a01.03.04_TEX_ENR_UNK_0060_1.jpg (77095 bytes)

Photo ID # a01.03.04_TEX_ENR_UNK_0060_1
Car #: #NA
Driver (s) : Tex Enright
Location: Unsure
Date: 1960's
Photographer: Unsure
Photo provided by: Tommy Kosch
Comments: For those who weren't there, back in the day where the sport still had it's roots strongly wrapped around the daredevil aspect, flagger Tex Enright did more than his share...  Tex would stand in the middle of the track as the field of cars would ease there way out of turn 4 and with a flag rolled up in his right hand and an open hand on the left, he would slowly motion to the driver's with a slight up and down motion "easy..., easy,..., easy...".  With 1000's of potential horsepower approaching, he would wait..., and wait...., and then suddenly take a jumping step to the right followed by a leap and the very memorable waving of the green flag as he ran off to the inside of the track with cars speeding by just yards (and sometimes only feet) away!  

Once the whole field passed, he would quickly run back across the track and climb up the flagger's stand to resume control from his watchtower. 

For those that were there, Tex will always be remembered as a big part of the show and of the excitment of the day.  I saw him at Flemington and East Windsor, but I also think he was the Flagger at Harmony and other tracks as well.   I was sad to hear that he had passed away a while back as he was one of a kind and will be in the memory of all of us for the rest of our years.

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02/06/04 Bill Miller I used to watch Tex at Nazareth in the late 50s-early 60s.  I remember that he would kneel in the middle of the track, then jump up and run down the middle of the track towards the cars waving as they passed oneither side of him. 
04/27/04 Joe Meshach I grew up going to the races 3 nights at week and in 3 different states to watch my dad race at Harmony, Middletown, and Nazareth.

One of the highlights at Middletown was always seeing Tex "on the track" the start each race. There were times when I thought one or more of the cars would actually get him, but he always managed to run clear of the oncoming traffic and then run across and up the flagstand before the leader came back around!

I especially liked it when there was a restart and Tex would have to come down and realign the field. Not too many drivers argued with him.

My dad, Bob Meshach, used to race at Middletown in the late '60s - '70s told me that Tex was a decent driver also.

This picture brings back alot of memories.

05/05/05 Linda Huff Muessig Yeah Tex, what would a race be without him?????   As a kid I guess I always wondered if he was Native American as we say these days or if he just liked the look. Maybe someone can answer.
05/18/05 Carli Tex was half Cherokee  (I should know because I am about an 8th!!!!!) Carli  (note from 3 Wide:  Carli is Tex's Grandaughter)
11/26/05 Ed Duncan Tex was the 1st flagman at Old Bridge Speedway, 1953-1954
08/29/06 Don Bergstresser I'm sure a lot of people also remember Tex was the starter at Dorney Park. I have no idea how he kept up the busy schedule he did. There was stories that since he had so much Indian blood in him that he had to spend a portion of each year on an Indian Reservation somewhere each year. I doubt that's true but it was part of his story........I had a limited career at Dorney in the Hobby car division, and I'm proud to say Tex was the starter.

By the way this has got to be the premier site for history of Northeast Stock Car racing History, Excellent Job...........

Don Bergstresser -  Long time race fan
02/22/07 George Pavlisko Nobody said anything about TEX on the 55 gallon drum on the infield at Nazareth.
02/22/07 3-Wide I don't remember that...  I usually only made the first few shows of the year at Nazareth before East Windsor opened.  What did he do with the 55 gallon drum?
03/03/07 The Pavlisko's That was his STARTERS stand (the 55 gallon drum). He would climb up on it to see the track better.   Between Tax and Harry Dee that is how I got into the flag stand. I was starting Sprints from the track in 1989 in Florida then run like hell to the stand.
03/18/07 Bob Enright I can help you out with some information I can tell you my dad had no favorites on the track.

He always made it very clear to his friends that when they got on the track there was no friendships at the track they were all completers He also told his friends and drivers not to expect any favoritism because he wouldn't tolerate it. One close friend of his in racing was Billy D. My Dad Made a pact with Billy d. that if my dad danced at his wedding that Billy d. would march at his funeral 35 years later January 8 1980 Billy D was marching at my dads funeral what a friend he was. As were kids we called Billy D. uncle Bill And ever Year at the end of Summer we always went to there picnic,It was a Ritual

My dad was supposedly born in Vernon Texas. Then moved to the east coast as a child in his location I believe he was raised in Patterson New Jersey my Dad was Married too many times my mom Sally Enright must have been the right wife for him they had seven kids together they were married for 23 years at the time of his death one thing I can say is that my dad loved really loved his fan club most of all he loved his passion for the sport of racing.

