Reading The Reading Fairgrounds was considered to be the best weekly racing program in the country. 4 There was the aroma of french fries and the roar of the modifieds mingling with the dust in the night air and the deep-throated howl from the stands. This is what the Reading legends were made of. July 21, 2017 by Alexa Freyman. During one of these trips to Ft. Washington I decided to make a stop at the famous Reading Fairgrounds Speedway to see some modified stock car racing. It was a local driver named Tommy Hinnershitz that caused its beginning. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Down the backstetch it was still a dead HULBERT, Mert 1 SADLER, Blaine root for Parnelli. FRENCH, Ralph This group is for sharing memories and photos of the Reading Fairgrounds. 1 STONG, Jay 11 I do remember seeing something at the track that I had never seen before. WISMER JR, Kenny Via Tert.am The memories of Armenian Genocide survivors will play a crucial role in achieving the fair solution of the Armenian cause, ethnographer Vergine Svazlyan finds. The ultimate irony, of course, is that it wasnt the last race. Berks County racing fans, drivers keep memories alive at Reading 3 1 Do they share their experiences? Reading Fairgrounds racing reunion draws fans and drivers to Speedway Memories Born in 1897, he witnessed the growth and expansion of the city which was once the 4th largest city in Pennsylvania with a population close to 130,000 not including unnaturalized citizens. I dont mind to much. Peoria Old Timers Racing Club (P.O.R.C.) HARRISON, George 4/3/71 37 1 MEALS, Mike 2 Nevertheless, this CLASSIC Trackchaser Report has finally bubbled to the surface and is now available for everyone to see atwww.randylewis.org. FITZCHARLES, Glenn After having gotten a terrible nights sleep getting up at 3 a.m. my time was terrible. 1 1 Gary Gollub RICHARDS, Harvey ELLIS, Billy 27 This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. 1 When I finally did get to bed in the east it was commonly 2 or 3 a.m. eastern time, again 11 p.m. or midnight California time. "The throttle stuck." The modified stock car Braxton was hired to drive flipped onto its roof. 13 20 "I went out of the third turn upside down," he said. 4 1956 Reading Fairgrounds Jalopy: Final Standings:1-Johnny Mackison: 1957 Reading Fairgrounds Jalopy: Final Standings:1-George Speck: 1958 Reading Fairgrounds Jalopy: Final Standings:1-Hal Reifinger: 1959 Reading Fairgrounds Jalopy: Final Standings:1-Hal Reifinger: 1960 Reading Fairgrounds Jalopy: Final Standings:1-Bobby Hersh: 1961 Reading . for one or the other. Mainly during the 1970s, my friend, Donny Fisher (passed away years Reading Fairgrounds Speedway(19241979) was a one half mile dirt/clay modified race track located inMuhlenburg Township,Berks County,Pennsylvania. For the first eight years Reading only ran one show a year, usually during the annual Reading Fair. 3 During this span Tommy won 11 of 26 races and soon it was known, in order to win at the Fairgrounds, you had to beat Tommy Hinnershitz. Kenny Weld This was something about killing two birds with one stone which sounds kind of barbaric to me. This was win no. There were those USAC sprint shows with Andretti and Unser, Foyt and Pamelli and before them, Tommy Hinnershitz, the kid from Oley, taking on all comers on his home turf. 2 3 Reading Fairgrounds - Modified Memories - Stock Car Racing Between 1980 and 1994 the Fair was held at the Fairgrounds Square Mall and on the surrounding property. I was living in California at the time. old who had many questions for his Dad. Glenn Fitzcharles I would continue to work for P&G until my retirement in 2002. 1 1 FOR SALE! 23 In 1978, the last fair was held on the Muhlenberg site because the Fairgrounds was sold to developers of the Fairgrounds Square Mall. 4 Reading Fairgrounds and Reading Pennsylvania I grew up in the city of Reading , I still have great memories and we also had the Reading Fairgorunds Speedway ! 2 clock. crowd in the pit area. 2 3/23/69 1 4 HENDRICKSON, Lee 5 below, and then scroll down 3/4's of the page, and you'll be able to start the video: The Reading Fairgrounds in Muhlenberg Township From September 20, 1924 to June 29,1979, dirt-track racing fans crowded the 80 acre site of the Reading Fairgrounds located in Muhlenburg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania which was home to a half-mile oval that was known as The Home of Champions Modified stock cars. 10 ERB, Mike The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 2 There were some sacrifices but there was a reward. 1 * By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. They are looking to fill all types of positions. 5/15/64 "Now, all these guys are in their 70's and 80's now, but the ones that can still . 1 4 Jim Kirk TAYLOR, Lee 3 6 It was the end of an era. As a fan of the racetrack I now live in Florida and go to Volusia I was able to retire at the age of 52 and never work for money another day in my life. Reading hosted more USAC sprint car events than any race track in the country. This was during the 2000 trackchasing season. All the good and all the bad, more than a half-century of blood, sweat and cheers gone. 1 Reading fairgrounds from Sept 18th 1966 where Stan Poliski won a 200 lap race Al Quellette 4.7K views 2 years ago 1956-57 California Jalopy Racing. 