Memories of Aquasco, Beltsville and Marlboro...

[Beaver-Cleaver]

Do you have any photos, video, programs or memoribilia from either Marlboro Motor Raceway, Beltsville Speedway or Aquasco Speedway?

Did you once race there or attend races there?

If so, I'd like to hear from you. I'm currently working on creating a virtual mainfesto on the history of motorsport in the Southern Maryland region for SOMD.com, NHRA, SCCA and other organizations to preserve the memories and promote the historical significance the Southern Maryland region has played in motorsports in the East Coast.

Please feel free to email me at andy@racingforthewin.com or send me a private message. You only get to write history once - but it dissappears if it is not preserved.

 

[BakeMyFish]

Do you have any photos, video, programs or memoribilia from either Marlboro Motor Raceway, Beltsville Speedway or Aquasco Speedway?

Did you once race there or attend races there?

If so, I'd like to hear from you. I'm currently working on creating a virtual mainfesto on the history of motorsport in the Southern Maryland region for SOMD.com, NHRA, SCCA and other organizations to preserve the memories and promote the historical significance the Southern Maryland region has played in motorsports in the East Coast.

Please feel free to email me at andy@racingforthewin.com or send me a private message. You only get to write history once - but it dissappears if it is not preserved.

Aquasco Speedway - Google Image Search

Marlboro Motor Raceway - Google Image Search

Beltsville Speedway - Google Image Search

A Google search under Google Images got me here, then try the same thing at YouTube. You can probably Google for information and get pretty much what you need.

 

[wch]

Can't remember the name of it but I know from stories there was a motor speedway at the Maryland Airport in Pomonkey, Md. I saw a seat cushion with the name and address of it printed on it at Murphy's store in Port Tobacco a long time ago. Don't know a lot of details about it, I'll try to get back to you

 

[clevalley]

Can't remember the name of it but I know from stories there was a motor speedway at the Maryland Airport in Pomonkey, Md. I saw a seat cushion with the name and address of it printed on it at Murphy's store in Port Tobacco a long time ago. Don't know a lot of details about it, I'll try to get back to you

Really? I never knew that... I need to ask some of my old-timer buddies from that area and see what I can find out from them.

I use to MX at Aquasco YEARS ago before they shut it down because of neighbors biatching about the noise and dust. Like they did not know the track was there...

 

[Gummie]

Used to go to Beltsville on Friday nights and then up to Dorsey on Saturday nights. Following the french fry man. Lots of the NASCAR drivers would stop by Beltsville before going on up to Dover.

 

[BakeMyFish]

Do you have any photos, video, programs or memoribilia from either Marlboro Motor Raceway, Beltsville Speedway or Aquasco Speedway?

Did you once race there or attend races there?

If so, I'd like to hear from you. I'm currently working on creating a virtual mainfesto on the history of motorsport in the Southern Maryland region for SOMD.com, NHRA, SCCA and other organizations to preserve the memories and promote the historical significance the Southern Maryland region has played in motorsports in the East Coast.

Please feel free to email me at andy@racingforthewin.com or send me a private message. You only get to write history once - but it dissappears if it is not preserved.

photos1

 

[cattitude]

Used to go to Beltsville on Friday nights and then up to Dorsey on Saturday nights. Following the french fry man. Lots of the NASCAR drivers would stop by Beltsville before going on up to Dover.

Spent just about every Friday night of my teen years at Beltsville Speedway. My parents took us there when we were kids and also to Dorsey. I LOVED the figure 8 races at Dorsey!

Reds Kagel worked on my ex's Chevelle.

 

[Beaver-Cleaver]

Can't remember the name of it but I know from stories there was a motor speedway at the Maryland Airport in Pomonkey, Md. I saw a seat cushion with the name and address of it printed on it at Murphy's store in Port Tobacco a long time ago. Don't know a lot of details about it, I'll try to get back to you

Yes I know about the Maryland Airport Course. Began use in 1910 - I've been meaning to go to MD Airport on the way home from work to see if they have anything on it there.

 

[JimW711]

Do you have any photos, video, programs or memoribilia from either Marlboro Motor Raceway, Beltsville Speedway or Aquasco Speedway?

Did you once race there or attend races there?

Back in the mid 60's, my brother worked at Capital Raceway on Saturday and then at Aquasco Speedway on Sunday. Both places were owned by the Procopio brothers and their siblings are still around.

I remember meeting Don "The Snake" Prudhomme at Capital when he was just getting started driving the "RamChargers" Top Fuel dragster. I was also at Aquasco at the event where Tex Randall was killed when the back wheel came off his dragster. I used to race a 71 Plymouth Satellite at Aquasco back in 71 and have a few photographs of funny cars taken back then.

 

[navywife1984]

Spent just about every Friday night of my teen years at Beltsville Speedway. My parents took us there when we were kids and also to Dorsey. I LOVED the figure 8 races at Dorsey!

Reds Kagel worked on my ex's Chevelle.

I also spent most, if not all of my Friday nights at Beltsville Speedway in the late 60's-early '70's with my family. When I saw the name Reds Kagle, it sounded very familiar to me so I had to google the name and then I knew why. My favorite was always car 00-Jimmy Mairs (don't remember why!) My uncle raced there at that time. Then on Saturday nights we went down to Manassas, VA where he raced. We never went to Dorsey. Oh the memories!

