Willsatx Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Let's start a basic, official, thread for Historic Houston Race Tracks & Speedways. Who remembers the infamous Meyer Speedway located out South Main? Share some knowledge, HAIF! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue92 Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 I've spent some of my off time researching the 1944, 1953, and the 1978 google historic aerials and noticed that at some point southwest Houston was the place to go for all kinds of racing. In the 1953 google and the 1957 historicaerials.com aerials of S.Main and OST you can see 2 racetracks and the remanence of 1 more track. Playland Park Speedway, Arrowhead race track and the remanence of a large race track right where the Reliant Stadium stands today. You can also see the remanence of that same track on the 1944 aerial. My linkOn both the 1944 and 1953 google aerials there was at some time a large race track at the intersection of S.Main and Holmes Rd. on the northwest corner of the intersection. My linkIn the 1953 google aerial the remanence of a Meyer Speedway sized track on the northeast corner of S.Post Oak and S.Main. It can also be seen on 1957 historicaerials.com.My link1944 aerial the remanence of a large track off OST north of the street Griggs Rd. and northwest of MLK.My linkIn 1944, 1953, and 1978 aerials either a race track or a stadium on the south side of S.Main/90 as you come into Sugarland from Houston. Also seen on historicaerials.com 1957, 1964, 1973, 1981.My linkWould be nice to know the histories of these tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilioScotia Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 I've spent some of my off time researching the 1944, 1953, and the 1978 google historic aerials and noticed that at some point southwest Houston was the place to go for all kinds of racing. Would be nice to know the histories of these tracks.Don't forget there was also a horse racing track just outside the city's north side. It was outside the city THEN, but the site where it was located is well inside the city now. I'm talking about Epsom Downs out on Jensen Drive. It closed in 1937 when Texas outlawed parimutuel betting. A drive in theater -- the Epsom Drive-in -- was built on the Jensen Drive side of the property. That one closed in the 70s or 80s when drive-ins everywhere started going out of business.Here's a link to the story of Epsom Downs on another page in another department here on the HAIF.http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/Building/2004/Epsom-Downs.phpBy the way, that arrow supposedly marking the spot of Epsom Downs is way off the mark by at least a mile. Scroll south on Jensen till you come to Tidwell and you can see the clear outline of the area where the racetrack was located. Zoom in close and you can tell the site had houses on it for a long time, but it's now a large Metro Park and Ride lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue92 Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Don't forget there was also a horse racing track just outside the city's north side. It was outside the city THEN, but the site where it was located is well inside the city now. I'm talking about Epsom Downs out on Jensen Drive. It closed in 1937 when Texas outlawed parimutuel betting. A drive in theater -- the Epsom Drive-in -- was built on the Jensen Drive side of the property. That one closed in the 70s or 80s when drive-ins everywhere started going out of business.Here's a link to the story of Epsom Downs on another page in another department here on the HAIF.http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/Building/2004/Epsom-Downs.phpBy the way, that arrow supposedly marking the spot of Epsom Downs is way off the mark by at least a mile. Scroll south on Jensen till you come to Tidwell and you can see the clear outline of the area where the racetrack was located. Zoom in close and you can tell the site had houses on it for a long time, but it's now a large Metro Park and Ride lot.Found it on the 1944 google aerial, here ya go. Epson DownsYou can't find and evidence of it today because Hwy. 59 runs right threw where it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilioScotia Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Found it on the 1944 google aerial, here ya go. Epson DownsYou can't find and evidence of it today because Hwy. 59 runs right threw where it was.Wow that is some photo. I never had any idea the old Epsom Downs track was that big. It stretched from just south of Parker to just north of Tidwell. And you're right. The 59 freeway goes right through the middle of the land where the track used to be.This aerial photo shows that area was "way out in the country" in the early 40s. It's completely developed now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue92 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Wow that is some photo. I never had any idea the old Epsom Downs track was that big. It stretched from just south of Parker to just north of Tidwell. And you're right. The 59 freeway goes right through the middle of the land where the track used to be.This aerial photo shows that area was "way out in the country" in the early 40s. It's completely developed now.You think that Epsom Downs was big. I did a side by side comparison between Epsom Downs & the Buffalo Speedway track. Epsom Downs was one third the size as the track off Buffalo Speedway. That track off Buffalo Speedway is actually bigger than the Indianapolis 500 track. A track that big you would think it would have been famous and someone in Houston would know the history of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris ABC13 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Hi, I'm Chris with KTRK-TV, working on a historic photo spread of racing in Houston. Does anyone know where the "South Houston Race Track" was. I found one location called "South Main Speedway", next to "Wells Air Field" off south main, on an old map. I also found an oval, near La Concha, by the Astrodome, on google earth. Any help would be appreciated, Thanks, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earlydays Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 The track in the photo is not Meyers Speedway, it was on S. Main, not OST. The track in the photo is Arrowhead Speedway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 My guess is that might have been the midget car and kart race track across from Buff Stadium in the late 40's and early 50's. That's kinda near what's officially South Houston. Search these forums and you can find other posts about old racetracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Also this. http://www.houstonfreewaydragstrip.com/houston-international-raceway-pictures-videos-location.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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