Merchant’s Park Track Program – circa 1930’s

[Jerry Lee]

Recently I discovered an old trunk I had forgotten about that was full of old racing memorabilia.Rooting through it I discovered this gem, an original track program from Merchant’s Park from approximately 1938.

Many years ago a good friend had acquired the program from an old racer (name long forgotten) who had stopped by his shop to “bench race”. My friend didn’t really want it so he passed it on to me. Scrawled across the top of the cover of the program is “From the Duane Carter collection”. I’m guessing that it once belonged to Duane “Sonny” Carter, father of Duane “Pancho” Carter. What a great historic piece of racing history this is, complete with the times and race results written in pencil. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I have, there’s some famous names inside! ---Jerry Lee



http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=111&pictureid=771http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=111&pictureid=770



http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=111&pictureid=769http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=111&pictureid=768

[parrot]

Wow! Jerry Lee, what a great discovery. Some great names on that driver list. Love the old ads, helps unravel some of Denver's history. Suppose Rocky Mountain Chrome Plating did some of the bright work on those cars? And PBR on tap at the Blue Bonnet Cafe, can't get better than that.

[Olen McGuire]

Yeah, I wonder how many remember the old telephone numbers where you had a name in front of the numbers? We always said our number was "Tabor 2418" but you dialed "TA2418".And I do mean dial because we didn't have touch tone.

[Olen McGuire]

Being the "old" man on the ARM site, I was curious enough to check the date on the front cover. Sunday, July 17th does indeed fit the "1938 calendar".It's amazing to me that the program survived 71 years today.~Olen

[Jerry Lee]

Hey good catch, dad! It is 71 years old as of today July, 17. I think the only thing left that's still around from then might be the Blue Bonnet. Oh, and you dad!:D

[lakeside #29]

Hi Jerry Lee, This program is too cool for words. I've heard old timers talk of it. Even my mother-law and father-in-law talked about it, I guess they went there when they were dating. It was long gone when I started to go to car races. Thanks for sharing it with eveyone. Maybe some of these guys that have some memorabilia from Merchants Park will add to this great post

Chris Ertler

[Mitch G.]

Olen, Jerry Lee, Chris, check out our midget forum, there are some scattered posts, regarding the #5 and #55 midget, Don Malone, Bert McNeese, etc. Jimmy Kouba has been posting from Minnesota, His dad Earl Kouba was Merchants Park midget champion in 1939. Also Cal Niday shows up in a new post regarding midget's in the 40's. Man that's a great program, what a piece of racing history. I remember my folks old phone number up in the Green Mountain area (west Alameda Ave across from the Denver Federal Center) Yukon5-1223. Olen get this, my folks still have an operating dial telephone in the basement, I love hearing that old thing "ring" when I'm in Lakewood. Wasn't the "Princess Model", the non-wall mount phone back then?

[Olen McGuire]

Wasn't the "Princess Model", the non-wall mount phone back then?
You got me on the name of those old phones, Mitch.But I think it was in the late forties or early fifties that they did add a digit after the exchange name.And to think, now I have a hard time finding my phone in my shirt pocket !!