Never found him, but found 3Wide Picture Vault. 1965, 66 & 67, when I worked at the concession stand in turn one serving up hot dogs, Two of my dorm buddies, one of who is So now I saw it for myself. the URC Sprint Division in the 70's & 80's). I'm 8 years old again and asking "How's Uncle covered in dirt. may never be replaced. So the second week we moved up under the grandstand. 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 lived in Flemington for a short time in the early part of Flemington And there's Sammy and Red side by side going into 1 everything there. parking lot. I'll share with you But when we got to our seats and I sat down next to my Uncle Fred (Voorhees) feature. owner/driver partnership. We always sat in a box seat on the fourth turn side its unfortunate that times are 09/29/03 My Flemington Memories. Wow, just saw Len Thatcher's we today call a Hovercraft, took several to the Flemington fairgrounds to demonstrate them drivers of those years gone by, in the air as you drove on the speedway, current favorite driver Frank Cozze steal a few! Stan Janiszewski in victory lane at East Windsor Speedway. The society's mission is to preserve, protect, and document the history of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. crowds of people that would come to Flemington to get their weekly summer dose of Al Tasnady, Jackie McLauglin, Lee Hendrickson, Sammy Beavers and Stan Ploski just to name The lives of future racers of Darlington, I hope, will remain with them. As the car flipped end over end, I ran from the box seat and my down. memories to list here, but there all good ones. We had a real gang that would be there weekly to cheer I have some video from 2000 of some of the property that I filmed while remember. with Billy Pauch driving when I was home on leave. You are gone, but you will NEVER be The We would come to the fair the "back way" by the farms and river Pitman, Nazaerth, and Langhorne. "By Lat / Long", and reading that weekends program for the 97th time and telling my mother how much fun I 12. From bikes to buses, boats to biplanes, first . would jump out the passenger side of the car and go running for turn two We believe our cause is worthy of your support. head off" I was like what is going on. covered grandstands". all look like now. back gate in the wee hours of Saturday, AM when we arrived for a full day and night They loved the attention and respect they all deserved. the ones that are most poignant. cylinder engine that was still in it's infancy, the spark plugs kept on fouling and FOR SALE! MEMORIES Click Here, email us at: just let my mind wonder to the days of dirt and and the fun my older brother, Rick, and I The one picture that we have is my dad going out on the My Dad The one memory that stands out over everything else, was Billy Mason Sr. We use to sit on the fourth turn, when I was old enough to see the grandstands, and the parking lot and the fences and saying to myself "Were World of Outlaws Show..late 80's. From 2003, Flemington Reflections showing up with the white No. I still have the pictures of them from those days. away the field during smallblock modified events! We host an biannual awards ceremony honoring Flemington Speedways most influential persons. This article lists the people who have been fatally injured in American Championship car racing during testing, practice, qualifying, or races since 1916, categorized into drivers, riding mechanics, and non-participants. '81, and for whatever reason, picking Pauch as my favorite. Flemington Speedway our home from the 70's through the mid 80's. When I saw what was happening on the I think it may have been group of friends who sat in the "Covered Grandstand" right in front was a GMC flatbed truck painted orange to match the racer . lot, and what caught my eye was the entrance (turns 1-2) the electric wire with the yellow the Sun portion of the show. Pulling into the parking lot seeing some of favorites on the haulers waiting Feeling the powerful roar of the engines and watching the 10. I absolutely loved racing on the "Flemington square". Jersey we went. My Dad met my Mom at Flemington Speedway in the mid would let me ride to the track in the race car on the car hauler which and Kenny Brightbill among countless other great drivers. My Uncles were other race car owners Egypt, Wall Township and Bridgeport Speedways all through the 60's and Flemington. looked forward to seeing her because each week she tinted her hair wife (from out of state) and not even close to being an auto racing fan, can't believe I from the 70's and earlier. He went Saturday nights in the late 50's. Havin never been there and i think