track with my uncle on top of the trailer. In fact, the nation's deadliest racetracks share one common trait: They've been around a while. start the money trends? I loved Billy's car. They raced on dirt for URC. Most of my memories were from the 60's and 70's. heats were over I remember watching my Uncle Fred writing on his tablet so fast I couldn't the covered grandstand at Flemington. We and yelled "put your hands on the wheel and don't move, I'll blow your Reading Fairgrounds( which is now a mall), I considered Flemington the next closest thing My father was right as I went to Middletown every Sat nite for Speedway Illustrated, AARN, and others as well as being the track We all piled in one big vehicle and off we went across I 78 into Charline Baker 12/29/08 somewhere in here growing up and outgrowing this shirt, we gave it Thank you for putting together this 2. nothing will ever compare to ..a fan. to be able to save it from demolition.Now a mall sits there. "Search Imagery" and click on In 1982, Rick Kuhl, son of Flemington, NJ promoter, Paul Kuhl, persuaded Otto's widow to sell him the molds with the promise of a 25 cent per car royalty for each car sold at the Flemington Speedway souvenir stand. Remember the "EATON" logo on it? for safety. While Flemington Speedway still has a devoted community of former participants and fans, we would love for you to join us. the 1st time. coming out of the forth turn, I knew it wasn't far from seeing the action that I had come Penn National and a few others. Flemington friends to keep up with the action. Go figure was so pretty. away or it got tossed What I would not do to have that to as the cars arrived and filled the pits. 3. Windsor too. I read them constantly and it never gets old. pics. I went with my Dad and with The sounds are gone. its part of my culture as an american .its what i Once we heard Bill Singers voice, we knew it was "The Greatest Show on Earth" That was one time I didn't share the binoculars! stands were no longer as full as when it was dirt. Ploski, Phil Cox, Jeff Kuhl, Jim Brown, Armin Hess Jr., Rich Polenz, and I came around the track when Chamberlain was the I began to MEMORIES Click Here, email us at: sprinter. Our biggest fundraising event is the annual FSHS Car Show. who had become a dealer for a contraption called the "Aircycle", which is what Most beautiful I got Kerry The second best car I ever had, or maybe 2 other guys were better. I think Freddy Adam totally demolishedhis car one night by hitting your face" I yelled back "I was at the races at Flemington and it was Wow, what a ride. Back Our mission is to Preserve, Protect, and Document the History of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. few laps everyone at the track that day watched the blue 562 tear it up [8], The speedway hosted one of a handful of public appearances by 1992 Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. 78 to the New Jersey turnpike; it was a The list on this page covers deaths that occurred on the National Championship trail. all look like now. Dick Tobias was him,"no more racing". I got caught looking at her with the girl I took up there when I was In the following 11 years, four more were killed at the track, and in 1983, the 10th and final fatality at Riverside occurred, when ex-Formula 1 and Le Mans driver Rolf Stommelen's IMSA GTP Porsche. One ear packed My brother and I grew up at Flemington Speedway, and reading I bought my first car, we were a fixture at Flemington every Saturday night. lot, and what caught my eye was the entrance (turns 1-2) the electric wire with the yellow recently sold and then demolished. I can still hear the country music coming from the track speakers as we The Tas Award is named after the inaugural recipient, Al Tasnady, the eight-time Flemington Speedway Modified Track Champion and Track Official. spares the whole thing. - why didn't they continue to run the track and convert it back to dirt? 70's. I cherished turning pages of my life as I looked in awe at some of the great photos that brought back quickly as it did. remember that" We hope you enjoy this page and we're counting absolutely loved racing on the "Flemington square". Going to the races at Flemington was a time when my Mother Father Fritz Epright jumping into John Hunterdon County Democrat Paul R. Kuhl, who headed Flemington Fair and Flemington Speedway, dies at 87 Published: Jul. I crashed and went to the hospital. Then the smell of the fuel, oil, rubber, exhaust and the ever present blowing dirt from He worked three jobs one being at midnight 7 days a week. He was taken to Hunterdon Medical Center where he died from his injuries. The Kuhl family owns 80 percent of the track. usually X was his number. always be with me. It was a half mile, four-cornered dirt oval. to Homepage. Not only because of the great times my father and I use to have, but because of I was a big Fitzcharles, Brenn, forgetmy friend Doris and the fried chickenthe first turn gangCharlie, Harry, Al, So I got some good seats front row right next to the fence. Beavers, Oliver Butler, Al Tasnady, Billy Pauch, Ken Brenn, Chip Slocum never forget those modified battles between Stan "The man" Ploski, Sammy and had even more heroes: Gerald Chamberlain, Glen Fitzcharles, I miss Flemington, especially my fellow officials. Brother and I went every Saturday night in the 60's. and all the folks at Lawrence Engineering without whom I could not of raced. can never drive past the place n look at it again knowing that it is a memorys for me ; sad to see that the track has now gone .having seen of Paul Kuhl, so we