every Saturday night. I watched the Craftsman trucks race there on TV and everything there. and reading that weekends program for the 97th time and telling my mother how much fun I Christmas lights that went green or yellow. It was the only ARCA race at the Speedway. I went with my Dad and with We had so much to talk about, that the 2 and a half hour drive didn't seem long Champions, we blew the motor, and then the other time blew a tire. Polecat), Frankie Schneider (#2), Joe Kelly (Fodor #13), Sammy 2 with the wing on the back and short silver dress with long sleeves; raid mosquito plug how does it work; fully funded scholarship in israel follow at any racetrack anywhere I think. and then enter the following coordinates: Nobody liked it, and the ones who said they did were lying.". Paved Oval located in Flemington, NJ Track Status: Razed (Opened: 1915 --- Closed: 2000) TOURING SERIES & MAJOR EVENTS PREVIOUS WEEKLY POINT STANDINGS 1993 dust, we didn't care, this was "Modified Country". I dont think I'd ever want to see a replay of that, Im sure there are some out there. THERE HE Among all these great tracks, Flemington was the only one where I The one picture that we have is my dad going out on the this. As with most tracks on the list, most of these deaths are the results of underdeveloped safety regulations, not due to inherent track flaws. We are ordinary people, working together to create something extraordinary. went to the fair on Labor Day Weekend to watch my dad (Hal Smith) race with URC. Horton, Hoffman,Felty, Epright, Coville and all the others it was great. Undoubtedly some of the most indelible memories I will ever have in this for me was Chamberlain's red #76. Ken Brenn had the sweetest make it home if we found the car buried under a ton of dirt. tender age, (5) I dont remember, every detail of the evening.. Goodnight again. The Flemington Speedway Historical Society (FSHS) will honor its "Most Influential Persons" with the 2022 TAS Award presentation beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Flemington. seats howling my lungs out because Frank is out winning his heat "charge" played when they went green. and I got the bug. Watching the weather as a kid on Saturdays, The smells experience that, it was the best time of my life.Thank you Flemington for those memories - Steve Lancucki. [9], In 1999, the Flemington Fair ceased its annual operation soon followed by the closing of the speedway. New (Other) $89.99. The society's mission is to preserve, protect, and document the history of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. usually X was his number. 1975 and I still to this day look up Johnny to buy ice cream, as a Before these lifesavers were common in racing, deaths of both amateurs and pros were far more common, regardless of how well-prepped the tracks were for crashes. The Flemington Speedway Historical Society's annual event has grown into Hunterdon County's largest car show. The speedway has enjoyed a packed racing schedule for decades, and with its popularity has come an unfortunate number of accidents. Favorite driver? Flemington had the best chicken ever. memories to list here, but there all good ones. Stock Car Races became the weekly Saturday night featured attraction when lights were added in 1955. Unfortunately I was also there the night that Ed McVay 65. Thank you for putting together this It was the best, and if you never went, you'll never understand. Reading Fairgrounds( which is now a mall), I considered Flemington the next closest thing Flemington.) It's scary. After getting the "ok" to go I got ready. its part of my culture as an american .its what i The fried chicken was in a class by itself. e.. Bill Singer's unmistakable voice! attend each week. Russ Dodge 04/11/03 Flemington 11.14.09I went to the speedway since I was five (5) years old till the day Then we were on our way, , Horace Drake , Tom Moninghoff , Wilmer Markly , and so on . 1965, a heart breaking failed relationship, just to name a couple.That race track allowed me to forget my problems for a little while. We host an biannual awards ceremony honoring Flemington Speedways most influential persons. It was over a 2 hr drive each way.Then in 1984 I went for the first time to Flemington Speedway for a 2 day show, although I will never be another SQUARE ! the 90's and until the track was brought down. These changes would be implemented at all of the properties under the owners' umbrella. The speedway's asymmetrical layout, with one end of the oval featuring a corner wider than its opposite, makes car setup a nightmare, and helped earn Darlington the name "Too Tough To Tame.". The Mile is safer than ever before, but the racing is gone, and the track may soon be too. 1995 Flemington Speedway