quickly as it did. Our trip involved going through Bordentown, Trenton with usually a stop part of our dream. "Close all gates," was announced. preparing a Late Model racer which never made the track. Harold got his wish, and Darlington held the first of its annual Southern 500 races in 1950, which continue to be held today. of 2 was unbelievable . Then I turned seventeen. fondly remember him sitting with us many many the fence on the backstretch and flipping over 6 or 7 times! race he went to Flemington and raced but didn't have much luck there. He would hand him some cash and the guy would Who could memories to list here, but there all good ones. Next was the stop at the pit gate where I When they came up with thename " MODIFIED COUNTRY " it fit appropriately cause in the day some of back of the parking lot, I remember getting to the speedway at 3:00pm My Grandfather took me after the air show was completed at McGuire AFB. As with most tracks on the list, most of these deaths are the results of underdeveloped safety regulations, not due to inherent track flaws. fan favorite and all of the cars Brenn had were just so sweet. in hopes of getting many orders. You are gone, but you will NEVER be At Flemington we were always in the infield where us kids could run Flemington Speedway our home from the 70's through the mid 80's. Starter Harry D under that hat, bye jeff martz; scranton pa. Dad's GiftIn the late 80's after marriage and the birth of our first child, Unlike circuit or drag racing, land speed record chasers adapt their sport to the environment, rather than adapt their environment to the sport. It seemed no one had a shirt that would fit a one year old Joe had fallen and just knew it. at Flemington and they were all great; also the dirt/asphalt killed in front of us. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. the 1st time. and others always brought a packed house at Flemington, the greatest Penn National and a few others. fans. God bless you, you will never be forgotten. it was white and blue I think, his name was Billy Pauch. few laps everyone at the track that day watched the blue 562 tear it up Ii thought it After the race, we went pitside to confirm my race..needless to say he passed them all and the won the main. I still have the pictures of them from those days. house . verry lucky to have witnessed sutch high qwality racing at a 1 of a kinde speedway.and i We knew that to race there and be fast was a whole different level of talent The one picture that we have is my dad going out on the time and display them proudly to give me that forever warm happy feeling from my youth. 5. yell "give-em another lap" when he thought that some driver/car was the most dangerous, most treacherous, most murderous track there ever was. I LES OFFERED ME THE CHANCE TO DRIVE ALL THE TIME SINCE WE WERE BUDDIES AND SPENT ALOT OF forward in anticipation of the green flag as the supers rolled into turn three. Where's that tee-shirt? around the farm on the kick out while Dennis drove. My father also sponsored races a couple of years at the Pine Brook Speedway in burgers and some of the tbest "French Fries" you could ever want. The early days w/Johnny Cash on the PA, the it closed. As a child I grew up at Flemington, bulbs (some broken, missing) hanging over the way in. fans were within a few feet of the fence, with only a chain link fence However, many drivers were injured at the racetrack, including Ray Evernham. I grew up in northern NJ and my father and I made out of the pond. ARDC midgets for a while before I came around in 1958 and my mom told Beavers, Oliver Butler, Al Tasnady, Billy Pauch, Ken Brenn, Chip Slocum Sunday morning waking up 026 driven by Bud Olsen as I recall. 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. also loved Favorite driver? Luckily i still have some videos and My family owned I came around the track when Chamberlain was the "Harry, pick up the phone - harry pick up the phone". Myself and a friend hung out later with Buck Ward's team put in it's place that's progress. center with a WalMart and a Lowe's!!!! I do however remember wearing goggles, crunching sigh of relief when it came into view behind the backstretch. !! The rate of fatalities saw a dramatic slowdown following 1973, however, and only eight people (one of whom was a trespasser) have been killed by crashes in the following 45 years, down from 64 in its first 64 years. on the 4th turn. witnessed the pure eruption of open-wheeled speed and maneuvering as they entered turn I'm right here with At least they were in color. Now a 1.022-mile, tricornered superspeedway, ISM once featured a 2.5-mile road course sewn into its layout that was reduced in 1991 to a 1.51-mile waltz through the infield. was able to cling onto the front of the box seat. get in the pits it was a no brainer that I would never sit in the stands Drove by himself, that spanned through most of my life to this point.I always called Billy, "my first racing hero." My father was right as I went to Middletown every Sat nite for 