dad's little layout helper

The Batmobile at Green Valley Raceway

I learned last week at the Welcome To Gadsden facebook group that Green Valley Raceway is closing.  I never went to see a race there, but my dad used to do the brochures/posters for them.  Dad wasn't a racing fan, but he was a friend of one of the owners, Dr. Charles Jordan.  Dad was an attorney by trade, but he enjoyed doing layout and design for print.  When doing corporation work, he was also known to help out with doing the new company's logo.  He was quite good at it.

My interest for graphic design came from my dad.  I used to sit there next to him at the kitchen table and assist him.  His polio limited some of his ability in his arm, so I'd often hold a ruler or help with the rubber cement.  It was old school layout.  It made me feel important to help him layout those brochures.  Dad would let me keep hold of many of the publicity photos after Frost Printing was finished with the print job.

The Batmobile did come to town in the 1960's.  In fact, so did  the Munster Cars and the Black Beauty of Green Hornet fame.  These cars each made a special appearance at Green Valley Raceway (and drag strip).  The above photo was taken at Green Valley, but not one of the slicks dad used to help promote the events.  The above image of the Batmobile was taken at the actual event.

Of course I flipped out when dad handed me these 8 by 10's of these famous TV cars.  I made the mistake of taking them to school the next day.  My friends begged me for them and I gave all but the Batmobile away.  Somewhere along the way, I lost that one.

It won't be the same driving down Green Valley road at night and not see all those bright lights and loud noises coming from the track.  They are going to put houses where the cars used to race.  Kind of sad, but such is life.