I saw Charlie Kolb win a Marlboro six hour in a Porsche Carrera 6, and saw
Jackie Stewart, Sir John Whitmore and Mike Beckwith drive Lotus Cortinas
there. Even got to see Colin Chapman there. The annual 12 hour, along with
the Lime Rock Little Lemans, was the predecessor to the Trans-Am series, and
as a boy, was my only chance to see the stars I read about in the magazines
of the day.
I also saw Glen Guthrie win the final stock car race on the Marlboro oval.
It was a Wednesday night, and it had been more than a full season since the
last stock car race there. They used to run stock car races on the oval
once a week, but had stopped. Anyway, in the final season, they tried for a
revival, and with cooperation from Old Dominion and Beltsville Speedways,
tried to establish 3 weekly events. Marlboro Wednesday night, Beltsville
Friday night, and Old Dominion Saturday night.. same cars and drivers. The
first Wednesday night at Marlboro was a tough one. The track lights keep
blowing a fuse, and the track would go dark about every 10 minutes or so,
sometimes in the middle of a race. There was also a curfew that was too
early. They barely got the program in, and it wasn't repeated. The track
closed shortly after, as did Beltsville Speedway. Red's Kagle was the hot
shoe back then, and I saw Richard Petty drive at Beltsville, but not at
Marlboro.
The grandstand was a wooden affair, and is still there. I was always the
first person there so I could get the top row of the grandstand. If you got
the top row of the grandstand, you could look out the back and see the
"boot". The only part of the track you couldn't see was the hairpin
lefthander to the far right.
They started the 12 hour with a true Lemans start, with Tex Hopkins jumping
as described by others. Cars lined up on the front straight with their
tails to the guardrail, and drivers across the track.
When the road coarse was used, the guardrail in the first and second turns
of the oval were removed. Cars crossed the start finish line, went up the
banking in the first turn, launched into the air and landed on the road
coarse. It was a good show. The pits were also right in front of the
grandstand, and the paddock was in the oval. What a difference from modern
road course racing where you see one or two turns at best.
The refrigerator bowl for small sedans in the winter was also something to
see.
----- Original Message -----
From: Charles Christ <cfchrist@earthlink.net>
To: <LMR356@aol.com>; <JXLmail@aol.com>; <vintage-race@autox.team.net>;
<healeys@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2000 6:44 PM
Subject: Re: Experiences racing at Marlboro Maryland in the 60s
> hal keck in a lister huh? . harold later ended up being a co-driver of
one
> of the daytona cobras that won the 24hrs of daytona. most people remember
> his #88 oarnge hellertown ford 289 cobra and later the blue with white
> stripes big block one#88. he later went on to campagin one of the factory
> light weight javlin amx's. he still resides in hellertown pa. he is one
of
> the more"colorfull " drivers that i spent time visiting with my father as
a
> child. his garage was always full of neat stuff! just never ask harold
to
> speak publically!!!!! his mastery of the english blankety-blank
> expletive-expletive-expletive language was quite impressive to say the
> least! i had my mouth washed out with soap as a child for repeating
> something i had over heard him say in his garage(by my mom)(dad was
probably
> laughing about it out of sight somewhere). this was what i thought was a
> normal childhood! and penskie. dad threw him out of our garage back when
> he was a lehigh universtiy student. i now know this afliction my father
had
> for going fast in sports cars has had an effect on my brain(my excuse even
> if it is a poor one). lol!
>
> it was a dangerous time and a wonderfull time! i could never thank my
> father enough for the things he exposed me to as a child.
> chuck.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <LMR356@aol.com>
> To: <JXLmail@aol.com>; <vintage-race@autox.team.net>;
> <healeys@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2000 2:21 AM
> Subject: Experiences racing at Marlboro Maryland in the 60s
>
>
> > Jim L, 56BN2 wrote: I would appreciate .....listeners sharing
experiences
> > they had racing during the '60s at the SCCA track located at Marlboro,
> > Maryland.
