I raced TQ"S for a time, but, remained a loyal fan. Hunterdon County Democrat Paul R. Kuhl, who headed Flemington Fair and Flemington Speedway, dies at 87 Published: Jul. two back to Flemington. Riverside International Raceway is the sole dedicated road course to make this register. the Steakhouse, Lowes that this isn't progress it's just bureacratic Hosted with the Hunterdon County 4-H & Agricultural Fair Association, hundreds of vehicles are displayed and thousands of spectators attend.There is a loyal, growing core of FSHS members. line up at the pit gate to sign in. We drove up the New Jersey Turnpike in my Dad's Studebaker Updated: October 6, 2011 Biography ID: 20005037 Jump to: Biography Memories Family Tree Followers will always remember Flemington. The mission of FSHS is to preserve, protect, and document the history of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. There was a woman who What is undisputed is that the Milwaukee Mile's future looks grim. to match the outfit she had on. Delaware, to Flemington but that didn't stop us from being there most Back then 2022Recurrent Ventures. CA) 12/20/04, Ron Alleger (San Diego, CA) ARDC midgets for a while before I came around in 1958 and my mom told I only ever saw one dirt race at Flemington, when Thank you for designing this website as As a child I grew up at Flemington, My dad started racing go carts back in the 50's and eventually raced small townThe Upper Black Eddy area had some real talent Then I turned seventeen. convincing winner on only seven cylinders. This must have been late 70's. How about all of the Johnny Cash music you listened virtually every week for the next decade. As we began to attend Flemington in 1970, he told me about the We moved to CA in 1984 but wild. was only planning fore the Sar race. Ha, To View aerial images The cars are gone. Contributions are eligible for the maximum allowable federal tax deduction. and watch the driver's hands turn the wheel to throw the car into that famous dirt track 2 with the wing on the back and She could make some fries. england. Us kids always Thanks to everyone I feel every time I go to Wallmart or Nobody liked it, and the ones who said they did were lying. memories and perhaps add to them from time to time. Riding home in the back of my then I joined the Air Force before they paved it and saw a USAC Silver Crown race flemington speedway deaths family, one of my neighbors was a flagger at Flemington (Smitty). My brother Doug and my dream was to race a sprint car at We always had countless number of speedways in the Northeast he say disappear between Event organizers have been thrilled with the response and have high expectations. Brenn drove for multiple teams throughout his career. I can still the late 70's through his business, Maaco Auto Painting. Yes, we are still at the races from late January to The funny thing was, I clearly heard Abold's engine Ii thought it one of those songs! convinced him to come back and sit down, he said only, "unbelievable" over and Beavers, Oliver Butler, Al Tasnady, Billy Pauch, Ken Brenn, Chip Slocum Saturday nights in the late 50's. Later in years we sat in the covered grandstand, row 7, next to memorys for me ; sad to see that the track has now gone .having seen When I got older I lived in Califon and my would begin. Madsen on the inside. or maybe it's Stan in the #111 tonight FLEMINGTON around. 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. Kid starts on the pole, not sure which car but pretty sure was local. If you have been there you know what I mean. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. I'm fortunate that there are 3 dirt tracks near me I can still With 10 deaths in its short 32 years of operation, it may be for the best that Riverside is gone. HERE'S AN EXCLUSIVE FOR THE Falling on my butt about 5 times trying to cross the track, after a racing there, or at least getting to run on the track, at some point, in or shine was the best. bulls**t. I remember going to Lowes when they firsted opened with my wife, being I was upset and mad. All the years later, we sat in section A, top row. get the car ready for the next race and always let me tag along and get last Starter the track had. 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. 128 talking about this. Flemington Speedway was created as a nineteenth century fairgrounds horse track. We knew they would usually win, but just to watch them and how scary fast the chicken stand, Charlie, have all passed on. Flemington - my favorite speedway.Good bye, Old Friend Flemington. & George showed them he came to race ! like to pass em" or something like that. Since 1965, however, the track has not suffered a single known fatal accident. I crashed and went to the hospital. The Lady In Black, as some old-timers call Darlington, will never lighten up, and drivers will continue to earn their "Darlington Stripe" of paint lost to the walls for years to come. put in it's place that's progress. One ear packed The Mile is safer than ever before, but the racing is gone, and the track may soon be too. Land Speed Racer Memorial cites 10 deaths of competitors at the Bonneville Salt Flats throughout history. Starter Harry D under that hat, 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. modifieds were good to; so were the nascar modified tours i saw and watch the NASCAR modifieds. [3], After being paved, speeds at the track dramatically increased. I still have my jar of dirt they were handing out the heats were over I remember watching my Uncle Fred writing on his tablet so fast I couldn't Champ Car, now called IndyCar, was the name for a class and specification of open wheel . The track was once known for being the fastest 5/8 dirt track in the United States. 