THE TRACK THAT NEVER DIED!!!!
THE HISTORY OF MY FAVORITE RACE TRACK!
BY GLEN CHERRY
FOR OVER 40 YEARS RACING AT THE WEST TEXAS KARTING ASSOCIATION TRACK HAS TAKEN PLACE ON THE ORGINAL CONFIGURATION. THE RACING SURFACE HAS BEEN REDONE AND THE TRACK IS A LITTLE WIDER BUT THE LAYOUT HAS NEVER BEEN MODIFIED. THE TRACK WAS FIRST BUILT IN THE EARLY 1960’S FOR A PRACTICE FACILITY FOR THE ROPER FAMILY FROM MIDLAND TEXAS. THIS WAS PRIOR TO HEADING RACING FOR A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
IN THE LATE 60’S AND EARLY 70’S RED JONES OPERATED THE TRACK AFTER MOVING FROM HIS ORIGANAL TRACK JUST A FEW MILES AWAY. MR. JONES OPERATED THE TRACK AS A RENTAL AS WELL AS HELD RACES ON THE 1ST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH. DURING THESE YEAR MANY OF TODAYS RACERS RELATIVES RACED AT THE THEN PERMIAN BASIN KART RACING ASSOCIATION. SOME OF THESE THE NAMES MAY SEEM FAMILIAR TO YOU TODAY, AT LEAST THE LAST NAMES! JIM BERRY, ISHAM (BUCK) CHERRY, MELVIN (PEEWEE) CHERRY, LEE CHRISTIAN, JUNIOR DOUGLAS, PETE HARPPER, AND ALBERT HERRON. ALL DID BATTLE ON THE TRACK. IF YOU CHECK TODAY YOU WILL SILL FIND SECOND THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION RACERS WITH SOME OF THESE NAMES. IT REALLY IS A FAMILY SPORT THAT JUST BREADS NEW COMPETITOTS AND GREAT FRIENDSHIPS!!! .
IN 1973 ISHAM (BUCK) CHERRY OPERATED THE TRACK THRU THE MID 1980’S. DURING THIS TIME KARTERS IN ODESSA / MIDLAND HAD A COUPLE OF CHAMPIONSHIP RACING SERIES RACE AT THE TRACK. TEXAS KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP RACES (TKC) AND THE TRI CITY CHAMPIONSHIP ALL CROWNED CHAMPIONS ON THE RACING FACILITY.
THE TRACK WAS CLOSED FOR A FEW YEARS AS THE LAND WAS TIED UP IN ESTATES SETTLEMENTS. A LOCAL FIRMAN FROM ODESSA JIM BALLARD HAD AN IDEAL TO DIG THE OLD TRACK OUT AND REIGNITED KART RACING IN THE EARLY 1990’S. HE MADE CONTACT WITH THE LAND OWNERS AND THE WORK BEGAN! BETWEEN THE HERRON BROTHER, HERB, MIKE AND RICK A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO RESTORING THE TRACK FOR RACING IN THE AREA. A LOT OF THE ROAD COURSE HAD GROWN OVER AND SOME SPOTS HAD POT HOLES IN THE TURNS. JIM WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT ON THE NEW FORMED KART CLUB KNOWN AS WEST TEXAS KARTING ASSOCIATION TO START THE NEW ERA OF KARTING. MANY PEOPLE PUT MONEY AND HARD WORK INTO RESTORING THE TRACK. AFTER RACES WERE HELD AT THE TWIN CITY SPEEDWAY AND MALL PARKING LOT TO RAISE MONEY AND EXPOSER, THE KART CLUB STARTED TO HOLD RACES AT THE TRACK. WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL GROUP OF RACERS AND BUISSNESS MEN, MONEY WAS RAIED TO REPAVE ½ THE TRACK.