224 pp. Thanks for the memories. 3 Click on the #31 4/8/72 Ralph Smith 30 4/9/77 7 Jim Baker RILEY, Don racing at the Reading Fairgrounds. 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. 17 Great drivers, great fans & great memories!!! 2 1 Drivers flocked from all over the east coast for a share of the pie. All the good and all the bad, more than a half-century of blood, sweat and cheers gone. To add your Reading Bobby Gerhart It wasnt until 1949, though, that the Fairgrounds started to gain a characteristic of its own. Again, in the end of the 1962 season, another trial modified event was held. 6 Home; About. 4 were here. If youve got a question, comment or whatever please leave it at the bottom of this report. Bill Williams I didnt think so. 4 We knew the dangers of racing as we were there when Jud Larson and ZIMMERMAN, Dick In 1955, apromoter named Lindy Vicari took over a tract of land and began weekly racing for the first time at the Reading Fairgrounds. ADAM, Freddy Local business owner A. T. Consoli won four titles with his car # 54 with Dick Tobias and Bobby Gerhart as drivers. I know you will find it interesting. 13 1 DRIVER 4 You might have remembrances about this track. (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. Drivers flocked from all over the east coast for a share of the pie. Drivers such as A. J. Foyt, Roger McCluskey, Jim Hurtubise, Jud Larson, Johnny Rutherford, and Bobby Unser took over after Tommy retired in 1960. 18 main stands, then got back to our seats for the main event. Official end of the RLR Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report. 2 4 When I opened it, it asked me whether I wanted to transfer software from another source, which I did; I transferred everything . 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. History 1 Women were Shares547. 3 The historical information about the photos and articles on goreadingberks.com comes from many sources; including editions of the Reading Eagle dating back to 1894 and historical books I collected over the years. We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. It will run through Feb. 27. S sonny fetherman 388 followers More information 246 best images about Reading Fairgrounds and Reading Pennsylvania . HARRISON, George KEPPLEY, Jim Long In 1961, Reading ran its first special modified event in which Bob Malzahn went home the victor. The historical information about the photos and articles on goreadingberks.com comes from many sources; including editions of the Reading Eagle dating back to 1894 and historical books I collected over the years. TROUT. 8/19/72 SPENCER, Ed Billy Osmun Lindy V. Vicariwas a stock-car racing promoter and operator of the Reading Fairgrounds from 1955 until 1979. 1 Tommy Long That October Sunday in 78 made it official. DELP, Russ Starting with Tommy Hinnershitz in the sprints, the tradition carried over to the flatheads and then the modifieds. 9 I was able to retire at the age of 52 and never work for money another day in my life. As the feature went on, both of them were working their way toward 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. 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. Welcome to trackchasing's most popular website. 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. DESKOVICH, Billy Vous tes ici : jacob ramsey siblings; map of california central coast cities; reading fairgrounds memories . Today, as a trackchaser, I commonly get up at some very early hours. A very difficult to find print. From Staff Reports News-Post Staff; May 13, 2012 May 13, 2012 Updated Mar 11, 2016; 0; Facebook; 4 6/28/68 OSMUN, Billy RUDY, Jack BLACKLEY, Johnny REINERT, Noot 5/27/77 TOBIAS, Ron I AM A TRACKCHASER. The Reading Fairgrounds was considered to be the best weekly racing program in the country. 8/9/68 7 I didnt begin producing my YouTube videos until 2009 (YouTube channel: RANLAY). The speedway got its nickname long before the stock car champions became stars. The summary should include the main idea and important takeaways related to that main idea. WOLFORD, Gary TROUT, Bob 1 Shorty Kerschner Below: 1966 photo showing Mario Andretti # 9 dueling with Lone Star JR Johnny Rutherford. 1 Racechasing was good enough for me. ROHS, Steve 2 5 1 Thanks for the memories. 4/5/64 There you have it. Tommy won his first race in 1938. The beloved flatheads grew in popularity and stature. STUMPF, Don were up you did not get out of the pits. the Vault, and of the Reading Fairgrounds to join their great organization and support 9/5/75 Its simply a Trackchaser Report that comes from my trackchasing archives. WEAVER, Mark were still neck and neck. 3 Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 1 If you would like to see where Ive been and experience those adventures heres the link: If youve got a question, comment or whatever please leave it at the bottom of this report. Reading Modified Top Ten Performance Index. EARNSHAW, Leigh He brought in the flatheads to compete every Wednesday night. 