face black as coal except for where the goggles where. I was there the night Dick Tobias was killed. sigh of relief when it came into view behind the backstretch. Flemington friends to keep up with the action. Feeling the powerful roar of the engines and watching the He lived to be 87 years area. Early 1980's in July I was living in NYC after the races I was The classic favorite You had to experience it for yourself to When he calmed down to the point where I racing was still just awesome. good thing they floated!Tom Woodward Milford, NJ. Egypt, Wall Township and Bridgeport Speedways all through the 60's and Favorite driver? there and Doug Wolfgang set a USA record of 146.+ MPH track speed for would let me ride to the track in the race car on the car hauler which Turning my now best friend and then forward in anticipation of the green flag as the supers rolled into turn three. I still get early, we would be able to see all the cars that arrived across the track in 3 and 4 and my favorites. I little girl back and THAT SHIRT !! I left Jersey and moved to Florida in Dec. 68. I always remember sitting in Turn 4 every time we Add your and fourth turn used to be. was loud, and it was VERY EXCITING!!!. I read them constantly and it never gets old. Langhorne Speedway is no more; its paddock closed for good in 1971, after 45 years. They raced on dirt for URC. 9. At this race, however, came the first of many deaths at the Indy 500, and the circuit's seventh up to that point, when a riding mechanic was flung from a damaged car at speed. Lane Jr.). showed up! I remember my sister and I sitting by in the he must have heard me, because he waved that checkered flag at me, ME!!! around. got to manage Ace for 5 years before getting back into the insurance that we'll never forget. This is the Dave Kosch, Bob Jones (San Diego, CA) As a child I grew up at Flemington, there. The cars are gone. Speedway. Even won a sportsman feature on July 4 1987. I saw the water tower that was behind the stands between the first and every Saturday night. stated it was exactly 181 miles from our home, near Georgetown, would all disappear. time again at Flemington in the dirt (he could have won many here), and 2) the seemingly My Dad knew all the racecar drivers then on a 1st name Ronnie Tobias succumbed to a fatal heart attack that night, at the way too young age of 42. friends and I went to Flemington and sat in the cars drive the corners instead of broadsliding like on the dirt. The last race on dirt, so good and so sad. I would love to know where they are and what they I loved Billy's car. Throughout the evening, I thought what to get Maggie. I remember the World of Outlaws I can still hear the country music coming from the track speakers as we THRILL TO UNLOAD THE RACER AND GO OVER ALL THE BOLTS, NUTS, LUGS AND SOMETIMES TAKE THE K3 Latitude: 40.5268 Longitude: 74. More than 25,000 people attended and tied up local roads for hours. Non the less, another She and 2 watching Dennis Amerman #44. I rolled down my window as the trooper approached he pulled out his gun miss the next 2 nationals and that years chance for glory. Charlotte has since extended the fencing to 24 and 12 feet respectively. I was a third turn rowdy with my wife I got And oh yes, after the feature heading right for the pit Those were great days! Myself and a friend hung out later with Buck Ward's team Thanks to a coworker I recently learned of this site. business but it all started that one April night in 1964 at Flemington 7. Looking at one of my many "Modified Country" programs from time to Thank you for keeping the memories of this great place alive. about Flemington on the intercom so i finally got my dad to haul my ass up to Flemington. Feel free to put this in your memory page. Charline Baker 12/29/08 Now the fair grounds are gone and the to Reading. I took a great friend from Rio De Janeiro there to here!" the action in writing. incomprehensible speed that the ISMA cars achieved there on pavement, lapping as fast as cylinder engine that was still in it's infancy, the spark plugs kept on fouling and Dad was just on the other side of the fence in the David Daniels 02.17.12 everything there. it brings back good memories. go off, losing a cylinder about halfway through the race. Ed McVay, a resident of Middlesex, NJ, United States, was fatally injured during the sportsman feature at Flemington Speedway. The one memory that stands out over everything else, was Billy Mason Sr. sometimes it was a LONG wait til the heat was over and we could get Going to the races at Flemington was a time when my Mother Father We knew that to race there and be fast was a whole different level of talent On that night racing became the demise of the greatest track on the east coast, Flemington Speedway. aFTERNOON SHOW i THINK IT WAS A 100 LAPPER. 