This site is dedicated to the memory of everyone who contributed to the success that made the San Jose Speedway one of the most successful short tracks ever. The 1/3 mile high banked paved oval ,located on East Tully Road, operated from 1946-1977. It hosted many different events including USAC midget, USAC sprint, NARC sprint, BCRA midget, NASCAR Grand National West and open comp stock cars.

Bill Scott. Bob Mize photo

Kenny Molica. Bob Mize photo

San Jose Speedway , lower left, 1948 next to Reid Hillview airport. Golf course across the street is now Eastridge Mall.

The program man Walt Welton with Bob Barkhimer. Bob Mize photo

Champions all ! Bill Scott, Rick Henderson and Al Pombo

Al Pombo, Clyde Palmer, Bill Scott, Kenny Takeuchi, Marshall Sargent, Rick Henderson

 Kenny Molica

Don Mize photo

Lloyd Nygren killed at San Jose September 26, 1969

Danny Oakes

Paul "Red" Bender. Opening day 1972. Don Mize collection.

Don Mize collection

 Michelle, Sandi & Richie Davis

Don Mize collection

Tom Bigelow and JC Agajanian after winning USAC sprint car race.. Gerry & Robert J Olsen photo

Don Mize collection

Don Mize collection

Don Mize collection

Opening day 1972. Don Mize collection

Don Mize photo

Don Mize photo

Don Mize photo

Don Mize photo

Rosie the beer man. Bob Bockover photo

R.I.P. 1978 awaiting demolition

 Ray Otis 1972 San Jose Speedway. From the private collection of Tony Richards

In the late 1940's and early 50's the track featured the racing roadsters and the California Stock Car Racing Association with drivers such as Ray Raneri, Mike Batinich, Joe Valente, Dave Carter, Dave Duncan, Tony Goularte and the great Johnny Key. Key died in a midget accident in 1954 and the track honored his memory by hosting a 200-lap race in August of that year. The Johnny Key Memorial grew to become one of the most prestigious open wheel events in the country.

Promoter Bob Barkhimer brought NASCAR West in 1954 and San Jose would remain a NASCAR sanctioned track until it closed on September 3, 1977. The track enjoyed its greatest success with its weekly Saturday night hardtop races in the 1950's and early 60's and the fast and powerful super modifieds in the late 1960's and 1970's.

Indy 500 veterans Joe Leonard of San Jose, Billy Vukovich of Fresno and George Snider of Bakersfield all honed their skills on the weekly Saturday night programs along with legends  Al Pombo of Fresno and Marshall Sargent of San Jose. Leonard won the opening day main event at San Jose in 1963 while Snider would win the 1964 Johnny Key Memorial. 

The track made legends of regulars Rick Henderson of Petaluma, Johnny Freitas of Santa Clara, Clyde Palmer and Burt Foland of Mt. View, Bill Scott and Mike Sargent of San Jose,  Howard Kaeding of Campbell, Nick Rescino of San Francisco and Johnny Brazil of Manteca. Competitors took on nick names such as The Campbell Comet, The Mombo Man, Sarge, Quick Nick, The Caruthers Cannonball, The Manteca Terror, The Racing Auctioneer, The Carrot King, The Racing Barrister, Moose, The Almond King, The Blue Goose, The Racing Rancher, The Mayor Of Hanford, Old Yellar, The Sidewinder, Smilin Pat and Pineapple.

In 1974 the early model stock cars began a Wednesday night series. Drivers such as Harry Goularte, Dennis Wilson and Dave Byrd became stars. Future Daytona 500 winner Ernie Irvan of Modesto scored three wins at San Jose in the final season of 1977, but it was 19 year old rookie Byrd from Los Gatos capturing his first of 15 championships. Goularte would go on to compete on the NASCAR Winston West Grand National series from 1976-1988 competing in 80 events with 42 top 10 finishes. He also competed in Winston Cup events at Riverside and Ontario.

Top NASCAR drivers such as Hershel McGriff, Ray Elder, Jack McCoy, Jimmy Insolo, Dick and Chuck Bown all challenged the high banked oval in Grand National West competition.

J,C. Agajanian promoted many USAC midget and sprint car shows at San Jose. The season would open on  with a 100-lap USAC midget race on Sunday afternoon in February. Fans could see Indy 500 stars Parnelli Jones, Billy Vukovich Jr, George Snider, Jimmy Caruthers, Gary Bettenhausen, Larry Dickson, Sheldon Kinser, Bruce Walkup, Mel Kenyon, Pancho Carter, Bobby Olivero, Rich Vogler, Tom Bigelow, Lee Kunzman, Rollie Beale and Johnny Parsons Jr. Bobby Unser entered the 1967 race but a crash during hot laps ended his day.

18 year old rookie Brent Kaeding competed in several BCRA midget events during the 1976 season. From 1971-1975 the Golden State/West Classic offered fans the opportunity to see some of the greatest open wheel drivers in the nation. Todd Gibson, Tony Lavati, Bobby Baker, Ollie Silva, Armand Holley, Roy Smith, Bob Seelman, Jerry Sneva, Gerry McLees, Palmer Crowell, Bill Madsen, J.P. Standley, Dave Scarborough and Gary Allbritian all traveled to San Jose to take on the track regulars plus other top California stars such as Billy Clarkson, Bill Deschamps, Deake Lyndall, Gary Patterson, LeRoy Van Conett, Tommy Silsby, Larry Burton, Mike Andreetta and George Bragg. Sneva would go on to run the Indy 500 1977-78-78-80-82 and was the Rookie Of The Year in 1977. Smith would move up to the NASCAR Winston West Grand National series and win that championship four times 1980-81-82-88. In 108 career starts he had 17 wins and a remarkable 83 top 10 finishes. He competed in the 1982 Daytona 500. Smith passed away on February 2, 2004.Sadly Baker, Silva, Holley, Lyndall and Patterson have all passed on.

