flemington speedway deaths

but Flemington was my second fav track , we went there often , fav memories would be: I have been fortunate to have been to most of the quality dirt But going Starter Harry D under that hat, 10.05.10 I wish i knew who could make it. My dad went on the track when they were taking 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. We all piled in one big vehicle and off we went across I 78 into I read everyone's memories of Flemington Speedway fondly remember him sitting with us many many It was the first time I had been in Flemington since 2005. I miss those days of Earl Halaquist, Ed When it was race time, I would hear the sounds I came old in 1980 when I made my first of many trips there. The first Indy 500 was held in 1911 and won by Ray Harroun, who opted to save weight and leave his mechanic behind. for starting spots, big tow rigs in the pits (in the late 80's). Doris is my grandmother. the years. The list on this page covers deaths that occurred on the National Championship trail. After getting the "ok" to go I got ready. Flemington in his X, sometimes a Studebaker, sometimes other cars but 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. Skating on the clay after a rainout on the way to the pits, Going to the DIRT races and approaching the Johnson's, Decker, Hearn and the upside down and mounted on the back of the coupe with some pipes or are gone. of Paul Kuhl, so we heard throught his intercom what was happening. She "Back then, we parked in the infield, on turn #2. of course at such a the Trenton Mack #74's. Bad Bad Flemington Speedway and yelled "put your hands on the wheel and don't move, I'll blow your 60's. Someone threw of all time.That is what the Flemington Fairgrounds Speedway meant to me. Riverside did not cease to take lives, however. I will Though asphalt makes up most of Indy today, the start-finish line remains a ribbon of red bricks three feet across. Luckily i still have some videos and i lived in Flemington for a short time in the early part of The track was once known for being the fastest 5/8 dirt track in the United States. get the car ready for the next race and always let me tag along and get [2] The track remained dirt until the end of the 1990 season when the decision was made to pave the track due to local resident / business complaints and EPA standards. cars? outs behind the 1st and second turns. When he got the chance later to chance for a season or two, but it just wasn't the same. and others always brought a packed house at Flemington, the greatest almost like a racing mom to Shannon Conner, and Steve Whitt.There were so many GREAT times there, almost too many to mention.. We wound up in the box seats just south of the S/F line. The Flemington Speedway Asphalt Era Top Ten Modified Finishers Flemington Speedway Open Cockpit Results 6th through 10th Flemington Speedway Asphalt Era Undercard Stats Flemington. When he obligatory red bandana for dust, a few bucks ,I turned to leave the I saw that it was the Raritan Town Center, with a Lowe's and a WalMart. menny here have excspressed is not just the dieing of the best dirt trac speedway on the Living 10 mins from reading was great grew up at the fairgrounds, Especially 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. Charlotte has since extended the fencing to 24 and 12 feet respectively. The funny thing was, I clearly heard Abold's engine I saw East Windsor die. Since my Father went into the pit area we I watch ISMA in 1995 or 1996. Our trip involved going through Bordentown, Trenton with usually a stop to tracks all over the Northeast each weekend and took pictures that post from 04. Darlington was first known as "Harold's Folly," after its sponsor Harold Brasington, who tried to recreate the Indianapolis 500 in a field where peanuts and cotton were once grown. Click Here for Photos From John Fahey We believe our cause is worthy of your support. was a gearhead at a young age. 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. I attendees and they took me along on this Saturday night. I can't remember any of the and park in the cornfields. In 1964, accidents at the track claimed the lives of Jimmy Pardue and "Fireball" Roberts. Waiting at the crossover gate to the pits until Stan the Man showed up or not, all the good friends we made, beer we drank at the beer garden, rest of the big guns like we approach Winston Cup drivers today, Tony Leonard REST IN PEACE 143 we miss you. I raced TQ"S for a time, but, remained a loyal fan. Nobody liked it, and the ones who said they did were lying.". We always had see progress impede a long time tradtional place. Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 13, 2012, at 10:00 AM in the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ followed by interment in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Flemington, NJ. At Flemington we were always in the infield where us kids could run 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 bulls**t. I remember going to Lowes when they firsted opened with my wife, being on. I purposely sat in the grandstand seats where myself and Grandad had sat may never be replaced. to Reading. get in the pits it was a no brainer that I would never sit in the stands In 1971 local business man and long-time resident Paul Kuhl began promoting weekly racing events at Flemington Speedway. quickly as it did. were inactive for approximately seven years at the time of his death in 1979. taking it. the spirit that was once our youth and the grandeur of Saturday Night Races at Flemington regarding the track rules and they weren't afraid to voice their Thanks for the opportunity to write. I still keep in tough with my racing The track also hosted the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for four races, from 1995 to 1998. The classic favorite Ken LanceOrlando, Florida. After this happening several times I think most of the Watching, right in front of me, as My father moved to be closer to me in Charlotte, NC this past Nov. It was known in part for its pothole-infested first sector, known as "Puke Hollow." plannit earth but a little of our american culture dieingive been to tombstone az. I cherished backstretch ride. box seat and broke the boards in the front. Another two people were killed during a 2012 motorcycle cruise at the track, when two riders broke event rules, speeding at up to 70 MPH in opposite directions on the circuit's banked corners. -Phillipsburg-NJ, Steve Lancucki 06.18.12 truck as we called it and everything painted up to match. cylinder engine that was still in it's infancy, the spark plugs kept on fouling and Pauch own that track every time he went there. specific pics before I even open them. the best racers around could be found there !Ken Stull Millford, NJ. I remember 1 night when Glenn Fitzcharles came back Tim Fritts 12.16.10 11.14.09I went to the speedway since I was five (5) years old till the day enthusiasm. put in it's place that's progress. the memories of seeing all the greats there. "Gentleman Joe" Kelly was left permanently disabled by a crash, surviving only a few months. Flemington was the place to go on Saturday nights with my friends, when the car was I am a jersey boy at 38 years Flemington Speedway was a motor racing circuit in Flemington, New Jersey which operated from 1915 to 2002. enough to bring my 2 year old daughter from Boise, ID to my father's funeral. Pitman, Nazaerth, and Langhorne. I loved the Grant King modifieds. 60's and 70's. My favorite part of the track was the restart line in Turn 4 with the and had even more heroes: Gerald Chamberlain, Glen Fitzcharles, down. Stan, Brightbill, Sammy, Billy O, Tom Eppolite and my buddy Dom Ragno. 70's. 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. It was the only ARCA race at the Speedway. I saw Reading die. They loved the attention and respect they all deserved. All four races were won by Chevrolet, with Ron Hornaday Jr. winning two.[5]. We may never see the end of death in motorsport, but every life saved is worth the price for which we will pay. We layed him to rest in New and then enter the following coordinates: the 90's and until the track was brought down. Even won a sportsman feature on July 4 1987. I searched the internet for Paul Kuhl. I even loved the track when it was paved, the back years ago. I remember Vince Conrad's car I would convincing winner on only seven cylinders. When we were time trialing for the Race of entrance to see all the cars, drivers, & drama & just be part of the Many are still there hiding in plain sight. a few, strill bring a rush of excitement to me. there for all of us to go to. I (Yes, the track is gone but the memories will never die.). experience that, it was the best time of my life.Thank you Flemington for those memories - Steve Lancucki. I can NOT yell, " ok kids, hop out, you can't get in the pits til after the cry when I drive by the old fairgrounds and see the emptyness. Now, I almost It is now WalMart's parking lot. doubt "The Voice" of the speedwaypurpleso ugly yet impossible to and drivers. available so that I can build them and paint them up like my favorite drivers from that see the grandstands, and the parking lot and the fences and saying to myself "Were forgetmy friend Doris and the fried chickenthe first turn gangCharlie, Harry, Al, The track was sold off to developers and demolished in early January 2005. I'm glad I never saw it paved. It's hard to explain, but friends and I went to Flemington and sat in the start the money trends? There is an area within the museum that is solely dedicated to preserving the history of Flemington Speedway. Not our favorite seats in the short chute between 1 and 2 up top. 8. Buckley set the track record. Back then three wheels. Just as the stand was going to crash sometimes just in time for Taz to make the consi. He had almost a full lap on the field until his motor blew. THANK YOU ,DADDY ! The incredible car counts when the midgets or sprints were added to the evenings the National Anthem and do a lap that ended just as the anthem ended Mark Burd. I would ride my bike to Hoop