thank you for this video i spent a lot of time at this track from my early days i think late 60s early 70s can't remember but my father and uncle were car builder and owner #777 with ken finley as driver and always wed night cycle races as i started riding myself and later in 80, 82, and 88 raced the supercross races there , what a historic place lots of good times sad to see it go but thankful to experience it
Kinda makes me feel sad to see my past as it grows farther and farther away. At 5years old I started my Santa Fe days back around 1968 riding along with a local driver Bob Eastman out of Downers Grove. Later in life, I spent my time at Bob -Jo with a driver named Steve Aurand. I really miss those days when life seemed more laid back. Sucks to get old. I always felt guys like Arnie Gardner and Jimmy O'Connor were one's to watch. We all know about how those other 2 guys managed to show up with brand new bodies on there cars every week. Not much skill if you didn't earn it proper. J.S.
Awesome slide show, brings back memories of my childhood from the mid/late 70's to the 80's. I remember the names of the drivers, the cars themselves, the scenes.....great video. Where is the stone monument located at near the end of the slide show? I HAVE to visit it!
I have attended races sine I was 3yo. I drove Stock cars myself for 3yr. My Father drove for 10yr. I watched Jim O'Connor and all the greats and Yes, Jim could drive as good as anyone and whatever the conditions presented. he could fill in or drive someone else's car and be competitive or win with it. Fate had a hand in Jim's career when Bill Van Allen put him in touch with Seth Piper and Chico. Partners who built great cars. Later Jim took advantage of having Bob Boyce { Track burner Chassis ] back him. He combined those opportunities of having great cars with great driving was a dominate force at Kankakee, Santa Fe, and won many races at other tracks he showed up at. Was he better than Izzo? Not at Santa Fe. But if you took Izzo and Jim and put them on a different track, O'Connor was better. Izzo had a winning strategy at Santa Fe and it shows with 9 Championships. Were other drives just as good or better than both? In their times, Yes. Van Allen, Nelson, Gardner, Waldvogel and Bob Kelly. Each of them, in their time periods Dominated against Izzo and O'Connor. In Fairness you are talking about some of the greatest to ever drive stock cars. In later years, Provenzano, Pierce, Rodger Long Dominated. Yet both drivers remained competitive and still won races, just not on the same scale as in the past. Great video.
you know you could just as soon make your own video . oh wait you can because you are unable to figure that out .... here is one , narrow non functional minds are not welcome on my channel . now take your negativity somewhere else . can you NOT read ? lol .
Thanks for this! The Gentle Giant was a wheelman! Such finesse, I saw him win a ton of races
The good old days
thank you for this video i spent a lot of time at this track from my early days i think late 60s early 70s can't remember but my father and uncle were car builder and owner #777 with ken finley as driver and always wed night cycle races as i started riding myself and later in 80, 82, and 88 raced the supercross races there , what a historic place lots of good times sad to see it go but thankful to experience it
Kinda makes me feel sad to see my past as it grows farther and farther away. At 5years old I started my Santa Fe days back around 1968 riding along with a local driver Bob Eastman out of Downers Grove. Later in life, I spent my time at Bob -Jo with a driver named Steve Aurand. I really miss those days when life seemed more laid back. Sucks to get old. I always felt guys like Arnie Gardner and Jimmy O'Connor were one's to watch. We all know about how those other 2 guys managed to show up with brand new bodies on there cars every week. Not much skill if you didn't earn it proper. J.S.
Awesome slide show, brings back memories of my childhood from the mid/late 70's to the 80's. I remember the names of the drivers, the cars themselves, the scenes.....great video. Where is the stone monument located at near the end of the slide show? I HAVE to visit it!
its on the south west corner of 91st and wolf , so yeah like right where the entrance to santa fe was , where howard tiedts home was .
Does anyone remember Harry Dunlaps car? Snoopy. This was 1974/75
I was a big fan of Jimmy O'Connor as well, to me that was the best racing there ever was
I have attended races sine I was 3yo. I drove Stock cars myself for 3yr. My Father drove for 10yr. I watched Jim O'Connor and all the greats and Yes, Jim could drive as good as anyone and whatever the conditions presented. he could fill in or drive someone else's car and be competitive or win with it. Fate had a hand in Jim's career when Bill Van Allen put him in touch with Seth Piper and Chico. Partners who built great cars. Later Jim took advantage of having Bob Boyce { Track burner Chassis ] back him. He combined those opportunities of having great cars with great driving was a dominate force at Kankakee, Santa Fe, and won many races at other tracks he showed up at. Was he better than Izzo? Not at Santa Fe. But if you took Izzo and Jim and put them on a different track, O'Connor was better. Izzo had a winning strategy at Santa Fe and it shows with 9 Championships. Were other drives just as good or better than both? In their times, Yes. Van Allen, Nelson, Gardner, Waldvogel and Bob Kelly. Each of them, in their time periods Dominated against Izzo and O'Connor. In Fairness you are talking about some of the greatest to ever drive stock cars. In later years, Provenzano, Pierce, Rodger Long Dominated. Yet both drivers remained competitive and still won races, just not on the same scale as in the past. Great video.
thanks for checking in , glad you found the video, happy you enjoyed it , especially the music .
Love the pics,but you can keep your opinions
you know you could just as soon make your own video . oh wait you can because you are unable to figure that out .... here is one , narrow non functional minds are not welcome on my channel . now take your negativity somewhere else . can you NOT read ? lol .