Kenny Takeuchi was the legendary announcer while Paul "Red" Bender was the colorful flagman. The weekly program featured the 18 fastest qualifiers in a 20-lap main event. It was a totally inverted start with the fastest cars starting in the back. A unique handicap point system insured the drivers scoring the most points would start last, regardless of their qualifying times. This makes Howard Kaeding's 1973 feat all the more amazing. From July 7th thru October 6th, Kaeding would go undefeated - 16 consecutive feature race victories including two 150-lap events, a 50-lap event and one non-stop 20-lap event ! His season total was a San Jose record 24 feature race wins. Points were awarded to the five fastest qualifiers. The restarts were double-file and when a yellow flag came out the drivers raced back to the start/finish line. The racing action was always fast and furious and tempers flared on many nights.

In 1978 racing moved a couple of miles West  on Tully Road to a new 1/4 mile dirt oval located at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. Al Pombo's son, Davey , would win that first championship. Davey Pombo passed away on July 1, 2003 at the age of 53. That track operated for 21 years before closing at the end of the 1999 season. That history is deserving of its own tribute. We hope you will enjoy this tribute to the legendary San Jose Speedway.

TRACK RECORDS

1 Lap - 13.333 10/12/74 Nick Rescino

3 Lap - 40.43 7/26/75 Nick Rescino

5 Lap - 1:07.62 8/2/75 Nick Rescino

6 Lap - 1:23.83 8/17/74 Nick Rescino

8 Lap - 1:50.39 4/13/74 Roland Wloydka

12 Lap - 2:53.85 5/1/71 Dan Clapp

20 Lap - 4:45.10 5/10/75 Howard Kaeding 

35 Lap - 8:10.83 5 26 73 Roland Wloydka

50 Lap - 12:02.32 8/18/73 Howard Kaeding

100 Lap - 27:05.44 8/21/76 Howard Kaeding

150 Lap - 41:56.10 8/2/75 Nick Rescino

USAC Midget 1 Lap - 14.62 11/01/70 Burt Foland

 Late Model Stock 1 Lap - 15.846 7/23/77 Vern Anderson 

SAN JOSE AAA/USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINNERS 

8/20/50           George Amick

 2/10/57          Shorty Templeman

 3/9/58             Billy Garrett 

                       (21st in 58 Indy 500)

10/31/59          Cliff Spaulding

10/21/62          Bob Wente 

  2/09/64          Johnny Baldwin 

11/08/64          Parnelli Jones 

                        (63 Indy 500 Winner)

                          23rd in 64 Indy 500

  2/19/67           Billy Vukovich Jr

  2/18/68           Billy Vukovich Jr

                         (7th in 68 Indy 500) 

  2/16/69           George Benson

  7/04/69           George Benson 

  9/26/69           Burt Foland  

  2/22/70           Johnny Parsons Jr  

11/01/70           Burt Foland 

  2/14/71           Burt Foland 

10/01/71           Jimmy Caruthers 

  2/20/72           Gary Bettenhausen

                          (14th 72 Indy 500)

   2/25/73          Gary Bettenhausen

                          (5th in 73 Indy 500)

  2/17/74            Jimmy Caruthers

  2/23/75            Bobby Olivero

  2/15/76            Sleep Tripp

  2/20/77            Hank Butcher

1973 & 74 Champ Howard Kaeding

1977 Champ Mike Sargent

 1972 & 75 champ Nick Rescino

1957-58-59 & 62 champ Rick Henderson


1961 champ Clyde Palmer

1950-52 & 56 champ Johnny Freitas

1955 champ Johnny Colendich

 1967-69-70 & 71 champ Bill Scott

 1975 & 76 stock car champ Harry Goularte

1974 stock car champ Dennis Wilson

1977 stock car champ Dave Byrd

   THE CHAMPS

1950 - Johnny Freitas

1951 - Johnny Key

1952 - Johnny Freitas

1953 - Ray Raineri

1954 - Al Pombo

1955 - Johnny Colendich

1956 - Johnny Freitas

1957 - Rick Henderson

1958- Rick Henderson

1959 - Rick Henderson

1960 - Marshall Sargent

1961 - Clyde Palmer

1962 - Rick Henderson

1963 - Al Pombo

1964 - Al Pombo

1965 - Al Pombo

1966 - Al Pombo

1967 - Bill Scott

1968 - Al Pombo

1969 - Bill Scott

1970 - Bill Scott

1971 - Bill Scott

1972 - Nick Rescino

1973 - Howard Kaeding

1974 - Howard Kaeding

            Dennis Wilson (Stock)

             Ken Nott (Figure 8) 

1975 - Nick Rescino

            Harry Goularte (Stock)

             Ken Nott (Figure 8

1976 - Tom Haylett

            Harry Goularte (Stock)

1977 - Mike Sargent 

            Dave Byrd (Stock)