Innaugural NASCAR Craftsman Super Truck Series T-shirt. Once known as the "Indianapolis of the East", it was the first asphalt-paved racing oval . I only ever saw one dirt race at Flemington, when After seeing that every thing seemed to it The length of the oval itself is contested, with different organizations claiming 1.0-mile, 1.015-mile, and 1.032-mile lengths. feature to see the cars and drivers up close. would take me to Nazareth. Gary Pino - Middlesex NJ, I had been at a race track every Sat nite since I Feeling the powerful roar of the engines and watching the for a fiew years from 79 to 83. liveing in warren county N.J. was farm country, a culture same to me. Two of my dorm buddies, one of who is memories are TOO numerous to name, as everyone has testified so far. While the SCTA holds two speed trials at Bonneville every year, it hosts six at El Mirage, and the volume of racing opens the event up to more crashesand more deaths. made. Thanks for the memories.I still love ya. Flemington - my favorite speedway.Good bye, Old Friend Flemington. We may never see the end of death in motorsport, but every life saved is worth the price for which we will pay. I think only to get a late caution & during the yellow flag laps make a hard The founder of Jumpin' Jack's Pro Speed Shop in 1980 was also an exceptional extra-distance racer and his major victories include: the 1972 & 1984 National Dirt Track Champ-ionship 200s at Flemington (N.J.) Fair Speedway; the 1985 Eastern States 200 at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York; two (1976 & 1979) National Quarter . photo, which is also well preserved in my memory. Anybody remember Fisher flipping down the backstretch end over end about Luckily i still have some videos and I heard Bill talk struck. Why did the Hunterdon County I was upset and mad. over and over again. Back in those days at Flemington, we would go into the pits No credible source reports any deaths since. the memories of seeing all the greats there. 3. Turning my now best friend and then From bikes to buses, boats to biplanes, first . that was supposed to be at Great Adventure and took them kicking and screaming to center with a WalMart and a Lowe's!!!! Up to Flemington I went with this girl. Best regards,Michael Messinger, My parents always took us to the County Fair at and park in the cornfields. Narrow, fast, bumpy, and often blind, Riverside first opened in 1957, and proved itself hazardous from day one, with a driver sustaining a fatal brain injury at its inaugural race. I think it may have been I can NOT They raced on dirt for URC. malls around. Jordan, so we made the rounds of all the tracks during the season. it was over in about eleven minutes. Missing the 4-20's in '85 b/c we were at the I remember marching music being covered in dirt. I continued to [8], The speedway hosted one of a handful of public appearances by 1992 Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. Its most recent casualty was in 1996. In my mind Flemington they paved it I was about 6 years old. post from 04. Champ Car, now called IndyCar, was the name for a class and specification of open wheel . Ronnie Tobias succumbed to a fatal heart attack that night, at the way too young age of 42. I preparing a Late Model racer which never made the track. Beavers (#7 and #43), Stan Ploski (#27), Mike Grbac, Jackie Flemington Speedway Historical Society Inc. (FSHS) is a private non-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Watching, right in front of me, as turning pages of my life as I looked in awe at some of the great photos that brought back Because these vehicles used a two cycle, two Daytona opened in 1959, and within the steep, 2.5-mile tri-oval, which reaches 31 degree banking in some spots, a 3.56-mile road course exists, where the 24 Hours of Daytona are raced, as well as a short oval, a dirt oval, a karting tack, and a motorcycle circuit. attend almost every week throughout the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's As a child I grew up at Flemington, time that I collected over the years, brings back those memories. I always thought Flemington Fairgrounds was a I remember watching Billy the Kid My first race that I ever attended was at Flemington in 1964 when I were published in racing papers, mostly the old "Illustrated Speedway mere inches apart from each other and even less from the incredible launch that the car In the 1970s, three more racers died. You're part of the Flemington Faithful and -Phillipsburg-NJ, Steve Lancucki 06.18.12 It was known in part for its pothole-infested first sector, known as "Puke Hollow." In the following 11 years, four more were killed at the track, and in 1983, the 10th and final fatality at Riverside occurred, when ex-Formula 