The Automotive Racing Products Turkey Night Grand Prix is an annual race of midget cars . It is the third oldest race in the United States behind the Indianapolis 500 and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb . It has been held on Thanksgiving night most years since 1934, where it was founded by Earl Gilmore at his Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles. It stayed at this location until 1950. Since that time it has been held at various southern California race tracks. Since 1955, the race has been promoted by J. C. Agajanian and later his descendants, currently by son Cary. Traditionally a dirt track event, it has sometimes been on asphalt during the turn of the 21st century, although it returned to dirt in 2012. The feature race was held over 98 laps in the modern era, the same number that Agajanian used for his racecars.
18-608: The race is the traditional end of the midget and sprint car racing season in North America, although many top stars typically take a few weeks off before returning to racing in Australia or New Zealand, with the Southern Hemisphere summer leading to an "international season" that starts Boxing Day. There was no race in 1942–44 (World War II) nor 2020 (California state pandemic restrictions). The expansion of
36-762: A "California Midget Week" with three feature races in eight day, similar to the summer "Indiana Sprint Week" for USAC's non-winged sprint cars. The Turkey Night is regarded as one of three major midget races during the year, with the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, OK, and the Bryan Clauson Classic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . The event is considered a major event in the midget cars series. It frequently attracts drivers from other disciplines, especially former drivers that have moved to
54-607: A permanent camp, Granada War Relocation Center in Colorado . President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the forced relocation of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast with Executive Order 9066 over the fear of more attacks. Notable people held at the Merced Assembly Center included artist Emiko Nakano . The former Merced Assembly Center is a California Historical Landmark , number 934.02. After
72-922: Is composed of Merced County, the Chowchilla Union High School District in Madera County, and the Dos Palos Joint Union Elementary School District. A single-college district, the main campus is located in the City of Merced on 269 acres. The new Los Banos Campus, an educational center completed in 2007, is located on 120 acres in the City of Los Banos . Merced College also has classes available at other locations outside of its two main locations for residents in Delhi , Dos Palos , and Mariposa . It has also offered classes for employees of
90-692: The 1956 NASCAR Grand National Series . Chris Windom won the 2020 National Midget Car Championship at the Merced Fairgrounds Speedway. After the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Merced County Fairgrounds was turned into the Merced Assembly Center , a detention center for those of Japanese ancestry. The center opened on May 6, 1942 and closed on September 15, 1942. Most of those detained were transferred to
108-726: The COVID-19 pandemic . The first solo Merced County Fair was held on September 14–15, 1929 at the Applegate Park Municipal Baseball Park. Early fairs hosted a rodeo and 4-H youth organization livestock shows. In 1931, the fair moved to its current site at 11th and G streets, now 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. In 1937, a parade and a three-day horse racing meeting was added to the fair. The fair closed in 1943 and did not open again till 1946 due to World War II. From 1946 to 2019 & since 2022,
126-888: The Pacific War . Merced College Merced College is a public community college in Merced, California . In 1961, the Merced High and Le Grand High School Districts petitioned the State Board of Education for permission to set an election to approve the establishment of a junior college district in Merced County . The State Board of Education approved the proposal for the Merced County Junior College on November 10, 1961. The County Superintendent of Schools set February 27, 1962, as
144-645: The 2021 event, she became the first woman to start on the pole position in the 80th event. Her Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian teammate Taylor Reimer qualified second, and they became the first women to start first and second in USAC National Midget history. Bryson led the first 17 laps to become the first woman to lead the event. Several locations have hosted the race. Merced County Fairgrounds 37°17′29″N 120°29′06.1″W / 37.29139°N 120.485028°W / 37.29139; -120.485028 The Merced County Fairgrounds are home to
162-650: The Assembly Center closed, the fairgrounds were turned over to the 4th Air Service Area Command for supplies and training until 1945; during this time it was known as Camp Merced . For three years Camp Merced was used as the headquarters for and to support the Merced Army Air Field and its auxiliary fields that were used for training new pilots needed for World War II. The 802nd Chemical Company and 1914th Ordnance Ammunition Company, Aviation were also trained at Camp Merced before deployment to
180-789: The USAC Midget schedule around Thanksgiving week with the Hangtown 100 in Placerville the week before, and the Merced County Fairgrounds meeting on the Tuesday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week led promoters in 2021 to move the Turkey Night Grand Prix to a two-day format away from Thanksgiving, with practice and support division races on Friday, and the heat races and feature on Saturday, creating
198-537: The annual Merced County Fair , the county fair of Merced County, California . The Merced County Fair was first held on September 2, 1891. The first fair was held on 18th Street in Merced and was a joint county fair with neighboring Mariposa County . The Merced County Fair showcases livestock , exhibits, carnival rides, music and fair food each year. Merced County has held a county fair since 1891, except during 1917 and 1918 ( World War I ), 1936 (financial issues), 1943 to 1945 ( World War II ), and 2020 and 2021 due to
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#1732790137066216-540: The cancellation of the fair was around US$ 23 million. The 130th fair finally resumed in 2022, from 8–12 June, following a pandemic-based hiatus. When the fair is not meeting the race track is used for the Merced Fairgrounds Speedway . The speedway is a 0.375-mile dirt track that hosts race car , midget car and motorcycle racing. It previously held a race in NASCAR 's premier division during
234-502: The date for the election. Before the election, Robert Clemo, Chief of the Bureau of School District Organization, along with Loren Wann, conducted a survey to determine if Merced County had a sufficient number of students at the time and in the future, if the tax base was high enough to support a community college, and whether a need for a separate junior college (separate from Modesto Junior College) existed. The answer to all three questions
252-547: The fair has been run by the California Department of Food and Agriculture 's 35th District Agricultural Association. The fairgrounds have been used year-round to support other community activities. On the fairgrounds have been the county library branch, a fire station , a school for the mentally handicapped, a preschool program, Merced College , the J. Emmett McNamara Memorial Museum, and Leontine Gracey Elementary School . The fairgrounds are also rented out during
270-542: The highest levels of auto racing; the major auto racing circuits in the United States end their seasons prior to Thanksgiving, so major drivers do not have any schedule conflicts with their main circuits. Drivers that have competed in the event include Parnelli Jones , A. J. Foyt , Johnnie Parsons , Bill Vukovich , Danny Oakes , Jeff Gordon , Tony Stewart , J. J. Yeley , Jason Leffler , Kasey Kahne , and Kyle Larson . After Kaylee Bryson qualified fastest for
288-413: The interim junior college superintendent as well as continuing his duties as high school superintendent with the permission of the high school board. One of the first orders of business for the new junior college board was to select a name for the college. While many potential names were considered, Merced Junior College was chosen by a unanimous vote of the college board. The college's service district
306-413: The year. In 2020, the fair was scheduled for June 10–14, but was cancelled by the fair board due to "COVID-19 public health concerns." The 2021 fair, the 130th, was set for June 9–13, but it was again cancelled by the fair Board of Directors and CEO on March 8, 2021. Reasons given were the ongoing uncertainty of COVID-19 and restrictions on large public events. In 2021, the local economic benefit lost to
324-459: Was yes. The vote in the election was 3996 in favor and 1494 opposed. The initial governing board was elected and sworn into office in 1962. It was composed of the following individuals: Buddy Iwata, George Clark, Byron Cunningham, John Hann, and Donald Robinson. Buddy Iwata was the first board chairman, George Clark was the vice-chairman, and Byron Cunningham was the secretary. Merced Union High School District Superintendent Clair Hopkins acted as
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