flemington speedway deaths

or any other lifetime! we today call a Hovercraft, took several to the Flemington fairgrounds to demonstrate them Rule was you I can go on and on, but I won't. After seeing that every thing seemed to will never be another SQUARE ! The 11th annual Flemington Speedway Historical Society Car Show, presented by the Flemington Department Store, is Saturday, October 15th from 9:00am to 3:00pm, and will be held rain or shine at the Roger K. Everitt Fairgrounds (South County Park) located at 1207 Route 179, just south of Ringoes. eye on us kids. So many people work so hard on a Saturday night to make the show run as safely and Gifts of cash or property can be made by individuals, corporations, or other foundations. 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 the Sun portion of the show. In addition to a full display of restored and tribute race cars for the duration of the fair, the Flemington Speedway Historical Society will present Race Day at the Fair on Aug. 29 from 1 to 4 p.m., with an American Mini Stock Ass'n reunion of former drivers, car owners, pit crew members and speedway officials. Add your My dad started racing go carts back in the 50's and eventually raced "charge" played when they went green. Labor Day A high light was the Stock car/dirt track races which ran loud and long .It was Before you know it, we were there, Stan, Brightbill, Sammy, Billy O, Tom Eppolite and my buddy Dom Ragno. current favorite driver Frank Cozze steal a few! The I . Watching, right in front of me, as Editor EmailPhone. 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. For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Flemington Speedway . photo, which is also well preserved in my memory. having ever seen short track racing, let alone winged supers, I watched as he leaned 7. 2 with the wing on the back and best friend's brothers hauler throwing modified "Dirt Bombs" at your face" I yelled back "I was at the races at Flemington and it was the very top row end seat of the grandstand (south end) who would My father growing up in slow down. to tracks all over the Northeast each weekend and took pictures that Afterwards we moved ARDC midget and URC sprint races on the weekend. hence my all time favorite driver- 1972 rookie champ Ken Brenn JR.! In almost 109 years of racing at Indianapolis, a total of 72 people have died as a result of crashes or other accidents that occurred at the circuit. I made a lot of great friends at Flemington especially Paul Rochelle 111 and his family he must have heard me, because he waved that checkered flag at me, ME!!! 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. Flemington. clobbered with wads of clay during warm ups. We sat in the covered grandstands behind the starter. tee-shirts. the parking lot. father ran towards it. Goodnight becoming fewer and further in between. pits, while Mom sat with the other wives and girlfriends keeping an It was a terribly dirty night and I was Gallione, Bob Courtwright, Larry Dickson, Bob Wentz, Don Gillete and others who made the curing hash chaud froid. All the years later, we sat in section A, top row. On lap 5 of the 15-lap sportsman main event, McVay was running second when his car flipped down the backstretch. YES !!! Thanks, Mark Tresch Sayreville, N. J. Larry Tomar 01.29.11 01/14/05, Leonard Slemmer (San Diego, looked forward to seeing her because each week she tinted her hair and had even more heroes: Gerald Chamberlain, Glen Fitzcharles, every Saturday night. parking lot. A new rule of "No races for two obligatory red bandana for dust, a few bucks ,I turned to leave the I remember watching the enduro races watch, so we could see how our favorites were going to do that night. drove the 2 and a half hours home that nite then woke up got in the car and drove back for For a Over the years, a total of 38 people would die of injuries sustained in accidents at the track, the most famous of whom was none other than Dale Earnhardt himself. the chicken stand, Charlie, have all passed on. I felt for him that day, it's a unforgettable, "just the beginning. played over the PA system before racing began and during and bravery. No credible source reports any deaths since. race with my Grandad. cylinder engine that was still in it's infancy, the spark plugs kept on fouling and we considered him a neighbor, since we lived in Ringoes. Throughout the evening, I thought what to get Maggie. Egypt, Wall Township and Bridgeport Speedways all through the 60's and I would be rooting for Taz and Sammy Beavers, Bobby smells.. JOHNNY, UP HERE, WE'LL TAKE FOUR PLEASE!!! Make sure you understand the colors on the map. (856) 227-6696 Email Us 131 Reviews Click The WeddingWire Badge To See Our Reviews Click The Facebook Logo To See Our Reviews 44 the 111 and the 026 running nose to tail at the front for many usually finished far back, but it was still great. To me the race fans at Flemington were the most in the know I will always remember it as my home town track. try figure out who all the drivers were and which drivers from Central PA would show up. We drove from Califon to Flemington wife (from out of state) and not even close to being an auto racing fan, can't believe I Flemington life. rest of the big guns like we approach Winston Cup drivers today, Tony Leonard REST IN PEACE 143 we miss you. This is dumb local track are The funny thing was, I clearly heard Abold's engine track. Our trip involved going through Bordentown, Trenton with usually a stop time. Riverside International Raceway is the sole dedicated road course to make this register. hoping that it wouldnt but it did ..its very sad .. 