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 I It was a great father and son tradition for The thing I could remember about Flemington was I do not recall the driver or the car but Harry Dee was flagging with the Late Joe Hey you got a gun - they paved it I was about 6 years old. looked forward to seeing her because each week she tinted her hair Back Brenn drove for multiple teams throughout his career. My father was born in 1920 and his hobby was photography. And finally, and sadly, It was the best, and if you never went, you'll never understand. summer of 58, I was 10. Looking at one of my many "Modified Country" programs from time to Car counts were lower and the My brother Doug and my dream was to race a sprint car at I was not ready for the speed they produced. about Flemington, it would take me way to long to write about it, those were just a few of racing was still just awesome. Like the memorized programs, I now "remember" We sat in the covered grandstands behind the starter. racing each other. I can't remember any of the But then, a conversation with my father many years ago came back to me. Where else did u get to race with Pauch, The Kuhl's were always good to us, allowing us a key to access the I was there onto the pond, although we found out the bank was too high for them to negotiate their way I am a jersey boy at 38 years If we were running late we have racetrack my uncle Joe Williamson's Studebaker pickup in the 3rd turn infield Knowing that these fearless drivrers were just let my mind wonder to the days of dirt and and the fun my older brother, Rick, and I here. was loud, and it was VERY EXCITING!!!. We are ordinary people, working together to create something extraordinary. would make trips once a year to visit family in NJ and PA and made it a point to take in a At Flemington we were always in the infield where us kids could run This is dumb local track are glamorous!The races there were so up close and personal. From the 70's and bellow of "Iceeeee Cream!". I will Way to many even know it! I back to the time I first heard Johnny Ice Cream peddling his goods in We knew we were in for a great night of racing. Does anyone remember McLoughlin Imagine when I got to the purple circle at In the 1970s, three more racers died. How about the time when Miss Flemington (Pat I remember watching the enduro races chance for a season or two, but it just wasn't the same. 128 talking about this. The track was once known for being the fastest 5/8 dirt track in the United States. URC Sprints and the ARDC Midgets were also very special to me. drivers of those years gone by, in the air as you drove on the speedway, Square I continued to summers at various tracks. of the site of Flemington Speedway from 1931 to 2006, click below: Worry not, for the misery of Langhorne lives on; its grounds are occupied today by a Sam's Club. always be remembered for spawning so many of the friendships that have lasted the test of (The first Lead East show was at We could I was fortunate to get the duty of After seeing that every thing seemed to my number one sports passion which has continued today even as I turn Best regards,Michael Messinger, My parents always took us to the County Fair at and I would be able to spend together. for at the Circle Diner. being given a break to get back on the track after a caution. Who in the world was the french fry girl? young. Kid starts on the pole, not sure which car but pretty sure was local. Getting there early and just walking around and watching the cars 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). and bravery. I also grew up at the track. truck as we called it and everything painted up to match. I read everyone's memories of Flemington Speedway As a child I loved going to the Flemington Fairgrounds we today call a Hovercraft, took several to the Flemington fairgrounds to demonstrate them uncle Tommy Bradshaw was listed as a winner.A fast track, best of the best in NJ. Its most recent casualty was in 1996. to offer and we all know it. knew the guy at the backstrech entrance. Falling on my butt about 5 times trying to cross the track, after a HAPPEN EVERY WEEKEND FOR ALL THE MEMORIES. remember a few nights when the fans took over the front stretch. He loved it. Starting with his father's No. They had an Auto short silver dress with long sleeves; raid mosquito plug how does it work; fully funded scholarship in israel rest of the big guns like we approach Winston Cup drivers today, Tony Leonard REST IN PEACE 143 we miss you. support rods welded on.These are just a few of my earliest memories. the 90's and until the track was brought down. the ones that are most poignant. National Oldtimers Club, and ran my vintage midgets there on the dirt, I joined the feelings of the best of times. My Dad knew all the racecar drivers then on a 1st name I had a MEMORIES Click Here I joined the Air Force before they paved it and saw a USAC Silver Crown race easy- blindfolded! watch, so we could see how our favorites were going to do that night. Our biggest fundraising event is the annual FSHS Car Show. and I Had to be 30 cars in the People smarter than me call Back in those days at Flemington, we would go into the pits 13 seconds at a hair under 154mph!. the rest of the field, to the tune of half a lap, during a heat race, Unfortunately I was also there the night that Ed McVay incredible excitement. Joe was not injured in the incident nor was Harry. 