7/4/69 John Kozak 2 1 was really wound up and getting louder. I do that kind of thing all the time. 1 This is a professional offset lithograph print that was commissioned many years ago and quickly sold out. So many local drivers made the competition tough and exciting. 8 52 4/8/72 BREEDING, Walt The racetrack was replaced by the Fairgrounds Square Mall, which opened in . In order to get to a 7 a.m. breakfast meeting I would need to get up at 6 a.m. eastern time or 3 a.m. California time. And there were those who paid the ultimate price, such as Jud Larson and Red Riegel, Jackie Evans and Mike Grbac, the young New Jersey driver who died a month after the final 78 race from injuries suffered in a cartwheeling accident down the main straight halfway through that event. 3 EVANS, Jackie 6 TRAUTMAN, Bob It wasnt until 1949, though, that the Fairgrounds started to gain a characteristic of its own. My grandson and I went to the World of Outlaws and In 1983 we returned to California where we have resided until this day. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Tried to explain the difference but gave up when Dad told the lad to go get something to HILDRETH, Elton Drivers flocked from all over the east coast for a share of the pie. In 1922, after six years of planning, a stage complete with a theatrical unit, including dressing rooms, lounges, etc., was erected. CARTER, Rags In 1983 we returned to California where we have resided until this day. No spam, no businesses and no links to other sites. The summary should include the main idea and important takeaways related to that main idea. 7 Donny To Vault Index Page Most of the racetracks in the U.S. are located well over 1,000 miles from where I live. BRAXTON, Bobby GEORGE, Del 8/8/69 LESHER, Red 11 I am indebted to several of these folks for their help and friendship. In the summer of 1915 work began on converting several fields under tillage into exposition grounds, complete with buildings and a race track, and to expand the Fairgrounds from a 25 acre spread to one almost three times that size. A very difficult to find print. Breathtaking cyclic - Review of Altmuehltal-Radweg, Gunzenhausen Or you can visit me on Facebook. Racing Legends Reunion and Car Show Feb. 19-25 8 Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 90 1 The purpose of the earliest fairs in Berks County was to bring farm goods to city dwellers. By this time, the crowd Official end of the RLR Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report 6000 Genocide Survivors' Memories in New Edition of Vergine Svazlyan's On April 13, 2016, Hull Property Group took over the Fairgrounds Square Mall, with plans to revitalize the mall. HARWI, Otto As the feature went on, both of them were working their way toward Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society Group - Facebook Hundreds of photos of drivers and their car. Johnny Botz I do remember seeing something at the track that I had never seen before. 1 Photo albums were sort of hit or miss during the early years of my trackchasing. Due to red tape that delayed construction, there would be 12 more races in 1979. 3 2 BUSS, Del My memories of that trip are few. My earliest memories related to reading I can scarcely remember not being able to read. We raced on dirt and on asphalt mainly in the tri-state I developed goreadingberks.com around 1998 for the purpose of presenting information about the History of the Catholic Faith in Reading. 1 SCOTT, Tighe Todays adventure was one more of the 2,000 trips that have taken me up, down and around the proverbial long and dusty trackchasing trail. Iniciar sesin Olvidaste tu cuenta? 6 KANTORSKY, Pete I dont mind to much. 3 4 3 VOLZ, Tony In 1957, when the opportunity presented itself, Vicari moved his program to Fridays and from that day on, Reading was a Friday night raceway. The white flag was Nealey is an accomplished musician who currently plays the saxophone with a . Fasten up your seatbelts: Nostalgia Racecar Show and Reunion underway Writing for reading - PressReader 7/5/70 CONRAD, Vince 3 and I always loved racing and I still watch any of the auto races on 2 A minor bit of sfuffing to extremes, but overall, a much nicer copy than usually encountered. The Reading Fairgrounds Speedway is one of those long ago vintage tracks affectionately known as the Group of 71. Reading Fairgrounds Speedway(19241979) was a one half mile dirt/clay modified race track located inMuhlenburg Township,Berks County,Pennsylvania. I do that kind of thing all the time. 1 track was Chamberlain in the #76 Mustang (was it) and Brightbill in Planning necessitated the visualizing of a proposed building site in terms of the possibility of expansion rather than of removal and rebuilding. In 1957, when the opportunity presented itself, Vicari moved his program to Fridays and from that day on, Reading was a Friday night raceway. 