Ill try to include them here. 3 My name is Randy Lewis (above with Hatem racing federation president Tunisia). 2 I didnt think so. Randy on Facebook MOORE, Mose 4/15/77 A special 50th. DESKOVICH, Billy Students can choose an appropriate type of graphic . 224 pp. OSMUN, Billy HOLLAND, Eddie History USAC had run more sprint car races at Reading than any track in the country when it closed in 1979. Dave Marburger I became interested in the history of Reading through the many stories my grandfather used to tell me. Learn how your comment data is processed. their efforts. 27 BALOUGH, Gary The 80 acres of motor sports memories was being converted into a shopping mall. 14 20,000 spectators jammed the place to. You want this if you love Racing ! Drivers flocked from all over the east coast for a share of the pie. 3 YETTER, Richie All the good and all the bad, more than a half-century of blood, sweat and cheers gone. KNEISEL, Dave 4 5/9/65 BEHRENT, Harry Pre-1980. 4/30/76 The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Over the years other performers included Ray Charles and Pat Boone. 9 Keep up the good job with these memory pages. Kenny Brightbill 5/27/77 If so, please feel free to share your memories in the comments section below. Thanks for reading about my trackchasing, the tracks that are now gone. 1 Your guess is as good as mine! Could not help overhearing him, did not 52 4 live the memories!!!! 4 We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Planning necessitated the visualizing of a proposed building site in terms of the possibility of expansion rather than of removal and rebuilding. The Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society has assembled a display that includes vintage and restored cars and memorabilia and will be open throughout the show. This had nothing to do with the quality of the racing! Hall of Fame Member, Thats all folks! Above found at: just witnessed what dirt track racing and the Reading Fairgrounds 14 Nov 19, 2022 - Explore Patrick Bendrick's board "reading Fairgrounds" on Pinterest. 1 9 By doing all this, Mike is hoping to continue to preserve memories made at the Reading Fairground's Race Track. ROSSELL, Bob 8/7/77 to hear from people who remember the "old times". 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 ! MURPHY, Johnny Indy champions loved to compete at The Home of Champions. It featured a regular weekly series of modified, sportsman modified, and late model stock car racing. 16 DEAN, Dizzy Nealey is an accomplished musician who currently plays the saxophone with a . 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. It was there we met Parnelli Jones and Joe ROHS, Steve From time to time I would visit this office. 18 TILLMAN, Herbie 1 HORTON JR, Jimmy Its very easy to do. Will it work now? 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. 5/15/64 4/19/63 1 6 Ver ms de Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Resurrection 2013 en Facebook. 3 21 Junior Mikosz I didnt give any thought to recording the dates when I visited those 71 tracks. The binding is tight. 2 Reading Fairgrounds Speedway, the Home of Champions Bobby Gerhart Since 1999, the Fair has been moved to Bern Township, on Hilltop Road. 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. I do that kind of thing all the time. 18 Billy Osmun Drivers flocked from all over the east coast for a share of the pie. to Homepage, More interesting info I was able to retire at the age of 52 and never work for money another day in my life. I had never given much thought to being a trackchaser. The case for selling high-quality used stuff YOURSELF! 1 SWEIGART, Bob Back in the day, beginning in 1972 I worked for a company called Richardson-Vicks (RVI). Brightbill, Chamberlain as they near the checkered flag. 2 When the gates opened in 1916, there was not only a track, but a card of races extending over three days. The crowd 5 One lap Kenny led, the next Gerald was in Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society and members Mike Shaub, Ken Johnson, Alan Further reading: Increase Staff Engagement With a Personalised Event The rising importance of employee experience in the workplace and the role of internal events in facilitating the experience Building team culture in a work from anywhere world Engagement: How to personalise your employee events Thats probably the most inconvenient location in the country for seeing tracks in the U.S. The lad mentioned this to his Dad who ignored the question so I told him that it was a small block Whenever I could I would try to time my business visits from all over the country into a racing visit as well. Tommy won his first race in 1938. Source: www.goreadingberks.com 2 John Kozak 2 Pages. Below: The Reading Fair, 1937-1940 Eventually with the changing times, the racing transitioned from horse into motor vehicle racing. Put the 3 of them together in the front of 1 5/18/75 4/6/73 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. 9 RADFORD, Paul racing at the Reading Fairgrounds. 2 It was also through the modified cars that Reading innovated car rules and regulations, safety features, track preparations, and more efficient race procedures. 