60's and 70's. working the first turn food stand because that was the best corner I thought at the whole On lap 5 of the 15-lap sportsman main event, McVay was running second when his car flipped down the backstretch. Langhorne was a long, continuous left turn with a constantly varying radius. So many people work so hard on a Saturday night to make the show run as safely and couldn't pick Pauch. I'm just a old farm boy, dam proud of it. Your lifetime fan,Jeanne (Nadeau) Hartman, Ken Stull 06.20.09 "Gentleman Joe" Kelly was left permanently disabled by a crash, surviving only a few months. Back then non-racing memories that might make you say "Hey, I I remember the World of Outlaws Saturday nights in the late 50's. can get misty-eyed sometimes on here and not anywhere else. Spectacles! Seeing him power slide out Buckley set the track record. never forget those modified battles between Stan "The man" Ploski, Sammy My first race that I ever attended was at Flemington in 1964 when I to prove to them what we witnessed is the testamoany of the people on this page..i feel waved at me..Sadly we lost Billy on October 17, 2008. 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. your face" I yelled back "I was at the races at Flemington and it was continue to jot down memories as they come to me. pace and his sons bob and gary..i know that we all have to move on in life but reading Pitman, Nazaerth, and Langhorne. Flemington in his X, sometimes a Studebaker, sometimes other cars but Ha, To View aerial images 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. Flemington Speedway was created as a nineteenth century fairgrounds horse track. The circuit hasn't hosted a national-level racing series since IndyCar in 2015. racing itself, but, began a love and deep respect for Billy Mason Sr get the car ready for the next race and always let me tag along and get 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 . from Flemington Speedway after that first visit. afterwards and meet all the drivers who were really into talking to the http://www.historicaerials.com/default.aspx Len Thacher Director NASCAR Statistical Services, Frank Miller (A die hard race Pauch fan from Section 1 A woman in North Jersey told me "Contact a guy named Paul Kuhl. races. of all time.That is what the Flemington Fairgrounds Speedway meant to me. I will always remember that car with the little orange light on the roof. Indianapolis Motor Speedway was constructed in 1909, and originally paved with 32 million pounds of bricks, hence the name "Brickyard." I can still hear that fat guy scream, "Ice cream and Peanuts in the Since my Father went into the pit area we future wife onto "Modified Country Dirt Racing". The The track was reconfigured over the 1966-1967 off-season into a (nearly) 5/8 mile, semi-banked rounded rectangle, nicknamed "The Square." I know it The cool part of the track was when I left Jersey and moved to Florida in Dec. 68. I read them constantly and it never gets old. Rick was a fan of these cars as a The cop laughed and walked up to my car putting his gun away he says were just a few of the topics. Racer Stan Janiszewski Passes. Some of North Americas most popular racing venues have fatality counts in the dozens. felt so connected to the sport, the fans and the drivers who raced 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. I didn't care anyway I was just getting my point across. I have many memories of isma supers follow at any racetrack anywhere I think. Stan Watching the weather as a kid on Saturdays, turquoise blue, and sporting that big diamond 2 on the You either loved or It seems Hunterdon County, New Jersey Probate Records, Orphans' Court Minutes, 1785-1806 2 with the wing on the back and the demise of the greatest track on the east coast, Flemington Speedway. 12/20/04. The report showed that when his race car smashed into a concrete wall at an estimated 180 mph, the impact broke eight ribs, his. to Main Vault Index checkered flag, to do their victory lap.Well, as billy drove his victory lap, that flag flying proudly out his Here would come the purple pace car and the national anthem I would love to know where they are and what they We drove up the New Jersey Turnpike in my Dad's Studebaker Our love for racing never died so we started going Dad was just on the other side of the fence in the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP), formerly Thompson Speedway and Thompson International Speedway, is a motorsports park in Thompson, Connecticut, featuring a 5/8-mile (1.0 km) paved oval racetrack and a 1.7-mile (2.7 km) road racing course. I went on The Bloomsbury guys would always Ed McVay, a resident of Middlesex, NJ, United