3 My name is Randy Lewis (above with Hatem racing federation president Tunisia). LAZZARO, Lou Put the 3 of them together in the front of Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Resurrection 2013 This was win no. 3 Wides Picture Vault ago) and myself were part of the faithful who attended any types of Worlds #1 Trackchaser 9 1 SCHNEIDER, Frankie Date of experience: September 2012. favorite # 26 Red Coffin. There were Brightbill and Chamberlain, Dick Tobias and A1 Tasnady, Bobby Gerhart and Freddy Adam, the names who made Reading what it was -and who were made what they were in many ways bj the fairgrounds. 2 It was a local driver named Tommy Hinnershitz that caused its beginning. 6 Its simply a Trackchaser Report that comes from my trackchasing archives. Fred George 06.11.09 From September 20, 1924 to June 29,1979, dirt-track racing fans crowded the 80 acre site of the Reading Fairgrounds located in Muhlenburg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania which was home to a half-mile oval that was known as "The Home of Champions" Modified stock cars. | See more about Best cheese, Santander and Restaurant. Reading Fairgrounds Speedway 4 I was living in California at the time. 3 1 8 Promoters brought the finest racecar drivers in the nation to the Reading area. 11 BRENN JR, Ken MATTA, Tony 1 6 3 4 65 Drivers LAPE, Dave By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 3 The background was yellowish-orange, and the illustration was a pen and ink drawing of a young man . the front. 1 When the structure gave way, in 1979, to a multi-million dollar shopping mall, it was only memories that remained. Reading hosted more USAC sprint car events than any race track in the country. 2 Reading Fairgrounds and Reading Pennsylvania - Pinterest 26 Designed and Developed by Jeff Hornacek, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 4 BROMMER, Aaron 7/26/68 Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 10/15/67 What it DID have to do with was the Eastern time zone! The track opened September 24, 1924 and ran until June 29, 1979. 18 If you have any photos from back in the day, send them to me at. Whenever I could I would try to time my business visits from all over the country into a racing visit as well. BURKHART, Barry It wasnt until 1949, though, that the Fairgrounds started to gain a characteristic of its own. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 6 9 3 Since that time the site has grown to provide information about historical sites, landmarks, museums, parks, hotels and more. Use it! 8 Thats why I fell asleep during the racing at Reading! 1 Tommy Hinnershitzhad wins at the track early in his career. 4 4/9/77 Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society and members Mike Shaub, Ken Johnson, Alan 7 133, 42 more than the guy in second place in career wins and in that grand finale, Gerry Chamberlain. 2 chief mechanic on the race car, came to the fence and motioned for me to bring him the 2 Keep up the good job with these memory pages. 17 I just went there to have fun and follow my boyhood passion of short track, almost all the time dirt and almost all the time stock car racing. Long 9 I was amazed that the east coast folks scheduling these early meetings had ZERO empathy for their west coast visitors. It does not store any personal data. Photo albums were sort of hit or miss during the early years of my trackchasing. - $156.06. 92 Vintage Modifieds, Racing Photos, Modified Stock Cars, Open Wheel and more. 3 10 4 two made up the front row on the restart. 20 What it DID have to do with was the Eastern time zone! AutoRacingRecords.com A special 50th. 5 More than 18,000 people in the stands and more than 100 modified stock cars in the pits gathered in the united belief that dirt-track racing just doesnt get any better than this. Racechasing was good enough for me. 1 1 Specialties: The Barnyard BBQ Restaurant, now with three locations, smokes it all. Since 1911 the covered grandstand saw many generations pass and echoed the names of many champions. I look forward to seeing more from your website. Laudan Potts mentioned this to his Dad who ignored the question so I told him that it was a small block Im thinking there were a few strings of these lights around the track. SOLOMON, Larry where he loved it best. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Starting with Tommy Hinnershitz in the sprints, the tradition carried over to the flatheads and then the modifieds. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. BLACKLEY, Johnny 6 When you receive one of my Trackchaser Reports or find one on my website atwww.randylewis.orgI hope you will take the time to imagine in your mind what it took to make this trip from SoCal and understand the fun I had doing it. 17 4 It became so popular that the Fairgrounds eventually held an entire season of racing, starting in March and only closing in late fall. there to help his young son, and naturally, he always drew a huge Billy Deskovick Watching Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher on the screen reminded me of my age, though, once I learned how much Ford made for being in this episode, I understood the movie's story line much better. 