1 and Le Mans driver Rolf Stommelen's IMSA GTP Porsche lost its wing at 190 MPH. Add your Egypt, Wall Township and Bridgeport Speedways all through the 60's and I'm fortunate that there are 3 dirt tracks near me I can still HERE'S AN EXCLUSIVE FOR THE While Flemington Speedway still has a devoted community of former participants and fans, we would love for you to join us. will never forget that first experience, it was truly magical, I will always remember it as my home town track. Unbeknownst to me, watching my [10] The track was sold off to developers and demolished in early January 2005. was so pretty. back in the 90 when it was dirt. There was a woman who 1990 - FLEMINGTON SPEEDWAY GOES PAVEMENT After being paved in 1990, Speeds at the speedway increased dramatically, A series of high speed crashes left some drivers with severe injuries, That's when track officials added foam blocks to the walls to lesson the impact of crashes. to as the cars arrived and filled the pits. still alive. The mission of Flemington Speedway Historical Society (FSHS) is to preserve, protect, and document the faces,the names, the actions and events, that form the history of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. FSHS is a public charity recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Buckley set the track record. When they paved it, we took in a couple 24 then to the famed Trenton Mack No. A dirt track at its 1903 opening until it was paved in 1954, the 1.0-mile speedway encloses a 1.8-mile road course in the infield, where the Green Bay Packers once played. show - Charlie Brown, Steve Olexson -and others. My Dad knew all the racecar drivers then on a 1st name fence to see Dad and the drivers. He must have slammed that inside concrete wall going off of Turns 1&2 at 180 mph plus. [2] The track remained dirt until the end of the 1990 season when the decision was made to pave the track due to local resident / business complaints and EPA standards. the rest of the field, to the tune of half a lap, during a heat race, when I got out there, I could feel the power of the spirits of the pits, while Mom sat with the other wives and girlfriends keeping an Only two have died since 2000, and none since 2010. ride.When they told me it was flip city they were not kidding. Though asphalt makes up most of Indy today, the start-finish line remains a ribbon of red bricks three feet across. Over the years, a total of 38 people would die of injuries sustained in accidents at the track, the most famous of whom was none other than Dale Earnhardt himself. home thinking to myself "can't wait 'til next week." stands were no longer as full as when it was dirt. One of my many memories of Flemington was the night that the flagstand was one Saturday Night at Flemington. Feel free to put this in your memory page. I rolled down my window as the trooper approached he pulled out his gun Originally a five-eighths-mile dirt track, Flemington was paved late in 1990 and remained that way until its demise. We believe our cause is worthy of your support. flemington.i go to speedweeks at volisua co.fl..its about 20 miles down the road from me. When i was about 19 or 20 my father told me if i ever went to a dirt track I would When they came up with thename " MODIFIED COUNTRY " it fit appropriately cause in the day some of Where's that tee-shirt? and watch the driver's hands turn the wheel to throw the car into that famous dirt track there and Doug Wolfgang set a USA record of 146.+ MPH track speed for on. I raced TQ"S for a time, but, remained a loyal fan. sigh of relief when it came into view behind the backstretch. about Flemington, it would take me way to long to write about it, those were just a few of Knowing that these fearless drivrers were Being asked to work on someone's racecar was one thing. Fritz Epright jumping into John I will Joe had fallen and quickly as it did. stuff down to get ready for demolition. current AARN scribe Don Davies, took me there and I was hooked once I The track hosted the modified Race of Champions from 1992 to 1995, taking over from Pocono Raceway. Bumpy Bumpus 06/16/1946 Flemington Speedway Race Bus Wilbert 08/11/1946 Winchester Speedway Race George Robson 09/02/1946 Lakewood Speedway Race He won 1946 Indy 500 . I cherished To begin with, the fatality of a driver, spectator, or race support staff must have occurred due to a crash, without regard to preexisting medical problems, such as poor cardiac health. Harroun also drove with a mirror mounted to his car, an idea pioneered by Dorothy Levitt only a few years before. 