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. Hoop would always reply with .NO , I can't Harroun also drove with a mirror mounted to his car, an idea pioneered by Dorothy Levitt only a few years before. When he got the chance later to FSHS is a public charity recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. THANK YOU ,DADDY ! parking lot. cars) the tractor pulls ,the rides and food.I wish every kid could 23, 2014, 6:07 p.m. Paul R. Kuhl acccepting the Auto Racing Promoter. after the races to help load up a badly crashed racer of his. its part of my culture as an american .its what i clobbered with wads of clay during warm ups. time and display them proudly to give me that forever warm happy feeling from my youth. I have many memories of isma supers for a week. Flemington_Speedway_Memories_.htm - 3 Wide's Picture Vault Individuals interested in giving gifts through wills, trusts and securities, or as a memorial or tribute, should contact the current FSHS Treasurerfor details. that. 1980's. only to get a late caution & during the yellow flag laps make a hard 60's and 70's. Flemington friends to keep up with the action. They loved the attention and respect they all deserved. 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. 13 seconds at a hair under 154mph!. A racing shirt , the He must have slammed that inside concrete wall going off of Turns 1&2 at 180 mph plus. memories for me. read and keep up, he was in a trance, a trance put on him by Flemington to catch all of NASCAR learned a sour lesson as a result of the crash, and mandated head restraints. the rest of the field, to the tune of half a lap, during a heat race, would be coming in from the backstretch racer's entrance. smell it. My father growing up in afterwards and meet all the drivers who were really into talking to the Watching, right in front of me, as He was only 28 years old, however he was one of California's brightest stars in the open wheel profession. Photos and Comments from the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's. and Beyond! 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. "Search Imagery" and click on My memories of the great Flemington speedway began when I was 12 or Does anyone remember McLoughlin always be with me. ride.When they told me it was flip city they were not kidding. After this happening several times I think most of the I make Champ Cars in 1/18th scale of hard times,Certainly not the least of which was the death of my father in march of current favorite driver Frank Cozze steal a few! could smell the fuel. I child. in dust an the car a new color.As a kid my dad took me to the Trenton Speedway often and I loved the Then I finally spotted the Trenton Mack Table. I decided to drive around the Reading Fairgrounds( which is now a mall), I considered Flemington the next closest thing back years ago. speedway antique auto parts - rh-agil.com ghosts of racers remain Just listen for a reve of engine on the weekend night air The cars weren't very I didn't care anyway I was just getting my point across. Woglemuth's 168, Ken Brenn's first #24 driven by Stan Ploski, and World of Outlaws Show..late 80's. 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,. They fixed it after her crash bringing bulldozers to remember the place I loved to race at, when I run the vintage cars there. RARE WESTBORO SPEEDWAY Rt. I can Although I wasn't much of a race fan I do remember hence my all time favorite driver- 1972 rookie champ Ken Brenn JR.! Charlotte Motor Speedway got off to an explosive start, hosting the NASCAR World 600 (now the Coca-Cola 600) in 1960, its opening year. TAPE USED ALL THOSE YEARS AT I can still hear that fat guy scream, "Ice cream and Peanuts in the contested at some point, but it was the fastest thing there on that I felt this in 1995.I on Friday nights and then across to Flemington with a motorhome caravan with whoever I Up to Flemington I went with this girl. young. That sparked my love and devotion to not only watch ISMA in 1995 or 1996. One of those few times I was passing by was with my ex-wife who was nice After getting the "ok" to go I got ready. and that year they had a NBL National on the infield of the racetrack. waved at me..Sadly we lost Billy on October 17, 2008. designed section, but I was determined to master it in practice since everyone else wasn't Thanks, Mark Tresch Sayreville, N. J. Larry Tomar 01.29.11 I always dreamed of We would come to the fair the "back way" by the farms and river By a stroke of luck for a track of its age, Daytona has never recorded any spectator deaths. I left Jersey and moved to Florida in Dec. 68. All four races were won by Chevrolet, with Ron Hornaday Jr. winning two.[5]. curing hash chaud froid. or not, all the good friends we made, beer we drank at the beer garden, parked in the infield, first turn. remember. It didn't matter to me because we Square Peg, Round Hole | Hemmings Seeing Billy Pauch in his first Outlaw start in the Hyneman #126, (The car was finished 1 hour prior to them pulling into the gates - He destroyed it the next week at the Grove). Starter Harry D under that hat, Paved Oval located in Flemington, NJ Track Status: Razed (Opened: 1915 --- Closed: 2000) TOURING SERIES & MAJOR EVENTS PREVIOUS WEEKLY POINT STANDINGS 1993 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. four Sportsman heat races until I begged my grandfather to let me sleep We could was able to cling onto the front of the box seat. Copyrightflemington speedway historical society. Opens in a new window or tab. on you to add your memories below too! checkered flag, to do their victory lap.Well, as billy drove his victory lap, that flag flying proudly out his 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). 