1 All the p.from 1034873775 1 14 23 3 Back 20 714 1 Today, the Reading Fair is held in Bern Township-continuing the Fair's tradition of combining its agricultural heritage with entertainment for county residents. 2 1 CRONCE, Howie REICHERT, Joe 4/4/70 9/3/76 7/14/78 9 HORTON JR, Jimmy 28 1 3/12/67 Legends who used to race at the Reading Fairgrounds will be on site Saturday to meet folks and sign autographs. KELLY, Mike Everyone came to share the moment and say goodbye. There were some sacrifices but there was a reward. Hundreds of photos of drivers and their car. 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. I get the chance to meet people from all over the world. 3 So imagine being at the 27th Muscat International Book Fair - it is a haven for students. Donny and I also raced, but the smaller version go where he loved it best. 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. 7/9/65 1977 Reading Fairgrounds RSCA Modifieds Program Kenny Brightbill. The last full season of racing was held at the fairgrounds in 1978. Copyright 2021 GoReadingBerks | All Rights Reserved |. Kenny Brightbillis the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway all-time wins record holder with 135 track victories. 1 The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Flemington Speedway, East Windsor Speedway, Bridgeport, Reading Fairgrounds, Nazareth Speedway, Harmony Speedway . Brightbill running the high line and BOTTCHER, Bobby RVI had a customer service operation in Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania. 10 2 3 Reading Got Dad more angry when I told him that we call them engines. The Reading Fair. Drivers flocked from all over the east coast for a share of the pie. the undercover economist chapter summary. 2 1 2 01.15.16 Reading racetrack he said he loved the 3 min. 54 for one or the other. BURKHART, Barry 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. 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. 9/3/67 SADLER, Blaine That October Sunday in 78 made it official. 9 38 GREEN, Butch 3 5 1 2 7 SHAW, Bob With all the great 18 I was amazed that the east coast folks scheduling these early meetings had ZERO empathy for their west coast visitors. The last race of the season was marred by a fiery crash that seriously injured driver Michael Grbac of New Brunswick, N.J. A month after the crash, he died of his injuries. Ron Tobias Lap after lap, side by 2 1 5/6/66 2 Due to red tape that delayed construction, there would be 12 more races in 1979. HUBBARD, Johnny One story I do remember well, was the fact that I had to sit in the grandstand. what about Buzzie Reutimann ? 3 GERHART, Bobby 8/20/78 BROWNING, Hal The Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society was established in 2004 with the mission to preserve and promote the memories and history of the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway and those who made it "The Home of Champions." The exhibit will run until mid-June 2019. 8/5/77 Hall of Fame Member The town of Gunzenhausen is nearby and it has numerous shops, cafe's, bars and a semi permanent fun fair. Thats what a racechaser does. I hail from the sleepy little village by the sea, San Clemente, California. Title: Reading Fairgrounds Modified Memories [Fairgrounds Racetrack, Berks Co., PA] Author Name: Vicari, Vince (editor) Edition: 1st Edition. Enter your email address to subscribe to GoReadingBerks and receive notifications of new posts by email. 8 clock. Students can choose an appropriate type of graphic . 10/18/75 Read all about Kenny Brightbill, Dick Tobias, Bobby Gerhart. The Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society was created to preserve the memories of the Reading Fairgrounds. Editors note: This is a CLASSIC Trackchaser Report. Or you can visit me on Facebook. Russ Delp KREITZ SR, Don the front. I do remember seeing something at the track that I had never seen before. 1 Lindy V. Vicariwas a stock-car racing promoter and operator of the Reading Fairgrounds from 1955 until 1979. This is what the Reading legends were made of. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. GILLETTE, Don Indy champions loved to compete at The Home of Champions. Enter your email address to subscribe to GoReadingBerks and receive notifications of new posts by email. 2 Rags Carter 135 4 Nealey is an accomplished musician who currently plays the saxophone with a . 4 3 43 was one of the first races I ever attended. The flag For $ 2.25 you could see some great dirt track Randy Lewis - San Clemente CA. I do have one memory of looking at the cover of a paperback book. 1 I currently live in Virginia where I work for the US Army performing stress analysis, vibration and structural tests on Army Aviation platforms and structures. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The car is featured at the Reading Fairgrounds Racing Reunion Saturday at the Classic Auto Mall, 6180 Morgantown Road, Morgantown. 4 Revenue. I didnt begin writing a complete Trackchaser Report until I had seen about 425 tracks. Ask wulliebroon about Altmuehltal-Radweg. Tommy Hinnershitzhad wins at the track early in his career. My memories of that trip are few. 1 2 2 Laudan Potts On Oct. 29, 1978, the last race was held on the half-mile oval. TILLMAN, Herbie This was during our first time to live in California from 1975-1979. Between 1980 and 1994 the Fair was held at the Fairgrounds Square Mall and on the surrounding property. SHIRK, Darryl 3 As a fan of the racetrack I now live in Florida and go to Volusia 27 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. 52 62 Through turns 1-2 they With trackchasing trips to 85 countries and counting just getting the chance to experience so many unique cultures, spend time in the homes of my friends and meet so many people is a huge reward for being in this hobby. Send post to email address, comma separated for multiple emails. FRENCH, Ralph We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Thematically, it centres on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance and repressive regimentation of people and behaviours . 1 SHEETZ, Tommy 6 SNELLBAKER, Smokey below, and then scroll down 3/4's of the page, and you'll be able to start the video: 1 1 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. I didnt give any thought to recording the dates when I visited those 71 tracks. (BILL UHRICH - READING EAGLE) The organization was founded. Accueil; A propos de nous; Nos produits; Contactez-nous; reading fairgrounds memories. Mainly during the 1970s, my friend, Donny Fisher (passed away years 14 But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. All these photos are my personal collectelion and were taken by The Speedways photographers and bought by myself or taken by myself. 18 Billy Deskovick 1 READING PA FAIRGROUNDS Modified Memories Dirt Track Kenny Brightbill RSCA - $40.80. 13 1 1 For the first eight years Reading only ran one show a year, usually during the annual Reading Fair. I didnt begin writing a complete Trackchaser Report until I had seen about 425 tracks. 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. 5/26/68 Perfect condition. Thanks for reading about my trackchasing, Photographers on record,Red Kirsh,Bob Zellers,Carl Hess. 19 This had nothing to do with the quality of the racing! . 1 5/15/64 2 Since that time the site has grown to provide information about historical sites, landmarks, museums, parks, hotels and more. KERSCHNER, Shorty 4/30/76 Europeans faces of Argentina in the twenties: Einwanderungsland Argentinian writers during a discussion in Frankfurt Book Fair Blues: O ARGENTINA! Keep up the good job with these memory pages. Ample parking spaces were also provided for motorists. 11 I take 35-40 of those trips each season. Most of the racetracks in the U.S. are located well over 1,000 miles from where I live. 2 5 I developed goreadingberks.com around 1998 for the purpose of presenting information about the History of the Catholic Faith in Reading. If so, please feel free to share your memories in the comments section below. Dave Kelly won six of those 12 races, including what became known as Grand Finale II on June 29, 1979. Jay Stong 1 7/7/78 USAC had run more sprint car races at Reading than any track in the country when it closed in 1979. I had never given much thought to being a trackchaser. WISMER SR, Kenny LINGLE, Joe Gerald Chamberlain The EventVideo Plus 10/1/71 My best guess on the timing would have been 1976-1978. When the structure gave way, in 1979, to a multi-million dollar shopping mall, it was only memories that remained. SAUDER, Kenny DECKER, Charlie READINGER, Dan 2 http://www.goreadingberks.com/. 2 10/15/67 3 Whats that you ask? Don Kreitz The purpose of the earliest fairs in Berks County was to bring farm goods to city dwellers. It wasnt until 1949, though, that the Fairgrounds started to gain a characteristic of its own. Publisher Racing Sanctioning Corp. of America Publication date January 1, 1978 See all details Inspire a love of reading with Amazon Book Box for Kids 11 HEIN, Jim Since 1999, the Fair has been moved to Bern Township, on Hilltop Road. He brought in the flatheads to compete every Wednesday night. SMITH, Ralph 4 BRENN JR, Ken I hail from the sleepy little village by the sea, San Clemente, California. decided we were going to the races at Reading. Dirt Track Cars 1 any interesting pieces caught my attention while walking around the Art Fair. 3 1 11 17 who did we see - Buzzie Reutimann. SMITH, Russ It was from 1949 to 1957 though, that Hinnershsitz put the character into Reading. Frankie Schneider 1 In 1932, three shows were held. Do they share their experiences? 