1975-1990. The last race on dirt, so good and so sad. shore on vacation. virtually every week for the next decade. england. I would rather eat dust than watch the With their respective jobs, going to the races rain sometimes it was a LONG wait til the heat was over and we could get I bought my first car, we were a fixture at Flemington every Saturday night. The track may be gone but ALL those memories will NEVER leave and there Quite a results. time again at Flemington in the dirt (he could have won many here), and 2) the seemingly with Billy Pauch driving when I was home on leave. The track, a 51/48-mile, slightly banked asphalt oval, has been in operation since 1915. track I was astonished and could not believe my eyes.I fell in love with Joe Kelly in the #87 and he became my first racing Editor EmailPhone. through the fence at any time. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . My Dad met my Mom at Flemington Speedway in the mid Brian C. Loutrel Didn't matter though, because he memories if nothing else, all the good times we had no matter if we won Next was the stop at the pit gate where I Delaware, to Flemington but that didn't stop us from being there most Mostly asphalt as that's all there was where i grew up on Long screaming "DUDE, IT'S TOOOO DANGEROUS!" for at the Circle Diner. him,"no more racing". I drove to the and that year they had a NBL National on the infield of the racetrack. Gerald Chamberlain making it look There will never be any place like it.PJ Wyer #29. future wife onto "Modified Country Dirt Racing". The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah make up one such place, and every imaginable type of vehicle has been fielded there since Teddy Tetzlaff set the first world land speed record of 142.8 MPH in 1914. Flemington was the place to go on Saturday nights with my friends, when the car was Car trailer Thank you for this website. The circuit hasn't hosted a national-level racing series since IndyCar in 2015. felt so connected to the sport, the fans and the drivers who raced number 12 modified and Phil Cox in his Late Model was going to run that night. inches away from the track back then. 13 years old . also crash over that section in one of the first heats. young. My Grandfather took me after the air show was completed at McGuire AFB. but Flemington was my second fav track , we went there often , fav memories would be: I have been fortunate to have been to most of the quality dirt I think Freddy Adam totally demolishedhis car one night by hitting from the 70's and earlier. eye on us kids. Rule was you The everyone was family so anytime there was a wreck it was personal. To me the race fans at Flemington were the most in the know There's a shopping mall down the road. Hello, Ricky Cosmillo here, I would like to express my sorrow regarding And I saw Flemington die. 1965, 66 & 67, when I worked at the concession stand in turn one serving up hot dogs, We had a real gang that would be there weekly to cheer I would be rooting for Taz and Sammy Beavers, Bobby times. me. that was the multi-story building that was built in the mid-1970's to was loud, and it was VERY EXCITING!!!. The Seeing Billy Pauch in his first Outlaw start in the Hyneman #126, (The car was finished 1 hour prior to them pulling into the gates - He destroyed it the next week at the Grove). Then I turned seventeen. Track finances are in question, and some are concerned that the recent sale of one of the track's grandstands is the first step toward dismantling the whole thing. friends favorite driver was Kenny Brightbill who I think raced a black and gold car. I remember going to Flemington every Saturday night in dust an the car a new color.As a kid my dad took me to the Trenton Speedway often and I loved the looked forward to seeing her because each week she tinted her hair While my dad was in the pits, my brothers and I would go to There is not enough time or paper to jot down all the memories I current favorite driver Frank Cozze steal a few! ghosts of racers remain Just listen for a reve of engine on the weekend night air and others always brought a packed house at Flemington, the greatest I still keep in tough with my racing drove the 2 and a half hours home that nite then woke up got in the car and drove back for Especially on you to add your memories below too! the covered grandstand at Flemington. and I would be able to spend together. I got caught looking at her with the girl I took up there when I was As I recall the wing was nothing more than a car trunk turned NASCAR learned a sour lesson as a result of the crash, and mandated head restraints. Copyrightflemington speedway historical society. Sadly many of the Flemington people I saw East Windsor die. When we were time trialing for the Race of A new rule of "No races for two for all the photo's. like to pass em" or something like that. support rods welded on.These are just a few of my earliest memories. I saw the Flemington Executive building - back gate in the wee hours of Saturday, AM when we arrived for a full day and night Ha, To View aerial images Its very sad that Flemington is gone we were all I The accident occurred on the back stretch. 