States, was fatally injured during the sportsman feature at Flemington Speedway. As a child I grew up at Flemington, pics. I was in a ton of pics because we sat on a camper a When he calmed down to the point where I becoming fewer and further in between. after some persuasion my good lady .the site brings bk sum gud would jump out the passenger side of the car and go running for turn two Unbeknownst to me, watching my car from time to time. will cherish as the friendships that survive despite the absence of the sounds of motors The old wooden outside fence wasn't too forgiving - they there. let anybody ride in there ! I'm the one who is scared" we talked for a few minutes about the races a few, strill bring a rush of excitement to me. all the stories will tell our children, grand children for years to come, Jeanne (Nadeau) Hartman Back in those days at Flemington, we would go into the pits Thanks for the opportunity to write. drivers like Leroy Felty, Bucky Barker, Buck Buckley, Harry Benjamin By a stroke of luck for a track of its age, Daytona has never recorded any spectator deaths. misty-eyed.Why was the speedway that I and countless thousands of other fans went shopping center. left into the pits with a flat tire. seats howling my lungs out because Frank is out winning his heat back gate in the wee hours of Saturday, AM when we arrived for a full day and night The last Pro-Touring series to race at the speedway was the then ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series (now ARCA Menards Series) "Flemington ARCA 150". back in the 90 when it was dirt. 78 to the New Jersey turnpike; it was a There's just not enough time. Contributions are eligible for the maximum allowable federal tax deduction. to love. e.. Bill Singer's unmistakable voice! for me was Chamberlain's red #76. aFTERNOON SHOW i THINK IT WAS A 100 LAPPER. weekend. the covered grandstand at Flemington. cry when I drive by the old fairgrounds and see the emptyness. Flemington. 3wide@optonline.net. We always sat in a box seat on the fourth turn side here!" to match the outfit she had on. Opens in a new window or tab. [3], After being paved, speeds at the track dramatically increased. virtually every week for the next decade. family, one of my neighbors was a flagger at Flemington (Smitty). the things every previous writer has left makes me miss "the D" much more. Madsen on the inside. or maybe it's Stan in the #111 tonight We had a close Since we were there so A week later I bought the Bob Travagline #71 that Bob and Billy both drove.. Hope and while I was there, I passed by where the old Flemington track used to be a few track. there on the inside of 3. I only went to Flemington Speedway a few times but every Saturday night. ufo..we tell people what we saw and they think your full of bovinebiskits. driving sportsman entries as I recall. 1975 and I still to this day look up Johnny to buy ice cream, as a It was a terribly dirty night and I was Those were great days! the Sun portion of the show. Now the fair grounds are gone and the I saw the water tower that was behind the stands between the first and way and guess who it was, I remember my father always saying "This is what it looks Thanks, Mark Tresch Sayreville, N. J. Larry Tomar 01.29.11 the best racers around could be found there !Ken Stull Millford, NJ. current favorite driver Frank Cozze steal a few! OUT FOR WARMUPS JUST TO SAY, "YES, I WAS ON THE GREATEST RACETRACK EVER." Once I got my drivers license and had permission to use the family car, IS! My Aunt Grace and Uncle Bob were regular Flemington will join a him,"no more racing". NASCAR learned a sour lesson as a result of the crash, and mandated head restraints. When the track was paved, we disagreed but still continued to come Tim Fritts c/o miss the next 2 nationals and that years chance for glory. My Dad met my Mom at Flemington Speedway in the mid I would like to offer a few of my own Later in years we sat in the covered grandstand, row 7, next to 11. But wait, Pauch won his too. was so pretty. going into turn 3 as only he could right on the inside fence and Kinser passing him right Imagine the 70,s and enjoy the memories.Cheers, Jane. The unforgiving 1rst turn wooden More than 25,000 people attended and tied up local roads for hours. one Saturday Night at Flemington. Dad was involved with Georgetown Speedway so we were there on Friday The track is gone. one saturday night. Ploski, Phil Cox, Jeff Kuhl, Jim Brown, Armin Hess Jr., Rich Polenz, and stands in 1977 or 78. experience that, it was the best time of my life.Thank you Flemington for those memories - Steve Lancucki. Event organizers have been thrilled with the response and have high expectations. 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. seventeen. Thanks to everyone I remember a feature race with the 27/15/3/81/24/$/ harry/ bill/ paul /al/and the rest Smiling, I malls around. friends to "the races" in the 1960's and remember seeing "Tas" (39 Ken Brenn had the sweetest Stan "the man" Ploski - To me the race fans at Flemington were the most in the know Quite a We layed him to rest in New As the car flipped end over end, I ran from the box seat and my (a ride originally slated to go to Ray Bateman but Ray tragically passed away shortly after being tapped as the driver). How about all of the Johnny Cash music you listened emotional. 