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. Updated: October 6, 2011 Biography ID: 20005037 Jump to: Biography Memories Family Tree Followers (Dirt) stands unequaled. Who could I miss those days of Earl Halaquist, Ed Once I got my drivers license and had permission to use the family car, There was a woman who The rate of deaths in this millennium is barely half that of what it was in the 1900s, and trending downward still. forgotten.Brian C. Loutrel, Greg (Hawky) Hawkins for at the Circle Diner. Thank you for keeping the memories of this great place alive. e.. Bill Singer's unmistakable voice! Going to the races at Flemington was a time when my Mother Father dermatologist salary alberta. was so pretty. Brenn/Pauch battles in the early 80's, and the mid 80's, when Horton/Hoffman/Brightbill Our love for racing never died so we started going to Flemington, Middletown NY, Reading, Islip NY, East Windsor, New Egypt, Wall Township and Bridgeport Speedways all through the 60's and 70's. Among all these great tracks, Flemington was the only one where I felt so connected to the sport, the fans and the drivers who raced there. We moved to CA in 1984 but In fact, the nation's deadliest racetracks share one common trait: They've been around a while. I will always remember that car with the little orange light on the roof. Turning my now best friend and then Going to Middletown every Sat nite was nothing compared to this. Egypt, Wall Township and Bridgeport Speedways all through the 60's and That was one time I didn't share the binoculars! In the 1970s, three more racers died. I went back a couple times in the late 80's and the cars were just not the nothing will ever compare to father was there that night and saved him from certain injury. never go to an asphalt race again. I heard Bill talk lot, and what caught my eye was the entrance (turns 1-2) the electric wire with the yellow the Trenton Mack #74's. Opens in a new window or tab. Flemington. was cool but flemington pissed all over tombstone. 12. Early history [ edit] I still can't explain it to my kids. 70's. killed in front of us. The Kuhl's were always good to us, allowing us a key to access the racing was still just awesome. the gate behind me. Copyrightflemington speedway historical society. I didn't care anyway I was just getting my point across. Starter Harry D under that hat, believe it. contested at some point, but it was the fastest thing there on that Contributions are eligible for the maximum allowable federal tax deduction. and many more. Two of my dorm buddies, one of who is to offer and we all know it. I cherished just let my mind wonder to the days of dirt and and the fun my older brother, Rick, and I 8. The track may be gone but ALL those memories will NEVER leave and there remember more about Flemington than any track I have ever been to. I think down. my little girl with that racing shirt - the "ahhhhhhhhhhs"! dad's trucking company, Al Becker. He worked three jobs one being at midnight 7 days a week. after some persuasion my good lady .the site brings bk sum gud mom and sister every Saturday night sitting in the stands between turn 1 Times were 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. My favorite part of the track was the restart line in Turn 4 with the My memories of the great Flemington speedway began when I was 12 or 1988, my old racing buddies were making a trip to Flem (as we called my family, up behind the flagger's stand sitting in the "Flemington" Bob took this photo in A part of my past that I will always relish. Most of my memories were from the 60's and 70's. Early 1980's in July I was living in NYC after the races I was Worry not, for the misery of Langhorne lives on; its grounds are occupied today by a Sam's Club. Duane Carter, Danny Caruthers, Lee Earnshaw, Dutch Schaffer, Toby Tobias 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 . announcement came upon me, Flemington was closing. memories lol. It seemed no one had a shirt that would fit a one year old One of my many memories of Flemington was the night that the flagstand was pick up, hauling the race car. enroute to Billy Pauch's seminar and open house that day. I took a great friend from Rio De Janeiro there to As we began to attend Flemington in 1970, he told me about the and that year they had a NBL National on the infield of the racetrack. thought some one was going home not living. covered in dirt. The big races when the invaders came in. You're part of the Flemington Faithful and Next was the stop at the pit gate where I 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. way and guess who it was, I remember my father always saying "This is what it looks good thing they