north end of the arena. Quarter mile paved track, which encircled the stadium’s football field, was used from 1946 on for the most part with the exception of special events like above. An Armco barrier circled the grassy infield/football field, keeping errant stock cars, for the most part, off of the sod.
Hailing from Elmhurst, Lorenzen, who would go on to become one of NASCAR’s early superstars, was the track champion in 1956. Oldenberg of Highland, Ind., the 1955 NASCAR Convertible Champion, was the Soldier Field titlist in 1957 and 1958. The summer-long Pan American Games held at the arena would put a halt to all racing at Soldier Field in 1959.
Moving into the 1960’s, Bryant Tucker and his 1957 Buick would be the man to beat for the track title. Tucker would claim the championship three straight years (1960—1962). A product of Granatelli’s Hurricane days, Sal Tovella battled with Bob Chapman all season long and finally won the track crown in his 1963 Chevy II. Only two stock car events were held the following season (1964) with Lutz and Harry Simonsen winning the early May events before promoters, Bill Schade and Carl Bledsoe called it quits.
No racing was held in 1965 with Bill Earnest of the Rockford Speedway trying his luck to promote the track in 1966. Gerken and his rapid-running Ced’s Muffler Service-sponsored 1965 Chevelle convertible walked off with season championship honors.
USAC sanctioned eight short track events, which counted towards its “National” stock car championship in 1967. Norm Nelson of Racine, WI and his factory-backed 1967 Plymouth were the stock car champions at Soldier Field that year. In special points kept for the Soldier Field races, Nelson bested Don White, Tovella, Bay Darnell, Dave Hirschfield (another Soldier Field “old timer”) and Jack Bowsher in the final points tally. Eight USAC-sanctioned features were held at the “Field” with White winning four main events in his Ray Nichels-owned Dodge Charger. Nelson won three and Bowsher one. Nelson won his first USAC feature at Soldier Field on Saturday night, July 8, defeating White, Bowsher, Tovella, Darnell and Hirschfield in the 30-lap feature. Earlier in the evening, White grabbed fast time honors with a qualifying lap of 20.39 seconds. Two International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) stock car events were held with Ramo Stott of Keokuk, Iowa winning 75 and 100-lap races. These two races also counted towards the overall Soldier Field championship. These events were held on a 3/8’s mile oval inside the arena and were promoted by N. Perry Luster, a Chicago area racing insurance businessman-turned race promoter. Previously, USAC sanctioned one stock car race at Soldier Field in 1961 with Les Snow in a Pontiac winning the 30-lap (15 mile) event on June 17, 1961. By season’s end, the weekly USAC races were replaced by a series of demolition derbies.
Giving up on the “National” racing idea (USAC, IMCA, etc.), Luster came up with a three-track circuit for 1968 with local late model stock car drivers again being the headliners. Raceway Park (Blue Island, IL), the Mazon (IL) Speedbowl and Soldier Field would be part of Luster’s weekly, three-track promotion. Racing at the Field made it only four nights with Bob Pronger, Bud Koehler, Ed Hoffman and Tovella claiming feature race win honors. Tovella, who won his first Soldier feature of his career on June 21, 1952, had the honor of winning the last stock car feature race ever held at Soldier Field on Sunday evening, June 9, 1968.
Pistone, who during his career competed in both the NASCAR Grand National and convertible divisions, was the all-time leading stock car feature winner at Soldier Field, having won, by best account, 38 main events. His nearest rival is Kenny Netzel with 16 wins, followed by Rathmann (15 wins) and Flaherty and Chapman, each with 14 scores. Other leading stock car feature winners at the “Field” over the years were Michaels, Marmor, Tucker, Jordan, Lou Fegers and Oldenberg.
After that June night in 1968, the roar of racing engines would not be heard again inside the massive e