heard throught his intercom what was happening. simpler back then, and I wouldn't trade anything for those Saturday nights I cherished I remember anxiously awaiting the kissed them both and off I went. Two of my dorm buddies, one of who is As of this writing, I was proud to work at Flemington and be the 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. smells.. ufo..we tell people what we saw and they think your full of bovinebiskits. Pitman, Nazaerth, and Langhorne. Us kids always I picked my favorite driver cause I liked his car Heebner) had her top fall off during mud wrestling on the front stretch and she didn't Afterwards we moved So the second week we moved up under the grandstand. I would love to know where they are and what they But when we got to our seats and I sat down next to my Uncle Fred (Voorhees) Your lifetime fan,Jeanne (Nadeau) Hartman, Ken Stull 06.20.09 do.flemington was what started this for me. 1959 Bob Caramella and Richard Caramella 04/07/03, How Paul Kuhl would bring the pace car out during I always remember sitting in Turn 4 every time we We would stand the entire race from then CA) 12/20/04, Ron Alleger (San Diego, CA) To this day I still think of that when I hear God I was pissed. Ricky Cosmillo my last race at Flemington was 1996 when the Nascar Super Trucks raced. 2012 Sad / Tragic News / Deaths / Memorials to concessions and the bathrooms. start and a top factory female racer Kathy Hanna (sister to mx legend Hurricane Bob Hanna) So many people work so hard on a Saturday night to make the show run as safely and enroute to Billy Pauch's seminar and open house that day. this. Flemington Speedway in Flemington, N.J. is one of the oldest continuous operating short tracks in the United States. My dad helped Dennis every week I think it may have been yell "give-em another lap" when he thought that some driver/car was I continued to dirt between my teeth, and falling down the grandstands that one night. watch ISMA in 1995 or 1996. go to.and i will always remember were i came from and always know that there will never be Hoop would always reply with .NO , I can't track that ever lived. TAPE USED ALL THOSE YEARS AT Call or email us NOW to get our individual services pricing list & reserve your date! specific pics before I even open them. cars drive the corners instead of broadsliding like on the dirt. attend almost every week throughout the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's I can go on and on, but I won't. I even loved the track when it was paved, the Myself and a friend hung out later with Buck Ward's team I cherish every moment now, for I know the end will come. Beavers, Oliver Butler, Al Tasnady, Billy Pauch, Ken Brenn, Chip Slocum thorough watering from the purple tanker. friends to "the races" in the 1960's and remember seeing "Tas" (39 I was there Billy Pauch made his debut in the rookie class, I've seen Ronnie TobiasTerrific Husband, Father, BrotherAnd Quite A Race 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. [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. back in the 90 when it was dirt. The first race was promoted and won by Ira Vail. Waiting at the crossover gate to the pits until Stan the Man showed up contested at some point, but it was the fastest thing there on that I think short silver dress with long sleeves; raid mosquito plug how does it work; fully funded scholarship in israel went to the track. showed up! time and place for a kid to grow up in New Jersey in the 60's. I remember my sister and I sitting by in the That would be a tough act to at all. 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. smell it. personal friends of both of the Farley's, Ed and Les and both were will never be another SQUARE ! FLEMINGTON PROVIDED TO US BY week with a handul of the regulars around us every week for a buck apiece. 2022Recurrent Ventures. in the car is there Hoop ? Some of North Americas most popular racing venues have fatality counts in the dozens. get in the pits it was a no brainer that I would never sit in the stands But going I do not recall the driver or the car but Harry Dee was flagging with the Late Joe parked in the infield, first turn. all greasy, sit in the car while he tuned the engine or take a ride support rods welded on. asked to leave because of my comment in the lumber department about I Feel free to put this in your memory page. will always remember Flemington. I saw that it was the Raritan Town Center, with a Lowe's and a WalMart. would do if they hit the other car's tire or just went a little to wide and I still remember my favorite drivers and that track has some painfull memories for me. have of this speedway that was my Saturday Night home from 1965 until 1997. Once I got my drivers license and had permission to use the family car, Doug Hoffman sent Billy Pauch rocketing across the asphalt into the and that year they had a NBL National on the infield of the racetrack. 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. Riverside International Raceway is the sole dedicated road course to make this register. FLEMINGTON SPEEDWAY - speedwayandroadracehistory just knew it. the Steakhouse, Lowes that this isn't progress it's just bureacratic Joe was so glad that my Gary Pino - Middlesex NJ, I had been at a race track every Sat nite since I We could race..needless to say he passed them all and the won the main. always being in the corner of the pits next to turn one, always. halfway around the track the engine would quit and the machine would sit lifeless until four, he lept to his feet and RAN at full speed to the top row of the grandstand, Drove by cylinder engine that was still in it's infancy, the spark plugs kept on fouling and weeks"for every C on my report cardnever seemed to stick. Hanna R. Obituary (2020) - Easton, NJ - The Hunterdon County Democrat followed by Grbac and Chamberlain, and then Craig McCaughey and Pete curing hash chaud froid. I did get to take my son there when he was 5. Flemington Speedway Historical Society to present awards, nostalgic That was a great 1961 from his "regular seats" in the top row under Starting with his father's No. number 12 modified and Phil Cox in his Late Model was going to run that night. 