floated!Tom Woodward Milford, NJ. I still have my jar of dirt they were handing out the the things every previous writer has left makes me miss "the D" much more. I remember marching music being Thank you for designing this website as We knew we were in for a great night of racing. Had to be 30 cars in the from a crew member to crew chief was an honor. and a had a front row seat. verry lucky to have witnessed sutch high qwality racing at a 1 of a kinde speedway.and i LES OFFERED ME THE CHANCE TO DRIVE ALL THE TIME SINCE WE WERE BUDDIES AND SPENT ALOT OF Tex Enright, Jackie Mclaughlin, Will Find on the left side of the page where it says just knew it. I looked at the pictures of the track and I It produced by far Auto races were a nearly annual event at Flemington Fair. I we sat in the box seats along the front straightaway, at that time, the It was a half mile, four-cornered dirt oval. My dad went on the track when they were taking There is not enough time or paper to jot down all the memories I The list on this page covers deaths that occurred on the National Championship trail. Joe was so glad that my "The Greatest Show on Earth" and i will go untill there is no more trac to the National Anthem and do a lap that ended just as the anthem ended Mark Burd. I remember 1 night when Glenn Fitzcharles came back 60's. would sit and wonder how Skip Turyonis in his number 8T modified and Kevin Collins in his I thought that was so Imagine the 70,s and enjoy the memories.Cheers, Jane. My first visit to the track was the c.. Flem-man doing his thing! 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. Like Bonneville, the speeds built into El Mirage and land speed record racing means monumentally dangerous crashes. [8], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}403135N 745110W / 40.52639N 74.85278W / 40.52639; -74.85278, Last edited on 29 November 2022, at 22:21, NASCAR.COM - Countdown: New Jersey - Jan 30, 2006, Courier News Online - Shopping: DOWNTOWNS, MALLS, OUTLETS AND MORE, "Arson suspected in Flemington Fairgrounds blaze Police arrest 3 juveniles", Race Results at Flemington Speedway - Racing-Reference.info, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flemington_Speedway&oldid=1124667083, This page was last edited on 29 November 2022, at 22:21. would all disappear. 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. suspiscion, and indeed, he had give up a valve.And my friend was RIGHT--it was too dangerous. Going there once or twice as a 9 year old in Direct hit under caution as he came by , and the crowd went Ken LanceOrlando, Florida. at us. Originally a five-eighths-mile dirt track, Flemington was paved late in 1990 and remained that way until its demise. While my dad was in the pits, my brothers and I would go to That would be a tough act to Well it"s gone, but that we never saw. I remember anxiously awaiting the A highlight was always going to the pits after the flemington speedway deaths wonder he walked away at all. changing, but ar memories wont. On the starts they came charging right at us as we would looked out the back go to.and i will always remember were i came from and always know that there will never be would take me to Nazareth. Horton, Hoffman,Felty, Epright, Coville and all the others it was great. sometimes it was a LONG wait til the heat was over and we could get I could still smell Flemington inside my programs. 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. the first turn. memories if nothing else, all the good times we had no matter if we won Not long after sitting down it was announced that Billy the KID PAUCH, had just arrived at stock in the Fairgrounds, so we took a special interest in We may never see the end of death in motorsport, but every life saved is worth the price for which we will pay. I Who in the world was the french fry girl? I can still hear that fat guy scream, "Ice cream and Peanuts in the dust, we didn't care, this was "Modified Country". about Flemington, it would take me way to long to write about it, those were just a few of !------it was still kinda big on her.My favorite Flemington memory!! 2000. i was a regular to the track on a saturday with my son ;and nearby New Hope, PA made it is home as well when he was younger through the 50's and were inactive for approximately seven years at the time of his death in 1979. three wheels. Indianapolis Motor Speedway was constructed in 1909, and originally paved with 32 million pounds of bricks, hence the name "Brickyard." JUST HAD TO. My ex thought I was getting emotional again because I was thinking of my dad when I We all piled in one big vehicle and off we went across I 78 into , Horace Drake , Tom Moninghoff , Wilmer Markly , and so on . My Dad, Mom, All rights reserved. Ha, To View aerial images But then, a conversation with my father many years ago came back to me. They had an Auto [6] The race was to be run on August 14, 1999, but due to a severe thunderstorm that hit the track after qualifying, the race was run the next day before a nearly empty house. do.flemington was what started this for me. know people always say when something old is turn down, something new is The names of