Early 1970's Big Car Racing Assoc.

[Mitch G.]

Another program from the amazing early 70's BCRA sprint car shows at Colorado National Speedway. These were 2 day shows, simply some of the most amazing sprint car races ever held in Denver. On this night Lloyd Beckman in Speedway Motorsports owner, Bill Smith's sprint car, set the sprint car track record at CNS at 18:03 in 1971. This record stood until Steve Kinser broke it in Karl Kinser's Mitchell chassis sprint car in 1977 a pre World of outlaws race, I think his time was 17:50 something.
http://www.autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=24&pictureid=1086
Entry's and time trials
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=24&pictureid=1087
One thing that stands out in my mind, is that of all the early 70's sprint show's at CNS, 71, 72, 73, no one ever got upside down. Not until the World Of Outlaw shows in the late 70's did the sprint cars start crashing more, strange?

[Mitch G.]

It just occurred to me, it was the first ever World of Outlaws race at CNS in 1978 that Steve Kinser broke the sprint car track record. The sprint race in 1977 was the "Gold Cup Classic" a Roger Mauro promotion, 2 day sprint and midget combo show. 1978 was a stand alone WoO sprint show, as I recall.

[JimmyK]

I remember going to a sprint show,, I think it was at CNS... A young hot shoe from Albuquerque was there with his Dad. Little Al was about 15 or so (my age) so I think maybe 1977 or 1978. I had them both autograph my hat ("When the green flag drops, the bullsh** stops". Big Al got a kick out of signing a hat. I went over to visit with Eddie Jackson. On the way out of his pit I stepped on a "dividing log". turned out it was Eddie's black hood laying there. Major teen-age embarrasement!

The hat went on to get signed by a few others. Rick Ferkel was the next one. He didn;t want to write on it after he sign Al's and Jr's autographs. Told me it would ruin the hat. :) That was at an MSA event in Fargo. Rick was in the true "outlaw" mode along with Butch Barr and a few others, picking their way across the midwest.

[Jerry Lee]

I thought it was neat to see the name Pete Stringer on that timing sheet. I didn't know he drove Sprints.

[Mitch G.]

Jimmy, this is from the program for the 1st annual "Mile High National Outlaw Championship" sprint show at CNS, Sept. 7,8,9 1978. The program said this is Al Jr. in his first year in a sprint car, Lyle Dill's car Walter Judge was the chief mech. They had a team car #71 driven by Larry Demaree, who was a pretty good sprint shoe also. This is the show where Steve Kinser set the sprint track record, 17:63 on Sept.7, 1978. This was before little Al had the Pennzoil sprint car, I think he was in Denver with the Yellow #71 Pennzoil car in 1980.
http://www.autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=24&pictureid=1088