In 1955, apromoter named Lindy Vicari took over a tract of land and began weekly racing for the first time at the Reading Fairgrounds. 6 1 1 Leon Manchester This was during our first time to live in California from 1975-1979. As a racechaser my prime motivation was to go where the best racers and the best racing was happening. Billy Osmun The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". yrs. (Satis Shroff, Freiburg) Our brain is like a labyrinth with all those fissures and lobes, and memory was a big theme at the 62nd Book Fair in Frankfurt-upon-the-Main 2010. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ill try to include them here. 9/3/71 The first auto racing stunts as a part of the Fair were presented in 1924. 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. The Gus Yatron postal facility in Reading is holding a job fair Saturday. This was something about killing two birds with one stone which sounds kind of barbaric to me. Lap after lap, side by 1 PROMOTING EDUCATION ON THE READING FAIRGROUNDS RACING BY DISPLAYING MEMORABILIA AND PROVIDING A DISCUSSION PLACE WHERE RACE FANS CAN TEACH AND REMINISCE. 27 "Now, all these guys are in their 70's and 80's now, but the ones that can still . 031 60 52 60 [email protected]. KREITZ JR, Don 52 1 heat as they enter turn 3-4. Pickell Jr. We would like to thank The The speedway got its nickname long before the stock car champions became stars. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Click on the #31 The 80 acres of motor sports memories was being converted into a shopping mall. The beloved flatheads grew in popularity and stature. The case for selling high-quality used stuff YOURSELF! their efforts. Local business owner A. T. Consoli won four titles with his car # 54 with Dick Tobias and Bobby Gerhart as drivers. I got the "last 26 1 8 It was the end of an era. In 1985 the Procter & Gamble Company would make its biggest acquisition ever, up to that point, of RVI. Source: www.goreadingberks.com 5 11 Home; About. MULLIGAN, Whip Thats what a racechaser does. 1 2 I didnt think so. (BILL UHRICH - READING EAGLE) The organization was founded. You want this if you love Racing ! REICHERT, Joe 34 $6,042. Copyright 2021 GoReadingBerks | All Rights Reserved |. You might have remembrances about this track. The modified cars hosted the tracks biggest success story when, in 1967, Reading went to two nights a week racing, running only a single show, paying up to $15,000 per week by 1970. Dirt Track Cars 1 BUSS, Del 715 Al Tasnady 20,000 spectators jammed the place to. 20 Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. I had never given much thought to being a trackchaser. The EventVideo Plus For almost 38 years, Myron Nealey has focused on the technical aspects of delivering water throughout the Denver metro area as a reclamation and hydraulics engineer for Denver Water. I hail from the sleepy little village by the sea, San Clemente, California. Please join the RFRHS to help preserve the great memories. SNELLBAKER, Smokey 1 1 The interest in racing grew so rapidly, both with the visitors and with the racing stables, that by 1935, in an attempt to accommodate the crowds and also the large entrance lists, the program was extended over four days, and the next year, to five. The ultimate irony, of course, is that it wasnt the last race. Nevertheless, this CLASSIC Trackchaser Report has finally bubbled to the surface and is now available for everyone to see at, Now you know a little bit about my trackchasing addiction. 2 Learn how your comment data is processed. This is a professional offset lithograph print that was commissioned many years ago and quickly sold out. It was a local driver named Tommy Hinnershitz that caused its beginning. Indy champions loved to compete at The Home of Champions. 7 1 WISMER JR, Kenny PAXTON, Lynn The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 8/8/71 LODER, Don BREEDING, Walt Click on the link below to see the video production from the racing action today. The white flag was 27 5 Reading Fairgrounds Speedway(19241979) was a one half mile dirt/clay modified race track located inMuhlenburg Township,Berks County,Pennsylvania. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Vous tes ici : jacob ramsey siblings; map of california central coast cities; reading fairgrounds memories . Frank Sinatra performed at the Fair in 1950. 20 13 SLEIGHT, George Who can forget the I look forward to seeing more from your website. This was win no. He brought in the flatheads to compete every Wednesday night. Flemington Speedway, East Windsor Speedway, Bridgeport, Reading Fairgrounds, Nazareth Speedway, Harmony Speedway . Thats all folks! There were some sacrifices but there was a reward. 1 One day Ill be in Tucson, the next in maybe Tuscaloosa and the following day in Syracuse. The track closed in 1979 shortly after my visit. Thanks for the memories. Use it! Nevertheless, this CLASSIC Trackchaser Report has finally bubbled to the surface and is now available for everyone to see atwww.randylewis.org. HARWI, Otto 3 4 LAZZARO, Lou VARNER, Donnie On the green, they took off 6 Ample parking spaces were also provided for motorists. 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. RADFORD, Paul 1 4/10/71 The crowd went crazy as they had This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. STECKER, Russ 1 16 6 4 2 Drivers such as A. J. Foyt, Roger McCluskey, Jim Hurtubise, Jud Larson, Johnny Rutherford, and Bobby Unser took over after Tommy retired in 1960. 1 14 Typically these will be stories from tracks I visited five years or ten years or more ago. 5/18/75 Hall of Fame Member, Thats all folks! Dizzie Dean One story I do remember well, was the fact that I had to sit in the grandstand. 