 

[mdracer]

Beltsville, Dorsey etc

You can find alot of information about those tracks at: Maryland Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame
The Maryland Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame
There will be films of Dorsey, Westport Stadium and Beltsviile Speedway at the annual reunion on November 15, 2009.

 

[maddog05]

I remember going to many race tracks:Aquasco, Bowie, Dorsey and others. I met some great, larger than life men: Bob Bernarden (was a brilliant, tile setter and lived in Hillside MD. Driving the meticulous, green, 39 chevy coupe named after his wife, " Jolly Dolly." Powered by a souped up 265 he won every Sunday at Aquasco in B gas class. I met Tex Randle who was a rival of Bob's to some degree. He did much of his machanical work under a big shade tree in Hillside. I think the tree belonged to the Lobonos. Tex was a bit wild and married to a girl from hillside. At Dorsey I watched Jack Mullinacks race,"Hobbiest Class" in a '37 6 cyl, flat head, Dodge coup on the wetted down dirt. His jalopy sported a roll cage...I believe by Hoss Cagle or Reds and nitromethane to boost the stock engine. He drove a '56 chevy pickup (The Hunted) for work as a glazer. I saw Sox ad Marin race solo and against a Ford ThunderBolt; Malcom Duram raced his 409 sedan that he claimed was stock...but his times showed otherwise. Pugsie drve a 49 black, 49 Ford two door that was bored and stroked to easy victories in his "Stock" class. Cheating the inspectors was great fun...small trophies were at stake. In 1954 Marboro race way broke tradition and hosted Jags, Mercedes and European cars to show case their wares...Jags were gorgious then.

Car clubs popped up: The Gear Grinders was most notable. These were exciting times...in the summer we would race on the brand new John Hanson Highway,prior to and after it opened. Blacks and whites alike would meet on Wednesday nights and a flashlight started the two abreast racers. One night the troopers showed up ...people went in every direction and cut their lights, crossed the median and sped East west and into the weeds...the racing cars easily out ran the Ford LTD;s the cops had...their interceptor engines were no match for a fuel iinjected '57 Bel aire and a 421 Grand Prix bot with 4 seeds...life is goos!

 

[toppick08]

I remember going to many race tracks:Aquasco, Bowie, Dorsey and others. I met some great, larger than life men: Bob Bernarden (was a brilliant, tile setter and lived in Hillside MD. Driving the meticulous, green, 39 chevy coupe named after his wife, " Jolly Dolly." Powered by a souped up 265 he won every Sunday at Aquasco in B gas class. I met Tex Randle who was a rival of Bob's to some degree. He did much of his machanical work under a big shade tree in Hillside. I think the tree belonged to the Lobonos. Tex was a bit wild and married to a girl from hillside. At Dorsey I watched Jack Mullinacks race,"Hobbiest Class" in a '37 6 cyl, flat head, Dodge coup on the wetted down dirt. His jalopy sported a roll cage...I believe by Hoss Cagle or Reds and nitromethane to boost the stock engine. He drove a '56 chevy pickup (The Hunted) for work as a glazer. I saw Sox ad Marin race solo and against a Ford ThunderBolt; Malcom Duram raced his 409 sedan that he claimed was stock...but his times showed otherwise. Pugsie drve a 49 black, 49 Ford two door that was bored and stroked to easy victories in his "Stock" class. Cheating the inspectors was great fun...small trophies were at stake. In 1954 Marboro race way broke tradition and hosted Jags, Mercedes and European cars to show case their wares...Jags were gorgious then.

Car clubs popped up: The Gear Grinders was most notable. These were exciting times...in the summer we would race on the brand new John Hanson Highway,prior to and after it opened. Blacks and whites alike would meet on Wednesday nights and a flashlight started the two abreast racers. One night the troopers showed up ...people went in every direction and cut their lights, crossed the median and sped East west and into the weeds...the racing cars easily out ran the Ford LTD;s the cops had...their interceptor engines were no match for a fuel iinjected '57 Bel aire and a 421 Grand Prix bot with 4 seeds...life is goos!

Those old super dutys were bad ass........rip, Pontiac

 

[maddog05]

Life and racing in Southern MD.

Those old super dutys were bad ass........rip, Pontiac

If GM had anyone watching the store Pontiac would still be flourishing. People want performance, style, reliability and classy innovation. In 1957 you could buy a Chevy for $1800 that would out drag a $12,000 Mercedes. Pontiac upped the ante with the GTO and sold through dealers all kinds of stuff: AL manifolds, AL hoods & fenders, hydrolic lifters that resisted valve float and Royal Pontiac in Detroit would redo the entire car before Shelby was a household name. The crushing of innovation and mismanagement allowed the company to fail. Life wa exciting.
But in the fifties GM was an inovative company with stylist, engineers and class. Southern MD. had gamblimg, boating, beauty, prosperity and fun. We raced at Aquasco, the streets, Capital Raceway, Bowling field, Walker Mill Road for the turns. Route 50,County Road, the new Dulles Access Road, et al. We drank an occasinal Carlings Black Label. Pabst Blue Ribbon, National Bohemium, Bud and Schlitz
SoutherN MD was awash in classy fast GM cars.GM sold their 4 speed hydromatic to Rolls Royve, Bently, Mercedes Jaguar and others. So MD. rocked.