Snapshots from History – Ringgold County Speedway
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Ringgold County Speedway from the air.
Thanks to Merle Walter for this week’s photo.
Merle says he got it from Bob Ricker years ago. This week we’ll look at the final years of the speedway.
The first race was held in 1957 and was sponsored by the Mount Ayr Jalopy Club.
At this time, the track was called the Mount Ayr Race Track. The races were an instant success and the event grew.
The first Powder Puff race I found was in 1960 with Ruth Powell placing first.
Success continued to come and the Mount Ayr Race Track changed its name to Ringgold County Speedway in 1967.
In late 1977 a go-cart race was scheduled and in 1978 go-cart races were held with more frequency.
On June 29, 1978, Steve Gibson finished first and Darrell Lamb finished second in the go-cart races. Both were from Allendale, Mo., a hotbed of go-cart racing.
In 1980, Marion Robinson took over operations of the track. Mr. Robinson was an experienced promoter with a stellar reputation, but he had a big task at hand and rain delays to deal with. There were many upgrades and repairs to be done and the race season opened late.
The 1980 season was plagued with bad luck.
In August, a spectator backed into a pole knocking out electricity. The same night saw difficulties with a transformer causing another 45 minute delay. Off-season troubles resulted in 1980 being the last year of stock car races.
Amazingly, the go-cart races continued.
By 1981, go-cart racing had spread to the Ringgold County Fair and an official group called the Ringgold County Kart Club had been established. On August 29, 1981, the Ringgold Kart Club and the Newton Kart Club and Casey’s General Store sponsored the Casey’s Classic, a race featuring carts from four states. There was $2,000 in prize money offered.
The Ringgold County Speedway was one of few go-cart tracks in the state that was not being shared with stock car races. Admission to the event was two dollars for adults.
The go-carts never used the speedway after 1981 but continued to race at the Ringgold County Fair.
Merle Walter was the director of the Ringgold County Karters.
Go-cart racing was picked up by the Diagonal Labor Day Celebration and the Clearfield Fourth of July Celebration. In 1987, Dudley Davidson won the Adult Class I race at Clearfield.
I will also mention Paul Glendenning’s success at Oskaloosa and other venues in the mid-1980s. And I must give credit to Bill Sickels, who was heavily involved in the go-cart clubs.
I was surprised to learn the land that the race track was on was owned by Elmer Motsinger from beginning (1957) to end (1981).
The land today is owned by Greg and Kelly Roberts. And I don’t know who took the photographs but there are still plenty of pictures still around of the race track winners with their trophies.
