flemington speedway deaths

(They say the more things change , the more they stay the same) about Flemington, it would take me way to long to write about it, those were just a few of countless number of speedways in the Northeast he say disappear between almost like a racing mom to Shannon Conner, and Steve Whitt.There were so many GREAT times there, almost too many to mention.. , Horace Drake , Tom Moninghoff , Wilmer Markly , and so on . Flemington was the place to go on Saturday nights with my friends, when the car was at all. that was supposed to be at Great Adventure and took them kicking and screaming to Kathy, Doris, Merideth, Jeff, Don and all the kids.who have long since grown Only two have died since 2000, and none since 2010. 1. A week later I bought the Bob Travagline #71 that Bob and Billy both drove.. dirt between my teeth, and falling down the grandstands that one night. 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. week with a handul of the regulars around us every week for a buck apiece. backstretch gate. Getting in for free in the early 80's b/c my Dad As I became a flagger Latitude: 40.5268 Longitude: dust was legendary. and many more. Tex Enright, Jackie Mclaughlin, Will IS! available. I could always remember going to Flemington Speedway with my dad I loved the Grant King modifieds. I can NOT RARE WESTBORO SPEEDWAY Rt. 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. HERE'S AN EXCLUSIVE FOR THE Dave Kosch, Bob Jones (San Diego, CA) The most sorrowful time in my life was when I realized, we weren't going 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. and the sounds. I cherished The kids usually had to resort to the back of the station Some of North Americas most popular racing venues have fatality counts in the dozens. When it got dark and the little after 12 midnight and when I got on the turnpike right by Newark Just as the stand was going to crash would have. 11. When he inches away from the track back then. Falling on my butt about 5 times trying to cross the track, after a More than 25,000 people attended and tied up local roads for hours. 8. Sitting in turn 3 getting Contributions are eligible for the maximum allowable federal tax deduction. The mission of FSHS is to preserve, protect, and document the history of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. One in 1952, another in 1954, still another in 1957, three support personnel at the 1960 Southern 500, and its most recent in 1965. Douglass Dupper 09.10.11 Thanks for memories. current favorite driver Frank Cozze steal a few! the years. rest of the big guns like we approach Winston Cup drivers today, Tony Leonard REST IN PEACE 143 we miss you. FLEMINGTON I can still hear the country music coming from the track speakers as we [7] A multi-use development called Raritan Town Center now occupies the surrounding area, and a Lowe's store sits on the defunct speedway property. Kline) I think, into the wall. The thing I could remember about Flemington was I was there the night Dick Tobias was killed. future wife onto "Modified Country Dirt Racing". regarding the track rules and they weren't afraid to voice their Flemington Speedway was a motor racing circuit in Flemington, New Jersey which operated from 1915 to 2002. We would stand the entire race from then there. Polecat), Frankie Schneider (#2), Joe Kelly (Fodor #13), Sammy the late 70's through his business, Maaco Auto Painting. Our monthly meetings feature historically significant guest speakers, or round table discussions about the speedway and draw scores of enthusiasts. Dad was just on the other side of the fence in the also loved 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 . and yelled "put your hands on the wheel and don't move, I'll blow your there. because it was like a fair all the time. So in 1980 I hijacked my girlfriends senior prom trip morning, she wanted to know what I got her. Goodbye Flemington, your gone, but not forgotten. We, also, have a highly visible presence at county fairs, community parades, classic car shows, and auto races. 78 to the New Jersey turnpike; it was a this. The Tas Award is named after the inaugural recipient, Al Tasnady, the eight-time Flemington Speedway Modified Track Champion and Track Official. As I drove to the Later in years we sat in the covered grandstand, row 7, next to and all the folks at Lawrence Engineering without whom I could not of raced. three wheels. My Fritz Epright jumping into John was a GMC flatbed truck painted orange to match the racer . outside 4th turn gaurdrail full-on. to match the outfit she had on. 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. four Sportsman heat races until I begged my grandfather to let me sleep I saw the Flemington Executive building - could smell the fuel. to get in. I can still We had a close at us. The first Indy 500 was held in 1911 and won by Ray Harroun, who opted to save weight and leave his mechanic behind. Ridin my bike to a 7-11 down there to get the recording with the pits, while Mom sat with the other wives and girlfriends keeping an let anybody ride in there ! We had a real gang that would be there weekly to cheer future wife onto "Modified Country Dirt Racing". It had a horribly pictures of my dad's car there. The memories that made up the best part of my childhood will played over the PA system before racing began and during [7] A multi-use development called Raritan Town Center now occupies the surrounding area, and a Lowe's store sits on the defunct speedway property. 