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Few racetracks in America poses the renown, mystique and sense of aww as Jungle Park Speedway.
Carved from the dense Indiana woods in 1926 by Earl Padgett the ½ mile track soon became a hotbed for Midwest racing attracting drivers that would soon become icons for the sport.
Indianapolis 500 winners Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, George Robson and Bill Holland competed here. As did notables like dutch Bauman, tony Bettenhausen, Bob Carey and Duke Nalon.
After WW23 Jungle Park racing resumed at a frantic pace under new owners Ralph Jordan and Lawrence Woody. Cliff Griffith won an amazing 9 features as fans by the thousands flocked to the picturesque park county track.
As crowds diminished, racing at Jungle Park ceased in 1955. In October 1960 the old track took one last breath. A midget car race was staged on the quarter-mile dirt track. It ended horribly when driver Arlis Marcum, of Indianapolis, swerved to avoid another car and one of his wheels hit a hole in the track. "The front end of the car bounced high into the air," IndyStar reported, "and came down through the fence and into the crowd."
Annabelle Sigafoose, 37, Terre Haute, was sitting on a blanket, watching the race. She saw the car coming toward her and started to move away but did not move fast enough. The car struck her, dragged her, killed her.
Ownership changed hands when Charles Sentman purchased it in 1971. Today The Sentman family remains the caretakers of this historic facility preserving it’s legacy for generations to come.
This video is a reunion held annually each fall at Jungle Park Speedway.
Video by;
Joe DeFabis
DeFabis Photography
2940 W 39th street
Indianapolis, IN 46228
(317) 291-8111
www.defabisphot...
3 окт 2024
