i worked for Jackson Motor Speedway in 19. He told me he has almost 200 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren - he's a proud man!. He really was one big help to my dad at the track! He turned 95, I believe on his last birthday. He might appreciate a card or two! He went to our Church the last few years and the minute he saw me, he remembered my name and had to have a big hug from me. Any by t he way, Bill has cancer and is being cared for in his home by nurses and family. And does anyone member Bill Tripp - NO-ONE can forget him - he would help dad when Bob and Ralph couldn't be around to help him. I still see people that knew our family and reminisce about the track. So our of 7 children, only 2 of us are still around. He was cremated and his ashes have been scattered at different tracks - including Eldora where he and his boys went to races at Tony's track for years. Roger had the same problem - he was in the Coast Guard and he had to retrive many young children that had drowned in Lake Michigan during his 4 years. His life at the end was something bothering him and he drank to be able to forget - just as the others did. Ron was in during the Vietnam War and he also fell into the drinking, but there is no confirmed information that he committed Suicide. Both Bob and Ralph Jr were in World War II and Bot fought in the front lines - he confided to me later that he had to shoot many people, and I believe this is the reason the boys drank so much - a lot of men who fought in the front lines and killed people had a hard time facing what they had HAD to do so that we could live freely. Wilma in the late 1992 and Ralph Jr died 5 months later. Two sisters, Janice and Wilma also died from Strokes. She was a fantastic mother and a Fantastic Christian woman - She played the piano at Church on Wednesday night, went shopping Thursday, had a silent Heart Attack Friday night and died on Sunday. Our brother, Roger, was in the Coast Guards during most of the time we had the track, but he was also a part of it and seems to have been forgotten a lot! Dad passed away in 1968 from Strokes. Dad borrowed the money and was the President. Ralph Jr (Itchy) and Bob went into it together. I still enjoy reading some of these, but I still find mistakes also.
I would have like to seen more races than the 1 when I was 3, however my brother and I raced every time we got on that asphalt which seemed like every day. In the mid 90's my nephews enjoyed the same up bringing with that magical environment right in there back yard. The track was in good shape for many years, up until around 1985. Every now and then we would run into a car or truck running around the track.
We saw demolition and vandalism of the buildings and bleachers throughout the years. We always started our competitions at that location. I would play on the starters crows nest where the checkered flag would wave. We played hockey on the ponds and sled down the hills in those very woods. We road Dirt bikes, go-carts, snowmobiles, 3 wheelers and for wheelers often. We made trails all throughout the apple orchard around the track and throughout all the fields and ponds that were on the property. Many of our neighborhood friends enjoyed the same things. When that track closed it became our playground for 16+ years. A uniformed man made us leave between races.
I tried to watch from behind the guardrail of corner 2 as my older brother and I walked a trail from our neighborhood home just north of the track. I was 3 years old when the last race ran at Jackson Motor Speedway.
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