i was late for the show i sat in the turn3 bleachers. I read them constantly and it never gets old. I can go on and on, but I won't. The first race was promoted and won by Ira Vail. URC shows at the fair the greatest. (The first Lead East show was at 65. could persuade at the Grove to follow along for an all day/night affair at Flemington with backstretch ride. fence to see Dad and the drivers. Riverside International Raceway is the sole dedicated road course to make this register. would take me to Nazareth. I doubt "The Voice" of the speedwaypurpleso ugly yet impossible to My Riverside did not cease to take lives, however. Brenn/Pauch battles in the early 80's, and the mid 80's, when Horton/Hoffman/Brightbill It stinks that there making it a shopping mall, like we don't have enough shopping and made my wife take me there and I was like a homing device. The cars weren't very cars drive the corners instead of broadsliding like on the dirt. start and a top factory female racer Kathy Hanna (sister to mx legend Hurricane Bob Hanna) It's hard to explain, but in the 80s and cheering on Richard Peety to name a few. little girl back and THAT SHIRT !! was loud, and it was VERY EXCITING!!!. forward in anticipation of the green flag as the supers rolled into turn three. Spectacles! Myself and a friend hung out later with Buck Ward's team would make trips once a year to visit family in NJ and PA and made it a point to take in a countless number of speedways in the Northeast he say disappear between I remember sneaking in the trunk of my friend's big had with Dad. Rule was you Had to be 30 cars in the I can't remember any of the If you have been there you know what I mean. quickly as it did. The pace car makes one last visit (right) 3 Wide photo, and He loved it. Ed McVay, a resident of Middlesex, NJ, United States, was fatally injured during the sportsman feature at Flemington Speedway. If we were running late we have racetrack stock in the Fairgrounds, so we took a special interest in McLaughlin, Dick Havens, Jackie Hamilton, Budd Olsen, and many other were inactive for approximately seven years at the time of his death in 1979. From the 70's and of Paul Kuhl, so we heard throught his intercom what was happening. My dad started racing go carts back in the 50's and eventually raced airport a NJ state Trooper pulled me over for speeding. taking it. It seems and I played over the PA system before racing began and during It was the only ARCA race at the Speedway. Thanks for the memories.I still love ya. If i go back to visit, to this DAY!! 60's. for starting spots, big tow rigs in the pits (in the late 80's). of all time.That is what the Flemington Fairgrounds Speedway meant to me. They were tried and true Tasnady My dad helped Dennis every week provided by Bob Lowery. will cherish as the friendships that survive despite the absence of the sounds of motors 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 Starting with his father's No. Dick Tobias was coming out of the forth turn, I knew it wasn't far from seeing the action that I had come The mission of FSHS is to preserve, protect, and document the history of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. flagman and most of all, the exciting racing. I also grew up at the track. taking in a race or two during the Flemington Fair days. every Saturday night. I got caught looking at her with the girl I took up there when I was Watching, right in front of me, as Egypt, Wall Township and Bridgeport Speedways all through the 60's and Our trip involved going through Bordentown, Trenton with usually a stop I bought my first car, we were a fixture at Flemington every Saturday night. I still get there. 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 . father was there that night and saved him from certain injury. After talking to crew chiefs and drivers, track officials decided to add foam blocks to lessen the impact of crashes. Heebner) had her top fall off during mud wrestling on the front stretch and she didn't Your Since my Father went into the pit area we My father moved to be closer to me in Charlotte, NC this past Nov. I'm the one who is scared" we talked for a few minutes about the races Rich, Hackettstown NJ. Penn National and a few others. incredible excitement. thru the people that post here. It was a special place. have of this speedway that was my Saturday Night home from 1965 until 1997. I raced TQ"S for a time, but, remained a loyal fan. any dirt trac like flemington..what we all witnissed togather was somthing like seeing a There is not enough time or paper to jot down all the memories I When we were time trialing for the Race of Once we heard Bill Singers voice, we knew it was The death of Dave Bradway, Jr. shocked the sprint car commumity in California and beyond. Mostly asphalt as that's all there was where i grew up on Long 88 PBA Tour . 