Howard Memorial
Jerry Howard was born on March 15, 1930 in Mina, Arkansas. He married Miss Dorothy and had three beautiful children; Kerry, Eugene, and Sandra. Long ago, Carol and Paul Kissling, Sheryl and Neil Jorgeson, Brenda and George Botash, Jerry and Dorothy Howard began the track we call Tri-Valley. Before Tri-Valley, the children raced in Hayward, and when it closed, they moved to another track next to a school in Hayward. Again, this track closed and they moved to Vasco Road, again this was closed so and relocated once again. When this track closed, these four couples decided to settle the matter themselves.
Carol knew a man who was on the Board of Director’s for Bart. They made an arrangement to lease the property using a year-to-year payment plan. Tri-Valley was originally set up for one dirt and one asphalt track. However, the dirt track took far too much maintenance. Asphalt was placed over it between 1999-2000; the second track was left unbuilt. Once races began, they started with qualifying a trophy dash, one heat and a main event. On an average Sunday morning you would have approximately 200 hundred cars. Kerry, Eugene, and Sandra all raced until they turned seventeen. When asked why the track was built, Dorothy said, “We wanted a place for the children to race. A place more permanent then the last tracks.” Jerry and Dorothy were married for 53 years, until he tragically passed away on June 12th, 1994, cutting his life short at the age of 64. His grandchildren; Nicole and Danielle continued to race until they both turned seventeen. His other two grandchildren never raced. Jerry Howard we will remember you always.
Written by- Amy Shaw, Jessica Walker and Danielle Hanson
