LAKE HILL

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY

VALLEY PARK, MISSOURI

HISTORY

History taken from Souvenir Program

Lake Hill Reunion, November 2007

Museum Website Not Responsible for

Any Errors in Content.

1/5 Mile Dirt Track Built 1948

Lengthened to 1/3 Mile 1965

Asphalted 1966

Closed 1981

The dirt track at Lake Hill Park was completed in 1948 and the Midgets ran that year. The following year the stock cars took over and grew steadily in popularity. The racing surface was a full fifth mile, 50 feet wide and was banked 14 feet in the turns.

In 1965 the track was lengthened to 1/3 mile. Under the leadership of Bob Mueller, central Auto Racing Association (C.A.R.A.) was formed and “Late Model” racing began in St. Louis at Lake Hill Speedway. The track owner, Josephine Heutel, asphalted the dirt track in 1966.

The track saw its last official races in 1980. The floods of ’82 and ’93 put the track under nearly 5 feet of water. It remained in that condition until 2007 when owner/ developer Kim Gardner allowed many volunteers to drain the water, clean the track, clear the land, restore the ticket office and concession stand and hold a Lake Hill Reunion in November 2007.

Four popular NASCAR drivers grew up at Lake Hill watching their fathers race. Three actually began their own racing careers here on the asphalt track. They are Kenny Schrader, Rusty Wallace, and Mike Wallace. Kenny Wallace’s career began after the track closed but he spend his time as so many of the driver’s kids did, playing in the brown “p” gravel and sitting in the stands cheering for their dads. Notable among local drivers, Al Hager drove in the NASCAR Sportsman Modified Division and Habe Haberling lost his life during a warm up lap at Daytona February 21st 1961.

Below are photo's, logos and programs of Stock Car organizations that held races at Lake Hill Speedway. In addition to Midget and Stock Car shows, other events such as Demolition Derbys and Joey Chitwood’s Tournament of Thrills were held.

If you have any additional historical information, programs, photos, etc. that you would like to share with race fans on this website, please contact Webmaster, Duane Marburger at coupefan@abcglobal.net . We hope you enjoy the Lake Hill history and photos.

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HOT ROD RACES, LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY 1949

MIDGET RACES, LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY 1949

WALT TREPPLER, LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY 1950

WALT TREPPLER #23, ART TREPPLER #22, DANNY GROSSMAN #15 LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY 1951

HANK STIEFVATER #80 LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

GINO RUSSO #24 LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

BILL SCHRADER #100 LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

WALT TREPPLER LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

BOB MUELLER LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

RACING AT LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY 1950

ARNIE KNEPPER #78 LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY 1950

1950

1954

1955

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

HANK STIEFVATER LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

WALT TREPPLER LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

PETE ROACH LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

HARRY CHEATHAM LAKE HILL 1963

CRUNCH LAKE HILL 1962

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY 1960'S

JOE GRANDA LAKE HILL 1963

LAKE HILL 1962

ED BARRETT LAKE HILL 1963

ART GROSS LAKE HILL 1962

WILLIE GROSS LAKE HILL 1963

LAKE HILL 1962

I.J. STUBBLEFIELD LAKE HILL 1961

JERRY BAUMGARTNER LAKE HILL 1963

MEL LARK LAKE HILL 1962

LAKE HILL 1961

LAKE HILL 1962

AL HAGER LAKE HILL 1960

LAKE HILL 1962

BOB MUELLER LAKE HILL 1962

EDDIE LOWRY LAKE HILL 1962

LOWRY CREW LAKE HILL 1962

DON HEILIGTAG LAKE HILL 1962

CARL SPRINGER LAKE HILL 1962

JIM PRICE LAKE HILL 1962

BOB MINER LAKE HILL 1963

JERRY SIFFORD LAKE HILL 1961

RAY EBY LAKE HILL 1962

KENNY SHRUM LAKE HILL 1963

KENNY SHRUM LAKE HILL 1962

KENNY SHRUM CREW LAKE HILL 1963

JIM SHUETTENBURG LAKE HILL 1963

BOBBY NEUSHE LAKE HILL 1962

WILLIE JOHNSTON LAKE HILL 1964

PAUL ALLEN ON TOP OF BILL PEZOLD

LAKE HILL 1960'S

BILL PEZOLD LAKE HILL 1960'S

BILL PEZOLD LAKE HILL 1960'S

LAKE HILL 1960'S

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY 1950'S

BOB MUELLER LAKEHILL 1960'S

DON KLEIN LAKEHILL 1963

1960'S LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY ITEMS

1950

A TROPHY WON BY WALT TREPPLER AT LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY EARLY 1950'S

LAKE HILL SPEEDWAY ASPHALT DAYS

PHOTO'S BY DON FIGLER

BOB MINER

PAUL MILES

RUSS WALLACE

LEN GITTEMEIER

PAUL LAWSON

JERRY SIFFORD

BILL TRAVERS

JOE FOX

BILL SCHERER

DON FIGLER PHOTOGRAPHER

WIB SPALDING

RUSS WALLACE

RUSTY WALLACE

KENNY SCHRADER

JERRY SIFFORD

BOB ESTES

BOB WILLIAMS

A VIEW FROM THE PITS

A VIEW FROM THE PITS

A VIEW FROM THE PITS

A VIEW FROM THE PITS

A VIEW FROM THE PITS

76 BILL BROZ

RUSS WALLACE

JERRY SIFFORD CRASH

RUSTY WALLACE