Sunday, June 29, 1997

Auto racing has long tradition in Abilene

By MARK WILSON / Abilene Reporter-News

The tradition of motor sports in Abilene is as old as dirt.

Well, at least as old as dirt tracks.

At what is now Abilene's Rose Park, top automobile racers from California, Indiana, New Mexico, Louisiana and Texas gathered in the 1920s to test their skills and nerve on an oval dirt track before packed crowds as part of the Independence Day program at the West Texas Fair Park.

The desire to flirt with danger in auto racing circles hasn't changed much over the years, although the cars and equipment certainly have.

Wearing headgear resembling the leather helmets that were around in the early days of football, daring men maneuvered their open-wheel, Indy style race cars around the banked oval dirt track that measured just over six-tenths of a mile for one lap.

The drivers piloted race cars with spoked wheels and "sardine-can" bodies, bearing names like the Fronty (Frontenac) Ford, Miller Special and Gardner Special. They raced with abandon - before roll cages or even seat belts were widely used - placing themselves in danger for a shot at a little motor sports glory and fairly nice purses in the pre-Depression economy.

The local races, which began in 1921, were held at West Texas Fair Park, on the southern portion of the current Rose Park layout. The track was also used at times for horse racing, and polo matches were held in the infield.

The West Texas Fair Speedway, described in the Abilene Reporter in 1925 as "the fastest dirt speedway in the U.S." that year featured Californian Eddie Hearne.

Hearne, billed as "king of all racing drivers" by the newspaper, was a national racing star. At that time, he was the only two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. Other drivers who had experience in some of the most important Indy style races in the United States also competed here.

Members of Abilene Motor Sports Inc. - using T-shirts and buttons bearing the slogans "Abilene ... it's time" and "Abilene Racing - let's get it on" - are leading the push for a modern facility that would allow auto racing to return to Abilene.

A photo of the starting lineup for one eight-car Fair Park race - with D.H. Jefferies on the track as the official starter - is pictured on the items, providing a nostalgic tug at the sentimentality of today's racing fans. The background of the photo shows the surprisingly large grandstand, which faced south, packed with fans.

"There had to be a tremendous amount of enthusiasm in those days, to be able to put up the kind of purses they had and get national attention and attract those kinds of crowds," said Paul Lenker, the president of Abilene Motor Sports Inc. "We'd be looking for a way to recreate that in the '90s."

Fair racing memories

Marvin Imken, an 89-year-old man who has lived in Abilene since 1928, was surprised to see a glimpse from his past at a recent Rotary Club meeting. Lenker, a fellow Rotarian, was wearing one of the T-shirts promoting the track idea - the one featuring D.H. Jefferies and the eight race cars.

Imken, who will turn 90 on Nov. 9, told Lenker that he had attended the race depicted on the shirt.

"That was a big, exciting thing for my brother and I," said Imken, who grew up in Longworth (15 miles north of Sweetwater) and made the trip to the races with his family on what was then a gravel road called the Bankhead Highway. "Seeing those races was certainly the highlight of our visits."

Imken, who attended the races each year from 1924-27, remembers one particular standout driver from Hollywood, Calif., who drove a Miller Special.

"Frank Lockhart was a nationally known racer," Imken said. "I watched him and he was my favorite."

D.H. Jefferies, who served two terms as president of the West Texas Fair (1937-38 and 1947-48), promoted the auto races and other events.

"D.H. Jefferies was the king bee of racing, and he's the one that got the big-name racers here," Imken said.

His grandson, local rancher David Jefferies, said, "He did what had to be done to help Abilene."

At one time, a $50 prize was offered to the driver who could break the track's time record for two laps, held by Lockhart. That year, the $5,000 total purse included $800 to the winner of the third event (after the initial time trials), which matched the first, second and third-place finishers from the first two events (10 laps and 14 laps, respectively).

Imken said dirt track racing was an extremely popular sport - just as it was in many other cities and towns during that era.

"There were thousands watching the race," Imken said. "I personally think racing was a big thing for Abilene. The population here was around 30,000. They advertised the fair extensively. Every building had a paper sign on it."

Among the stops on the dirt-track circuit was the "Oil Belt" track located north of Breckenridge - home base for E.R. "Mac" McCathren's race car, the McCathren Special.

Imken said that the Great Depression (1929) was probably what put an end to most organized dirt track racing of that day.

"I would say when the Depression hit (it ended), because that knocked out the bottom of everything," he said. "Those were some bad times."

Imken, a former bookkeeper and office manager, said he would like to watch auto racing again if Abilene gets a new track. However, Imken said he would only be able to see races during daylight hours because of severe eyesight problems. He has been blind in his right eye since 1979, and glaucoma limits the sight in his left eye.