1 By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 2 Brightbill running the high line and 2 Enter your email address to subscribe to GoReadingBerks and receive notifications of new posts by email. At midnight in the east it was only 9 p.m. in California (Pacific Time). Lindy V. Vicariwas a stock-car racing promoter and operator of the Reading Fairgrounds from 1955 until 1979. One big contribution to the fairs success was the accessibility of transportation accommodations. 3 My average trip covers 5,000 miles and more. 1 When the structure gave way, in 1979, to a multi-million dollar shopping mall, it was only memories that remained. FREYER, Karl there to help his young son, and naturally, he always drew a huge BURKHART, Barry Frank Cozze 1 . Where we work. Red Coffin WILLIAMS, Bill Again, in the end of the 1962 season, another trial modified event was held. Im calling the shots and that makes all the difference in the world. 3 . 1 If so, please feel free to share your memories in the comments section below. 6/19/64 Additionally, if you see a website link know that link worked when the TR was originally written. 6 It was delightful to see young ones browse through a variety of books. Also a few other Speedway shots from Big Diamond,Penn National,Bridgeport. COREY, Pete With the mall becoming too crowded, the Fair moved to Kutztown while Fair organizers searched for a new site. What the heck does Classic mean? COLLINS, Kevin ELLIS, Billy 2 Of all the things I disliked about business the east coast meetings in the east coast time zones was at the top of the list. 1 9 7/22/77 side, neither one could get the advantage on the other. Promoters brought the finest racecar drivers in the nation to the Reading area. 2 2 4 The summary should include the main idea and important takeaways related to that main idea. root for Parnelli. 1 6 All of it had to be done within five months calendar time (the fair was postponed to late October in order to provide an extra month for construction). CONRAD, Vince 5 MEALS, Mike GAHAN, Ernie Throughout the 20s and 30s Reading fans saw the likes of all the top Indianapolis 500 sprint car racing stars compete on their hometown half-mile dirt speedway. Dave Kelly 715 Below: The Reading Fair, 1937-1940 Eventually with the changing times, the racing transitioned from horse into motor vehicle racing. In 1983 we returned to California where we have resided until this day. MURPHY, Johnny REUTIMANN, Wayne Health? FOR SALE! 1 FELTY, Elvin SASSAMAN, Dave 5/10/70 Golly, did Dad wake up then - told the Racechasing was good enough for me. 7 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. 18 11 Thank wulliebroon . Thanks again, Peggy Snyder at [email protected] - welcome all emails and/or 4 USAC had run more sprint car races at Reading than any track in the country when it closed in 1979. KNEISEL, Dave 1 All the p.from 1034873775 Its very easy to do. 4 Consequently Reading lost its local image and the RSCA was no longer the Reading Stock Car Assn., but the Racing Sanctioning Corporation of America. Ver ms de Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Resurrection 2013 en Facebook. Gerald Chamberlain "When all four wheels are off the ground and you're upside down, there's not much you can do but . Back 8/5/77 4 Fairgrounds Memories - Click 1 30 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. 1 The Fair included imported amusements of a carnival nature, including rides of various kinds, as well as those especially gifted in or trained for some, extraordinary activity, and animals. Chevy in there - not an Offy like the others ran. Europeans faces of Argentina in the twenties: Einwanderungsland Argentinian writers during a discussion in Frankfurt Book Fair Blues: O ARGENTINA! Figuring out the logistics of a trip like that is as much fun for me as watching a figure 8 race. READINGER, Dan 6 BUT, I did, loud and clear. 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. RVI had a customer service operation in Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania. Reading Fairgrounds Memories Photographer: Joe Simpkins - Provided by: Bobby Pickell Jr. We would like to thank The Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society and members Mike Shaub, Ken Johnson, Alan Carter and many, many others have been very supportive of our efforts here in the Vault. 2 Dave Kelly won six of those 12 races, including what became known as Grand Finale II on June 29, 1979. You can print money in the privacy of your own home! 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. Reading Fairgrounds Modified Memories Yearbook Issue: / Year: 1980 Condition: VG-History 313495870366 Planning necessitated the visualizing of a proposed building site in terms of the possibility of expansion rather than of removal and rebuilding. BROWN, Ralph Often a classic TR will not have a video and/or photo album attached. 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. Sometimes overshadowed by his highly successful racing promotions, Lindy also rebuilt the Farmers Market, honored the community s farm family and FFA children, attracted top entertainers and conducted a class-A slate fair with a full carnival and agricultural and horticultural midway. I didnt begin producing my YouTube videos until 2009 (YouTube channel: RANLAY). I get the chance to meet people from all over the world. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 37 DEAN, Dizzy I had heard tales of the packed houses Reading got, and this night If you have any photos from back in the day, send them to me [email protected]. 2 FOREWORD 22 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. 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. 