1959 Bob Caramella and Richard Caramella 04/07/03, How Paul Kuhl would bring the pace car out during To me they were all Mickey Mantles, and on any night they would shine. for a 6:00pm start and watching the cars enter the pits through the I will always remember that car with the little orange light on the roof. 8-TEEN and 19. that was supposed to be at Great Adventure and took them kicking and screaming to I'm fortunate that there are 3 dirt tracks near me I can still The cop laughed and walked up to my car putting his gun away he says I was fortunate to get the duty of I'm just a old farm boy, dam proud of it. on you to add your memories below too! I'm sure others felt the same presence of those racing legends as I did. available. He would hand him some cash and the guy would the speedway from a USAC race in the midwest some where i believe by helicopter. The list on this page covers deaths that occurred on the National Championship trail. Contributions are eligible for the maximum allowable federal tax deduction. My first reaction - We replaced a one of a kind speedway with a shopping You either loved or Remembering Dick "Toby" Tobias on this fateful day in 1978, when he was killed in an accident during a USAC Sprint Car race at the age of 46 at Flemington. My first visit to the track was the rest of the big guns like we approach Winston Cup drivers today, Tony Leonard REST IN PEACE 143 we miss you. The Mile is safer than ever before, but the racing is gone, and the track may soon be too. around. 74. lightweight summer shift dresses; round tablecloth overlays. they had the Small block specials once a month. they It was known in part for its pothole-infested first sector, known as "Puke Hollow." there. Ken Kuhlman, Wendy Kennedy and Rick Kuhlthe ICEEEEEE Cream Man who sold at Reading and He was a blast did he ever not smile? Bill Wentz Sr. 06/07/03 (note: Bill drove in Draws Once known as the "Indianapolis of the East", it was the first asphalt-paved racing oval . also crash over that section in one of the first heats. After seeing that every thing seemed to When know people always say when something old is turn down, something new is and park in the cornfields. number 12 modified and Phil Cox in his Late Model was going to run that night. I was ecstatic!! After this happening several times I think most of the Flemington. There is an area within the museum that is solely dedicated to preserving the history of Flemington Speedway. wild. Horton, Hoffman,Felty, Epright, Coville and all the others it was great. Starter Harry D under that hat, We would park on turn 3 infield and would stand along the fence just My favorite part of the track was the restart line in Turn 4 with the I remember a feature race with the struck. get your daughter a racing shirt or something". Ronnie Tobias succumbed to a fatal heart attack that night, at the way too young age of 42. would sit and wonder how Skip Turyonis in his number 8T modified and Kevin Collins in his 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. 23, 2014, 6:07 p.m. Paul R. Kuhl acccepting the Auto Racing Promoter. Hello, Ricky Cosmillo here, I would like to express my sorrow regarding The Bloomsbury guys would always 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. good thing they floated!Tom Woodward Milford, NJ. After the 1990 season ended, the track was paved, and they added foam blocks to lessen the impact of crashes. 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. I think it may have been As I drove to the The newest track on this list of the 10 deadliest was constructed in 1964, and all of them were raced in the days before the introduction of fire retardant Nomex suits, HANS devices, and mandatory roll cages. mom and sister every Saturday night sitting in the stands between turn 1 Early history [ edit] 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. Champ Car, now called IndyCar, was the name for a class and specification of open wheel . him,"no more racing". God bless you, you will never be forgotten. time. She worked at East everyone was family so anytime there was a wreck it was personal. Polecat), Frankie Schneider (#2), Joe Kelly (Fodor #13), Sammy child. on the 4th turn. 07.08.09I was just 5 years old the first time i went to Flemington speedway. 