6 replies to this topic

[teegeefla]

In 1970, the second round of the Trans-Am Series was scheduled to be run at the Dallas International Speedway, but severe rainstorms cancelled the race.  Does anyone know more about this event?  Was qualifying held or not?  If there was qualifying, what were the results? 

Thanks.

[group7]

Some information I have in my file for this event states, I think they are talking about saturday ? The under two litre cars had two sessions, and the five litre cars had one. Jones and Follmer in the Bud Moore Mustangs were fastest, with Posey's Challenger next. I do have a number of photos, which I think were from the "REVS" site, and a few others I have found, some scans of the program and ticket stubs.

I will dig a little deeper in books etc. and see if I can find any more information regarding qualifying.

 

Michael, in Canada

[group7]

The photos from the '70 Texas race I found were here on the Henry Ford site, by David Friedman.

 

https://www.flickr.c...57632998151945/

Edited by group7, 31 March 2017 - 02:30.

[Gary C]

what great photos.

[B Squared]

what great photos.

Agreed, thanks for the link group7

[DCapps]

I was there at the race, having just returned from Viet-Nam literally only a few weeks before, now serving with A Co. 75th Rangers who had just moved from Fort Benning to Fort Hood.

 

It was worse than what is shown in the Dave Friedman photos. On Saturday, there was several sessions, but I only watched one of them in full, that for the 5-litre cars, and parts of the session for the smaller cars (I thought there was only one such session, but it has been a while...). The rain was horrible. The track was flat as board and any concept of drainage was iffy. On Sunday, there was simply no way that they could use the track. And, yes, the water did rouse snakes out of their holes and onto the track in places. We saw several near one side of the pit area. It also sent other critters looking for high ground. In addition to the pond within the track area, there was a larger lake to the east of the track as well.

 

I did get to speak with Swede Savage, Dan Gurney, Sam Posey, Pete Revson, Mark Donohue, Parnelli Jones, and several others on Sunday morning as we all waited for the decision that was Obvious To Even The Untrained Eye to cancel/postpone the event. It was that bad. The only saving grace of the weekend was getting to spend time with those in the paddock.

 

The July F5000 event was during a typical boiling weekend in Texas. The USAC race got canceled on top of that. The place seemed to be cursed or Born Under a Bad Sign or something. Other than several drag racing meets and maybe a minor SCCA meeting or two, the Dallas track never did much. It was a vacant area for years and I think there is still a shopping center there now.

[MCS]

what great photos.

 

Wow.  Aren't they just?  Terrific.  I am sure you did, but click back on Albums and there are even more - not to mention the Henry Ford Archive.

 

And what once was Dallas International Motor Speedway is now a shopping center.  Great (not), but horribly familiar.