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September 13-14, 1958 - First Major Race at Meadowdale
Chuck Daigh in the #5 Scarab won the first big race at Meadowdale. Photo by courtesy of Julian Silverberg
The photos below were taken by and are courtesy of Don Shaw of Denver, CO. The caption notes are primarily from notations on the slide mounts.
1. Waiting for the noise to begin at the very first race at Meadowdale Raceway
2. Don D. Moseley in a Corvette speeds past the deluxe 2-level pit stalls on the main straight
3. Excalibur with Hal Ullrich(?) up, on the Downhill
4. Excalibur (Ullrich?), Mike Ward on Elva, James Johnson of Cincinnati on Ferrari Testa Rossa on Steffens Straight
5. Jim Jeffords up on 1958 Corvette on the back straight. See back of Monza Wall at left
6. J. Robert Schroeder, Ferrari Testa Rossa at Doanes Corner
7. Two unidentified Ferraris at Doanes Corner
8. Ernie Erickson, Porsche Spyder at Doanes Corner
9. Excalibur on the Downhill
10. Robert Walker on a Ferrari in Doanes. Sadly, he would later become the only fatality in Meadowdale's history
11. Lance Reventlow on a Scarab on Steffens Straight. Sister car with Chuck Daigh up won the race
12. The Meadowdale reputation starts early. John O'Conner's Austin Healey crashed at Little Monza. See Below.
LtoR: Announcer, Leonard Besinger (hidden), Chuck Daigh, Lee Phillips, Sol Polk at post-race interview
A large crowd, estimated at 50 to150,000, depending on who you talked to, attended the first race.
The photo series below is courtesy of Jack Martin, South Elgin, Illinois
A Jaguar and a Ferrari racing around Doane's Corner, with emergency vehicles at the ready
A shot from the Turn 8 (Doane's Corner) flag tower showing the Jump and the Monza Wall
A gaggle of medium Production sports cars navigate the Monza Wall
A big bore grid gets the green flag
Detail of the 4-story plus observation deck tower, 2-story covered pit stalls and starters' stand
Click on any image for an enlarged view.
Click on any image for an enlarged view.
"The Monza Wall was so steep that cars had to maintain a speed of at least 70MPH (or 80 or 90 or 100, depending on the source) just to keep from falling off it."
Numerous Meadowdale
PR sources and "experts"
I've also seen a picture, but do not have a copy of it, of a VW Kombi van parked at the very top of the Monza Wall, right next to the guard rail. rf
Photo from Elgin Courier News, circa 1958
Spectacular contemporary newpaper photo catches John O'Conner (see #12 above) in mid-flip. O'Conner was not hurt.
