A year after we moved to the little acreage north of Newton in 1947, Maytag started construction of their new Automatic Washer Plant, which was opened in 1949. Shortly thereafter, according to my friend Earl Hawkins, came the official opening of the Newton Speedway, cattywompus across the street to the west.
My brothers Jim and Charles and I used to walk about a mile over that way on Sunday afternoon to watch those exciting races. This was back in the days when a race enthusiast could go buy an old car at the junk yard for a few bucks, weld in braces to hold up the roof, knock out the windows, paint big numbers on both sides and “Bingo,” they were set to go on the track. These were the days of pure “stock cars,” no souping up the engines or putting in high speed rear ends allowed! Just put in roll-bars, sign the papers and head for the track.
We used to go early and watch the time trials and “hot laps” before the races began. Generally sitting high up on the bleachers was a fellow by the name of Fred Maytag who also got a big kick out of this Sunday afternoon entertainment. He was usually alone and would sometimes join in a little race-talk with us, betting on who would win the big money.
Years later, during my Newton Jaycee Days after returning from the Army in 1958, the main source of income was running the concession stand for the general public and also the one out in the middle of the racetrack. We were a rootin’-tootin’ bunch of young men who didn’t mind contributing extra hours for a good cause, as also is true of today’s Jaycees. It was strictly a men’s organization at that time and our wives were known as “Jaycee Jills.” My wife Mary and Charles’ wife Betty (God rest their souls) also helped out on occasion. What fond memories.
I told my coffee club of one technique that we used to increase our Jaycee income on soft drinks. When a person asked for a Coke, we would never ask what size, merely “A big one?” Four out of five people or perhaps more would say “Yep” and this meant a 20 cent drink instead of one for a dime. Those were the days when candy bars and coffee were just 10 cents, and I believe a big box of popcorn was no more than 20 cents — maybe less. Those things and hot dogs were our main source of revenue with profits always invested right back into the community for worthy projects.
Back to the races, which were on Sunday afternoons until profits allowed a lighting system all around the track. Then it was a Sunday night affair and those bleachers always seemed to be pretty full-up. Sometimes it would be 11 p.m. or later until the main event — 25 laps around the dirt track — was completed. These were the days when several of those old junker stock cars almost always sailed off the track on the first turn right into the corn field. Blink your eyes twice and they would be heading right back on the track dragging some corn stalks. Most times, a roll-over put them out of commission, but not always.
Everyone seemed to have their favorite drivers and the excitement would build as the first, second and third heat races would progress toward the main event.
Earl Hawkins had an interest in Newton Speedway right from the start as I understand, and he later sold his interests to Marion Robinson in Knoxville. Earl continued to announce the races for a good many years, knowing just what to say and how to say it. He helped keep those old time races exciting.
I’m not exactly sure when this historic operation closed down, but I remember lying in bed upstairs in the late ‘60s and hearing the roar of that Newton Speedway a couple miles north when my sons and I might no be out joining the Sunday evening excitement.
Olden Days appears on Wednesday. Contact the writer at mcneer@pcpartner.net