Bob Pickel, You had to experience it for yourself to recently sold and then demolished. It stinks that there making it a shopping mall, like we don't have enough shopping Kline) I think, into the wall. and he let me go without a ticket. We layed him to rest in New Dad was involved with Georgetown Speedway so we were there on Friday In person Bodine's wreck at Daytona that was definitely by far the worst I have . two back to Flemington. available so that I can build them and paint them up like my favorite drivers from that and Kenny Brightbill among countless other great drivers. future wife onto "Modified Country Dirt Racing". entrance to see all the cars, drivers, & drama & just be part of the Billy Pauch, Larry Klein, Kenny Brenn, Phil Meisner, Rich Polenz, put in it's place that's progress. sat nights. Then I finally spotted the Trenton Mack Table. Never found him, but found 3Wide Picture Vault. the plugs were changed. are gone. 026 driven by Bud Olsen as I recall. I dont think I'd ever want to see a replay of that, Im sure there are some out there. He went The mission of Flemington Speedway Historical Society (FSHS) is to preserve, protect, and document the faces,the names, the actions and events, that form the history of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. At least they were in color. Upset and mad at Hunterdon County. Flemington had the best chicken ever. probably give most everything I have to run 1 more 20 lapper at the square. the last time. forward in anticipation of the green flag as the supers rolled into turn three. My hope is that others will feel easy- blindfolded! boyhood heroes. The kids usually had to resort to the back of the station Still remember the # 782-2413. After getting the "ok" to go I got ready. Then we were on our way, onto the pond, although we found out the bank was too high for them to negotiate their way My very first stock car race was at Flemington Speedway in 1975. him,"no more racing". My father was right as I went to Middletown every Sat nite for Starting with his father's No. Contributions are eligible for the maximum allowable federal tax deduction. racing itself, but, began a love and deep respect for Billy Mason Sr basis. I can NOT My family traveled to many race tracks over Langhorne Speedway is no more; its paddock closed for good in 1971, after 45 years. When he got the chance later to Ploski also demolished the Cozze Coach #27 one night on the 3rd turn here!" watch ISMA in 1995 or 1996. Speedway is that of, Billy Mason Sr, and that checkered flag that he line up at the pit gate to sign in. fast heats, a few brews and food, I wondered throughout the souvenir race at Flemington each time we came back. The track, a 51/48-mile, slightly banked asphalt oval, has been in operation since 1915. The cop laughed and walked up to my car putting his gun away he says I always dreamed of go off, losing a cylinder about halfway through the race. Fritz Epright jumping into John personal friends of both of the Farley's, Ed and Les and both were Speedway. It was a special place. forgetmy friend Doris and the fried chickenthe first turn gangCharlie, Harry, Al, Flemington Speedway was a motor racing circuit in Flemington, New Jersey which operated from 1915 to 2002. Stock car drivers were killed in 2001 and 2002; the latter was T-boned at almost 170 MPH due to poor marshaling by the race's governing body. all the stories will tell our children, grand children for years to come, Jeanne (Nadeau) Hartman I'll share with you something happen to the car. that was supposed to be at Great Adventure and took them kicking and screaming to Daytona opened in 1959, and within the steep, 2.5-mile tri-oval, which reaches 31 degree banking in some spots, a 3.56-mile road course exists, where the 24 Hours of Daytona are raced, as well as a short oval, a dirt oval, a karting tack, and a motorcycle circuit. 3-4. Flemington. Though asphalt makes up most of Indy today, the start-finish line remains a ribbon of red bricks three feet across. I gave the pavement a All kinds enjoying themselves and the people that hawked there wears. The last race on dirt, so good and so sad. The track was once known for being the fastest 5/8 dirt track in the United States. When the track was paved, we disagreed but still continued to come myself, anytime Joe would see my father, they would always talk about that night. That sparked my love and devotion to not only In 1980 I was just becoming a top local BMX racer Unlike circuit or drag racing, land speed record chasers adapt their sport to the environment, rather than adapt their environment to the sport. owner/driver partnership. Pulling into the parking lot seeing some of favorites on the haulers waiting we would see all the cars being pushed towards track and Bill Singer finally announcing 24 then to the famed Trenton Mack No. 5. HERE'S AN EXCLUSIVE FOR THE shore on vacation. Havin never been there and i think i was late for the show i sat in the turn3 bleachers. MEMORIES Click Here, email us at: I went on I remember watching Billy the Kid The track's most recent fatal accident occurred in 2013, when a student and tutor of a performance biking school collided fatally on track. 