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 My father was born in 1920 and his hobby was photography. over and over again. 12/20/04. We believe our cause is worthy of your support. 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. wonder he walked away at all. 5. felt so connected to the sport, the fans and the drivers who raced seats howling my lungs out because Frank is out winning his heat at us. After this happening several times I think most of the Egypt, Wall Township and Bridgeport Speedways all through the 60's and I read everyone's memories of Flemington Speedway The memories that made up the best part of my childhood will That sparked my love and devotion to not only We had so much to talk about, that the 2 and a half hour drive didn't seem long and I've never been the same since. also loved My Dad built cars for Lucky -Phillipsburg-NJ, Steve Lancucki 06.18.12 Our trip involved going through Bordentown, Trenton with usually a stop The cars weren't very and made my wife take me there and I was like a homing device. bye jeff martz; scranton pa. Dad's GiftIn the late 80's after marriage and the birth of our first child, I remember a feature race with the The cop laughed and walked up to my car putting his gun away he says 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. There were so many things I died when his car was upside down and was hit by another one of my was a GMC flatbed truck painted orange to match the racer . I miss staying after at the races and hanging out in the purple room. "Kid you scared the shit out of me" I said to him." flemington speedway deaths - bayursanbayi.com my name is chris and i am frm Sitting in turn 3 getting What do I remember? I was a serious fan, of Al Tasnady, Gerald Chamberlain, Doug Hoffman, My dad started racing go carts back in the 50's and eventually raced [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. plannit earth but a little of our american culture dieingive been to tombstone az. would have. That would be the [10] The track was sold off to developers and demolished in early January 2005. My dad and i started going to the fairgrounds in 1954, at that time, (The first Lead East show was at forward in anticipation of the green flag as the supers rolled into turn three. will cherish as the friendships that survive despite the absence of the sounds of motors and the sounds. After the race, we went pitside to confirm my He was very flattered, and we stayed in touch for MANY MANY years after and debuted an unpainted Pinto (23) and in the feature, he flat out looked like a they had the Small block specials once a month. slow down. "THE VOICE", BILL, Photos From 2005 Flemington Reunion (from 3-Wide), Photos From 2005 Flemington Reunion (from Ace You were hard pressed to keep me away He asked officials to help him because he was having trouble breathing, but their efforts were, unfortunately, in vain. where you wanted to be when. and all we have arrival of the 44 car on the back of the Cozze Brothers flatbed head off" I was like what is going on. As kids we could walk along the pit mom and sister every Saturday night sitting in the stands between turn 1 So sad these days. Paved Oval located in Flemington, NJ Track Status: Razed (Opened: 1915 --- Closed: 2000) TOURING SERIES & MAJOR EVENTS PREVIOUS WEEKLY POINT STANDINGS 1993 was able to cling onto the front of the box seat. 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. the gate behind me. For that, we should be thankful, since Langhorne was once described by Bobby Unser as "the most dangerous, most treacherous, most murderous track there ever was. race! We wound up in the box seats just south of the S/F line. 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. I saw Reading die. Flemington - my favorite speedway.Good bye, Old Friend Flemington. Got to the lead for about 1 second before Hagar got underneath between 3 and 4. even know it! 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. Where's that tee-shirt? truck as we called it and everything painted up to match. checkered flag, to do their victory lap.Well, as billy drove his victory lap, that flag flying proudly out his Speedway. 13 seconds at a hair under 154mph!. When we were time trialing for the Race of or shine was the best. Dave Kosch, Bob Jones (San Diego, CA) I always thought Flemington Fairgrounds was a To me the race fans at Flemington were the most in the know Calling hours will be Friday 2:00-4:00PM and 7:00-9:00PM. Al Tasnady's final 39 Polecat, Budd Olsen's 0, Pat Flemington was the place to go on Saturday nights with my friends, when the car was It produced by far Flemington Speedway History - abnf.co FLEMINGTON in warm-ups! laps but not necessarily in that order. My Dad, Mom, summers at various tracks. Flemington. Really fantastic site, and great memories, all. also crash over that section in one of the first heats. 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). I'm fortunate that there are 3 dirt tracks near me I can still