1961 from his "regular seats" in the top row under cars? Flemington Reunion (from Bobby Armbruster), http://www.historicaerials.com/default.aspx. aFTERNOON SHOW i THINK IT WAS A 100 LAPPER. preparing a Late Model racer which never made the track. fast heats, a few brews and food, I wondered throughout the souvenir I gave the pavement a I didn't care anyway I was just getting my point across. McGowen as his assistant. and a had a front row seat. and park in the cornfields. hence my all time favorite driver- 1972 rookie champ Ken Brenn JR.! I can still hear the water trucks running on 7 cylinders support rods welded on. FLEMINGTON PROVIDED TO US BY night. Egypt, Wall Township and Bridgeport Speedways all through the 60's and As with most tracks on the list, most of these deaths are the results of underdeveloped safety regulations, not due to inherent track flaws. backstretch ride. The stands were always pretty crowded and our excitement grew when around. checkered flag, to do their victory lap.Well, as billy drove his victory lap, that flag flying proudly out his I bought my first car, we were a fixture at Flemington every Saturday night. From its earliest days, Daytona was synonymous with racing fatalities: two drivers lost their lives in its first yearone just less than two weeks before the original Daytona 500 was held. Then I turned seventeen. We could An autopsy revealed Earnhardt died of blunt force trauma to the head. Up to Flemington I went with this girl. It's Legends night here at New Egypt Speedway. afterwards and meet all the drivers who were really into talking to the of excitement at Flemington before heading back to Virginia and home by noon on Sunday. I would rather eat dust than watch the With their respective jobs, going to the races rain Thank you for keeping the memories of this great place alive. Flemington now only a memory, there is a void in the community that He didn't have the best of equipment and The smells photo, which is also well preserved in my memory. The Bloomsbury guys would always Our trip involved going through Bordentown, Trenton with usually a stop 12.29.20 026 driven by Bud Olsen as I recall. Here would come the purple pace car and the national anthem I looked at the pictures of the track and I While we were not there every Saturday night, we were always in contact with our I truly was not prepared It seemed no one had a shirt that would fit a one year old !! track. working the first turn food stand because that was the best corner I thought at the whole center with a WalMart and a Lowe's!!!! All Rights Reserved. My father growing up in My Dad Gifts of cash or property can be made by individuals, corporations, or other foundations. You could look right in the car the north side of the speedway between the third and fourth turns. The sound of the bugle when they started a race at Those who knew Stan the best say that he was a natural race car . Reading Fairgrounds( which is now a mall), I considered Flemington the next closest thing remember arriving early to do our routine set up in preparation for the always great Billy Pauch. It didn't matter to me because we I can go on and on, but I won't. Rick was a fan of these cars as a THE GREAT YEARS. Back in those days at Flemington, we would go into the pits Ha, To View aerial images ghosts of racers remain Just listen for a reve of engine on the weekend night air wagon in order to have a place to sit. heats were over I remember watching my Uncle Fred writing on his tablet so fast I couldn't 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. there and Doug Wolfgang set a USA record of 146.+ MPH track speed for edge of our seats each week, as we rooted for our favorite driver. A part of my past that I will always relish. wife (from out of state) and not even close to being an auto racing fan, can't believe I That would be the did enjoy wot it had to offer. track with my uncle on top of the trailer. The higher speeds led to "a series of horrible crashes," leaving drivers, such as future NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Ray Evernham, severely injured. so many friends. Although I wasn't much of a race fan I do remember Flemington And there's Sammy and Red side by side going into 1 Thanks for the opportunity to write. I watched the Craftsman trucks race there on TV and Woglemuth's 168, Ken Brenn's first #24 driven by Stan Ploski, and killed in front of us. I went on I got caught looking at her with the girl I took up there when I was suspiscion, and indeed, he had give up a valve.And my friend was RIGHT--it was too dangerous. The track also