History

Lewistown Raceway, 50 years in the making

By DICK HOFFMAN

Special to the News-Argus Lewistown Montana

1956; Population 9,000, television was in its infancy, there were approximately 20 neighborhood grocery stores, and 41 full service gas station/garages. One in particular, the Courthouse Texaco, where young Jim Connelly worked as a mechanic, was one of the many where high school age hot rodders hung out and everybody that had a car would do some kind of customizing to it. The golden age of hot rodding was in full swing with an abundance of 52 Ford coupes and 54 Mercurys. The Flathead Ford V-8 had been out for 25 years and Chevrolets overhead valve V-8 was only a couple of years old. Automotive technology was supplying the hot rodders with plenty of equipment and ideas. Jim gathered together 15 willing rodders and started the first car club in Lewistown, the Road Sturs, with Mr. Connelly as the first President. Now with the automobile taking over the country-dance scene and Main Street being congested with traffic, the Road Sturs needed a new place to exercise their automotive muscle.