The Brief History of the Belleville Gear-Jammers
Early Days
Original group started in 1952 and established in 1953 with eight founding members. The club quickly grew, and adopted a safety-driven focus:
The Club was officially chartered by the National Hot Rod Association in 1954, and held NHRA-sanctioned drag races from 1955 through 1958 at Parks Air College, which is on the current grounds of
the St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia Heights, Ill., across the Mississippi River from St. The NHRA focused on getting illegal street racing off the roads in its early days of the ‘50s, working with Po-lice Departments and the area Car Clubs throughout the United States to conduct safe, sanctioned timed racing events at municipal airfields. The Club took this message to heart and began a drag racing program in the mid-‘50s in the St. Louis, Mo., Metro-East area in Illinois. Here is an excerpt from a news article published in the Belleville News-Democrat in May 2017 about the Club’s drag racing endeavors:
‘The Belleville Gear Jammers sponsored the first National Hot Rod Association event at Parks Airport on Sept. 4, 1955. Two weeks later, another race drew 350 entries and 3,600 spectators. According to an illustrated article in the January 1959 issue of Hot Rod magazine, racing was held on the north-south runway of what is now St. Louis Downtown Airport. Even Parks College itself got into the act. According to the dragstriplist website, the school sponsored a race on May 27, 1956, charging a $1.50 entry fee for racers and 50 cents for spectators. As further proof, you can go the website and see a newspaper advertisement for a Belleville Gear Jammers event on June 10, 1956, at “Walston (Parks) Airport” with time trials starting bright and early at 8:30 a.m. It also reminded readers that racing was held on the second and fourth Sundays of every month.’
As part of the illustrated article in Hot Rod, The Gear-Jammers were noted as a 1959 Club of the Month. Additionally the Gear-Jammers held the Midwest Autorama – a large indoor custom car show featuring entries from the Midwest Region - at the Ainad Shrine Temple in East St Louis, in the ‘50s. The Club also held a Soapbox Derby race for kids in the same era:
Club members also assisted with training an Emergency Team to help flood victims during the Belleville Flood of June 1957. The Gear-Jammers are still credited in making the largest contribution to the Belleville Parks Department by an organization. Current History
The Gear-Jammers continue to hold community events in the St. Louis Metro-East Location. The Club hosts between five and six free-to-enter small car shows — referred to as ‘Cruise-Ins’ — each year, and holds a large Car Show on or around Sept. 11th that features giveways, entertainment from the Ainad Shrine Drum & Bugle Corps, a greeting by an area community leader, and a no-cost car display for over 200 participants. Additionally, for 8 years, the Club has been honored to bring member cars and special guest vehicles to dis-play at the NHRA Midwest Nationals, held in the early Fall at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill. Featured as part of the NHRA Manufacturers Midway, this vehicle display is held in the pit area of the touring NHRA Professional Class racers in Top Fuel Dragster, Funny Car, Pro Stock cars and motorcycles. In 2023, The Club took over the responsibilities of an annual Automotive Parts Swap Meet, held at the Gate-way Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Ill. Over 250 vendors and 2700 attendees filled the parking lots at the Stadi-um. The Gear Jammers have already committed and looks forward to holding this Swap Meet again in 2024. Also in 2023, the Belleville Gear-Jammers celebrated its 70th Anniversary — one of the oldest car clubs in the Mid-west region. The Club has been growing its membership each year for the past decade, adding younger members with the energy and stamina to host larger and more dynamic events — a throwback to the early days of the Club! For more information about the Belleville Gear-Jammers, please contact club member Tim Seibel at (618) 973-9269.
