(Photos by Steve Schnars – Video by Speed Shift TV – Words by Darr Hawthorne) Our Holiday traditions have a way of sustaining through the years, but my family was often been divided for the celebration of Thanksgiving. A couple of decades ago, it was clear that it’d be smart for us our family to consume on the turkey feast early – so the afternoon could be dedicated to overcoming the of the enevitable “turkey coma” and a nap.
The real reason masked an excuse to leave the yearly family gathering for the dusty or muddy grandstands of a local dirt track for the Turkey Night Grand Prix promoted by J.C. Agajanian and his family. For over three decades Agajanian, starting in 1937, brought great racing at a legendary SoCal racing complex; Ascot Park in Gardena. As kids we’d hear on the radio, “Ascot Park, where the 110, the 405 and the 91 freeways collide!”
Ascot and J.C. Agajanian held weekly events for fans of midget racing, sprint cars, stock cars, flat track and speedway motorcycles, it seemed like there was something going on at Ascot every night of the week!
Since Ascot closed in November of 1990 no facility has replaced it, so the Turkey Night Grand Prix wandered from the long gone 605 Speedway, old Saugus Speedway, Bakersfield Speedway, to Ventura Raceway, to Perris Auto Speedway and then the pavement at Irwindale Raceway and now back to the “bullring” Ventura Raceway.
The list of drivers who have battled and won the Turkey Night trophy reads as a Who’s Who of racing; Parnelli Jones, Stan Fox, Billy Boat, Bobby East, Jason Leffler, Tony Stewart, Dave Darland, Bryan Clauson and many other legends.
The 77th edition of this great Midget race on the fifth-mile Ventura Raceway saw an awesome battle of two current NASCAR drivers for the Turkey Night lead, both who’d cut their teeth on dirt as well.
During qualifying, Kyle Larson led the pack, followed by Jake Swanson and Christopher Bell, who was just crowned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion.
If you didn’t make it to the race this year, Speed Shift TV put together this highlight video of that exciting race from Thursday’s Turkey Night Midget Race where Larson led the pack to the green flag and along with Bell duked it out in a near perfect show swapping the lead dozens of times during the 98-lap event.
77th USAC Turkey Night Grand Prix winner Christopher Bell in a Keith Kunz Toyota-powered Midget.
I am a drag race fan.But that there is what ya call a R A C E .that is motor sports at its best.And all the young people getting into the ranks.that is great .great race great clip.
Real racing, real drivers. No BS competition cautions , stage racing etc.
Great great racing!