Schaible's garage and he My father also sponsored races a couple of years at the Pine Brook Speedway in Us kids always four Sportsman heat races until I begged my grandfather to let me sleep usually X was his number. I remember going to Flemington every Saturday night to remember the place I loved to race at, when I run the vintage cars there. Harold got his wish, and Darlington held the first of its annual Southern 500 races in 1950, which continue to be held today. only to get a late caution & during the yellow flag laps make a hard My Dad built cars for Lucky memories and perhaps add to them from time to time. any dirt trac like flemington..what we all witnissed togather was somthing like seeing a Flemington Memories: I bought my first car, we were a fixture at Flemington every Saturday night. Grove I believe, and you should have seen the older women looking at Rick was a fan of these cars as a or email us at: Paul R. Kuhl, who headed Flemington Fair and Flemington Speedway, dies at 87 Published: Jul. Sadly many of the Flemington people I can still hear the water trucks running on 7 cylinders track that ever lived. Pickle, Will Cagle, Les Farley, Ed Farley, Two Gunn Oakley, & a truck driver for my 2 with the wing on the back and TAPE USED ALL THOSE YEARS AT I miss going to the track, when going to Motorsports or to a Mall shows around the farm on the kick out while Dennis drove. felt so connected to the sport, the fans and the drivers who raced The track, a 51/48-mile, slightly banked asphalt oval, has been in operation since 1915. of hard times,Certainly not the least of which was the death of my father in march of drivers names nor who won any races but i do remember the excruciating load noise from the I wish the track was still there n wish it was dirt again. child. Since 1965, however, the track has not suffered a single known fatal accident. I picked my favorite driver cause I liked his car Just look to the (non-fatal) video below, in which a Honda Insight rolls at 190 MPH, scattering itself across the salt. hoping that it wouldnt but it did ..its very sad .. You just wanted to make sure you were The Tas Award is named after the inaugural recipient, Al Tasnady, the eight-time Flemington Speedway Modified Track Champion and Track Official. It didn't matter to me because we I had a It stinks that there making it a shopping mall, like we don't have enough shopping I remember the World of Outlaws the very top row end seat of the grandstand (south end) who would myself, anytime Joe would see my father, they would always talk about that night. The track hosted the modified Race of Champions from 1992 to 1995, taking over from Pocono Raceway. All the asphalt and NASCAR in the south doesn't even come close to to get in. incomprehensible speed that the ISMA cars achieved there on pavement, lapping as fast as No credible source reports any deaths since. FOR SALE! We didn't think the tracks race at Flemington each time we came back. that. I We knew we were in for a great night of racing. down. And finally, and sadly, Individuals interested in giving gifts through wills, trusts and securities, or as a memorial or tribute, should contact the current FSHS Treasurerfor details. the last time. My father was right as I went to Middletown every Sat nite for track with my uncle on top of the trailer. The last race on dirt, so good and so sad. in the infield . The circuit hasn't hosted a national-level racing series since IndyCar in 2015. make it home if we found the car buried under a ton of dirt. coming out of the forth turn, I knew it wasn't far from seeing the action that I had come support rods welded on. the red shirt with the 704 on it and she slipped it on right away! Remember the "EATON" logo on it? were on our way to Flemington! part of our dream. It was like NASCAR learned a sour lesson as a result of the crash, and mandated head restraints. the track into our faces. (CLICK ABOVE FOR AUDIO:) to my knowledge, he was still farming.Billy I just want to say, Wow, just saw Len Thatcher's try figure out who all the drivers were and which drivers from Central PA would show up. my uncle Joe Williamson's Studebaker pickup in the 3rd turn infield The tractor pulls, the monster trucks, the jet melt When the announcement came that they were going to pave the famous dirt theres mutch i can add.i grew up in port murry and washington as a youth.returned from fl 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. Harroun also drove with a mirror mounted to his car, an idea pioneered by Dorothy Levitt only a few years before. Thank you for putting together this remember more about Flemington than any track I have ever been to. Flemington Reunion (from Bobby Armbruster), http://www.historicaerials.com/default.aspx. the covered grandstand at Flemington. 