History

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This section is dedicated to the history of dirt track racing in Minnesota and the upper Midwest. Click on the thumbnail for a larger image. Most of the pictures on this page have been contributed by racing fans. I want to thank all the kind people that have taken an interest in the MDTR Website who took the time to send me copies of prized photos from summers past. History contact: mndirt@hotmail.com

Click Here for the GRP Minnesota Dirt Track Racing History Project 2008 Version

Click Here for the GRP Jerry Richert Sr. Tribute

Bill Taylor Photo Gallery including vintage non-wing and much more

Gloria Johnson Collection 1950's open wheel action (includes video clips)

Noel Allard Minneapolis 500 Story & Photos + State Fair Photos (Minnesota racing history dating back to early 1900's)

Rick Wood contributed photos and information (1968 through 1981 Sprint Car)

These Photos were contributed by John Josephson in February of 2004 and the photographer was Brian Skedgel from Thunder Bay.


This one is from 1970 and shows Bud Carlson driving Jay Coughlin's car out of Duluth at the Mid-Canada Championships.	Don Mack from East Grand Forks, MN at Riverview in 1977....Doug Howells' car.	Bobby Geldner in the 63 at Riverview in '77....Can anyone identify the yellow 22?	Mike Selberg and Bob Hop....'77.

'77 Riverview. Bob Hop in the JB car. Is that Mike Enter in Dabruzzi's 22?	Billy Nelson at Riverview in '68.	Orv Christianson from the Elk River area....'68?	I believe this was driven by Gordy Lamb in '68.

Dick Wilhelm in foreground. White car behind was Ken Andersen and Ron Bartlett's. Cliff Koidahl in background.... 1968 Riverview.	Bob Hop in nomex.	Russ Laursen, late 60's, Riverview.

Photos of the Barry Kettering Sprint Car restored by Russ Wanzuk taken by Jeff Caldwell. This was Barry's last car and has been displayed at the Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum in Knoxville, Iowa.

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Rex Speedway

Photos below are of the Rex Speedway grounds taken by Steve Moen 2003. You can still see the fenceposts but the outline of the track is barely recognizable in these photos. The track was located south of St. Paul near the junction of Highways 52 and 3 at the intersection of Barnes Avenue and 105th Street East. The outline of Rex Speedway can still be found on Mapquest by selecting Barnes and 105th Street East intersection. Click here for a link to the approximate location then click on aerial image and look for the oval just to the south of where Barnes and 105th intersect. According to John Wycoff Rex Speedway operated from 1947 to 1952. If you have any more information about the track please email me at stanm@gotomn.com This is what Steve had to say about his visit to the former site of Rex Speedway:

"The pictures are of the West end, (corners 3 and 4). The pictures of the East end were lost somehow but were really not that eventful, just a few more wooden posts. I did not get a picture of the middle of the track but it was also quite bare. The pictures are in sequence starting to go into the 3rd corner. A few pictures of interest are the two taller posts that may have been a gate at one time. (I really have not researched Rex but would like to if you have any sources) Two other pictures show horizontal boards still attached. You notice the path thru the trees that shows the track where nothing would grow. The last picture shows coming out of the 4th turn looking down the front straight into the field. For racing fans, the main thrust of the pictures is seeing where the fence and track was and just imagining the hot rods that used to fly around there. It's really neat."

This photo taken at Rex was contributed by Ron Johnson of bigyohnsracing.com This is what Ron had to say about this photo:

This picture is of the guy who, along with my Dad, got me hooked on racing. His name was Harry "Pug" Lund. There was another "Pug" Lund in the Twin City area, head had been a football player for the U of M and I am sure that Harry was tagged with the "Pug" nickname as a result of the other guy having the same last name.

Harry raced sprint cars in the Midwest for IMCA before the war. I think he spent the war years at the Ford Plant in St. Paul as a welder. He had a duplex (half rented) with a big garage behind it just off 38th Street on 15th Avenue South. After the war he started building and racing track roadsters. He built one for the guy who ran the Standard Station on 38th and Bloomington, George Grohoski (God, where did the recollection of THAT name spring from?) He built one for himself. He raced at Rex and various County Fair events. He started taking me with him in about 1948. I had a great time. He was divorced and he had a daughter, Harriet, who lived with the Mother. She would come around sometimes. Mother was a looker and the daughter was a pistol, must have been a real handful.

Harry was a really nice guy and was a racer, through and through. It's all he lived for. Harry had a kid named Cliff Anderson driving a second car. This picture was taken in about 1949 after Cliff went off the 1-2 corner at Rex. The guy with him was Cliff's uncle, I can't remember his name. The way the track was built, this area was elevated with dirt fill. To a kid, like me, it seemed like 50 feet,but it was probably 12-15 feet in reality. Nonetheless, go off the end and it was not a good time to be you for the next few seconds. Cliff went right through the fence and launched into a low level orbit. You can see the car was not good, and Cliff was busted up pretty good. He recovered, quit racing and married a neighbor girl I introduced him to.

Here is a photo taken by my dad at Rex sometime before I was born

Car flipped through the fence at Rex, 1950's by Lester Meissner

Ron Johnson adds the following comment about this photo:

They ran a class of cars with full bodies, amazing how many 32 Ford three and five window coupes they destroyed. This car was one of those and it is at the bottom of the same section of fence that Cliff went through. Looks like I was pretty close to right about the actual drop, looks like about 12-15 feet.

Here are a few long lost photos that I recently found in a family album

From State Fair Grandstand taken during a race by my Dad Lester Meissner late 50's

Bob Hop hauler waiting to get into the pits at Knoxville, 1980's by Stan Meissner

Thanks to all who have contributed pictures. Without your help this history page would not have been possible

IMCA old timers and Knoxville Museum shots

Some of the most successful open wheel drivers to come out of Minnesota include:

Most of us have probably never heard of Tommy Milton nor would we consider him as our candidate for the best driver. Milton was a native of St. Paul. His first ride was at the Minnesota State Fair in 1913. He held the world land speed record of 156.03 mph in 1920. He was the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 twice which he did in 1921 and 1923.

Sig was a Norwegian immigrant who settled in Minnesota where he began his racing career in 1918. He was a star performer in the early IMCA and was it's champion. Haugdahl built a car with the soul purpose of beating Tommy Milton who was then the AAA champion. He was the first man anywhere in the world to reach the speed of 180 mph down on Daytona Beach. AAA regarded Haugdahl as an "outlaw" and never recognized his speed record even though it was well documented. Hey, if the predecessor to USAC (AAA) considered Sig an outlaw he's alright in my book.

Roger moved to Minnesota from Nebraska where he began his racing career in the mid 60's. He was Knoxville track champion in 1975 and was known as an outlaw racer most of his career. Roger took a car with a normally aspirated v8 engine to Indy and lead the race at one point. Roger continues to race a limited schedule in Sprints and Midgets.

Roger Rager drove for Lendard McCarl at Knoxville. Rager (in white driving suit) stands by car at the Knoxville opener in April 1975

Jerry Richert was the IMCA sprint car champion in 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1968. He was runner up in 1967 and 1970. He would be my personal choice as the best dirt track driver out of Minnesota. Who knows what he could have done if he'd have tried USAC and Indy cars as others from his era did. Mr. Richert passed away in November of 1998 at the age of 65 in his hometown of Forest Lake. He will be missed by family, friends, and those who watched him race.