> >
> >
> > Maybe some history on Marlboro will carry this thread a little further
> along
> > in the right direction...if you are interested. Marboro Park Speedway
was
> > located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland....15 miles east of Washington, D.C.
> on
> > Rt.301. It was the center of early SCCA racing in the Mid-Atlantic
> > area...serving as the track for SCCA driving schools, regional,
national
> and
> > FIA-sanctioned races. Marlboro was originally an oval track and in
> 1955,
> > thanks to the "Lavender Hill Gang" of racing enthusiasts, it was
expanded
> to
> > a 1.8 mile road course with tight, twisty turns that were both counter
and
> > clockwise, along with a long 2,500 foot straight. There was a section
> > closest to the highway..that appropriately was referred to as the "heel
> and
> > toe" of the boot.
> >
> > Marlboro became home to the annual Governor's Cup, The Marlboro Cup,
the
> > Thanksgiving "Turkey Bowl", the Refrigerator Bowl races...as well as
some
> > famous six and twelve hour endurance races. Over the years, there was
one
> > particular character that became synonymous with Marlboro...that was
> Richard
> > "Tex" Hopkins....the man in the lavender suit with that long cigar.. who
> had
> > patented his own style for "jump starting" each race. If you ever saw
him
> in
> > action.. you know what I mean. Later on, in 1967 and 1968, two
Trans-Am
> > races were held at MPS...attracting some of the largest crowds to
Marlboro
> to
> > watch a new dimension of motorsports.. which would in turn would propel
> the
> > enthusiasm for sedan racing to new heights in America as well as abroad.
> >
> > Threats of safety, noise pollution, zoning issues, and
> residential/commercial
> > growth in Prince Georges County all added to the sudden demise of
Marlboro
> > Park Speedway in 1969. Ironically, old MPS sits practically
undisturbed
> > ...over 30 years later...undeveloped and perpetually in the midst of a
> flood
> > plain! I recently drove past Marlboro ...and from the highway, I could
> see
> > the remnants of the grandstands and what looked like the toe of the boot
> > sticking out!
> >
> > Back to the past. Looking over the entry list from an April, 1962
> Governor's
> > Cup National SCCA race, here are a few of the cars and nationally known
> > stars: Duncan Black ( Daimler SP250), Bruce Jennings ( King Carrera 356
> > Speedsters), Bob Tullius ( Group 44 Triumph and Dodge Dart), Bob
Holbert
>
> > Porsche Spyder), Joe Buzzetta ( Porsche Spyder), Bob Grossman ( Ferrari)
,
> > Roger Penske ( Cooper FJ and Tellar Spl), Mark Donahue, (Elva FJ) , Ed
> > Lowther (Lister), Dr. Dick Thompson, (Corvette), Don Yenko
(Corvette/Yenko
> > Stinger), George Alderman (Cooper FJ), Chuck and Suzy Dietrich
> > ( Elva FJs), Hal Keck ( Lister), Art Tweedale (Elva), Charlie Kolb
> > (Maserati)...and many more...sorry if I overlooked some of you out
there!
> >
> > I attended this particular Governor's Cup race in 1962.. as a junior in
high
> > school. I hitch hiked 50 miles from Baltimore... when my friends opted
to go
> > to the Orioles' game instead of to the races. I suspect that was a bold
> > thing to do.. but it was the early sixties and "hitching" was a still
> > relatively safe! I never, ever forgot what I saw....some great cars
and
> > great drivers....some of which/whom I would reconnect with as I became a
> > vintage driver 25+ years later.
> >
> > Marlboro....like Cumberland were two wonderful race courses in Maryland
that
> > didn't survive....as other venues of motorsports did elsewhere. But the
> > Marlboro memories and the distant scent of castor oil are still
recognizable.
> > Perhaps some of you will also share some stories as well....
> >
> > Lee Raskin, Brooklandville, Maryland ( Arnolt-Bristol and 356er)
> >
> >
>
>
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