Just because Woodhull kicked off their 50th year of racing with the Arnot Mall car show this past weekend: George Williams' Woodhull Raceway opened it's gates for the first time on June 13, 1965 for a 2:00 afternoon show, Running "Moderns" (16 cars) and "Amateurs", plus there were three B-Mods (Bugs) in attendance. The first ever checkered flag at Woodhull went to Wayne Melliman from Cuba, N.Y. in Joe Love's dark red '49 Ford Business Coupe, numbered 04. Melliman backed it up with the win in the Amateur Feature. It was Melliman's only visit to Woodhull, but Bill Layfield put the "Love Machine" back in Victory Lane on August 8th. Current Woodhull Pit Steward, Earl Eccleston was third in the first feature in a '55 Ford numbered 363. There were eleven different winners out of 14 events in the Amateur division in the '65 season. The Ulysess, Pa. based, Sherwood Auto Parts sponsored, "Blue Angels" swept the top three spots in the Modern main event. Harold Sherwood led Lyle Cornelius and Gabe Haynes to the flag in matching powder blue with white top Chevy hardtops. Sherwood and Cornelius were in 1964 Impalas (remember, this was 1965), and they duplicated the finish the following week, with George Schenk breaking the Blue Angels' domination by snagging third. Jim Hakes put his yellow 1958 Ford into Victory Lane the following week, with Paul Hidek from Bath, N.Y. making his Woodhull debut and finishing second in a maroon and white '61 Chevy sedan numbered 6 7/8. Hidek won 10 of the next 11 Modern features, on his way to the first Woodhull Championship with Bill Layfield winning the August 29th feature... Hidek was second.
Lots more, but it's a start.