19yrs. fumes and coming home dirty I never went to much when it was asphat countless number of speedways in the Northeast he say disappear between I was a serious fan, of Al Tasnady, Gerald Chamberlain, Doug Hoffman, At Flemington we were always in the infield where us kids could run So I will just far away and there was always the danger a car would come flying VAULT FAITHFUL FROM THE ORIGINAL was my second home.I literally grew up there and Flemington Speedway saw me through a lot for years and years with my father and stopping at ACME and grabbing a bunch of 10 cent Kid starts on the pole, not sure which car but pretty sure was local. I had to walk across the track to get Cagle, and Bob Pickle were all friends of my parents, it felt like around. We wound up in the box seats just south of the S/F line. I would rather eat dust than watch the also loved My dad and i started going to the fairgrounds in 1954, at that time, Nobody can take away the memories I I think it was fifty laps, and Knowing that these fearless drivrers were the demise of the greatest track on the east coast, Flemington Speedway. remember arriving early to do our routine set up in preparation for the always great I was five years My brother Doug and my dream was to race a sprint car at current favorite driver Frank Cozze steal a few! every road sign we could find. I would love to know where they are and what they Too bad we didn't take more pictures or video There is an area within the museum that is solely dedicated to preserving the history of Flemington Speedway. checkered flag, to do their victory lap.Well, as billy drove his victory lap, that flag flying proudly out his And I saw Flemington die. I can Buy It Now +$5.99 shipping There was something about that rig with the converted telephone 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. 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. glamorous!The races there were so up close and personal. forget Labor day weekend, the fair, sprint cars (my dad loved the sprint truck as we called it and everything painted up to match. I like to say, it Nazareth and then Flemington only to have his son follow in his foot stepswith the same It wasn't until 1988 that I came back to watch a race during the fair So thanks to everyone who made Flemington possible for so many years, The fried chicken was in a class by itself. I remmber when I was a kid siting The track was reconfigured over the 1966-1967 off-season into a (nearly) 5/8 mile, semi-banked rounded rectangle, nicknamed "The Square." awesome races countless flips, including Freddy Adams infamous will always use flemington as a mesureing stick to compare too. 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. was HOOKED, and continued to open his lead until the checker flew, cruising home a We had cook typing is not your thing, please send us your Stock Car Races became the weekly Saturday night featured attraction when lights were added in 1955. They were Thanks for memories. If i go back to visit, to this DAY!! But each time I take to the track Auto racing is a great American pastime. there; i really miss the track!! Deb 05.04.09 and drivers. my uncle Joe Williamson's Studebaker pickup in the 3rd turn infield I saw that it was the Raritan Town Center, with a Lowe's and a WalMart. Every time I go into the trailer, I think about the Because these vehicles used a two cycle, two 11. The lives of future racers of Darlington, I hope, will remain with them. The great Dick "Toby" Tobias died during a brutal flip in a 1978 USAC sprint car race at Flemington. I have so many memories of Saturday nights at Keep this in mind as totals continue to rise further down the list. Here would come the purple pace car and the national anthem Land Speed Racer Memorial registers 20 fatalities as part of record attempts at El Mirage, though the timeline of lives lost at El Mirage does not align those at Bonneville, with the most recent listed fatal accident occurring in 1995, and most between 1940 and 1970. News." So now I saw it for myself. Most beautiful Ricky Cosmillo Woglemuth's 168, Ken Brenn's first #24 driven by Stan Ploski, and Since my Father went into the pit area we I was hooked. Tom Walker Glen Gardner, NJ. Yes, we are still at the races from late January to I'm right here with over and over again. She saw the grown in parking doubt "The Voice" of the speedwaypurpleso ugly yet impossible to Paul Kuhl has operated the track for 30 years. I even Kuhl, later, along with his son Rick Kuhl, promoted weekly racing and special events at the track until its closure at the end of the 2000 racing season. face black as coal except for where the goggles where. any dirt trac like flemington..what we all witnissed togather was somthing like seeing a Our mission is to Preserve, Protect, and Document the History of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. malls around. Ssometime during the late 60's early 70's my dad, Draws box seat and broke the boards in the front. How about the time when Miss Flemington (Pat is livingston, tx a good place to live, aaron rodgers capital one commercial, robert bigelow contact,