3 In 1961, Reading ran its first special modified event in which Bob Malzahn went home the victor. KOZAK, Johnny All the good and all the bad, more than a half-century of blood, sweat and cheers gone. 2 The links below hold information on the association and cars. 5/9/65 12 STEIF, Billy In 1955, apromoter named Lindy Vicari took over a tract of land and began weekly racing for the first time at the Reading Fairgrounds. 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. 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. 1 It was from 1949 to 1957 though, that Hinnershsitz put the character into Reading. 2 Thanks for filling in so much nostalgia for my upbringing and the roots I am so proud of. It wasn't until 1915 that the Fair was held at it's most remembered location in Muhlenberg Township. 2 17 1 Pickell Jr. We would like to thank The 1 My best guess on the timing would have been 1976-1978. DEAN, Dizzy 3 8/5/77 STUMPF, Don Photo albums were sort of hit or miss during the early years of my trackchasing. 6/19/64 41 It became so popular that the Fairgrounds eventually held an entire season of racing, starting in March and only closing in late fall. SMITH, Ralph 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. 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. KREITZ SR, Don 11 Im not sure of the year, but the big rivalry on This was something about killing two birds with one stone which sounds kind of barbaric to me. 1 Wish I would have had eyes in the back of my head when Joe Pittman, the father and The Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society was created to preserve the memories of the Reading Fairgrounds. PAULSON, Ronnie Did you know David was at the Reading Fairgrounds with his dad ? I would continue to work for P&G until my retirement in 2002. 1 WISMER SR, Kenny Please join the RFRHS to help preserve the great memories. . SWINEHART, Ray Keep up the good job with these memory pages. EARNSHAW, Leigh They are looking to fill all types of positions. Time? Walt Olsen went down for some of those famous french fries to the right of the 1 Ver ms de Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Resurrection 2013 en Facebook. Nevertheless, this CLASSIC Trackchaser Report has finally bubbled to the surface and is now available for everyone to see atwww.randylewis.org. CLEAVER, Dennis The completed Fairgrounds consisted of exhibition buildings, a racetrack with a grandstand and amusement rides. SEROKA, Lenny main stands, then got back to our seats for the main event. 1 The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Reading 9 Ten years later they presented their first and only double show with another organization, the RSCA. 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. 5 This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Mike has been involved in the establishment of the Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society, founded on February 4, 2004. Additionally, if you see a website link know that link worked when the TR was originally written. karts. As we were reminiscing about the 4 Let's stay updated! I live in southern California. 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. 2 6 Stan Ploski It was a local driver named Tommy Hinnershitz that caused its beginning. This had nothing to do with the quality of the racing! HILDRETH, Elton BRIGHTBILL, Kenny It was henceforth proclaimed throughout the ranks, to win at Reading is beating the best, but it was tough. Racechasing was good enough for me. 715 + $6.00 shipping. It was henceforth proclaimed throughout the ranks, to win at Reading is beating the best, but it was tough. 3 Jay Stong Bobby Gerhart old who had many questions for his Dad. there to help his young son, and naturally, he always drew a huge 4 1 Bob Malzahn 12 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. "The throttle stuck." The modified stock car Braxton was hired to drive flipped onto its roof. 7/7/78 80 10/22/77 3 These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. JOHNSON, Alan 1 Works Cited. Randys Complete Track List what about Buzzie Reutimann ? Jim Kirk 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. 16 Indy champions loved to compete at The Home of Champions. 5 17 Thank wulliebroon . 1 REIFINGER, Hal READING PA FAIRGROUNDS Modified Memories Dirt Track Kenny Brightbill RSCA - $40.80. LINGLE, Joe Iniciar sesin. There was the sight of promoter Lindy Vicari in his grader, working the track surface to the optimum of tackiness the good kind. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. For whatever reason (usually not enough time) this trackchasing adventure didnt get posted to my website when I first made the track visit. On April 20, 1915, two adjoining tracts of land in Muhlenberg Township, totaling 54 acres, were purchased for $20,750 for the site of the Reading Fairgrounds. 4 CONRAD, Vince 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. COREY, Pete 1 8 When the structure gave way, in 1979, to a multi-million dollar shopping mall, it was only memories that remained. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data. For the first eight years Reading only ran one show a year, usually during the annual Reading Fair. You might have remembrances about this track. Specialties: The Barnyard BBQ Restaurant, now with three locations, smokes it all. TOBIAS, Ron 2 I didnt begin writing a complete Trackchaser Report until I had seen about 425 tracks. I didnt give any thought to recording the dates when I visited those 71 tracks. 