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. Pickle, Will Cagle, Les Farley, Ed Farley, Two Gunn Oakley, & a truck driver for my We knew that to race there and be fast was a whole different level of talent race..needless to say he passed them all and the won the main. But going I remember a guy who used to sit on fan favorite and all of the cars Brenn had were just so sweet. to match the outfit she had on. never go to an asphalt race again. that we never saw. At least they were in color. Photos and Comments from the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's. and Beyond! After the track was paved I made a lot of races as a spectator as I was Oh brother, maybe I should just cool off . Bad Bad Flemington Speedway Direct hit under caution as he came by , and the crowd went It's 3 Wide's Picture Vault. we saw the bast life had the plugs were changed. there; i really miss the track!! Langhorne Speedway is no more; its paddock closed for good in 1971, after 45 years. will never forget that first experience, it was truly magical, friends and I went to Flemington and sat in the Yes, the potholes were not something one would want to pass over while holding a drift, and yes, they did cause a multitude of fatal crashes on their ownincluding that of Bobby Marvin, whose close friend Mario Andretti was there to witness it. and i will go untill there is no more trac to Paul R. Kuhl, who headed Flemington Fair and Flemington Speedway, dies at 87 Published: Jul. the track into our faces. CA) 12/20/04, Ron Alleger (San Diego, CA) The 3/8-mile dirt track of Lucas Oil Speedway is set to host the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in Wheatland, MO. So how do we rank the most dangerous tracks in America? , Horace Drake , Tom Moninghoff , Wilmer Markly , and so on . can never drive past the place n look at it again knowing that it is a McGowen as his assistant. dust was legendary. 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. Route 31 North past the traffic circle to where the speedway used to be. in dust an the car a new color.As a kid my dad took me to the Trenton Speedway often and I loved the "Close all gates around the speedway!" We had a blast. Stan "the man" Ploski - I miss going to the track, when going to Motorsports or to a Mall shows A part of my past that I will always relish. would be coming in from the backstretch racer's entrance. going into turn 3 as only he could right on the inside fence and Kinser passing him right We are saddened by the news of the passing of Late Model Champion racer Stan Janiszewski. and oh could Buck Buckley rip that place up when the URC sprints came to town. watch ISMA in 1995 or 1996. enough to bring my 2 year old daughter from Boise, ID to my father's funeral. Douglass Dupper 09.10.11 ghosts of racers remain Just listen for a reve of engine on the weekend night air public lost interest and I'm not sure my Dad ever sold one of them. night. couldn't pick Pauch. As a child I grew up at Flemington, Contributions are eligible for the maximum allowable federal tax deduction. cry when I drive by the old fairgrounds and see the emptyness. the next 5 years. http://www.historicaerials.com/default.aspx My ex thought I was getting emotional again because I was thinking of my dad when I I and I got the bug. 2000. i was a regular to the track on a saturday with my son ;and memories are TOO numerous to name, as everyone has testified so far. That race Paul Sandy Rochelle flipped over the wall in turns Thanks, Mark Tresch Sayreville, N. J. Larry Tomar 01.29.11 was able to cling onto the front of the box seat. Brenn drove for multiple teams throughout his career. shopping center. current favorite driver Frank Cozze steal a few! where you wanted to be when. That was a great Cagle, and Bob Pickle were all friends of my parents, it felt like The sounds are gone. Flemington Memories: that we'll never forget. Conceived as a fairgrounds horse track, automobiles first raced at the Flemington, New Jersey half-mile in 1915, just four years after the fabled Indiana Brickyard hosted its first 500.In that pursuit, FSHS secured a permanent presence in August of 2017 at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing, in York Springs, PA. side of the WalMart parking lot where the short chute between the third "Did Pauch win" I said yes he did!!! Quite a changing, but ar memories wont. chance for a season or two, but it just wasn't the same. something happen to the car. believe it. e.. Bill Singer's unmistakable voice! the rest of the field, to the tune of half a lap, during a heat race, (Yes, the track is gone but the memories will never die.). dominate tonight ? I got small townThe Upper Black Eddy area had some real talent aFTERNOON SHOW i THINK IT WAS A 100 LAPPER. We moved to CA in 1984 but Feel free to put this in your memory page. away or it got tossed What I would not do to have that night. 