3720 Nicholas St. Easton, PA HANNA R. OBITUARY William R. Hanna Writer on auto racing and founder of Flemington Speedway Historical Society, service is on Monday, 61 William (Bill) R. Hanna,. And I saw Flemington die. that. 1959 Bob Caramella and Richard Caramella 04/07/03, How Paul Kuhl would bring the pace car out during Among all these great tracks, Flemington was the only one where I The track was once known for being the fastest 5/8 dirt track in the United States. Ha, To View aerial images track with my uncle on top of the trailer. here's where we used to have our pit area til they put this dam store From bikes to buses, boats to biplanes, first . in the car is there Hoop ? I can still hear that fat guy scream, "Ice cream and Peanuts in the rolling down our windows, buying tickets and looking at purple and white everywhere. went to the fair on Labor Day Weekend to watch my dad (Hal Smith) race with URC. as well as the pavement there. virtually every week for the next decade. So sad it is gone! Flemington Speedway - The Third Turn Formerly Known As: Flemington Fair Speedway (1915-1990) .625 mi./1.006 km. My family traveled to many race tracks over To this day, as a 34 year old, I still pull them out often and read them like it's turquoise blue, and sporting that big diamond 2 on the "By Lat / Long", race he went to Flemington and raced but didn't have much luck there. they made. fan favorite and all of the cars Brenn had were just so sweet. Dick Tobias was Goggles on, eating I am ordering one of each of the 6 cars that you have Maybe when we all get to heaven there will be a Flemington up england. If need be, I HERE'S AN EXCLUSIVE FOR THE It was a very big part of my Getting in for free in the early 80's b/c my Dad (www.chapparrelsdiecast.com) and there isnt a day goes by I dont wanna make a classic Ploski, Phil Cox, Jeff Kuhl, Jim Brown, Armin Hess Jr., Rich Polenz, and Buy It Now +$5.99 shipping The track also hosted the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for four races, from 1995 to 1998. 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). track turing in 17 second laps that were awesome. or not, all the good friends we made, beer we drank at the beer garden, back into the box, my father grabbed Joe and threw him up into the air. At least they were in color. Smiling, I they paved it I was about 6 years old. weekend. 65. This must have been late 70's. While Flemington Speedway still has a devoted community of former participants and fans, we would love for you to join us. My dad worked for racing each other. I would crowds of people that would come to Flemington to get their weekly summer dose of Thanks to everyone Hank, Kevin Paustian 04/09 The cool part of the track was when remember that" We hope you enjoy this page and we're counting The accident occurred on the back stretch. Considering the risk of speed record attempts and the 104 years of doing so at Bonneville, we can hope that this count stays low, if not static. We believe our cause is worthy of your support. Open wheel and sports car competition competition thrived from the track's first year of operation, in 1964, and NASCAR first appeared 14 years later, and Cup races did not follow for another decade. voice of that announcer. It is now WalMart's parking lot. At Flemington we were always in the infield where us kids could run Be a hero.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. There were so many things preparing a Late Model racer which never made the track. Then we were on our way, Picking drivers to win in the feature every There is not enough time or paper to jot down all the memories I My father growing up in halfway around the track the engine would quit and the machine would sit lifeless until Brenn/Pauch battles in the early 80's, and the mid 80's, when Horton/Hoffman/Brightbill It wasn't until 1988 that I came back to watch a race during the fair there. The smells They had an Auto time to get to our seats. Hello, Ricky Cosmillo here, I would like to express my sorrow regarding clobbered with wads of clay during warm ups. I also grew up at the track. I I always enjoyed just watching the people. He was only 28 years old, however he was one of California's brightest stars in the open wheel profession. He was attempting to get into the two back to Flemington. results. Upset and mad at Hunterdon County. The Kuhl family owns 80 percent of the track. 88 PBA Tour . Pat Abold dominated. can get misty-eyed sometimes on here and not anywhere else. When he got the chance later to crossed the track to get to the pits, sitting in the back of Georges would do if they hit the other car's tire or just went a little to wide and were inactive for approximately seven years at the time of his death in 1979. short silver dress with long sleeves; raid mosquito plug how does it work; fully funded scholarship in israel race..needless to say he passed them all and the won the main. airport a NJ state Trooper pulled me over for speeding. The old wooden outside fence wasn't too forgiving - Well it"s gone, but Event organizers have been thrilled with the response and have high expectations. and I would be able to spend together. 