Williams Grove Speedway Forums

I remember as a kid, sitting down on the very first row of the covered grandstands as far towards turn one as possible during warm ups and watching them fly wide open into turn one. I used to do it every week. What a thrill that was!

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Way she goes.............

I can remember sitting on the concrete bleachers about 4 rows up around 1993. A front wheel assembly off a sprinter came flying over my head and nailed a bunch of people behind me. What a thrill that was. The kids made me take them to the infield for the rest of the night, and they all swore they would never go to a race again.
Funny, they all went again, eventually!
Memories!

I was there too. I wouldn't exactly call it a thrill but I'll never forget it. Obviously the bleachers and grandstands had to go. I don't think anyone would argue that they were a safety concern but that doesn't mean that we can't remember all of the good things because from my experience, there was way more good than bad.

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Way she goes.............

I agree, there were alot of good times and great memories. That memory just really stands out in my mind. I have a large framed picture of the covered grandstand at The Port on the wall in my music room. It used to be above the bed, but the wife was not as happy about it as I was.
I remember my dad cutting out a wooden wing for his sprint car. I am sure wings changed for the better, but I think seeing a Super Sprint with a wooden wing on top just looks better than todays big aluminum wings.

... some really good times under the tin roof

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My dad tells me this story of One Time he remembers an engine blowing up and sending a pistion threw the grandstand roof at Port. Another was one of a woman being killed out near the school when a run away tire and wheel struck her.

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Racecar spelled backwards spells Racecar

Both of those are new ones to me.

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Tilton Hilton
2 Speedway Drive
Mechanicsburg , PA 17055

2013 races :

Williams Grove 6
Port Royal 5
Susquehanna 1
Lincoln 1

There was a 3 year old girl killed in the 4th turn in 1960..... She was struck by a tire.

Here ya go Mr. Port Royal...

http://www.newspaperarchive.com/SiteMap ... =102364851

I don't remember what year it was but Daryl Stimeling had a tire go into the stands and I think it broke the leg of a young women.

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Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body but rather to "skid-in broadside" totally worn out proclaiming, "WOW WHAT A RIDE!"

More than likely before your time. He said it was near the exhibition building behind the Grandstands, and saw it happen.

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Racecar spelled backwards spells Racecar

The wheel that killed the woman went right over the bleachers and struck her. I even remember the driver and car, but that doesn't need mentioned.

I thought it was in the standing area off turn 4 prior to the bleachers....

Speaking of that time....was the 9 or 10 foot cyclone fence up then.....or just the pipe hand rail?

The old fencing is still there amoungst the new catch fence they added years back. The railing was cemented over making the wal higher in the late 70's.

I knew of that one 1080. The post said "out by the school".

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Tilton Hilton
2 Speedway Drive
Mechanicsburg , PA 17055

2013 races :

Williams Grove 6
Port Royal 5
Susquehanna 1
Lincoln 1

The piston that I remember going through the roof was from a tractor during the tractor pulls they had during the fair.

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Tilton Hilton
2 Speedway Drive
Mechanicsburg , PA 17055

2013 races :

Williams Grove 6
Port Royal 5
Susquehanna 1
Lincoln 1

In 1960 I think there was just a cable run along the turn four standing area. Maybe it was a pipe, I was only five. That is where I watched from and I doubt I remember prior to that although I have been going since 55. After that they had a woven wire fence before the catch fence that was extended after the wheel and axle stuck the fan on the concret bleachers. But what Brent said about the post saying it was back by the school, that would have been a stretch. I aways heard it was about where the first road is, that the tire cleared the crowd up close and and stuck the girl back where the parking started. I also think Brent is right about the piston being from a tractor.