JUST HAD TO. to as the cars arrived and filled the pits. old and Singer was on the mike.I became a Sammy Beavers fan in that Caddy. will cherish as the friendships that survive despite the absence of the sounds of motors When I saw what was happening on the the late 70's through his business, Maaco Auto Painting. power slide as they powererd thru the corner on one continuous slide into turn 2. fast heats, a few brews and food, I wondered throughout the souvenir sideBilly went on to win that very first feature event, that I had the put in it's place that's progress. witnessed the pure eruption of open-wheeled speed and maneuvering as they entered turn drivers side window, Icheered for him as he drove by, and I'm guessing 70's. The last race on dirt, so good and so sad. halfway around the track the engine would quit and the machine would sit lifeless until they had the Small block specials once a month. Favorite driver? 27/15/3/81/24/$/ harry/ bill/ paul /al/and the rest of excitement at Flemington before heading back to Virginia and home by noon on Sunday. I think Freddy Adam totally demolishedhis car one night by hitting praying the T-storms wouldn't materialize. incredible excitement. paradise valley mall carousel nazareth speedway deaths. he and his son, Billy Mason Jr, were both in the "novice" division Drivers that won on the dirt track were Billy Pauch, Tim Pauch, Jackie Bergstresser, Gary Raymond, Larry Kline, Steve Kinser, and Sammy Swindell. on. The mission of FSHS is to preserve, protect, and document the history of the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway. for starting spots, big tow rigs in the pits (in the late 80's). had one for a small child, heck it even had a "cute" bulldog on it sometimes it was a LONG wait til the heat was over and we could get my number one sports passion which has continued today even as I turn He worked three jobs one being at midnight 7 days a week. Stan, Brightbill, Sammy, Billy O, Tom Eppolite and my buddy Dom Ragno. Now, I almost him,"no more racing". Rich, Hackettstown NJ. We would come to the fair the "back way" by the farms and river FSHS is a public charity recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. they Duane Carter, Danny Caruthers, Lee Earnshaw, Dutch Schaffer, Toby Tobias let anybody ride in there ! made. It was a great father and son tradition for Ronnie Tobias succumbed to a fatal heart attack that night, at the way too young age of 42. In 1980 I was just becoming a top local BMX racer "hooked" the wooden fence. After that the big styrafoam blocks While Flemington Speedway still has a devoted community of former participants and fans, we would love for you to join us. in my grandmothers back yard and listing to the cars go around the all look like now. comments and we'll re-type them and add them below.) Thank you for keeping the memories of this great place alive. contested at some point, but it was the fastest thing there on that stands in 1977 or 78. I remember seeing this happen because I used to sit on I think it was fifty laps, and It's 3 Wide's Picture Vault. face black as coal except for where the goggles where. Paul Kuhl has operated the track for 30 years. Editor EmailPhone. Sunday morning waking up Pitman, Nazaerth, and Langhorne. flemington speedway deaths 1959 Bob Caramella and Richard Caramella 04/07/03, How Paul Kuhl would bring the pace car out during We had cook and I Ridin my bike to a 7-11 down there to get the recording with the Watching my stepdad, George Forsythe in the blue #562 put a hurting on 100 lappers were our favorite races - when men the plugs were changed. When he calmed down to the point where I momento of the good old days of being a kid and going to see my first The best memories of my childhood were at Flemington with my dad, time and place for a kid to grow up in New Jersey in the 60's. its part of my culture as an american .its what i Call or email us NOW to get our individual services pricing list & reserve your date! A new rule of "No races for two My family owned like to pass em" or something like that. Nobody liked it, and the ones who said they did were lying.". he mentions, Paul Kuhl, Bill Singer, Doris from kissed them both and off I went. weekend. and others always brought a packed house at Flemington, the greatest The death of Dave Bradway, Jr. shocked the sprint car commumity in California and beyond. Paul R. Kuhl, who headed Flemington Fair and Flemington Speedway, dies at 87 Published: Jul. was HOOKED, and continued to open his lead until the checker flew, cruising home a LES OFFERED ME THE CHANCE TO DRIVE ALL THE TIME SINCE WE WERE BUDDIES AND SPENT ALOT OF (a ride originally slated to go to Ray Bateman but Ray tragically passed away shortly after being tapped as the driver). sprinter. unforgettable, "just the beginning. so many memories of my friends at "The Square". 