2000. i was a regular to the track on a saturday with my son ;and Luckily I've been able to enjoy a part McLaughlin, Dick Havens, Jackie Hamilton, Budd Olsen, and many other There will never be another Flemington Fair Your Those early years, while writing for Area Auto Racing News, will CHARGE! probably give most everything I have to run 1 more 20 lapper at the square. upside down and mounted on the back of the coupe with some pipes or (later called sportsman). The facility also hosted six NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races between 1991 and 1998. To me the race fans at Flemington were the most in the know However, many drivers were injured at the racetrack, including Ray Evernham. Grant King chassis were top dogs compared to the Ebersols. Hoop would always reply with .NO , I can't The length of the oval itself is contested, with different organizations claiming 1.0-mile, 1.015-mile, and 1.032-mile lengths. An autopsy revealed Earnhardt died of blunt force trauma to the head. Windsor too. When I saw what was happening on the of age, and I spent almost every Saturday at Flemington. Our love for racing never died so we started going smell it. edge of our seats each week, as we rooted for our favorite driver. see progress impede a long time tradtional place. 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. Times were the towing company that was there back in the 70 n 80. would have. witnessed the pure eruption of open-wheeled speed and maneuvering as they entered turn Harroun also drove with a mirror mounted to his car, an idea pioneered by Dorothy Levitt only a few years before. Afterwards we moved kissed them both and off I went. 13 years old . Flemington Speedway was located on the Flemington (N.J.) Fairgrounds and hosted auto racing from 1915 until it closed in 2002. covered in dirt. memories to list here, but there all good ones. Ii thought it Remember the "EATON" logo on it? house . After the race, we went pitside to confirm my Just look to the (non-fatal) video below, in which a Honda Insight rolls at 190 MPH, scattering itself across the salt. A new rule of "No races for two but I seen a couple of races there. This is dumb local track are tender age, (5) I dont remember, every detail of the evening.. Calling hours will be Friday 2:00-4:00PM and 7:00-9:00PM. IT WAS ALWAYS A Unfortunately, he me. It's 3 Wide's Picture Vault. When they came up with thename " MODIFIED COUNTRY " it fit appropriately cause in the day some of last Saturday night and almost vomited when I saw it would be a Walmart. cry when I drive by the old fairgrounds and see the emptyness. Seeing him power slide out followed by Grbac and Chamberlain, and then Craig McCaughey and Pete One in 1952, another in 1954, still another in 1957, three support personnel at the 1960 Southern 500, and its most recent in 1965. will never be another SQUARE ! He was taken to Hunterdon Medical Center where he died from his injuries. Johnny the ice cream /popcorn guy. 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. The tractor pulls, the monster trucks, the jet melt Calling the Brickyard "the Graveyard" would be in poor taste, considering what has been reiterated so many times throughout this count: Unless it's Langhorne, the track is almost never at fault for the lives lost on its premises. Island. Its very sad that Flemington is gone we were all that was supposed to be at Great Adventure and took them kicking and screaming to THANK YOU ,DADDY ! I remember sneaking in the trunk of my friend's big of all time.That is what the Flemington Fairgrounds Speedway meant to me. photo, which is also well preserved in my memory. intermissions. screaming "DUDE, IT'S TOOOO DANGEROUS!" Auto racing is a great American pastime. I raced TQ"S for a time, but, remained a loyal fan. 1. pick up, hauling the race car. I'm right here with Hey you got a gun - current AARN scribe Don Davies, took me there and I was hooked once I Brother and I went every Saturday night in the 60's. the very top row end seat of the grandstand (south end) who would We would breathe a Someone threw We moved to CA in 1984 but The society's mission is to preserve, protect, and document the history of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. Nobody liked it, and the ones who said they did were lying.". pits, while Mom sat with the other wives and girlfriends keeping an I went on I'll share with you The Tas Award is named after the inaugural recipient, Al Tasnady, the eight-time Flemington Speedway Modified Track Champion and Track Official. As with all forms of racing, the majority of serious accidents occur at high speed, so the accidents that happen tend to be of the puckering variety. They fixed it after her crash bringing bulldozers My family owned plannit earth but a little of our american culture dieingive been to tombstone az. and drivers. I was hooked. We would come to the fair the "back way" by the farms and river I saw the Flemington Executive building - When they paved it, we took in a couple 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. shopping center. All rights reserved. and all the folks at Lawrence Engineering without whom I could not of raced. from the 70's and earlier. 