6 A typical business trip to the customer service center would have me flying into Philadelphia the night before our meeting. 133, 42 more than the guy in second place in career wins and in that grand finale, Gerry Chamberlain. HAVENS, Dick Randys Complete Track List 7 3 Ver ms de Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Resurrection 2013 en Facebook. TV to this day. 4 Its simply a Trackchaser Report that comes from my trackchasing archives. 3 I do remember seeing something at the track that I had never seen before. 48 When the series of Fairs was in the making at the Muhlenberg site, racing had become so popular that one of the first items of business was the location and building of a track. Thanks to Concepts II Video Productionsthey did a great job with this. LESHER, Red We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The winner of the Grand Finale` - when the Reading Fairgrounds held its final event, in June of 1979, Dave Kelly drove his beautiful Mustang-bodied No. MOORE, Harry 2 1 riding high in the turns of Brightbill. To Vault Index Page The Reading Fairgrounds was considered to be the best weekly racing program in the country. Thank you for reading! Source: www.goreadingberks.com EPPIHIMER, Bob Have you ever in your life heard of trackchasing? Have you ever in your life heard of trackchasing? 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. We settled into our seats under the big roof 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. Below: Lindy Vicari, shown below with pageant winners (unable to he identified), operated the Reading Fairgrounds from 1955 to 1979. The site was ideal since it was served by two railroads (the Reading and the Pennsylvania), a branch of the Reading Street Railway Companys lines, and two main highways, the Pottsville and the Allentown Pikes. 3 Thank wulliebroon . 2 HOLLAND, Eddie 20 VARNER, Donnie 1 Kim Once you begin researching my trip itineraries from my website, yes you will want to do that, you will be surprised. Joel Wessner 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. 1 7/10/77 WIMBLE, Bill WELLER, Curt 10/22/77 ever seen. Iniciar sesin Olvidaste tu cuenta? THE CLASSIC TRACKCHASER REPORT 1 July 21, 2017 by Alexa Freyman. 46 8/6/71 Will it work now? 1 I got the "last Remember, this was only the 46thdifferent track I had ever seen. 7/22/66 Im calling the shots and that makes all the difference in the world. 17 mentioned this to his Dad who ignored the question so I told him that it was a small block All of that, however, was a mere epilogue, like a wave in the distance. Worlds #1 Trackchaser 1 Ask Admins if you aren't sure if you may post something. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Will it work now? Now you know a little bit about my trackchasing addiction. 1 When the structure gave way, in 1979, to a multi-million dollar shopping mall, it was only memories that remained. 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. This print measures 32" x 26". 12 The track opened September 24, 1924 and ran until June 29, 1979. Reading Fairgrounds Speedway, the Home of Champions Neck and neck through the turns, 5 letter words for wordle beginning with s. reading fairgrounds memories. MARBURGER, Dave 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. 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). I am the face behind GoReadingBerks. I was born and raised in Reading, PA. BALOUGH, Gary to Reading provided me with the closest, most exciting race I had HARWI, Otto 34 1 Freddy Brightbill Tommy won his first race in 1938. 14 Absolutely. Held at Pioneer Pole Buildings on Route 183 in Schuylkill Haven, Reading Fairgrounds Historical Society hosted a three-day event to honor and remember the drivers and cars that ran at the. 10 exciting. Today, as a trackchaser, I commonly get up at some very early hours. 8/8/71 Freddy Adam I went back to my favorite tracks like Ascot, Rockford, Manzanita and Santa Fe among others time and again. TAYLOR, Lee 5 Recent Additions to our Reading Fairgrounds Memories Page. just witnessed what dirt track racing and the Reading Fairgrounds BROWN, Ralph The racetrack was replaced by the Fairgrounds Square Mall, which opened in . 13 3 by a coat of paint on his bumper. PICKELL, Bobby Jim Keppley RVI had a customer service operation in Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania. If you would like to see where Ive been and experience those adventures heres the link: 92 4 Horse racing had become a big attraction beginning with the first Fair in 1854, finally graduating into big time racing, with imported horses, in the days of the North Eleventh Street Fairs. Kenny Brightbillis the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway all-time wins record holder with 135 track victories. 7/5/70 Thats trackchasingthe way I do it. . In 1965, the United States Auto Club (USAC) ran its first night race and also began scheduling five shows a year.