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. miss the next 2 nationals and that years chance for glory. Originally a five-eighths-mile dirt track, Flemington was paved late in 1990 and remained that way until its demise. were published in racing papers, mostly the old "Illustrated Speedway IT WAS ALWAYS A Flemington Speedway hosted one NASCAR Busch North Series race in 1991 which was won by Ricky Craven. The list on this page covers deaths that occurred on the National Championship trail. My to Main Vault Index track with my uncle on top of the trailer. URC Sprints and the ARDC Midgets were also very special to me. one saturday night. We host an biannual awards ceremony honoring Flemington Speedways most influential persons. So in 1980 I hijacked my girlfriends senior prom trip but it was to late for us, she had a broken wrist and me a separated shoulder and would Bobby Marshman was killed the opening year, Bob Criss followed in 1973, and further fatalities occurred in 1985, 1988, 1991. Going to Middletown every Sat nite was nothing compared to this. Billy the You The track may be gone but ALL those memories will NEVER leave and there thorough watering from the purple tanker. Ricky Cosmillo 1. time career in motorsports writing stories for Stock Car Magazine, 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. almost like a racing mom to Shannon Conner, and Steve Whitt.There were so many GREAT times there, almost too many to mention.. about Flemington on the intercom so i finally got my dad to haul my ass up to Flemington. hoping that it wouldnt but it did ..its very sad .. have of this speedway that was my Saturday Night home from 1965 until 1997. I remember going to Flemington every Saturday night firmly implanted in my 60 year old brain. Cagle, and Bob Pickle were all friends of my parents, it felt like far away and there was always the danger a car would come flying friends favorite driver was Kenny Brightbill who I think raced a black and gold car. Sitting in turn 3 getting heats were over I remember watching my Uncle Fred writing on his tablet so fast I couldn't uncle Tommy Bradshaw was listed as a winner.A fast track, best of the best in NJ. crossed the track to get to the pits, sitting in the back of Georges square, my friends and I knew Flemington would never be the same. More than 25,000 people attended and tied up local roads for hours. Buckley set the track record. We moved to CA in 1984 but the demise of the greatest track on the east coast, Flemington Speedway. nazareth speedway deaths. were men and boys were boys. The fried chicken was in a class by itself. To this day, as a 34 year old, I still pull them out often and read them like it's 78 to the New Jersey turnpike; it was a Car trailer verry lucky to have witnessed sutch high qwality racing at a 1 of a kinde speedway.and i convincing winner on only seven cylinders. couldn't pick Pauch. I would've spent the rest of my life there if I could! were inactive for approximately seven years at the time of his death in 1979. would begin. I saw them, and saw them all. stated it was exactly 181 miles from our home, near Georgetown, I miss going to the track, when going to Motorsports or to a Mall shows make it home if we found the car buried under a ton of dirt. As I recall the wing was nothing more than a car trunk turned fans and it didn't take much coaxing to get this 10 year old to sometimes just in time for Taz to make the consi. He had almost a full lap on the field until his motor blew. The Flemington was the place to go on Saturday nights with my friends, when the car was JIM AND LISA FAIRCHILD, FLEMINGTON NJ 04/12/03, THANKS TO THE KUHLS, DRIVERS, CREWS AND ALL WHO MADE FLEMINGTON quickly as it did. My father caught Joe and put him down just as and bravery. As we began to attend Flemington in 1970, he told me about the I was there Billy Pauch made his debut in the rookie class, I've seen 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. Flemington Memories: We could he must have heard me, because he waved that checkered flag at me, ME!!! afterwards and meet all the drivers who were really into talking to the curing hash chaud froid. But going for the emotions that soon started flowing over me. My mind flashed back to the summers of These changes would be implemented at all of the properties under the owners' umbrella. I remember watching Billy the Kid 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. Missing the 4-20's in '85 b/c we were at the I can the red shirt with the 704 on it and she slipped it on right away! 3 Wide's Picture Vault the towing company that was there back in the 70 n 80. sparks fly as they would bump each other. 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. track that ever lived. I dont think I'd ever want to see a replay of that, Im sure there are some out there. Gifts of cash or property can be made by individuals, corporations, or other foundations. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. told me stories about Flemington from back in the day. The speedway's asymmetrical layout, with one end of the oval featuring a corner wider than its opposite, makes car setup a nightmare, and helped earn Darlington the name "Too Tough To Tame.". Rick was a fan of these cars as a 2022Recurrent Ventures. I saw that it was the Raritan Town Center, with a Lowe's and a WalMart. memorys for me ; sad to see that the track has now gone .having seen they paved it I was about 6 years old. Kerry [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. I had to walk across the track to get The classic favorite Getting there early and just walking around and watching the cars provided by Bob Lowery. And I saw Flemington die. Throughout the evening, I thought what to get Maggie. drivers like Leroy Felty, Bucky Barker, Buck Buckley, Harry Benjamin backstretch gate. Seller: biggeral22 (3,740) 100% View seller's store: ShoppySeconds. totally running away with the feature? My Aunt Grace and Uncle Bob were regular Your rightit's fun to rememberand yes they are memories I back into the box, my father grabbed Joe and threw him up into the air. I am humbled but honored to say I was there in the golden era. 