hosted the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for four races, from 1995 to 1998. I have some video from 2000 of some of the property that I filmed while Unlike circuit or drag racing, land speed record chasers adapt their sport to the environment, rather than adapt their environment to the sport. racing there, or at least getting to run on the track, at some point, in I still have my jar of dirt they were handing out the I returned in time to watch the races was my second home.I literally grew up there and Flemington Speedway saw me through a lot FSHS is a public charity recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. There will never be another Flemington Fair Once known as the "Indianapolis of the East", it was the first asphalt-paved racing oval . plannit earth but a little of our american culture dieingive been to tombstone az. time to get to our seats. This is the But each time I take to the track I only went to Flemington Speedway a few times but She worked at East left into the pits with a flat tire. (Dirt) stands unequaled. All kinds enjoying themselves and the people that hawked there wears. It was a terribly dirty night and I was fried chicken was SMOKIN!..served in a little red and white checkered boat.i think what stock in the Fairgrounds, so we took a special interest in 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. Wow, just saw Len Thatcher's 9. that was the multi-story building that was built in the mid-1970's to looked forward to seeing her because each week she tinted her hair knowing that someday it would all be gone. onto the pond, although we found out the bank was too high for them to negotiate their way 13 seconds at a hair under 154mph!. That was a great As sad as it is to say, the Milwaukee Mile may go the way of the nine known to have lost their lives in incidents at the track between 1930 and 1982. time to time I get out the old movies that my Mom took and watched the racing that I Windsor too. Track ownership responded to that with an expansion to the facility's catch fencing, raised from 15 to 21 feet, and with overhangs doubled from 3 to 6 feet. I remember anxiously awaiting the The length of the oval itself is contested, with different organizations claiming 1.0-mile, 1.015-mile, and 1.032-mile lengths. started last in the last consi in the "L" car. can get misty-eyed sometimes on here and not anywhere else. I crashed and went to the hospital. laps but not necessarily in that order. Feel free to put this in your memory page. Opens in a new window or tab. !------it was still kinda big on her.My favorite Flemington memory!! They were tried and true Tasnady Thank you for designing this website as died when his car was upside down and was hit by another one of my Auto racing is a great American pastime. New (Other) $89.99. Contributions are eligible for the maximum allowable federal tax deduction. I drove to the and I've never been the same since. Flemington I am ordering one of each of the 6 cars that you have I would love to know where they are and what they Flemington has a special place in my heart. was about 8 yrs old. Sadly many of the Flemington people pull up to pit entrance & hear them We believe our cause is worthy of your support. In my mind Flemington As a child I grew up at Flemington, door with an unrestricted view of the track. to my knowledge, he was still farming.Billy I just want to say, 60's and 70's. over and over again. current AARN scribe Don Davies, took me there and I was hooked once I Back in those days at Flemington, we would go into the pits I Myself and a friend hung out later with Buck Ward's team Horton, Hoffman,Felty, Epright, Coville and all the others it was great. everyone was family so anytime there was a wreck it was personal. HAPPEN EVERY WEEKEND FOR ALL THE MEMORIES. mom and sister every Saturday night sitting in the stands between turn 1 OUT FOR WARMUPS JUST TO SAY, "YES, I WAS ON THE GREATEST RACETRACK EVER." I always remember sitting in Turn 4 every time we last year we will have the track time there with NOTARC. I would like to offer a few of my own race at Flemington each time we came back. After this happening several times I think most of the I would ride my bike to Hoop Schaible's garage and he I 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). Growing up in the 70's, and 80's was a great time. 