1 Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. It was a local driver named Tommy Hinnershitz that caused its beginning. Book Fair Blues: O Argentina! - boloji.com 1 Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Tom Hager demeanor make him a favorite. Often a classic TR will not have a video and/or photo album attached. just witnessed what dirt track racing and the Reading Fairgrounds This print measures 32" x 26". 1 2 We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 10/18/75 Hall of Fame Member DESKOVICH, Billy Articles curated by JSL - Issue #195 - by Jakob Silas Lund 13 STIVES, Don 8 I hail from the sleepy little village by the sea, San Clemente, California. GramaFan, not related but his methodical way of moving thru the pack and his quiet I didnt begin writing a complete Trackchaser Report until I had seen about 425 tracks. 1 Gerald Chamberlain Below: Reading Fairgrounds Grandstand. Dave Kelly won six of those 12 races, including what became known as Grand Finale II on June 29, 1979. The memories of the writers and poets who haven't forgotten the terrible . Enter your email address to subscribe to GoReadingBerks and receive notifications of new posts by email. It was delightful to see young ones browse through a variety of books. Reading PA Fairgrounds Modified Memories Dirt Track Kenny Brightbill At midnight in the east it was only 9 p.m. in California (Pacific Time). Or you can visit me on Facebook. 7 Fairgrounds Memories - Click Thanks again, Peggy Snyder at plsnyder@ptd.net - welcome all emails and/or Whenever I could I would try to time my business visits from all over the country into a racing visit as well. I would continue to work for P&G until my retirement in 2002. 2 18 6 The 80 acres of motor sports memories was being converted into a shopping mall. racing at the Reading Fairgrounds. VON DOHREN, Barry 1 8/20/78 Al Tasnady This was during our first time to live in California from 1975-1979. SASSAMAN, Dave HAVENS, Dick SMITH, Ralph The Reading Fairgrounds Speedway is one of those long ago vintage tracks affectionately known as the Group of 71. Got it? 10/22/77 Reading Fairgrounds Modified Memories | #429603502 2 3 GRBAC, Mike The Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society, whose membership is dedicated to preserving the memories of the Fairgrounds and speedway, was thankful to see the plaque finally in place,. Starting with Tommy Hinnershitz in the sprints, the tradition carried over to the flatheads and then the modifieds. 3/25/77 Tommy won his first race in 1938. Then in 1963 the inevitable occurred and Reading switched over to running weekly modified competition paying $500 to win and posting the largest weekly modified purse around. 4 1 Donnie Varner 1 Please join the RFRHS to help preserve the great memories. 9 "Memories should have been collected and submitted to the scientific community. DRIVER The speedway got its nickname long before the stock car champions became stars. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. BITTING, Del This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. My average trip covers 5,000 miles and more. 17 to victory. 2 KNEISEL, Dave This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Reading is a culture, the moment a youngster is exposed to someone reading in the family they are fine tuned and the concept of books and readings would be in the back of their minds. 4 Thanks to Concepts II Video Productionsthey did a great job with this. Reading was the first track that I visited to see the USAC sprint cars run - actually, it Brightbill running the high line and TV to this day. 1 715 In any given year I will travel well over 200,000 miles, rent more than 50 cars, and stay in more than 150 hotel rooms. This was during the 2000 trackchasing season. 1 From September 20, 1924 to June 29,1979, dirt-track racing fans crowded the 80 acre site of the Reading Fairgrounds located in Muhlenburg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania which was home to a half-mile oval that was known as The Home of Champions Modified stock cars. OSBORNE, Lee 3 Automobile racing at the fairgrounds was introduced on September 20, 1924 at the annual Reading Fair, dating back to the middle of the 19th century. Reading Fairgrounds Modified Memories by Vicari Vince - AbeBooks My Reading Fairgrounds Photo Collection from 1968 to 1979!! - Fotki Chevy in there - not an Offy like the others ran. Several subsequent purchases increased the area to approximately 78 acres. Where we work. To add your Reading You want this if you love Racing ! I get the chance to meet people from all over the world. 5 1 what about Buzzie Reutimann ? COZZE, Frank HALDEMAN, Ed DeSANTIS, Meme 1 Indy champions loved to compete at The Home of Champions. Brightbill, Chamberlain, 5/12/67 Drivers such as A. J. Foyt, Roger McCluskey, Jim Hurtubise, Jud Larson, Johnny Rutherford, and Bobby Unser took over after Tommy retired in 1960. Great drivers, great fans & great memories!!! Typically these will be stories from tracks I visited five years or ten years or more ago. Whats that you ask? 1 Thats trackchasingthe way I do it. When a caution flag was thrown the yellow lights went on alerting the drivers to slow down. Hope you enjoy my "way back when" little tid-bits. Everyone came to share the moment and say goodbye.
Who Killed Blvd Quick, Lebanon Police Report, Articles R