recorded on the odometer and went racing and placed a respectful 4th. The following year he bought a burned out Frazier and from then on Chick was hooked, hook line and sinker, on racing which covered a career of nearly sixty years behind the wheel of anything that would turn left.
When Chick married his wife Anna Lou, what did he do for his honeymoon but head to Forest Park Speedway the next night and win a 50 lap feature. Chick and Anna Lou were blessed with three daughters, Diana Lynn, Darlene, and Denise but unfortunately not a boy to fill Chick's shoes which would have been a hard feat to accomplish.
1953 is a year Chick will never forget as while racing at Dayton Speedway his car erupted in flames, fully engulfing the car which put Chick in the hospital for ten weeks. And who was the first driver to Chick's aid, none other than fellow competitor Bernie Coppock who late in 2009 took Chick to Washington DC to view the WW II Memorial. But that fire only put more fuel into Chick as the next night after being released from the hospital he returned to Dayton Speedway in the same car which was rebuilt 
and won the feature.
In 1961 at Kil-Kare Speedway he was hard to beat, racking up six straight feature wins and setting a new track record of an amazing 17.58 before 3,200 fans, one of the largest crowds ever seen there at that time.
(Right: A young Chick Hale poses proudly in front of his first race car.)
1967 produced a grand day at Eldora Speedway where he won the fast car dash in all three divisions and then won two of the three features.
In 1971 he was fast qualifier for the first World 100 at Eldora Speedway out of 120 cars and was running second when a hole in the radiator dropped him to a tenth place finish.
(Above: This 1957 Chevrolet, #07, was one of Hale's early race cars.)
In 1983 a heart attack slowed him down for ten weeks but much to the dislike of his doctor he was back behind the wheel finishing tenth in a modified feature at Kil-Kare and then won the feature at Eldora in the same weekend.
(Left: The #01 Chevelle was Hale's frequent Dayton Speedway mount for the 1979-1980 seasons. Chick still owns this car.)
Chick also campaigned a '57 Chevy convertible in the MARC new car series which is now known as ARCA. He spent five years wheeling IMCA sprint cars in the days before roll cages were required. He also ran in two Little 500's at Anderson Speedway, ran off the track and into the cornfield at New Bremen Speedway, returning carrying a rabbit which his car had struck. And he is the only driver to have run all fifty years at Eldora Speedway under Earl Baltes' ownership.
Yes, there have been many more highlights throughout Chick's career and as noted writer Bill Holder once said, "one day, who knows exactly when, Chick Hale will retire, and that will be a sad day".
(Above: Here's a gang of wild and wooly 1950's-era stock car drivers taking a break before battling each other on the track. From left to right, Bud Frank, Chick Hale, Tubby Mullins, Earl Smith, and Briar Johnson. Johnson, so the story goes, always came to the races packing a pistol.)
(Below: Though Chick Hale has never announced his retirement, it's been quite awhile since he took what now appears to have been his last ride at Eldora Speedway, his own personal playground for five decades. That's Chick in his #9 modified preparing to follow the Eldora pace car out onto the speedway for some ceremonial laps.)