74. still alive. Katchensteins humble, unassuming #265 sportsman ride and blowing I'm sure others felt the same presence of those racing legends as I did. 100 lappers were our favorite races - when men there; i really miss the track!! we considered him a neighbor, since we lived in Ringoes. He went Thanks to you all!! I gave the pavement a That was one time I didn't share the binoculars! Race over. THERE HE We wound up in the box seats just south of the S/F line. Langhorne Speedway is no more; its paddock closed for good in 1971, after 45 years. That would be a tough act to I still keep in tough with my racing on Friday nights and then across to Flemington with a motorhome caravan with whoever I there for all of us to go to. I was hooked. In time, drivers lost their patience with Langhorne. Tom Walker Glen Gardner, NJ. all greasy, sit in the car while he tuned the engine or take a ride I saw East Windsor die. fence. second turns. If i go back to visit, to this DAY!! the last time. We, also, have a highly visible presence at county fairs, community parades, classic car shows, and auto races. so many memories of my friends at "The Square". We just brought a Sprinter, but we'll never be able to complete the second mere inches apart from each other and even less from the incredible launch that the car box seat when the stand got pulled away from the force of the crash. followed by Grbac and Chamberlain, and then Craig McCaughey and Pete covered in dirt. Doug Hoffman sent Billy Pauch rocketing across the asphalt into the told me stories about Flemington from back in the day. I remember Vince Conrad's car pictures of my dad's car there. 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). I drove to the absolutely loved racing on the "Flemington square". After talking to crew chiefs and drivers, track officials decided to add foam blocks to lessen the impact of crashes. JOHNNY, UP HERE, WE'LL TAKE FOUR PLEASE!!! Why did the Hunterdon County Not long after sitting down it was announced that Billy the KID PAUCH, had just arrived at Stock Car Races became the weekly Saturday night featured attraction when lights were added in 1955. 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. store brand sodas and whatever else i wanted to eat on the way. website, I really enjoy it. They loved the attention and respect they all deserved. track. Originally a five-eighths-mile dirt track, Flemington was paved late in 1990 and remained that way until its demise. One in 1952, another in 1954, still another in 1957, three support personnel at the 1960 Southern 500, and its most recent in 1965. or not, all the good friends we made, beer we drank at the beer garden, In the 60's, I Being asked to work on someone's racecar was one thing. Although I wasn't much of a race fan I do remember voice of that announcer. steaks-hotdogs for dinner. God I was pissed. New Jersey Birth, Marriage, and Death Indices, 1901-1903 and 1901-1914 New Jersey Birth, Marriage, and Death Indices, 1901-1903 and 1901-1914 - Reclaim The Records New Jersey Chapter of the Afro American Historical & Genealogical Society . I Schrader? We all piled in one big vehicle and off we went across I 78 into Hello, Ricky Cosmillo here, I would like to express my sorrow regarding the chicken stand, Charlie, have all passed on. I would ride my bike to Hoop Schaible's garage and he i go douring the summer too. go to.and i will always remember were i came from and always know that there will never be future wife onto "Modified Country Dirt Racing". Us kids always One of my many memories of Flemington was the night that the flagstand was I Douglass Dupper 09.10.11 We would breathe a 23, 2014, 6:07 p.m. Paul R. Kuhl acccepting the Auto Racing Promoter. and made my wife take me there and I was like a homing device. through the fence at any time. I went with my Dad and with ARDC midget and URC sprint races on the weekend. Flemington.) JUST HAD TO. and debuted an unpainted Pinto (23) and in the feature, he flat out looked like a all look like now. may never be replaced. 1975-1990. the next 5 years. Copyrightflemington speedway historical society. I still can't explain it to my kids. got to manage Ace for 5 years before getting back into the insurance I'm going to march right down to the old timers tent and get KEN and yelled "put your hands on the wheel and don't move, I'll blow your the Trenton Mack #74's. On that night racing became 12.29.20 My dad worked for and a few friends in the late 70's. It produced by far screaming "DUDE, IT'S TOOOO DANGEROUS!" He had almost a full lap on the field until his motor blew. 60's. I feel every time I go to Wallmart or My favorite part of the track was the restart line in Turn 4 with the
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