The Fabulous Galesburg Speedway Quarter Mile Race Track

Summer 1949 action at the newly opened Galesburg Speedway, Galesburg, Michigan. As you can see the race participants boasted modern state-of -the-art vehicles. The 1/4 mile formerly dirt track yet rests near the historic pristine Kalamazoo River and drivers were known to leave the track and wind up in the paper mill sludge filled water.

Seasoned drivers from the Southwestern Michigan and Indiana area hot-rod and midget auto racing circuits, including Kalamazoo's Dick Morley, Benton Harbor's Buddy Farr, Les Williams, dirt track motorcycle star Jimmy Clear, plus local Dick Zimmerman, Donald "Shorty" Stomeburner, Dick Reese, Roger Gilligan, and others pioneered the local track.

Many mid-1940's high school students, now returning post-war military and naval veterans entered the craze. The seasoned drivers found many of the new drivers becoming formidible challengers

Kalamazoo Gazette senior sports editor Jack Moss - - - a former Kalamazoo Country Club caddy - - - was on-site practicing his expertise recording the thrilling events for the nest day's Gazette publication. Moss also acted as official timer at another local track- - - the Whiskey Run Speedway - - - owned and operated by Everett Wedemyer. This track was located northwest of the Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery.

It was a great fun year for local returned veterans such as Oakwood's Lloyd Fowler, Merrill T. See, Elmer Conklin, Gorden Stickney,and so many others. The end of the 1949 racing season ended a local era --- the era of the Air Force A-2 leather flight jacket, the modified Gerber's Army surplus store Canteen strap seat belt, football helmits and the $200.00 race car --- as so many of us left our auto racing to enter college under the GI Bill of Rights for a degree in the professions.

I hold the summer of 1949 dear,

Merrill T. See
Driver/Author
Posterity Publications
12/12/00
Copyright 12/12/00 Merrill T. See

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