Action at Jackson 1937 (Update)

Morris Musick and Herb Mangus barrel out of the turn and onto the back straight at the Jackson Legion Fairgrounds in Jackson, Michigan on July 18, 1937.  They dueled to the finish with Mangus emerging victorious on the last lap. Read on for more action photos from this old speedway that is now just a fond memory.

Many thanks to Jeff Adams who provided the news clipping that tells the story dated July 18, 1937.  The article by Al Cotton is headlined, "Mangus' Car Not Best But He's Winner Again".  Here is an excerpt from the text

     "Take it from Herb Mangus, canny Dayton, Ohio, auto racer, the ancient gentleman who coined the phrase about the race not always going to the swiftest really knew of what he was speaking.
     For Herb proved this, with variations, Sunday, as he captured the feature auto race at the fairgrounds by about four feet from Leonard (sic) Musick, young Dallas, Tex. driver, the tightest finish seen since the sport was revived here several years ago.
     For 29 and three-quarters laps of the 30-lap event, Mangus trailed Musick around the oval.  His every bid to pass the Texan was repulsed.  He finally lulled Musick into believing that couldn't be passed.  Then as they came into the home stretch, he shoved the accelerator to the floor, calling on a little reserve he had carefully hoarded.
     His bit of strategy caught Musick unprepared.  Mangus edged across the finish line a winner by less than half a length of his car.  His time was 15 minutes, 13.7 seconds.  Mangus also won the season's first race here several weeks ago.

Hard to Swallow
     Musick's defeat was a bitter pill for him to swallow.  Making his first appearance at the Jackson track and with the fastest car in the field, he was hopeful of making a cleanup.
     Even Mangus admitted that Musick's car was faster. "I knew I couldn't compte with his speed,' said Herb, 'I decided to gamble on the last straightaway.  It was a good gamble.'
     Third place went to Mike Salay, popular South Bend speedster, who finished about a half a lap behind the leaders. Mike has a hard battle with Paul Russo of Chicago for the first 20 laps before gaining third place."

     The Chrysler Pace Car cruises in front of the white picket fence that lines the infield at Jackson Speedway located at the Jackson Legion Fairgrounds. 
     Reader Marty Blume offered the following info, "The factory in the back at one time was Acme Industries I don't know if it was called that in the 1930's).  The building is still there and the 1/2 mile track is still there, however, it is only used for harness racing only now.  At one time in the late 40's or early 50's, there was an asphalt 1/4 mile track there also. This was where the regular weekly stock car shows were run.  The big dirt half mile was used mostly for specials for the midgets and big cars (sprint cars)."

     Here the pace car starts into the back stretch.  One Michigan historical site says that the Fairgrounds was used for auto racing from 1913 to 1953.  Other sources indicate that the track may have been closed for a while prior to 1933.  See Water Winter Wonderland.

    This is a scan from one of my dad's albums.  It reads, "Freddy Hawes, Jackson -- July, 1936".  Fred was a local driver, originally from Adrian, Michigan. A clipping supplied by reader Jeff Adams notes that Fred finished second to Mike Salay in the 40-lap feature on May 10, 1936.

    The caption on this one says simply, "Salay Russo, Jackson, July 18-37.  Mike Salay was the top driver at the Jackson track during the mid-thirties.
     Reader Jeff Adams has newspaper clippings from Jackson and provides this, "I found 6 dates for Jackson events held in 1936 and 37. They are 5-10-36, 5-31-36, 6-21-36 and 9-20-36. In 1937 I have 6-13-37 and 9-12-37. In the one clip from a 36 race it starts out   'Ever since auto racing was returned here three years ago the problem for the drivers has been BEAT MIKE SALAY'. This seems to indicate that the track reopened in 1933. Note that a wire fence is all that separates the race cars from the street.  I don't have any info on cars going through the fence but as the photos below show, accidents were a part of pushing these powerful machines to their limit.

"Glenn Meyers and H. (Howard) Dauphin" says the note on this negative but it is not clear which is which.
     The driver on the outside is clearly out of the groove while the guy on the inside is broadsliding past his rival.  Even so, these two cars must have been fairly evenly matched as the inside car was only slightly ahead when they were photographed on several consecutive laps.   
     Race historian Kem Robertson tells us that Myers was driving the #19 Fronty Stagger Valve owned by Mert Harris and Mangus was driving the #7 Frankland Fronty Stagger Valve.  Reader Bob Moore adss that "Musick was driving the old Iddings Hal out of Grenville, Ohio".      

Four cars are untangled after a spin.  Note the spectators looking over the fence and the ambulance on the far left.  It doesn't look like anyone was hurt in this mishap but as you will see below, there were injuries that day.

      That same ambulance is about to go to work as driver Claire Tuller is loaded onto a stretcher. 

The notes say that Claire's car turned over.   The ambulance appears to be a modified passenger car.

There was apparently time for romance at the track.  These two are identified as "C. Rogers and Thiresa". I don't have any more on these two but obviously my dad thought enough of them to make their photograph.

This is the #101 car of Chas. Szekendy - done for the day.  Thanks to race historian Gene Heeter for helping us get the spelling right on his name. Readers are invited to pass along any information you may have about these photos and the people in them.

Comments

[Bob Moore]

In the Mangnes/Musick photo, Musick was driving the old Iddings hal out of grenville, Ohio