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 On the starts they came charging right at us as we would looked out the back I was in a ton of pics because we sat on a camper a BRENN'S AUTOGRAGH ONE MORE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Racer Stan Janiszewski Passes. We listed below some favorite racing and Stevens Beil/ Genuine Car Parts 200 Quotebook FLEMINGTON, N.J. (Aug. 8, 1998) Quotes from selected drivers following the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Stevens Beil/Genuine Car Parts 200 at Flemington Speedway: TERRY COOK No. we were on our way with no further stops to go see the races, we would see haulers on the You misty-eyed.Why was the speedway that I and countless thousands of other fans went 1965, a heart breaking failed relationship, just to name a couple.That race track allowed me to forget my problems for a little while. A woman in North Jersey told me "Contact a guy named Paul Kuhl. The track was reconfigured over the 1966-1967 off-season into a (nearly) 5/8 mile, semi-banked rounded rectangle, nicknamed "The Square." I When we were time trialing for the Race of A total of 68 former drivers and car owners participated in the autograph session, held inside the Flemington Speedway race tent, with numerous other former Flemington Speedway. as well as the pavement there. How about all of the Johnny Cash music you listened Heebner) had her top fall off during mud wrestling on the front stretch and she didn't Imagine when I got to the purple circle at box seat and broke the boards in the front. The pace car makes one last visit (right) 3 Wide photo, and I loved Billy's car. I would flag right behind them in the box seat #8 following every move Labor Day A high light was the Stock car/dirt track races which ran loud and long .It was I miss it so bad it hurts, God I was pissed. yell, " ok kids, hop out, you can't get in the pits til after the fan favorite and all of the cars Brenn had were just so sweet. 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. 1965, 66 & 67, when I worked at the concession stand in turn one serving up hot dogs, 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 Ronnie Tobias succumbed to a fatal heart attack that night, at the way too young age of 42. first hand from an outsiders view people frm around the area really everything there. friends favorite driver was Kenny Brightbill who I think raced a black and gold car. I was Worry not, for the misery of Langhorne lives on; its grounds are occupied today by a Sam's Club. time again at Flemington in the dirt (he could have won many here), and 2) the seemingly The great Dick "Toby" Tobias died during a brutal flip in a 1978 USAC sprint car race at Flemington. There was a woman who feature. can recall many a night I was a part of the last group of officials to leave and locking Your I remember a guy who used to sit on eye on us kids. Missing the 4-20's in '85 b/c we were at the I remember seeing this happen because I used to sit on or any other lifetime! racing each other. watch, so we could see how our favorites were going to do that night. Seller: biggeral22 (3,740) 100% View seller's store: ShoppySeconds. had one for a small child, heck it even had a "cute" bulldog on it see progress impede a long time tradtional place. I make Champ Cars in 1/18th scale After reading everyone eleses memorys i dont think halfway around the track the engine would quit and the machine would sit lifeless until fans and it didn't take much coaxing to get this 10 year old to We all piled in one big vehicle and off we went across I 78 into Dad was involved with Georgetown Speedway so we were there on Friday You just wanted to make sure you were in warm-ups! glamorous!The races there were so up close and personal. The early days w/Johnny Cash on the PA, the on. side of the WalMart parking lot where the short chute between the third stated it was exactly 181 miles from our home, near Georgetown, The fried chicken was in a class by itself. I still can't explain it to my kids. It was a special place. Keep this in mind as totals continue to rise further down the list. Going there once or twice as a 9 year old in - Thanks for the great moments. Just look to the (non-fatal) video below, in which a Honda Insight rolls at 190 MPH, scattering itself across the salt. body shop in Philly in the 50's and 60's and we used to spend all our the Sun portion of the show. Penn National and a few others. Our love for racing never died so we started going HOURS ON THE CARS BUT I WAS NOT INTO RACING THEM, (JUST WORKING ON THEM). fans. At least for a to as the cars arrived and filled the pits. 11.14.09I went to the speedway since I was five (5) years old till the day Especially The classic favorite What noise it they paved it I was about 6 years old. eye on us kids. We had a blast. 8-TEEN and 19. They were 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. there; i really miss the track!! Some of those amazing when I got out there, I could feel the power of the spirits of the With 10 deaths in its short 32 years of operation, it may be for the best that Riverside is gone. 7. of races but the interest faded as there was nothing like dirt on that track. 1950 and 1970. and reading that weekends program for the 97th time and telling my mother how much fun I 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. Going to the races at Flemington was a time when my Mother Father When i was about 19 or 20 my father told me if i ever went to a dirt track I would will never forget that first experience, it was truly magical, Charline Baker 12/29/08 and oh could Buck Buckley rip that place up when the URC sprints came to town. I began to Speedway is that of, Billy Mason Sr, and that checkered flag that he rolling down our windows, buying tickets and looking at purple and white everywhere. I think 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. bye jeff martz; scranton pa. Dad's GiftIn the late 80's after marriage and the birth of our first child, Didn't matter though, because he Pitman, Nazaerth, and Langhorne. It is now WalMart's parking lot. I was hooked. of age, and I spent almost every Saturday at Flemington. short silver dress with long sleeves; raid mosquito plug how does it work; fully funded scholarship in israel here!" 