‘The guy that you went to see’: 50 years ago, Evel Knievel came to Castle Rock
Jim Bensberg was 17 when he photographed one of the daredevil showman’s 300 motorcycle jumps in what’s now an empty field next to I-25.
The museum’s memorabilia, pictures and motorcycles were like going back in time. Knievel was a combination of “Jackass” movie characters and every great athlete from the X-Games. People watched to see whether he would crash and were more amazed when he didn’t. Read more from 9news article.
Love this story? You could learn more by visiting the Castle Rock Historical Society and checking out their Continental Divide Raceways Exhibit that is on permanent display!
Continental Divide Raceways was a combined 2.66-mile road course, a half-mile oval and a quarter-mile drag strip located about 2 miles south of Castle Rock, Co, between Denver and Colorado Springs on the west side of Interstate 25. It opened in 1959 and was closed about 1983 when the land was sold for development. This was one of the premier race tracks in America during the heyday of sports car racing in the 1960’s. Photo Credit: Castle Rock Historical Society
For more information check out their website at www.castlerockhistoricalsociety.org or contact the Castle Rock Museum at 303-814-3164, museum@castlerockhistoricalsociety.org.