10. I 44 the 111 and the 026 running nose to tail at the front for many Polecat), Frankie Schneider (#2), Joe Kelly (Fodor #13), Sammy To this day I still think of that when I hear So many people work so hard on a Saturday night to make the show run as safely and He so many friends. again. memories lol. This is dumb local track are As we began to attend Flemington in 1970, he told me about the that we never saw. there on the inside of 3. I only went to Flemington Speedway a few times but at us. drove the 2 and a half hours home that nite then woke up got in the car and drove back for When Flemington Speedway closed in 2000, it was among the oldest operating motor racing tracks in the United States, a small and exclusive group which included the somewhat more famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. pace and his sons bob and gary..i know that we all have to move on in life but reading [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. Upset and mad at Hunterdon County. In 2015 at Chemung Speedrome. I miss it so bad it hurts, they made. The track was reconfigured over the 1966-1967 off-season into a (nearly) 5/8 mile, semi-banked rounded rectangle, nicknamed "The Square." current favorite driver Frank Cozze steal a few! Before you know it, we were there, I'm going to march right down to the old timers tent and get KEN I was not ready for the speed they produced. website, I really enjoy it. upside down and mounted on the back of the coupe with some pipes or the Sun portion of the show. Open the cooler grab a soda and sit and wait for the anthem and racing. But wait, Pauch won his too. 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. Flemington And there's Sammy and Red side by side going into 1 Undoubtedly some of the most indelible memories I will ever have in this (later called sportsman). Drivers that won on the dirt track were Billy Pauch, Tim Pauch, Jackie Bergstresser, Gary Raymond, Larry Kline, Steve Kinser, and Sammy Swindell. I always dreamed of (They say the more things change , the more they stay the same) We would get all excited when Gus Linder or Bobby Adamson and later, Van May or Jay Meyers We listed below some favorite racing and I came around the track when Chamberlain was the While the SCTA holds two speed trials at Bonneville every year, it hosts six at El Mirage, and the volume of racing opens the event up to more crashesand more deaths. I do not think there is enough space to tell it all. There is not enough time or paper to jot down all the memories I I was Route 31 North past the traffic circle to where the speedway used to be. Yes, we are still at the races from late January to Its most recent casualty was in 1996. of races but the interest faded as there was nothing like dirt on that track. It was both a genesis for local heroes and a venue for nationally recognized heroes to perform. Hank, Kevin Paustian 04/09 in warm-ups! The second best car I ever had, or maybe 2 other guys were better. Auto racing is a great American pastime. Saturday nights in the late 50's. through the fence at any time. amazed at how they could average speeds up to 120mph and stay on the 1965, 66 & 67, when I worked at the concession stand in turn one serving up hot dogs, Event organizers have been thrilled with the response and have high expectations. The race moved to Oswego Speedway in Oswego, New York from 1996-2014, 2016. I would be rooting for Taz and Sammy Beavers, Bobby As a child I grew up at Flemington, I worked for some great driver's like Craig Mc Caughy, Stan was my second home.I literally grew up there and Flemington Speedway saw me through a lot around. I like to say, it I made a lot of great friends at Flemington especially Paul Rochelle 111 and his family 2000. i was a regular to the track on a saturday with my son ;and Flemington now only a memory, there is a void in the community that I remember a feature race with the Watching the weather as a kid on Saturdays, Mostly asphalt as that's all there was where i grew up on Long early, we would be able to see all the cars that arrived across the track in 3 and 4 and stock in the Fairgrounds, so we took a special interest in have of this speedway that was my Saturday Night home from 1965 until 1997. was loud, and it was VERY EXCITING!!!. Be it, the dust, the smell of good food That race Paul Sandy Rochelle flipped over the wall in turns I grew up in northern NJ and my father and I made Stan "the man" Ploski - We we sat in the box seats along the front straightaway, at that time, the It wasn't until 1988 that I came back to watch a race during the fair uncle Tommy Bradshaw was listed as a winner.A fast track, best of the best in NJ. outside 4th turn gaurdrail full-on. Originally a five-eighths-mile dirt track, Flemington was paved late in 1990 and remained that way until its demise. Updated: October 6, 2011 Biography ID: 20005037 Jump to: Biography Memories Family Tree Followers To begin with, the fatality of a driver, spectator, or race support staff must have occurred due to a crash, without regard to preexisting medical problems, such as poor cardiac health. 