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From Wes Swinford, Ron's nephew:
Ron's passion for drag racing was only exceeded by his willingness to help anyone, especially if it had anything to do with drag racing. His knowledge of the sport was truly unbelievable. A person could spend hours with Ron and learn a life time's worth of knowledge and yet walk away realizing they could spend countless more only to scratch the surface of his knowledge of the sport and what it took to run a drag car. Known by thousands both in Arizona and around the country Ron originally raced and promoted races in Winslow on the old air strip literally across the way from his home. Throughout his life he helped numerous racers and became the organizer for the annual Standard 1320 Invitational Drag Races and Reunions that started in Inyokern and later moved to Speedworld in Surprise, AZ. Ron will truly be missed. God Speed Ron! 1320 race at Speedworld on March 21, 2010
A tribute sign that will be hanging in the staging lanes
Ron's front engine dragster on display. The 1320 event photos are courtesy of photographer Mike Bieke. |
God Bless the USA
Arizona Racing History
New!
Interview with Holly Felsen Welch - Hot Rod re-release
Contents
Midgets
Tucson
Other
Pennsylvania
Other than Racing
Racing Memories
Congratulations to our friend, "Methanol Mel" Anthony, who at
80+, won the trophy dash, his heat and the feature at the
Art Pollard Memorial Race in his restored Scio Offenhauser midget.
Here's a great youtube tribute to open wheel racing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_r5hY49jLM
Brian Itule is looking for a photograph of Tequila Sunrise, the dragster his father
Mike campaigned in Tucson in the 1970s. Please email Brian if you have an image.
In 1956 at the National Championship Drag Races in Kansas City, Missouri, Carl Grimes of Phoenix
won the A Altered Class with an ET of 12.63 @ 116.88 MPH.
EL CID MAKING DRAG RACING HISTORY
Pretty Impressive Credentials on the Rear Fender....
El Cid is now in the NHRA Wally Parks Motorsports Museum
El Cid photos courtesy of
&
NASCAR IN ARIZONA
The first NASCAR race in Arizona was April 22, 1951. This was the sixth race in the season, and was held on the one mile dirt oval at the Phoenix, Arizona State Fairgrounds. Marshall Teague won driving the Teaguemobile, a 1951 Hudson. His average speed over the 150 laps was 60.153 MPH.
Other drivers of note
Tim Flock, Fonty Flock, Herb Thomas and Lee Petty.
A replica featured on conceptcarz
We found some copies of our book, American Automobilia.
They are as new, and signed by the authors.
Postpaid in the US, $9.99 US
Postpaid, shipped via International Priority Flat Rate, $19.99 US
Print the orderform and mail a check or money order or send Paypal payment to nancy@arizonaracinghistory.com
Ron
Miller passed away in his home on
December 31, 2009. Originally from
Texas, Ron was a Winslow, Arizona
resident for well over 40 years
where he worked for the Santa
Fe Railroad and in his spare
time owned and operated Ron's Speed
Shop on Old Highway 66.
(c)2010 Jim & Nancy Schaut. Our mission is to preserve the rich history of automobile racing in the American West. Although this site deals primarily with auto racing before 1980, we also cover the current nostalgia racing scene.
We have done our best to credit the proper people for information contained on this site, but it is sometimes impossible to find the original source. We welcome your comments & corrections. If you would like to submit items to the site, please send them to Nancy.