"I'm sold on the idea," said the spunky Imken, an avid golfer whose third hole in one came in 1989, a month after his 83rd birthday. "I've always liked racing, but doggone it, I've lost my eyesight."

Imken, who is particularly interested in oval track racing, wants to see a new track built soon.

"Remember, I don't have much time left," he said with a smile.

Dollars and sense

Abilene Motor Sports Inc., led by Lenker and the organization's vice president, Mike Dohrse, was instrumental in creating the Sunburn Grand Prix and the Abilene Shootout drag races, held at the Abilene Regional Airport.

But a multipurpose track at an independent site that would feature an oval track, a road course and a drag strip would undoubtedly please many local racing fans.

Dohrse and Lenker have talked with people who run motor sports facilities in Topeka, Kan., and Phoenix, learning what it would take to get the ball rolling and what such a facility could do for the community. Research done by a local panel indicated that the track project would be feasible for Abilene, according to Dohrse.

Supporters now believe that such a track would bring in substantial crowds, drawing from all over West Texas and the Metroplex.

Dohrse said that NASCAR representatives estimated that one of its races would bring in 30,000 to 50,000 spectators for an initial Super Truck race or Busch Series event.

"We forecast 20,000, being conservative," Dohrse said. "Seventy-five percent will come from out of town.

"Motor sports is still the fastest growing, and draws the most spectators of any sport in the world."

Dohrse said that Phoenix International Raceway officials estimate that their facility brings in a total of $226 million into that city's economy each year. The Heartland Park facility in Topeka opened in 1988, and the local economy increased by $45 million in one year, he added. Recently, 140,000 fansattended a Winston Cup event in Topeka, and 80,000 were on hand for a Super Truck race.

In addition to racing, the facility would also be available to companies for various road testing purposes when the track is available, Dohrse said.

"We've got seven events planned, out of 38 (projected) that would draw that kind of crowd," Dohrse said. "That would bring over 100,000 people to Abilene that aren't coming now."

That could pose a problem since Abilene has only about one-third of the estimated number of motel rooms needed.

"Looking at current occupancy rates here, we're 5,100 motel rooms short," Dohrse said. "If you moved the largest hotel in Las Vegas here, we'd still be 100 rooms short."

But, Lenker said, "the track will come and the motels will follow."

Supporters are saying that could lead to more growth in Abilene's economy with construction of new restaurants and other businesses in the immediate area to serve the needs of those attending events throughout the year.

"The majority of the people I talk to understand that a track in Abilene would be a big boost to the economy," Lenker said. "The time is right. The attitude among the city government is right. I truly believe that the people that can put this multipurpose track together are going to be well rewarded."

Plans for the track are far beyond the dreaming stage, but yet the track itself is still firmly entrenched in the "wish" category for local racing fans.

Dohrse said the proposed facility would likely include a 1.8-mile road course, and one-mile oval and a 5,000-foot drag strip.

"Paul (Lenker) e-mailed Tony George, who owns the Indy 500 track, and the Indianapolis Racing League," Dohrse said. "They indicated they're interested in coming here to race. And the NHRA would like to put an event here.

"NASCAR has indicated they would like to put in a Super Truck series and a Busch series. The Sports Car Club of America has indicated they would like to put in a Trans-Am race here."

Lenker said, "Trying to get racing organizations to come here is not going to be a problem."

Finding the funds

Dohrse said that the estimated cost for building the proposed track in Abilene is approximately $10 million.

Potential investors have been in contact with the track planners, but none are ready to fill in 100 percent of the financing pie chart right now.

Talks with Abilene city leaders have not been particularly productive, with other matters dominating the stage. However, there seems to be some interest in the possibility of funding a percentage of the cost along with private investors if a bond issue could be passed. But the percentage the city would contribute is no clearer now than when the issue was first discussed.

"It wouldn't cost the taxpayer a cent," Dohrse contends. "We would pay out of the operations of the track and we would pay off the bond. It takes vision to move the community forward."

Dohrse seems convinced that the return will easily justify such an investment, and is optimistic that financing for the project will be found at some point.

"We think it can generate $100 million in economic impact annually," Dohrse said. "For a $10 million investment? A 10-to-1 return on an investment? All possibilities are possible at this point."

Just since the Sunburn Grand Prix, June 14-15, some leads have cropped up.

"A group in New York City is looking at it," Dohrse said. "They just heard about it, and they want to take the next step."

And late Wednesday afternoon, Lenker had another update.

"We've got four groups looking at it," Lenker said. "But it's not enough to put us over the limit."

If financing is acquired one way or another, construction of the facility could be completed in about 15 months, and part of it could be in use within nine months. But at this point, no one knows when, how - or even if - it will finally get done.