"Nazareth Speedway Memories"
Whether it was the 1/2 mile, or the big track, here's yet another speedway that is no more...
It is our hope that you'll share your "Nazareth Speedway Memories with the other visitors of the Vault.
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Bob Smith was the photographer of the photo/provided by his son, Bob Smith.
Robert Hanna is the photographer and the provider of the above photo.
A "Next To" Last Trip to Nazareth
From Robert Hanna
Bobby's Camera
A few Nazareth Photos...
more on the way...
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Your Nazareth Speedway Memories...
(Memories most recently received appear at the top of the list)
Kevin Post 4/10/08
My father started taking us to the races at Orange County around 1965. He also took us to Nazareth in the late 60's which was a total thrill for us. As adults, my brothers and I went for years , right up until it closed. I remember in the 60's there was a covered grandstand which was on the backstretch. I've always been curious as to why it was torn down and if anyone has any pictures of it. There was so much life at these places. The cars and drivers seemed bigger then life but the truth was that they came from among us and they were special. In our hearts they were heroes. It was a simpler time, when we could spend time with our moms and dads, brothers and sisters, maybe our sweethearts and we could get close to our heroes. If close your eye once in while and listen real close on a hot summer night. Nazareth on a Sunday night..........that was America.
Robin Fernandez 04/06/08
I spent most of 1970's at Nazareth, Harmony and Flemington that was our weekends.My father was Peppy Fernandez (redX9) he ran a lot at Nazareth both sportsman and modified divisions.We had family in the area and we would all go and get covered in dirt, ah the good old days.My brother Forde also ran in the mid to late 70's,he ran Dad's car and later he ran a blue car #24.If anyone happens to have any old photos of either car maybe you could e-mail them to me at _nandezjr8@aol.com.Thanks_ (mailto:nandezjr8@aol.com.Thanks) to everyone who helped in the making of this website.
Edward Smith 03/24/08
I started attending races at the Nazareth 1/2 mile in 1962 when the stands were on the other side of the track. The track immediately became a favorite. I don't think we ever missed an opening day when we were treated with the likes of New Yorkers Bill Wimble and Lou Lazzaro in addition to the Nazareth regulars. Another fond memory was on Easter Sundays when the children were allowed to ride with there favorite drivers for 2 "slow" laps.
I remember standing in line to ride with Harry Moore and Elton Hildreth... What a treat... Can you imagine something like this today and the amount of insurance that would be required...I remember TAS winning his first feature in the 707 besting Jackie McLaughlin in Lucky Jordan's duce. One of my favorite races was during the summer that Jerry Fried also ran the Allentown fairgrounds and I think there was a rain-out that resulted in two 50 lap races at Nazareth. I remember Elton Hildreth winning the feature on that day.
My father and I always made the races at the 1 1/8 mile track. We were there for the inaugural event and all of the All Star races. One of the best was when Sonny Hutchens brought his Junie Donlavey pavement car and challenged for the feature win. Nazareth always featured the best of the best... Schneider, Cagle, Mulligan, Carter, Malzahn, Hildreth, Tas, McLaughlin, Reutimann, Ploski, Pickell, Olsen the list goes on.... My Dad and I also made the farewell race for Will Cagle after he got his USAC licence. If my memory is accurate... he also won the feature that night.
I always enjoyed Tex Enright waving the field on to start an event. He was a great show man and brought personality to the sport that is missing today. Nazareth had a personality of it's own... It was more than attending a race. When you went to Nazareth you were treated to some of the finest racing on the east coast. You can never replace what Nazareth had... It existed at a point in time that can never be duplicated. I am glad I had the good fortune of attending so many races at Nazareth during the prime of modified racing.
Dominic 03/21/08
I don't have many memories of the small track but more of the 1 mile track. My very first memory of the big track was when I was 4 in 1981. My father drove my sister and I up to chain link fence that was put up behind the main grandstands during the construction phase. I remember my father being so excited that they were going to reopen the track again. He held us up so we could look through the fence and see the plows leveling out the dirt in the infield. As a young kid, I was blown away by how big the track was and how big the grandstands were. I had only been to Flemington at that time and this seemed like 10 times bigger.
I'm not sure which race it was but I do remember sitting way up top of the grandstands one afternoon and the wind chill being about 20 degrees. It was so cold that my mother took us back in the car to warm up as my father stayed to watch the race.
I remember Lindy Vicari holding the Penthouse 100 and having a few of the Penthouse Pets signing autographs for the fans behind the main grandstands during intermission. I got rid of mine a long time ago but recently got another one from a guying selling it along with one of the programs on Ebay. As a kid I thought it was funny how one of the Pets was standing up in the scorer's tower in a fur coat as dirt was flying everywhere and it was like 45 degrees outside.
Vicari had the coolest pace car. It was a 1981 or '82 brown Corvette with RSCA written on the side. Nazareth 1 mile was unique also because, like Syracuse, it had a pit lane instead of a pit entrance. It was awesome seeing the corvette breaking off at turn four and speeding down pit lane as the cars roared down the front stretch.
The greatest thing about the Nazareth 1-mile (post 1982) was how it came to be. Vicari took a huge risk and made it happen. Yeah he had problems and eventually lost it but I don't believe that Nazareth wouldn't have lasted past the mid-80's if Vicari didn't take the chance. My family lived at Flemington Speedway but when Nazareth 1-mile was running, it was like Daytona for me. Special events held there had a certain mystique about them. If you won at the Nazareth 1-Mile, you accomplished something pretty awesome. If anybody out there has any footage of the 1-mile during the Vicari era, let Joe know cause I would love to see it !
Dominic
Ken Johnson 03/10/08
It was 1969 and for some reason Kenny Weld was not racing on a Sunday night. We went to Nazareth and Jackie Evans was running the heat and his water pump went out. He came into the pits and said he was done for the evening. Kenny was standing by and said don't you have another? Everyone on Evans' crew said no. Weld looked around and saw a Ford station wagon that Bob Rossell was using as his tow car. Weld went to Rossell and asked for the use of his water pump. Rossell said if he thought he could do it to go ahead. Weld changed water pumps and Evans went out and won the consolation. He then started in the back of the feature and came on to finish 5th in the feature. Rags Carter won the race.
Weld then had to replace Rossell's pumps so he could go home. Anyone remember this?
George P 03/02/08
Sitting with my Girlfriend up by the tree and watched Del George BOUNCE down the track turning the #666 into the #6. Could have heard a pin drop till he came out of the car. Same seats and Rags Carter dumped the coupe #1 again instant heart failure.
That place was just ALIVE on Sunday. You had the Easter Egg hunt with a sea of kids all over the infield.
The ONLY day I regret going to the track was August 23rd 1964. That ALMOST was my last race ever to go to. It was for my mother.
Photos provided by George Pavisko
(Photo on left is from the 1/2 mile track and the photo on the right, and photo below are from the 1 mile track. )
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