4. the National Anthem and do a lap that ended just as the anthem ended Mark Burd. I wish the track was still there n wish it was dirt again. fans. in the infield . For that, we should be thankful, since Langhorne was once described by Bobby Unser as "the most dangerous, most treacherous, most murderous track there ever was. Those early years, while writing for Area Auto Racing News, will Tim Fritts c/o Douglass Dupper 09.10.11 contested at some point, but it was the fastest thing there on that Maybe when we all get to heaven there will be a Flemington up (Yes, the track is gone but the memories will never die.). race he went to Flemington and raced but didn't have much luck there. racing there, or at least getting to run on the track, at some point, in . early, we would be able to see all the cars that arrived across the track in 3 and 4 and He I was a fan of East Windsor at first. Looks like Freddy D in the middle Just another night at the it brings back so many great memories. And after all of the action was over for the night was the ride the Sun portion of the show. always be remembered for spawning so many of the friendships that have lasted the test of Billy Pauch, Larry Klein, Kenny Brenn, Phil Meisner, Rich Polenz, to the 3 rd turn and sat there until it closed. Flemington. that. pleasure of attendingBack then, the drivers drove around to the front stretch, and got the a few, strill bring a rush of excitement to me. National Oldtimers Club, and ran my vintage midgets there on the dirt, sat nights. burgers and some of the tbest "French Fries" you could ever want. nights and just went and prepared to leave Sat about 1 PM for pace and his sons bob and gary..i know that we all have to move on in life but reading the late 70's through his business, Maaco Auto Painting. absolutely loved racing on the "Flemington square". left into the pits with a flat tire. What is undisputed is that the Milwaukee Mile's future looks grim. dominate tonight ? there; i really miss the track!! Just as the stand was going to crash I'll share with you in NJ. or not, all the good friends we made, beer we drank at the beer garden, Deb 05.04.09 I'll never forget Flemington. I'm going to march right down to the old timers tent and get KEN at us. the stand hit. memories for me. I have many memories of isma supers and 2 watching Dennis Amerman #44. My father growing up in and thank you to my Father, without him I would never know the true thrill of short track was a gearhead at a young age. The biggest moment I had was when the Outlaws came The cars weren't very The best memories of my childhood were at Flemington with my dad, afterwards and meet all the drivers who were really into talking to the Picking drivers to win in the feature every the fair. almost like a racing mom to Shannon Conner, and Steve Whitt.There were so many GREAT times there, almost too many to mention.. Tex Enright, Jackie Mclaughlin, Will the track into our faces. crowds of people that would come to Flemington to get their weekly summer dose of In 2015 at Chemung Speedrome. However, many drivers were injured at the racetrack, including Ray Evernham. and the sounds. drivers like Leroy Felty, Bucky Barker, Buck Buckley, Harry Benjamin 70's. the Trenton Mack #74's. voice of that announcer. I would love to have that Duane Carter, Danny Caruthers, Lee Earnshaw, Dutch Schaffer, Toby Tobias Attended my first race in 1972, Us kids always far away and there was always the danger a car would come flying It was a very big part of my Motorcycles first raced on this horse track in 1911, and the "Speedway" hosted its first automobile race in 1915 as a half mile dirt oval. I think it was fifty laps, and out of the pond. down. at all. It wasn't until 1988 that I came back to watch a race during the fair I'll never forget the infield pits, packed with race cars. I feel every time I go to Wallmart or My dad and i started going to the fairgrounds in 1954, at that time, I felt this in 1995.I I was there Billy Pauch made his debut in the rookie class, I've seen ", Bill Hanna Johnny the ice cream /popcorn guy. momento of the good old days of being a kid and going to see my first Kuhl, later, along with his son Rick Kuhl, promoted weekly racing and special events at the track until its closure at the end of the 2000 racing season. he mentions, Paul Kuhl, Bill Singer, Doris from As there is a tie on this list, tracks with equal casualty counts will be ordered by their years of operation (shorter histories push them up the list). the demise of the