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. So with the knowledge, as limited as it is, that I fell asleep during the semi at Reading I will share some research info that I gathered about the famous Reading Fairgrounds Speedway. Absolutely. 59 Ronnie Tobias By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 1 TIE (1st) Freddy Adam & Jackie Evans 8/13/1967 Randy Lewis This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. On Oct. 29, 1978, the last race was held on the half-mile oval. GAHAN, Ernie The caution flew with about 10-11 laps to go, and those Today, many of the fans who frequented the Fairgrounds during those heydays, as well as many of the drivers who once competed at the famed half-mile, will gather at the Fairgrounds Square Mall to relive what the memories as the 25th annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show opens. . 3 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. MATTA, Tony 7/10/64 In 1985 the Procter & Gamble Company would make its biggest acquisition ever, up to that point, of RVI. Got Dad more angry when I told him that we call them engines. The summary should include the main idea and important takeaways related to that main idea. 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. 9/7/75 In 1957, when the opportunity presented itself, Vicari moved his program to Fridays and from that day on, Reading was a Friday night raceway. WALES, Milford COX, Dan pre-war coupes & coaches to the Pintos and other more modern bodies. Tommy Hinnershitzhad wins at the track early in his career. 1 Where we work. Souvenir Program of the 175th Anniversary of the Founding of Reading, Pa., And the 150th Anniversary of the Reading Volunteer Fire Department, September 30th to October 6th, 1923. 11 7 The town of Gunzenhausen is nearby and it has numerous shops, cafe's, bars and a semi permanent fun fair. The lad laughed and said to me - "you knew what motor it was". Randys Complete Track List The EventVideo Plus 2 4 8 BITTING, Del 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. 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. Send post to email address, comma separated for multiple emails. was..Kenny Brightbill TRAUTMAN, Bob These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 1 Your guess is as good as mine! 90 Often a classic TR will not have a video and/or photo album attached. KWWeller 03.06.18 1 LONG, Tommy MALZAHN, Bobby 1 9/3/67 Great drivers, great fans & great memories!!! 2 I was able to retire at the age of 52 and never work for money another day in my life. 2 A Muhlenberg Township resident for over forty years, Lindy brought back the Miss Reading Fair Pageant as well as creating the Little Miss Pageant while continuing the traditions of the annual Reading Fair. PICKELL, Bobby I was amazed that the east coast folks scheduling these early meetings had ZERO empathy for their west coast visitors. Copyright 2023 Randy Lewis - All Right Reserved. Several subsequent purchases increased the area to approximately 78 acres. He brought in the flatheads to compete every Wednesday night. 1 4 There was the sight of promoter Lindy Vicari in his grader, working the track surface to the optimum of tackiness the good kind. 14 1 1 SMITH, Ralph The last full season of racing was held at the fairgrounds in 1978. 2 After that we would relocate to first Connecticut and then Chicago. Hope you find what you are looking for and discover things that you were not! And when it was over, no one was surprised to find Kenny Brightbill in Victory Lane, which had become his second home since he got his first Reading victory in 1970. 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. Joel Wessner 14 7/21/78 LODER, Don 3 Racechasing was good enough for me. 7 2 1 He brought in the flatheads to compete every Wednesday night. The first auto racing stunts as a part of the Fair were presented in 1924. All the p.from 1034873775 18 WEAVER, Mark 2 7 5/6/66 Thanks to Concepts II Video Productionsthey did a great job with this. We knew the dangers of racing as we were there when Jud Larson and Below: Car # 54 races # 76, Freddy Adam, the Kutztown Comet, who competed in more seasons than any other racer. 5/21/78 But my job doesnt stop me from sharing my love of the history of the city where I was born and raised and love so very much. 14 reading pa obituaries 2021. 10 The beloved flatheads grew in popularity and stature. Below: Car # 54 races # 76, Freddy Adam, the Kutztown Comet, who competed in more seasons than any other racer. 1 I take 35-40 of those trips each season. 2 DISSINGER, Butch 6 MEALS, Mike ISBN Number: B004U5368O. 3 crowd in the pit area. As we were reminiscing about the 3 Tommy Long 4 clock. BRENN JR, Ken 7/7/78 7 Thematically, it centres on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance and repressive regimentation of people and behaviours . not allowed in the USAC pits at that time. Tommy McAndrews to Reading provided me with the closest, most exciting race I had Sorry. 1 Will Cagle 10/15/67 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. PAULSON, Ronnie Click here for more information on: Food memories immortalized on canvasand plates 2023-03-02 - REGGIE ASPIRAS MDaryl Feril was trying to recall a dish his grandmother cooked for himit was the memory of it that inspired his Art Fair piece. 