VLVL2 (2) Notes and commentary, p17

[Tim Strzechowski]

>
> (17.7) "a Joey Chitwood-type thrill show"
>
> But I don't know if Joey Chitwood himself was a performer ...
>

Memories:

"I remember no summer was complete until the Chautauqua County Fair came to
town...it was so much fun...and we all saved our nickles and dimes all
year...I remember the "Shows" they would put on each night..."Jack Kochman's
Hell Drivers"..."Demolition Derby"....they even had an Army tank crush some
cars one year...they had Drum & Bugle Corps performances...but the likes of
the "Murraymen" "Dunkirk Patriot's" & "The Flying Dutchmen"...but my
favorite every year was the "Joey Chitwood Auto Thrill Show"...a great auto
thrill show that had high speed jumps...driving on 2 wheels...& ramp to ramp
jumps...but as I got older...the best part of all was watching the "Joey
Chitwood Auto Thrill Show" at the Fair...and then about a week later
watching all the guys in the parking lot at Point Gratiot try to reproduce
those same stunts as Joey Chitwood...with thier Father's Ford LTDs!"
http://sororitygirls.yearbookhigh.com/catalog.html


A 1979 airbag promotional film:

Ridin' The Edge (1979)
Vic Rivers and other Joey Chitwood Thrill Drivers (plus Hollywood stuntman
Hal Needham) demonstrate dare devil stunts and car crashes to promote the
use of airbags.
behind the scenes of film making
Produced by All State Insurance    11 min color
http://etsc.gcc.mass.edu/etsc/etbeg/WHAT/MANILLA1.HTM


I get the impression that Joey Chitwood was more the person who owned,
organized, and promoted the shows rather than actually performed in them.
The closest thing I can think of today would be the famous Tommy Bartlett,
whose Water Show has been a Wisconsin Dells tourist attraction for a long
time!

Tim


Excellent notes, by the way, Paul!