1973 World Figure-8 Championship Islip Speedway in Islip, NY on ABC's Wide World of Sports

1973 World Figure-8 Championship Islip, NY

[@DDS029]

I'm from Michigan, and this was the first of two trips I made to Islip. Was there in '74 also. Me, my sister, and a friend (distant cousin, actually) we're there to cheer on the guys from S.E. Michigan-N.W. Ohio area. Imagine, two 17 year-olds, and a 15 year-old making a trip like that. The deer looking to "take us out" in Pennsylvania. The unreal amount of traffic through NYC, even at 4:00 a.m. Wondering how I ended up at JFK, instead of catching the Long Island Freeway. Great times, but we started going to the Indy Speedrome for the 3-hour race in '77.

[@BrianDornTFP]

Back when "Wide World of Sports" was the best show on TV.

[@altfactor]

Islip was also the home of the World Demolition Derby Championships for many years, an event that was a "Wide Wold Of Sports" staple for over thirty years!

[@baskinginbarreto6309]

I grew up in Islip in the 70’s. 1975 Islip High School graduate. The best years of my life!

[@pjriverdale8461]

Islip was the birthplace of Demo Derby. WWOS, looking for ANYTHING to televise in its early days, latched on to the Derby and brought it to audiences nationwide. Later, figure 8 variations developed. There was also a " Football" version which placed a VW Beetle in the intersection with the object being to advance the VW by smacking it towards "the goal". For years, the most robust Derby cars were the 49-54 GM wagons. Mid sixties Imperial's were indestructible, so much so, because of their thick frames they became disallowed in Derby competition. Later, full size Ford wagons were highly revered on the Derby circuits for much the same reasons as the old GM's and Imperial's brief reign. Here, the " race" is called by the immortal Jim McKay with Chris Economaki doing "color". Earlier broadcasts of Islip festivities were called a bit less seriously, but one of the hallmarks of WWOS was that no matter what the contest, it was treated with respect for the participants. Thanks to WWOS, many competitions not in the mainstream became mass market favorites because of their constant search to bring new events to 1960's TV audiences.

[@3bar]

I miss Islip Speedway.

[@eartraffic]

i was there for this. i was there ever week :)

[@HEAVYMETALSL]

So were my parents

[@Nr2003Guy]

The fact that this was televised makes it even cooler

[@popiscoolnow]

Thanks for posting this great footage of islip

[@iplaypearldrums7935]

I was there for the 4th of July event in '73.

[@kennethjohnson6319]

I watched Wide World of Sports in the 60s i will always like Figure 8 demolition derby this is one of my alltime favorite shows

[@vladimirvolkhov6786]

Fantastic old footage, love it.

[@sirtalkalotdoolittle]

The Don Martin (from MAD Mag) shaving commercial was icing on the cake.

[@LoveNotLabels]

This is nice! I'v got the 1964 one on 16mm. Trying to clean it now..

[@arfriedman4577]

Thanx for memory. My dad was one of parnell Jones mechanics. I drove quarter midgets.

[@jhondoe5147]

Very Cool !

[@arfriedman4577]

I drove on this track with my quarter midget. I love the bank. Much success to you.

[@dannydombal1578]

Did you race with NQMA quarter midget club I did from 1966-1977

[@arfriedman4577]

@@dannydombal1578 yes. NQMA My sister and I raced from around 1977 to 1983. I won a few races. We stopped racing because we moved a bit west and the club moved from Hempstead to Riverhead. Our parents felt our safety was better since I was dracing with the older boys. I wish we still had those 2 cars. They were sold at the end of 1983.

[@arfriedman4577]

​@@dannydombal1578 my dad worked for agajanian. He set up parnelli jones 98 car to win the indy 500. He was also pit crew.

[@63besgasman]

Pretty neat leaving the old commercials in

[@brianwilson6403]

My favorite driver growing up was Little Richard Simons in car 771 from Spartan Speedway in Mason Michigan.