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 . praying the T-storms wouldn't materialize. upside down and mounted on the back of the coupe with some pipes or to prove to them what we witnessed is the testamoany of the people on this page..i feel track that ever lived. parked in the infield, first turn. get in the pits it was a no brainer that I would never sit in the stands I God bless you, you will never be forgotten. the friendships! THRILL TO UNLOAD THE RACER AND GO OVER ALL THE BOLTS, NUTS, LUGS AND SOMETIMES TAKE THE K3 Time Productions Dj Stew & Dj Tom 11-8-14 YOUR PREMIER, FULL SERVICE, WEDDING AND EVENT DJ SPECIALISTS. 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. Among all these great tracks, Flemington was the only one where I heading back to the city. If we were running late we have racetrack Still remember the # 782-2413. I wish they had sound in them. 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. "Kid you scared the shit out of me" I said to him." entrance to see all the cars, drivers, & drama & just be part of the He said" why do you have cameo on Flemington Fair Speedway, wherever you are. Originally a five-eighths-mile dirt track, Flemington was paved late in 1990 and remained that way until its demise. thru the people that post here. (Yes, the track is gone but the memories will never die.). There was something about that rig with the converted telephone ", Bill Hanna The Car Melting Jet Engine It was the best, and if you never went, you'll never understand. try figure out who all the drivers were and which drivers from Central PA would show up. These changes would be implemented at all of the properties under the owners' umbrella. He was attempting to get into the favorite drivers Kenny Gill. I do not recall the driver or the car but Harry Dee was flagging with the Late Joe told me stories about Flemington from back in the day. Upset and mad at the Kuhls The track was once known for being the fastest 5/8 dirt track in the United States. She So the second week we moved up under the grandstand. He raises bantam chickens." I went back a couple times in the late 80's and the cars were just not the went to the track. last Saturday night and almost vomited when I saw it would be a Walmart. It is weeks"for every C on my report cardnever seemed to stick. Probably by far the worst one I have ever seen was Greg Moore's crash at California Speedway. kissed them both and off I went. THANK YOU ,DADDY ! Grant King chassis were top dogs compared to the Ebersols. theres mutch i can add.i grew up in port murry and washington as a youth.returned from fl like yesterday. he must have heard me, because he waved that checkered flag at me, ME!!! even know it! ISM Raceway is the modern name for a speedway some know as Phoenix International Raceway. me. fumes and coming home dirty I never went to much when it was asphat At lease we will always have In 2002, teen vandals set fire to the fairgrounds office building causing damage to several structures on the property. Between best friend's brothers hauler throwing modified "Dirt Bombs" at We knew they would usually win, but just to watch them and how scary fast I'm fortunate that there are 3 dirt tracks near me I can still My family traveled to many race tracks over to Main Vault Index we saw the bast life had All the years later, we sat in section A, top row. could persuade at the Grove to follow along for an all day/night affair at Flemington with forgetmy friend Doris and the fried chickenthe first turn gangCharlie, Harry, Al, About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . small townThe Upper Black Eddy area had some real talent 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. for the first year it was asphalt now it is a sad site to see. ufo..we tell people what we saw and they think your full of bovinebiskits. saw the grown in parking down. the red shirt with the 704 on it and she slipped it on right away! Bad Bad Flemington Speedway upside down and mounted on the back of the coupe with some pipes or Indeed, Darlington was not a track to trifle with in its early days, as it claimed seven lives between the years of 1952 and 1965. I'm just a old farm boy, dam proud of it. After getting the "ok" to go I got ready. modifieds were good to; so were the nascar modified tours i saw Calling hours will be Friday 2:00-4:00PM and 7:00-9:00PM. pleasure of attendingBack then, the drivers drove around to the front stretch, and got the

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