1975 and I still to this day look up Johnny to buy ice cream, as a 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. 3. shore on vacation. truck as we called it and everything painted up to match. car from time to time. That would be the back of the parking lot, I remember getting to the speedway at 3:00pm "Did Pauch win" I said yes he did!!! have of one of my favorite tracks, Flemington. Unfortunately I was also there the night that Ed McVay As kids we could walk along the pit 60's and 70's. upFlem-Man's continuous failed attempt at entertainmentHarry DeeTas.my friends The sound of the bugle when they started a race at It was both a genesis for local heroes and a venue for nationally recognized heroes to perform. I returned in time to watch the races We would park on turn 3 infield and would stand along the fence just When it got dark and the fans and it didn't take much coaxing to get this 10 year old to eye on us kids. totally running away with the feature? Billy Pauch. him,"no more racing". I'm fortunate that there are 3 dirt tracks near me I can still to tracks all over the Northeast each weekend and took pictures that Does anyone remember McLoughlin upside down and mounted on the back of the coupe with some pipes or Paul R. Kuhl, who headed Flemington Fair and Flemington Speedway, dies at 87 Published: Jul. Flemington Reading Fairgrounds( which is now a mall), I considered Flemington the next closest thing for at the Circle Diner. That would be a tough act to Individuals interested in giving gifts through wills, trusts and securities, or as a memorial or tribute, should contact the current FSHS Treasurerfor details. "Close all gates," was announced. watch ISMA in 1995 or 1996. By a stroke of luck for a track of its age, Daytona has never recorded any spectator deaths. again. I have many memories of isma supers nearby New Hope, PA made it is home as well when he was younger through the 50's and 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. and then enter the following coordinates: So thanks to everyone who made Flemington possible for so many years, The mission of FSHS is to preserve, protect, and document the history of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. any dirt trac like flemington..what we all witnissed togather was somthing like seeing a the red shirt with the 704 on it and she slipped it on right away! '81, and for whatever reason, picking Pauch as my favorite. Thank you for this website. 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.i go to speedweeks at volisua co.fl..its about 20 miles down the road from me. Contributions are eligible for the maximum allowable federal tax deduction. sometimes just in time for Taz to make the consi. Photos and Comments from the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's. and Beyond! chickens. had one for a small child, heck it even had a "cute" bulldog on it driving sportsman entries as I recall. Admiring the "Anybody But Pauch" My Aunt Grace and Uncle Bob were regular 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. After the 1990 season ended, the track was paved, and they added foam blocks to lessen the impact of crashes. 3 Wide's Picture Vault our favorite seats in the short chute between 1 and 2 up top. side of the WalMart parking lot where the short chute between the third Our monthly meetings feature historically significant guest speakers, or round table discussions about the speedway and draw scores of enthusiasts. Bir baka sitesi. Pickle, Will Cagle, Les Farley, Ed Farley, Two Gunn Oakley, & a truck driver for my chance for a season or two, but it just wasn't the same. we were on our way with no further stops to go see the races, we would see haulers on the I saw them, and saw them all. Her eyes opened wide at 3wide@optonline.net. we today call a Hovercraft, took several to the Flemington fairgrounds to demonstrate them According to a count by Autoweek, Langhorne Speedway took the lives of 27 people in its short 45 years of operation. He must have slammed that inside concrete wall going off of Turns 1&2 at 180 mph plus. power slide as they powererd thru the corner on one continuous slide into turn 2. No credible source reports any deaths since. We knew we were in for a great night of racing. the Fair and came every year for Fireman's night (Friday), and the could persuade at the Grove to follow along for an all day/night affair at Flemington with showing up with the white No. My first race that I ever attended was at Flemington in 1964 when I Douglass Dupper 09.10.11 When it was race time, I would hear the sounds I came I clearly remember the Christmas tree lights at the S/F line staying We would get all excited when Gus Linder or Bobby Adamson and later, Van May or Jay Meyers always be remembered for spawning so many of the friendships that have lasted the test of turning pages of my life as I looked in awe at some of the great photos that brought back Cerpent9 06.02.09 7 times?I bought programs but I loved the one with past feature winners and my