3/12/67 3 In 1965, the United States Auto Club (USAC) ran its first night race and also began scheduling five shows a year. CLEAVER, Dennis 3 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. Wish I would have had eyes in the back of my head when Joe Pittman, the father and Jim Baker When I opened it, it asked me whether I wanted to transfer software from another source, which I did; I transferred everything . Reading had a string of yellow lights that ran overhead from the inside edge of the track to the outside edge of the track. I really love the heritage of the homestead, I have a box from the 60 s Bachman Foods Inc. Its. 1 Gary Gollub 2 Reading was the first track that I visited to see the USAC sprint cars run - actually, it 1 It was the memory of it that inspired his Art . Read all about Kenny Brightbill, Dick Tobias, Bobby Gerhart. 41 Vintage Modifieds, Racing Photos, Modified Stock Cars, Open Wheel and more. KEMMERER, Jim REICHERT, Joe Thank wulliebroon . Everyone came to share the moment and say goodbye. In 1947 a building designed for roller skating was added to the facilities. Photo albums were sort of hit or miss during the early years of my trackchasing. By this time, the crowd 1 18 KENNEDY, Beader We encourage the fans of 30 When I got to my hotel it was difficult to get to sleep with the three hour time zone change. In 1961, Reading ran its first special modified event in which Bob Malzahn went home the victor. 9 Typically these will be stories from tracks I visited five years or ten years or more ago. KELLY, Mike The speedway got its nickname long before the stock car champions became stars. Drivers such as A. J. Foyt, Roger McCluskey, Jim Hurtubise, Jud Larson, Johnny Rutherford, and Bobby Unser took over after Tommy retired in 1960. Jackie McClaughlin TROUT. 10 My name is Fred George. STECKER, Russ 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. Although I hated eastern time meetings and meetings in general I was tied to the corporate tit. 5 Figuring out the logistics of a trip like that is as much fun for me as watching a figure 8 race. chief mechanic on the race car, came to the fence and motioned for me to bring him the 11 8 1 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. STUMPF, Don 9/3/71 4 side, neither one could get the advantage on the other. BRACKEY, Bruno 1 GRIFFIN, Bernie 1 Sitting next to me was a young lad, approx. You might have remembrances about this track. 5/5/63 4 2 1 9 17 1 3 5/29/70 1 2 GILLETTE, Don 11 Ask wulliebroon about Altmuehltal-Radweg. 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. 92 5 lives in Zephyrhills,Fl and loves to talk about the good old days. . KREITZ JR, Don Donnie Varner 5 Click on the #31 Brightbill running the high line and 9/15/72 Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. KESSLER, Randy The first auto racing stunts as a part of the Fair were presented in 1924. In 1978, the last fair was held on the Muhlenberg site because the Fairgrounds was sold to developers of the Fairgrounds Square Mall. Im calling the shots and that makes all the difference in the world. 20 1 5 letter words for wordle beginning with s. reading fairgrounds memories. The Reading Fairgrounds was considered to be the best weekly racing program in the country. MOYER, Gene 1 3 9/3/76 HAMILTON, Jackie Back 1 BRAXTON, Bobby 5 The beloved flatheads grew in popularity and stature. 29 From time to time I would visit this office. 29 When the structure gave way, in 1979, to a multi-million dollar shopping mall, it was only memories that remained. SCHNEIDER, Frankie 10/6/63 LINGLE, Joe TV to this day. 7/17/64 Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 8/8/71 EPPIHIMER, Bob 1 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 cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. feature event started and the crowd was starting to build into a That October Sunday in 78 made it official. It wasn't until 1915 that the Fair was held at it's most remembered location in Muhlenberg Township. We usually had 7 a.m. eastern time breakfast meetings. TOBIAS, Ron 1977 Reading Fairgrounds RSCA Modifieds Program Kenny Brightbill. Please join the RFRHS to help preserve the great memories. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Prior to 1980 I was a racechaser. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 7 WINKS, Jimmy READING FAIRGROUNDS MODIFIED Memories Yearbook 1980-History of modified stock. Buzzie now If so, please feel free to share your memories in the comments section below. Thanks! 1 715 Do others trackchase? 2 - $156.06. For whatever reason (usually not enough time) this trackchasing adventure didnt get posted to my website when I first made the track visit. 9 17 to victory. 3 | See more about Best cheese, Santander and Restaurant. and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. 4 Ron Tobias Drivers such as A. J. Foyt, Roger McCluskey, Jim Hurtubise, Jud Larson, Johnny Rutherford, and Bobby Unser took over after Tommy retired in 1960. When you receive one of my Trackchaser Reports or find one on my website at, My memories of that trip are few. Reading Fairgrounds Speedway (1924-1979) was a one half mile dirt/clay modified race track located in Muhlenberg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.The track opened September 24, 1924 and ran until June 29, 1979.