My dad in 1972 had a construction accident his skull was fractured was not expected to live he beat all odds and went back to his passion of flagging on November 3 1973 he was involved in another construction accident when a bulldozer rolled over on him his life changed forever 53 days before we could see him he went from 170 lbs. to 86 lbs.

He Lived once again Croqueting all odds We moved from Port Jervis New York to Cairo New York to be closer to the Hospitals . From 1972 to his Death in January 5 1980 My Dad Had 37 different operations to keep him alive. My Dad and the family Help build the Cairo Speedway which only ran 5 races in the town shut down the speedway in 1977 May they found a spot on his lung .They took a 1/3 of his lung they said they got it all he then went back to his passion with terrible leg and feet problems one feet only had part of the big toe and his little toe.

He Flaged once again and lived again for his passion and love for the sport of racing. In the Summer of 1978 his passion come true again he flaged at 5 mile point and at Accord Speedway in the summer of 1979 he was complaining of pain in his stomache area .   My Mom Sally told my dad it was probly from him thinking of John Wayne Dieing of Cancer. With all the Pain that Summer he waited for the racing season to come to a end and it did on Oct. 2 1979.  They opened my father up and cancer was in his liver and the surrounding tissues they give him 3 months to live my dad lived 3 months 3 days to his death.

Tell me that my dad had a love a passion and showmanship for the sport or not the Man live to race Thanks for your time and thanks for all your doing for us to keep a special legacy alive after 27 years of his passing the man still lives in are hearts and minds and i wouldn't be surpised if he walking the speedways down here but most diffinetly flagging the boys up there in the great skys.

Thanks Bob Enright
05/12/07 Ray Bisel I grew up being at Orange County Speedway in Middletown NY. Always parked in the drive-in section - t, 3rd row near the pit gate entrance. Came from Bergen County, NJ every Saturday with my dad.  I remember Tex Enright as the flagman. How come no one else mentioned him at O.C.F.S.?

Bob, take pleasure in knowing that your dad made lifetime memories for more people than you'll ever know.

Best wishes to you and your family.
Ray Bisel
05/13/07 3-Wide Speaking for myself, I spent every weekend since the late 60's... until the the early 90's at East Windsor and Flemington and didn't make it to Orange County until 2006.  For that reason, The Vault is somewhat Flemington and East Windsor biased meaning that most of the visitors of the site called one of those 2 tracks their home track.  That being said, we welcome those Reading, Nazareth, Orange County, Bridgeport, Grandview, Old Bridge, Hatfield, Vineland, Alcyon, Atco, Old Bridge....  fans.  Many of us remember Tex at EWS and Flemington in the late 60's and early 70's.
05/30/07 Ray Brown Jr My Dad, Ray Brown Sr raced at O.C.S.F. in Middletown, NY and I remember as a little boy the show Tex would put on as the starter. I can remember him leaping into the air as the race started, camera bulbs flashed, the deafening roar of the cars as they streaked by Tex as he ran to the infield. It was people like Tex who made the golden age of racing "golden".
07/08/09 Joe Is my memory right in thinking that Sally Enright's dad was Beryl "baer" Herman of Montaque, NJ?   He drove the #0jr and the diamond one at Stroudsburg, Middletown Roosevelt Stadium, and other tracks.   I can remember watching him on tv. and then seeing him at Stroudsburg,   Also, I use to spend time at his business, the Brick House Garage.
12/10/08 Frank Rassiga Growing up in Middletown, Sat nights were always a treat watching friends and family racing, eating at Frankie's and watching Tex run down the track. My fondest memory was when I was 15 (now 53) I worked with Tex putting on roofs during the summer and he would let me drive his station wagon to get coffee or lunch.
10.17.10 Herb Stevens Tex Enright was also the starter at Hincliffe stadium in Paterson NJ went there as a kid in 1949 and he might have also drove there
02.17.11 dougljsd45 I first went to a stockcar race in 1953 at Middletown ( Victory Speedway). I think Tex was the starter at that time. He was a big part of the show.A good, fair starter that didn't take any junk from anybody.  Years later I got to talk to Tex when he was the starter at Accord in 1978. I didn't remember the year until I read Bob Enrights piece about his Dad. I could tell that Tex didn't feel well but he never let on that he was very sick.

We talked racing and the old days for a while and he was so nice and polite to me, just a fan of racing.  I will never forget Tex and the memory of our chat will always be one of my best memories of 58 years of going to races. I still go to Accord every Friday night and my wife and I go to Middletown every May to celebrate our anniversary since that is where we went on our wedding night.

This is a great site and I spend hours looking at pictures and reading the great stories. Thanks.

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