[@michaelcanney7218]

Flat rock champion for years

[@jm1551701]

I most likely watched this on ABC back in 73, we did not live to far from the track, but we watched on WWOFS, but we where regulars at this track as well as Freeport Speedway back then I was about 8 years old but I loved the Figure 8s as well as the, what they called back then the Bomber division, lot's of fun back in the day,

[@mariaseus5107]

I was there for my dad Bob Sees 82 orange 56 crown Vic

[@andrewunjo158]

... thereby setting the standard for driving habits on surface roads to this day.

[@craigmoore7085]

I always found it interesting that the #29 car was leading the race and was never mentioned. Even back then you would get "Homered". On TV, to top it all off.

[@hammerheadracingmedia3823]

NASCAR commentators commentating a derby figure 8? Sounds awesome!

[@Raellives]

Cool!!

[@altfactor]

At 7:30 of this clip, you see an early example of an in-car camera. I suspect that it was a first-generation color minicam nailed down to the inside of the car, transmitting a signal to the control truck, possibly relayed via a helicopter or crane.

[@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5]

My guess was that it was a film camera and the spliced in the footage well after that actual race. And of course, the announcers were not even at the event :(

[@dannydombal1578]

I remember the crane in turn 4 at islip mid 70s

[@davidbakin]

Looks like the track is more like a guideline than a requirement ...

[@ItsSusieQue96]

If you know Islip you will understand these 3 words “Remember The Wrench”

[@arfriedman4577]

Had my dad not pulled me out of racing, I might have been known before Danica. I had a lot of trophies but as a girl, my dad felt danger.

[@michaelcanney7218]

Yea, but look at it this way. You won just as many as Danica did.

[@arfriedman4577]

@@michaelcanney7218 thanks. Success to you always

[@racefan32]

Sounds like an ABC Wide world of sports broadcast.

[@altfactor]

It was. And with the event on Long Island, the ABC production and technical crew only needed to travel some 60-70 miles to set-up their equipment and tape the race.

[@iplaypearldrums7935]

:58 $1000 1st prize!! wow

[@rhondaaisquith6776]

Tom Wagner great race car driver from Dorsey speedway

[@Slog01]

So cool. Do you have a possibility to upload a better footage of this nowadays?

[@cjclark607]

I copied it off of my dads VCR tape, so that's the best I'm going to get.

[@mariepinchuk5716]

Look at the guy in the picture. That is Mike Pinchuk car #055.

[@jamesschmidt9924]

I remember going to Islip Speedway as a kid. I was born in 1975 and they closed in 1984. Memories :) I would have to root for a fellow Bay Shore Car # 55 although I do not remember him personally. Marty Himes knows all.

[@UberLummox]

The #47 car '55/6 Ford looks like the rear clip has been shortened or "bobbed". Less likely to get hit I guess. I bet I saw this on live tv in 3rd. grade.

[@BrianBattles]

Jim McKay and Chris Economaki? They sound like they're really grasping for something to talk about, like they don't see this kind of wacky racing too often!

[@sinsagoodmansbrother]

I live about 500 feet from there...

[@thomashallman5436]

a flagman that his regular job is a detective maintaing the flags and law and order at islip speedway who knew y all

[@ddarkshark]

having grown up with stock car racing at way cool Islip Speedway in my veins, when I got to high school all the ball sports they tried to cram down our throats seems so dull, boring, foot ball, baseball all seemed like a waste of time, they still do. pep rallies seemed so trivial compared to a big ass V8 engine. watching some guy in a silly outfit run 15 miles an hour carrying a football seems so sissy compared to the guts it takes to race !

[@jellobiafra4660]

Sponsored by Mad Max Inc.

[@americanwriter2533]

🤩🇺🇸👍👁️⚖️⚖️👁️

[@paulross9287]

Everything used to be better.

[@barbarachanda7559]

RIP Sammy Atkins...