Remember the Hell-Drivers?

I remember my maternal grandmother taking us to see the various thrill shows at the NYS fair grandstand and also the wall of death motorcycle riders on the midway.

My grandmother was sort of a blood thirsty old gal, LOL!!!

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Why yes, I remember Joey. When I was a kid growing up in Galax, my dad used to love to go to Felts Park, where there was a race track. The owner of the factory my dad worked in decided to get a stock car and enter it. In fact, I remember Joey was driving there one night a long time ago. ('50s) (the track was right beside the park where the Old Fiddler's Convention was held.) Those were the days! Oh my gosh - the Old Fiddlers Convention ---- but that's another story.
 

I remember them leaning the car over and riding the car on it's two side wheels

for the whole length of the track. THEN, the Midget Car race cars ! WOW, What a show.

I remember the Offenhouser (sp?) engines.
 
One of my grandpa's good friends in the 1920's and 1930's was "Lucky" Teter who had a hell drivers show. They had met at a fair back when Grandpa was in the carnival circuit (he owned carnival rides after he left the circus). Grandpa would always go to Lucky's shows when he came to Indianapolis and then they'd go have a beer. Grandpa was in the stands when Lucky was killed at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in the early 1940's.
 
I saw them as a kid at a local dirt track. It might have been at Gilmore Stadium or the Culver City Speedway. They did some amazing stunts.

Here's a link to a neat page about Gilmore and midget racers.

Don
 
One of my grandpa's good friends in the 1920's and 1930's was "Lucky" Teter who had a hell drivers show. They had met at a fair back when Grandpa was in the carnival circuit (he owned carnival rides after he left the circus). Grandpa would always go to Lucky's shows when he came to Indianapolis and then they'd go have a beer. Grandpa was in the stands when Lucky was killed at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in the early 1940's.

6E67E072-367A-4EE0-9051-D796A08CD4E2.jpeg Never saw Lucky but I understand that Chitwoods bought out the Teter show after he was killed.
 

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