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TRACKS: Turkey Night Midget Grand Prix at Irwindale Preview

10 November 1999

The "grandfather" of the Turkey Night Grand Prix was first run at Gilmore Stadium 
(now the site of the CBS Studios near Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax in Los 
Angeles) in 1934. USAC's Turkey Night "GP" is one of the longest-running series 
of races in the history of racing and boasts a list of winners which reads like 
a "Who's Who" of American oval track racing. 

In its 66-year history the hallowed event has been staged at a number of Los 
Angeles and southern California venues including Ascot Park (27 times), Saugus 
Speedway, Perris Auto Speedway, Bakersfield Speedway, and Speedway 605 which 
was located in Irwindale about a mile or so from where Irwindale Speedway now 
stands.

Winners of the event include names like:  Mel Kenyon, Billy Boat, Norman "Bubby" 
Jones, Ron Shuman, A. J. Foyt, Stan Fox, Chuck Gurney, Edgar Elder, Johnny Parsons, 
Parnelli Jones, Ronnie Householder, Bill Vukovich, Tony Simon, Gary Bettenhausen, 
and many more legends of motorsports.

The night is specifically-crafted for families to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving 
feast in the afternoon, maybe watch a "bowl" game or two, and then head out work 
off all that rich food with a rousing evening enjoying a spectacular 100-lap 
USAC Midget  feature race (and all the prelims lead up to it) at one of the newest 
and nicest race tracks in the country.  

1998's winner Jay Drake will be at Irwindale looking to go for "two in a row" 
along with the nation's top midget "shoes".  Expect to see names like: Leffler, 
Newman, Coons, Hines, Darland, Ave, Gerster, Pankratz, Steele, Treadway, Drinan, 
Heydenreich, McCune, Carter, DeBueamont, Scully, Hendrix, Stanfill, Boone, Sills, 
Gurney, Brown, Paden, Pratz, and Tripp. 

Tickets for the event are priced at $30.00 for adults and $10.00 for kids 12 
and under.  Call the Speedway (626-358-1100) during business hours Monday through 
Friday or pick up your Turkey Night tickets when you visit the track for any 
regular Saturday night race from now through November 24.