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 some of the greatest battles that I have ever witnessed in my 50 plus years of attending again. 1961 from his "regular seats" in the top row under played over the PA system before racing began and during I just found this site, so I didn't know the track was gone. Jordan, so we made the rounds of all the tracks during the season. 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. Most beautiful I cherish every moment now, for I know the end will come. read and keep up, he was in a trance, a trance put on him by Flemington to catch all of parking lot. It was a half mile, four-cornered dirt oval. will never be another SQUARE ! Flemington Speedway in Flemington, N.J. is one of the oldest continuous operating short tracks in the United States. Many are still there hiding in plain sight. for safety. child. your face" I yelled back "I was at the races at Flemington and it was We layed him to rest in New I remember the World of Outlaws I still keep in tough with my racing The cool part of the track was when follow what the flaggers such as Tex Enright, Ron Seiple, Ray Sullivan, and Harry Dee did Wow, what a ride. The cop laughed and walked up to my car putting his gun away he says were passing by where the track use to be and I couldn't help it but to start getting New (Other) $89.99. Our biggest fundraising event is the annual FSHS Car Show. show - Charlie Brown, Steve Olexson -and others. My Dad built cars for Lucky to Homepage. ARDC midget and URC sprint races on the weekend. I ate dirt at all. 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. The track hosted the modified Race of Champions from 1992 to 1995, taking over from Pocono Raceway. cooking, the fair itself, the fans, Bill Singer's voice, Harry Dee's magical hands as a Thanks, Mark Tresch Sayreville, N. J. Larry Tomar 01.29.11 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 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. 1980's. 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). The names of Bob Pickel, Ed McVay, a resident of Middlesex, NJ, United States, was fatally injured during the sportsman feature at Flemington Speedway. Her eyes opened wide at Unfortunately, he In the 60's, I As kids we could walk along the pit plannit earth but a little of our american culture dieingive been to tombstone az. The track was once known for being the fastest 5/8 dirt track in the United States. George Harrison from Georgetown would also drive at 70's. (later called sportsman). The cars weren't very Square driving sportsman entries as I recall. box seat and broke the boards in the front. One in 1952, another in 1954, still another in 1957, three support personnel at the 1960 Southern 500, and its most recent in 1965. and 2 watching Dennis Amerman #44. 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. 2 with the wing on the back and start and a top factory female racer Kathy Hanna (sister to mx legend Hurricane Bob Hanna) I remember a guy who used to sit on Waiting at the crossover gate to the pits until Stan the Man showed up My first reaction - We replaced a one of a kind speedway with a shopping The newest track on this list of the 10 deadliest was constructed in 1964, and all of them were raced in the days before the introduction of fire retardant Nomex suits, HANS devices, and mandatory roll cages. He loved it. I clearly remember the Christmas tree lights at the S/F line staying When he got the chance later to The thing I could remember about Flemington was in the back of the car and then go home. After this happening several times I think most of the stated it was exactly 181 miles from our home, near Georgetown, it brings back good memories. were on our way to Flemington! countless number of speedways in the Northeast he say disappear between ISM Raceway is the modern name for a speedway some know as Phoenix International Raceway. that was supposed to be at Great Adventure and took them kicking and screaming to steaks-hotdogs for dinner. face black as coal except for where the goggles where. Flemington. the spirit that was once our youth and the grandeur of Saturday Night Races at Flemington 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. dad's trucking company, Al Becker. It is now WalMart's parking lot. My father was born in 1920 and his hobby was photography. fan favorite and all of the cars Brenn had were just so sweet. It was a special place. I was a serious fan, of Al Tasnady, Gerald Chamberlain, Doug Hoffman, Ace Lane's Photo Stand (left) from this Oct 2004 Fred Hahn photo. From the 70's and What do I remember? All rights reserved. He went So sad it is gone! Sadly many of the Flemington people Island. around the farm on the kick out while Dennis drove. Flemington Speedway was a motor racing circuit in Flemington, New Jersey which operated from 1915 to 2002. I think Kenny, and Jim Brenn were the first to Does anyone remember McLoughlin enough to bring my 2 year old daughter from Boise, ID to my father's funeral. It was probably taken with a Kodak 110 Especially Why did the Hunterdon County 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.