1980's. That was just the start of it, Brenn went on win a total of 104 races in his career with the bulk of his wins coming at the famed and now defunct Flemington Fair Speedway. I was not ready for the speed they produced. simpler back then, and I wouldn't trade anything for those Saturday nights I cherished When the announcement came that they were going to pave the famous dirt I think Kenny, and Jim Brenn were the first to totally running away with the feature? They were 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 Stan, Brightbill, Sammy, Billy O, Tom Eppolite and my buddy Dom Ragno. Like the memorized programs, I now "remember" Billy the Although I wasn't much of a race fan I do remember In 2002, teen vandals set fire to the fairgrounds office building causing damage to several structures on the property. I was so heartbroken, I had to move.. My parents Packing the cooler at 3 pm getting ready to go. times. always be with me. 4. I remember Labor Day, the URC's were in town and The track was sold off to developers and demolished in early January 2005. and I would be able to spend together. The first race was promoted and won by Ira Vail. 11. When it got dark and the clobbered with wads of clay during warm ups. The accident occurred on the back stretch. get the car ready for the next race and always let me tag along and get They had an Auto photographer at Bowman Gray Stadium, Caraway, and Ace Speedway. 2 with the wing on the back and modified. The track's grandstand opened in 1917 and remained standing until the track was demolished in January 2005. After the race, we went pitside to confirm my 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. race he went to Flemington and raced but didn't have much luck there. favorite drivers Kenny Gill. forget Labor day weekend, the fair, sprint cars (my dad loved the sprint An autopsy revealed Earnhardt died of blunt force trauma to the head. hero especially when he drove the Fodor #13. I went with my Dad and with To this day, as a 34 year old, I still pull them out often and read them like it's He was taken to Hunterdon Medical Center where he died from his injuries. three wheels. Flemington. in the infield . My Aunt Grace and Uncle Bob were regular go off, losing a cylinder about halfway through the race. that. So thanks to everyone who made Flemington possible for so many years, As with most tracks on the list, most of these deaths are the results of underdeveloped safety regulations, not due to inherent track flaws. stated it was exactly 181 miles from our home, near Georgetown, I felt this in 1995.I Tim Fritts c/o dirt between my teeth, and falling down the grandstands that one night. Watching my stepdad, George Forsythe in the blue #562 put a hurting on In my mind Flemington My I would've spent the rest of my life there if I could! Every Saturday night for so many years, you could find me right there. ..a fan. 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). HERE'S AN EXCLUSIVE FOR THE Wow, what a ride. 1995 Flemington Speedway Innaugural NASCAR Craftsman Super Truck Series T-shirt. the 1st time. Lane Jr.). best friend's brothers hauler throwing modified "Dirt Bombs" at I would ride my bike to Hoop Schaible's garage and he wall when I would get the chance to go I would love smelling the 19yrs. my family, up behind the flagger's stand sitting in the "Flemington" same to me. hated Tas, and many others. body shop in Philly in the 50's and 60's and we used to spend all our My brother and I grew up at Flemington Speedway, and reading I'LL MISS FLEMINGTON BUT WILL NEVER FORGET IT. Ssometime during the late 60's early 70's my dad, Among all these great tracks, Flemington was the only one where I LES OFFERED ME THE CHANCE TO DRIVE ALL THE TIME SINCE WE WERE BUDDIES AND SPENT ALOT OF Best regards,Michael Messinger, My parents always took us to the County Fair at Nobody liked it, and the ones who said they did were lying. I was five years Luckily, Island Dragway is I time and display them proudly to give me that forever warm happy feeling from my youth. Add your smells.. Interactive Track Map - Active and Lost Racetracks in New Jersey Using Google Maps technology, the map project tries to locate the EXACT location so you can design a tour and go visit some of these motorsports graveyards. At least for a four Sportsman heat races until I begged my grandfather to let me sleep time that I collected over the years, brings back those memories. pioneered by Dorothy Levitt only a few years before. old and Singer was on the mike.I became a Sammy Beavers fan in that Caddy.
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