Roger Wiles to retell stories from old Moreland Speedway
The old Moreland Speedway was tucked away on the south side of town, and today very few people even know it existed in the 1950s. Former race car driver Roger Wiles knows it well and will share stories about the old track at an upcoming meeting at Moreland Church of God April 17.
Over the decades local racing venues have provided plenty of high-flying action that has kept fans coming back weekend after weekend.
However, over the course of the past seven decades, dirt track race car events, while maintaining that same huge level of excitement and anticipation, have definitely changed, especially for the drivers behind the wheel.
While there are still tracks around, very few people remember the days of racing at Moreland, where fearless men would strap on their helmet and tackle the dangerous turns of the Moreland Speedway.
On Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m. at Moreland Church of God, local legendary driver Roger Wiles will take people back to the days gone by when Moreland was the center of attention in Wayne County and the track there was a beehive of activity.
Wiles will provide a night of entertainment, the 90-year-old driver talking about the good old days of racing on a track very few people know even existed.
“Everyone I’ve talked to around here has no idea that that old track ever existed in Moreland,” said Moreland Community Historical Society member Gail Miller, whose group will host the evening. “But Roger does. He probably knows more about it than anyone because he raced on it.”
Stock car racing old-school style took place at the long-forgotten Moreland dirt track, where engines roared, cars careened and speed was still the highlight of each race right.
The evening will follow a brief MCHS members meeting that Miller said will be short and sweet because, like everyone else, they all want to get to learning more about the olden days of racing in the area.
The evening will include refreshments, is free to the public, and there is ample parking around the church and other existing parking areas.
“Whether you’re a racing fan or simply want to learn more about our local history, this is going to be a unique evening telling stories that very few people around here know about,” Miller said.
Wiles said Moreland Speedway only operated in 1953 and 1954, and it was a dirt track located just south of Moreland about a half mile behind what is now oil field equipment alongside state Route 83.
Wiles got the racing bug in his veins early, when he and his childhood friend Clarence Wellman graduated high school and wanted to race cars.
Mentored by Chuck Maxwell, they built their own race car, a 1937 Ford Coupe, and Wiles never looked back, turning that into a racing career spanning over three decades.
His racing career was interrupted from 1955-57 when he served his country in the 11th Airborne Division.
“I spent my time jumping out of airplanes,” Wiles said. “I guess I was kind of a thrill-seeker. When it came to racing, I was pretty successful, but I ended up upside down more than a few times.”
Wiles dedicated himself to racing, traveling all over Ohio to compete.
“I loved the competition,” Wiles said. “We weren’t very smart when we started, but we learned what it took to compete over the years. Old Henry Ford had some special engine parts if you knew what you were looking for.”
The old Moreland Speedway raced on Sunday afternoons, and Wiles said there were no bleachers. People simply brought blankets and chairs and sat on a hillside to watch the races.
“There were times when the track was so dusty you couldn’t even see, but that didn’t stop us from going fast,” Wiles said.
Wiles will have plenty of old stories to share about the track, his racing days and life nearly seven decades ago, along with old photos of a track that time seems to have forgotten.
The recently renovated Moreland Church of God, which features loads of artwork from legendary local artist Rusty Baker, who recently passed away, is located at 7135 Millersburg Road in the heart of Moreland.