10/18/2024
The early history of dirt track racing in Wichita Falls
Part 1of2
Wanting to go fast in North Texas possibly began when a cowboy bet his horse was faster than the other cowboy’s horse. Since then, North Texans have gone fast on water, land, and air.
Focusing on land, Lake Wichita had possibly the first racetrack in Wichita Falls. Kemp and Kell developed the racetrack as one of the amusements to lure patrons to the lake. Lake Wichita later hosted sailing and powerboat racing.
In the 1920s, the Texas and Oklahoma Fair, located on the former Call Field location, presented horse racing and auto racing with vaudeville and circus acts. The races took place on a half-mile dirt track, well-oiled to hinder dust.
In 1939, a race track promoted by the TNT Motorcycle Club was located near Wichita Gardens. Called Westerleigh Hill, the track was also troubled by dust, and described as “heavily oiled.”
Speedrome of Wichita Falls opened in 1946. On the former location of American Refinery Co., the one-fifth-mile dirt track was developed by Abe Raben, Sid Goldwyn, Gerson Lapidius, and Morris Weil. The track featured a crash wall and the latest in safety devices. Located at approximately 1900 Sheppard Access Road (then called New Sheppard Field Highway), the track featured 2,500-capacity grandstands. After its opening in April 1946, buses left the corner of 9th and Indiana every 15 minutes on race day, carrying fans to the track. People such as Lloyd Ruby, Ralph Parkinson, and Roger Ward raced at the Speedrome.
On Saturday, October 19th at 3:00pm, a Texas Historical Commission maker honoring Lloyd Ruby will be dedicated on the 9th Street side of Harold Jones Park.
