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Photo ID # H01.15.10_BRG_FAI_BRI_0060S_1
Car #: #NA
Driver (s) : NA
Location: Bridgeton, NJ
Date: 1960's?
Photographer: Harry Seehausz
Photo provided by: Russ Dodge
Comments: Senior Moment From Russ Dodge:

A Fair Story To Track

The Senior moments photo above by Harry Seehousz, shows the outline of the Cumberland County Fairgrounds which was located on Fayette Street in Bridgeton, N.J. The facility was located there from the 1890's until it moved to a new location in Carmel, N.J. in 1968.

Like most county fairs of that period a track existed for horse racing of some type. The one in Bridgeton, along with adding Wild West shows, also featured Big Car auto racing in the 1930's.  (I can't continue without interjecting that Bridgeton's racing legend Elton Hildreth says he drove and won the first race of his career at the local fairgrounds at the age of 14!)   While auto racing wasn't held after the 30's I recall motorcycles raced there during the fair dates up into the 1960's

In 1968 the County Fair relocated to a more spacious facility away from the city to Carmel, N.J. The Cumberland County fair which has a Millville, N.J. address, has an oval which is used for pony races, demo-derby's and truck pulls and other events.

The fairgrounds with its oval is located off of Sherman Ave. about 6 miles West of the location of the old Vineland Speedway and would share the same exit off of Rt. 55, if the speedway were still operating today.

In 1971 Harmony Speedway was operating under the direction of the Tri-State owners organization, who were looking for a second track to sanction. A visit was made to Cumberland County Fair president Bob Wheaton to inquire about using that facility for stock car racing. Mr. Wheaton was very congenial but said that there was too much resistance from the town of Millville and that they would never allow it.

During the winter months 0f 1972 a new speedway was being planned to be located in Bridgeport, N.J. Contacted was made with Vineland businessman and County Freeholder Pete Marcacci setting up a meeting for him and Leon Manchester who represented the Bridgeport group. Pete was a former stock car owner and official at the old Vineland Speedway. It was felt this was the best chance to get the new speedway located at the Cumberland County Fairgrounds. Pete assured us that he personally liked the idea but said it would never happen. He conveyed the same message that Bob Wheaton had told us earlier about too much resistance from the city of Millville, particularly the clergy at that time.

Bridgeport went on to be built on Floodgate Road where it is today. This was actually not the primary location of choice following the "no go" at Cumberland. The speedway as originally presented to planners at the time would have located the speedway on the N.E. corner of the intersection of Rt.322 and Rt.295!  The local government said that that land was too valuable for a racetrack and that land would be developed into a Mall or retail stores!  If the speedway was built on a farm on Floodgate Road, it's permits would clear.

When Langhorne Speedway's grandstand and guardrail steel was salvaged for use in building Bridgeport, it was actually first brought to the Rt.322 location, with the excess unused beams stacked there for several years after Bridgeport opened.

40 years have passed since the attempt to expand the utilization of the Cumberland County Fairgrounds which still hosts it annual fair with its limited motor sports program. The corner property on Rt..322 still is undeveloped, I believe. Bridgeport Speedway is operating this year with a major change in its weekly program and the town of Millville has the New Jersey Motorsports Park!

What if ?.......  I wonder!

Senior Moment By Russ Dodge

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Comment:

01.15.11 BIll Ore The racing was a little before my time, but I remember going to the Cumberland County Fair at this site. They had Jack Kochman's Hell Drivers there every year, and they also appeared at the new location for a few years. There were circuses held there, also.

When the Fair moved to the new grounds, I remember there was talk about developing the old property by building apartments there, but it never came to pass. The land still sits there undeveloped.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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