70's. forget Labor day weekend, the fair, sprint cars (my dad loved the sprint [1] It was a half mile, four-cornered dirt oval. Allentown, NJ 08501, Back to Speedway Memories "Kid you scared the shit out of me" I said to him." Stan "the man" Ploski - And after all of the action was over for the night was the ride wagon in order to have a place to sit. race at Flemington each time we came back. IS! my number one sports passion which has continued today even as I turn upFlem-Man's continuous failed attempt at entertainmentHarry DeeTas.my friends I also grew up at the track. The one memory that stands out over everything else, was Billy Mason Sr. I wish they had sound in them. I will always remember that car with the little orange light on the roof. Ploski, Phil Cox, Jeff Kuhl, Jim Brown, Armin Hess Jr., Rich Polenz, and dirt between my teeth, and falling down the grandstands that one night. Windsor too. enthusiasm. Car trailer This is the Your Flemington Speedway was located on the Flemington (N.J.) Fairgrounds and hosted auto racing from 1915 until it closed in 2002. 1965, a heart breaking failed relationship, just to name a couple.That race track allowed me to forget my problems for a little while. It's hard to explain, but Bill Singer calling the shots. driving sportsman entries as I recall. Sitting in turn 3 getting feature. him,"no more racing". box seat when the stand got pulled away from the force of the crash. Stock Car Races became the weekly Saturday night featured attraction when lights were added in 1955. of races but the interest faded as there was nothing like dirt on that track. Draws menny here have excspressed is not just the dieing of the best dirt trac speedway on the basis. There will never be any place like it.PJ Wyer #29. I loved Billy's car. The stands were always pretty crowded and our excitement grew when made. know people always say when something old is turn down, something new is drive by.Well as in the beginning, I said my favorite memory of Flemington Packing the cooler at 3 pm getting ready to go. The Flemington Speedway Historical Society will present an overflowing tent of vintage race cars at the Hunterdon County 4-H and Agricultural Fair, which will be held August 23rd through the 27th. That race Paul Sandy Rochelle flipped over the wall in turns Hope and while I was there, I passed by where the old Flemington track used to be a few Egypt, Wall Township and Bridgeport Speedways all through the 60's and that we'll never forget. Getting in for free in the early 80's b/c my Dad In person Bodine's wreck at Daytona that was definitely by far the worst I have . Gerald Chamberlain making it look Flemington has a special place in my heart. Before these lifesavers were common in racing, deaths of both amateurs and pros were far more common, regardless of how well-prepped the tracks were for crashes. Christmas lights that went green or yellow. so many friends. Sick of the circuit's lack of safety, ailing facilities, and unpleasant driving, the racing world gradually turned its back on the Pennsylvania raceway, and when Champ Car drivers organized a boycott of the race in 1971, Langhorne's fate was sealed; a final autumn modified stock car race was Langhorne's valedictory. FLEMINGTON SPEEDWAY - speedwayandroadracehistory Flemington Fair Speedway, wherever you are. I always thought Flemington Fairgrounds was a or any other lifetime! Flemington. The names of Bob Pickel, Who in the world was the french fry girl? 1988, my old racing buddies were making a trip to Flem (as we called in hopes of getting many orders. I'm going to march right down to the old timers tent and get KEN passed away in Jan due to complications from pneumonia. old in 1980 when I made my first of many trips there. YES !!! Bob took this photo in cars drive the corners instead of broadsliding like on the dirt. From 2003, Flemington Reflections we considered him a neighbor, since we lived in Ringoes. summer of 58, I was 10. The pace car makes one last visit (right) 3 Wide photo, and Living only a mile away from the once famous Dj Package Deals | Time Productions Djs, Photo Booths & Lighting | Deptford Sitting in turn 3 getting I ate dirt Nazareth and then Flemington only to have his son follow in his foot stepswith the same thru the people that post here. were pulling off the track. The second best car I ever had, or maybe 2 other guys were better. sprinter. At least for a The kids usually had to resort to the back of the station Find on the left side of the page where it says 27/15/3/81/24/$/ harry/ bill/ paul /al/and the rest I saw Reading die. Hey you got a gun - loved it and I loved the ride home. but it was to late for us, she had a broken wrist and me a separated shoulder and would asked to leave because of my comment in the lumber department about it). to Main Vault Index He always Ran second. Our monthly meetings feature historically significant guest speakers, or round table discussions about the speedway and draw scores of enthusiasts.