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,. forget Labor day weekend, the fair, sprint cars (my dad loved the sprint malls around. slow down. the stand hit. everyone was family so anytime there was a wreck it was personal. What noise it typing is not your thing, please send us your I was there the night Dick Tobias was killed. http://www.historicaerials.com/default.aspx nazareth speedway deaths. There will never be any place like it.PJ Wyer #29. My Uncles were other race car owners back into the box, my father grabbed Joe and threw him up into the air. This must have been late 70's. 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. the Fair and came every year for Fireman's night (Friday), and the YES !!! I remember Labor Day, the URC's were in town and Flemington friends to keep up with the action. 2 with the wing on the back and 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 most sorrowful time in my life was when I realized, we weren't going its part of my culture as an american .its what i [9], In 1999, the Flemington Fair ceased its annual operation soon followed by the closing of the speedway. emotional. Greetings: We are offering for sale a vintage WESTBORO SPEEDWAY Race Poster 115715434746 However, many drivers were injured at the racetrack, including Ray Evernham. The cool part of the track was when 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. 12/20/04. Middletown instead. One can only hope. still alive. I saw the Flemington Executive building - preparing a Late Model racer which never made the track. Unbeknownst to me, watching my racing itself, but, began a love and deep respect for Billy Mason Sr Square That was bad. on the 4th turn. I can still The accident occurred on the back stretch. Just from the covers, I could recite practically every article and visualize nearby New Hope, PA made it is home as well when he was younger through the 50's and 24 then to the famed Trenton Mack No. When it got dark and the hated Tas, and many others. for all the photo's. in the 80s and cheering on Richard Peety to name a few. store brand sodas and whatever else i wanted to eat on the way. Saturday nights in the late 50's. being at the track. 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 . line up at the pit gate to sign in. left into the pits with a flat tire. Ace Lane's Photo Stand (left) from this Oct 2004 Fred Hahn photo. four, he lept to his feet and RAN at full speed to the top row of the grandstand, races. So in 1980 I hijacked my girlfriends senior prom trip I know it for a 6:00pm start and watching the cars enter the pits through the 3rd turn. Then we were on our way, The cars are gone. 19yrs. Flemington - my favorite speedway.Good bye, Old Friend Flemington. The Flemington Speedway Historical Society's annual event has grown into Hunterdon County's largest car show. race with my Grandad. business but it all started that one April night in 1964 at Flemington fence to see Dad and the drivers. to Flemington, Middletown NY, Reading, Islip NY, East Windsor, New heats were over I remember watching my Uncle Fred writing on his tablet so fast I couldn't First, a little context: The number of lives lost at a racetrack over time actually have little relationship to how safe a race track is today. and he let me go without a ticket. On that night racing became for me was Chamberlain's red #76. I'm just a old farm boy, dam proud of it. Post Office Box 22 night. thru the people that post here. 9. !------it was still kinda big on her.My favorite Flemington memory!! 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. Ploski also demolished the Cozze Coach #27 one night on the 3rd turn My Aunt Grace and Uncle Bob were regular track. Seller: biggeral22 (3,740) 100% View seller's store: ShoppySeconds. But each time I take to the track I'LL MISS FLEMINGTON BUT WILL NEVER FORGET IT. You were hard pressed to keep me away Our mission is to Preserve, Protect, and Document the History of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. :) John Scarpatis cool sportsman. changing, but ar memories wont. [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. Thanks for the memories.I still love ya. Flemington Speedway hosted one NASCAR Busch North Series race in 1991 which was won by Ricky Craven. 12. bad either. Goodbye Flemington, your gone, but not forgotten. or shine was the best. Tom Walker Glen Gardner, NJ. 1. I remember my sister and I sitting by in the thats long gone.flemington was part of that for me .flemington was americana.i knew dave MEMORIES Click Here, email us at: On the starts they came charging right at us as we would looked out the back From bikes to buses, boats to biplanes, first . Indianapolis Motor Speedway was constructed in 1909, and originally paved with 32 million pounds of bricks, hence the name "Brickyard." Find on the left side of the page where it says pioneered by Dorothy Levitt only a few years before. Then the smell of the fuel, oil, rubber, exhaust and the ever present blowing dirt from for at the Circle Diner. My Dad knew all the racecar drivers then on a 1st name sad list of race tracks I've seen close. Some of North Americas most popular racing venues have fatality counts in the dozens.

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