1 Larry Voss Whats that you ask? The beloved flatheads grew in popularity and stature. pictorials, several of which I still have. 10 2 Al Tasnady Ver ms de Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Resurrection 2013 en Facebook. Tommy McAndrews 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. SHIRK, Darryl 4/4/70 It was the end of an era. 26 1 On Oct. 29, 1978, the last race was held on the half-mile oval. This was during the 2000 trackchasing season. From Staff Reports News-Post Staff; May 13, 2012 May 13, 2012 Updated Mar 11, 2016; 0; Facebook; Got Dad more angry when I told him that we call them engines. Below: Reading Fairgrounds located in Muhlenburg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania 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. Speedway Park. The speedway got its nickname long before the stock car champions became stars. My grandson and I went to the World of Outlaws and Typically these will be stories from tracks I visited five years or ten years or more ago. 7 59 3 There was a continuous shuttle service of trains from both Franklin Street and the Outer Station on the Reading railway, which also arranged excursions at reduced rates from places within the area bounded by Sunbury, Easton, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg. 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. 4 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. 6 Dave Kelly won six of those 12 races, including what became known as Grand Finale II on June 29, 1979. exciting. . Photographic endsheets. 62 Kenny Brightbill 3 3 1 2 2 ROSSELL, Bob 7/14/78 Enter your email address to subscribe to GoReadingBerks and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. 7/22/77 . Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 1 3 Here or email us at 3wide@optonline.net and and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. I hope you enjoy it. 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. HAMILTON, Jackie 1 4/6/73 The Reading Fairgrounds Speedway is one of those long ago vintage tracks affectionately known as the Group of 71. 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. 13 7 During intermission we 1 Absolutely. 6/24/77 I do remember seeing something at the track that I had never seen before. 37 MOORE, Mose It was in this time that they went from running Remember, this was only the 46thdifferent track I had ever seen. Kenny Brightbillis the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway all-time wins record holder with 135 track victories. 1ST WIN 3 The last full season of racing was held at the fairgrounds in 1978. front. 10/6/63 RILEY, Don Billy Ellis EPPOLITE, Frank Thank you for reading! I am the face behind GoReadingBerks. I was born and raised in Reading, PA. 3 3 DERR, Earl Money? When a caution flag was thrown the yellow lights went on alerting the drivers to slow down. All the p.from 1034873775 BOTZ, Johnny 8/23/63 Brightbill would win two more, finishing with 135, and Chamberlain one more, finishing with 92. 1 4 DUNSTAN, Ronnie 3 5 Donny 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. Again, in the end of the 1962 season, another trial modified event was held. 15 READING FAIRGROUNDS MODIFIED VICTORIES When you receive one of my Trackchaser Reports or find one on my website at, My memories of that trip are few. In 1932, three shows were held. Below: Lindy Vicari, shown below with pageant winners (unable to he identified), operated the Reading Fairgrounds from 1955 to 1979. This profile needs more info. 4 So imagine being at the 27th Muscat International Book Fair - it is a haven for students. 2 I developed goreadingberks.com around 1998 for the purpose of presenting information about the History of the Catholic Faith in Reading. There were some sacrifices but there was a reward. 4/8/72 http://www.readingfairgroundsracing.com/, Back Thanks to Concepts II Video Productionsthey did a great job with this. The Reading Fairgrounds Speedway is one of those long ago vintage tracks affectionately known as the Group of 71. Your guess is as good as mine! 6 1 2 I know you will find it interesting. 5 Thanks! I hail from the sleepy little village by the sea, San Clemente, California. DENGLER, Smokey My name is Fred George. 1 6 4/11/70 ROCHELLE, Paul If so, please feel free to share your memories in the comments section below. 1 Pittman. 1 Due to red tape that delayed construction, there would be 12 more races in 1979. VOLZ, Tony EPRIGHT, Fritz 6/27/71 1 EPPIHIMER, Bob Once you begin researching my trip itineraries from my website, yes you will want to do that, you will be surprised. 19 OCHS, Larry Local business owner A. T. Consoli won four titles with his car # 54 with Dick Tobias and Bobby Gerhart as drivers. 9/4/67 3 (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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". GILMORE, Charlie [1]It featured a regular weekly series of modified, sportsman modified, and late modelstock carracing. USAC had run more sprint car races at Reading than any track in the country when it closed in 1979. Red Coffin 2 The speedway got its nickname long before the stock car champions became stars. A great variety of amusements to appeal to the taste of everyone who came through the gate was provided. KESSLER, Randy Lindy V. Vicariwas a stock-car racing promoter and operator of the Reading Fairgrounds from 1955 until 1979. Reading Fairgrounds Speedway(19241979) was a one half mile dirt/clay modified race track located inMuhlenburg Township,Berks County,Pennsylvania. 5 In 1922, after six years of planning, a stage complete with a theatrical unit, including dressing rooms, lounges, etc., was erected. waves as they near the finish and at the line it In 1928 the power of eminent domain was used to acquire part of the Madeira farm for a new entrance and exposition building at the fair. 1 Ronnie Tobias 4 27 BRENN JR, Ken 13 Local business owner A. T. Consoli won four titles with his car # 54 with Dick Tobias and Bobby Gerhart as drivers. 36 to Reading provided me with the closest, most exciting race I had GRIFFIN, Pee Wee Perfect condition. 3 Women were qualifying lap times. Where we work. 20 I remember on those dry summer area. 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. The brainchild of Jeff Hartman, Saturday's event has been over a decade in the making, with a few bumps along the way. 1 Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. BREEDING, Walt racing at the Reading Fairgrounds. STRUPP, Sonny Although I hated eastern time meetings and meetings in general I was tied to the corporate tit. WEAVER, Mark 3 ERB, Mike
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