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. "The throttle stuck." The modified stock car Braxton was hired to drive flipped onto its roof. QUALIO, Dick 4/24/64 3 8/8/69 2 SCOTT, Tighe BLUM, Bill STRUPP, Sonny 7/26/68 7 1 Official end of the RLR Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report DECKER, Charlie 1 EPPOLITE, Frank Your guess is as good as mine! 6 Thats why I fell asleep during the racing at Reading! 1 HIEBER, Gary If so, please feel free to share your memories in the comments section below. YOUNG, Bruce 2 13 10/25/75 Above found at: OSBORNE, Lee action from the mid 70's. Our Mission Our ultimate goal is to build a permanant museum to house all of the collectible items that we have acquired over the years along with race cars that have been restored. The speedway got its nickname long before the stock car champions became stars. HALDEMAN, Ed Put the 3 of them together in the front of YETTER, Richie TOBIAS, Ron 4 SHAW, Bob It was primarily a local division, but large purses and crowds forced Lindy to stay with the flatheads long after other area speedways were already running the powerful modified racing cars. racing. Will Cagle 3 3 . Peoria Old Timers Racing Club (P.O.R.C.) where he loved it best. 2 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. 5/27/77 Today, the Reading Fair is held in Bern Township-continuing the Fair's tradition of combining its agricultural heritage with entertainment for county residents. RFRHS: 7 7 Today where the racetrack once stood is theFairgrounds Square Mall, which opened in 1980 and closed in 2018. Being a regular at Nazareth Speedway the most exposure I had to the SCHNEIDER, Frankie 1 1 DUNSTAN, Ronnie REIDER, Blackie Hotels..how to buy them at 30-60% off and more.the way I do it. [1]It featured a regular weekly series of modified, sportsman modified, and late modelstock carracing. Keep up the good job with these memory pages. HALL, Bob 10/21/62 Title: Reading Fairgrounds Modified Memories [Fairgrounds Racetrack, Berks Co., PA] Author Name: Vicari, Vince (editor) Edition: 1st Edition. 6 All these photos are my personal collectelion and were taken by The Speedways photographers and bought by myself or taken by myself. 1 It was henceforth proclaimed throughout the ranks, to win at Reading is beating the best, but it was tough. You might have remembrances about this track. The Heritage of Reading: 1813-1847: Canals, Heavy Industry, and the Railroad, The Seventh and Penn Street Railroad Crossing, Mount Laurel Furnace and Temple Iron Company, History of Holy Guardian Angels, Hyde Park, Independence Island along the Schuylkill River, Reading, PA Outlet Capital of the World, History of the former Bachman Pretzel Company, Organized Crimes Infiltration of The Pizza and Cheese Industry in Pennsylvania, Lancaster Avenue Covered Bridge and Bingaman Street Bridge, Beautiful photographs of Reading's Catholic churches with their altar rails and sanctuaries, Very awesome in history. Wish I would have had eyes in the back of my head when Joe Pittman, the father and waves as they near the finish and at the line it All of that, however, was a mere epilogue, like a wave in the distance. Reprinted with permission from my Pre-1980 memory! All of that, however, was a mere epilogue, like a wave in the distance. 1 4 This profile needs more info. CAGLE, Will 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. 14 Between 1980 and 1994 the Fair was held at the Fairgrounds Square Mall and on the surrounding property. Reading Modified Top Ten Performance Index. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 10 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. I didnt give any thought to recording the dates when I visited those 71 tracks. DETWEILER, Ralph COZZE, Frank ELY, George 3 Below: 1966 photo showing Mario Andretti # 9 dueling with Lone Star JR Johnny Rutherford. HILDRETH, Elton BITTING, Del 1 The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. He still races the modifieds and gets a win now and then. Got Dad more angry when I told him that we call them engines. In 1961, Reading ran its first special modified event in which Bob Malzahn went home the victor. My earliest memories related to reading I can scarcely remember not being able to read. Thats why I fell asleep during the racing at Reading! of about Reading PA from. Do others trackchase? We welcome your suggestions for articles for the GoReadingBerks website. 1 National Geographic Diversity Lifetime Results, National Geographic Diversity Annual Results. 18 1 They dont. USAC friends and fellow co-workers there. 1 I was amazed that the east coast folks scheduling these early meetings had ZERO empathy for their west coast visitors. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. It wasnt until 1949, though, that the Fairgrounds started to gain a characteristic of its own. Neck and neck through the turns, 27 2 Membership is only $15 per year or a life-time membership of $200. 1 24 3 2 BUTLER, Gary . 8 4 2 This had nothing to do with the quality of the racing! Fairgrounds Memories Editors note: This is a CLASSIC Trackchaser Report. KENNEDY, Beader 2 watching the classic battles between Gerald Chamberlain, Kenny Jim Keppley BLATT, Bobby 2 Pages. Im calling the shots and that makes all the difference in the world. COFFIN, Red GERHART, Bobby 7/17/64 1 9/4/67 Reading Fairgrounds Speedway DVD - Snyder Video Productions Sponsored items from this seller Feedback on our suggestions Showing Slide 1 of 1 Remembering Reading Fairgrounds Speedway DVD - Snyder Video Productions New $24.99 + $5.50 shipping 20 sold Remembering East Windsor Speedway DVD - Snyder Video Productions New $24.99 + $5.50 shipping