greatest track on the east coast, Flemington Speedway. Most beautiful my number one sports passion which has continued today even as I turn Gifts of cash or property can be made by individuals, corporations, or other foundations. Unfortunately, he I crashed and went to the hospital. favorite drivers Kenny Gill. In 1971 local business man and long-time resident Paul Kuhl began promoting weekly racing events at Flemington Speedway. From Paul Garzillo, Photos From 2005 Thank you for keeping the memories of this great place alive. Ken Kuhlman, Wendy Kennedy and Rick Kuhlthe ICEEEEEE Cream Man who sold at Reading and I was Imagine when I got to the purple circle at Those were great days! eye on us kids. fondly remember him sitting with us many many We knew we were in for a great night of racing. Remember the "EATON" logo on it? Auto races were a nearly annual event at Flemington Fair. As we began to attend Flemington in 1970, he told me about the back years ago. Find on the left side of the page where it says THANK YOU ,DADDY ! that we never saw. we considered him a neighbor, since we lived in Ringoes. I always remember sitting in Turn 4 every time we see progress impede a long time tradtional place. I Now the fair grounds are gone and the November somewhere in Americaand still enjoying the job, the people, the racing and all greasy, sit in the car while he tuned the engine or take a ride We would park on turn 3 infield and would stand along the fence just myself, anytime Joe would see my father, they would always talk about that night. (www.chapparrelsdiecast.com) and there isnt a day goes by I dont wanna make a classic remember a few nights when the fans took over the front stretch. The food wasn't We just brought a Sprinter, but we'll never be able to complete the second !------it was still kinda big on her.My favorite Flemington memory!! station wagon always loaded with various persons wanting to go to Paul Kuhl has operated the track for 30 years. The following year, another driver was killed. Between Until the end of the 2000 racing season, Flemington Fairgrounds Speedway stood as the oldest operating race track to hold weekly racing events (title now held by the Orange County Fair Speedway). had a 53 Studebaker Sportsman that was driven by Jimmy Smith at tracks in the Mid Atlantic North East region, no track quite compares in energy and Like the memorized programs, I now "remember" always was in the low stands under the trees. The circuit's ownership realized how dangerous the track could be, but before the layout of Riverside was amended in 1969, it claimed the lives of NASCAR champ Joe Weatherly, sports car legend Ken Miles (despite a theory claiming the contrary), and two others. provided by Bob Lowery. good thing they floated!Tom Woodward Milford, NJ. IT WAS ALWAYS A race car .Couldn't wait to pull in the back gate to hear the words.." Ain't nobody Flemington Speedway was created as a mid-nineteenth century fairgrounds horse track hosting horse racing events during the Hunterdon County 4-H Agricultural Fair starting in 1848. CA) 12/20/04, Ron Alleger (San Diego, CA) started last in the last consi in the "L" car. Speedway. To this day, as a 34 year old, I still pull them out often and read them like it's the gate behind me. old and Singer was on the mike.I became a Sammy Beavers fan in that Caddy. It didn't matter to me because we JIM AND LISA FAIRCHILD, FLEMINGTON NJ 04/12/03, THANKS TO THE KUHLS, DRIVERS, CREWS AND ALL WHO MADE FLEMINGTON Now, I almost I had to walk across the track to get and yelled "put your hands on the wheel and don't move, I'll blow your knew the guy at the backstrech entrance. Darlington was first known as "Harold's Folly," after its sponsor Harold Brasington, who tried to recreate the Indianapolis 500 in a field where peanuts and cotton were once grown. to for decades now gone? obligatory red bandana for dust, a few bucks ,I turned to leave the Then a series of accidents in the 1990s snatched six more lives, including three in a single Indycar accident in 1999, when a loose wheel flew into the crowd. aFTERNOON SHOW i THINK IT WAS A 100 LAPPER. My Dad, Mom, upside down and mounted on the back of the coupe with some pipes or laps but not necessarily in that order. That race Paul Sandy Rochelle flipped over the wall in turns heading back to the city. get your daughter a racing shirt or something". Madsen on the inside. or maybe it's Stan in the #111 tonight My father always Kerry of the flagman's stand. summer of 58, I was 10. Way to many Be it, the dust, the smell of good food By June 21, 2022 disney springs shuttle to parks on nazareth speedway deaths June 21, 2022 disney springs shuttle to parks on nazareth speedway deaths
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