"You Know What We Did Wrong Don't Ya?"

This Senior Moment will be a collection of thoughts on the building and operating of Bridgeport Speedway, from the beginning.  As with all Senior Moments, keeping your thoughts in sequential order is a difficult, however they are all true to the best of my knowledge, based on  my close friendship with Leon Manchester, driver, Tri-State Assn. founder,  salvage/welding contractor and promoter of Bridgeport in 1972 and 1973.

Only one wide opening was placed in the guardrail at the end of  the pits at the entrance of the third turn. Cars coming back into the pits from the track or infield had to drop off of the back straight, going into a dog-leg turn around which aimed them back into the pits via that same opening.  Manchester's contention was that "right turn" pit gates caused a bump in the track because the car would usually exit at a right angle to the track causing a bump to form on the track over a long period of time.  Exiting the infield using the turn-around would direct the cars into the pits on an angle and eliminate this.  It should be noted that a swing open gate was located in the outside guard rail by the camper parking before the first turn to allow the ambulance and emergency equipment to exit the infield for grandstand accessibility or if needed, to exit the speedway grounds.  A staging lane was left between the back guardrail and wheel fence in front of the pits to allow the staging of the next race to take place next.

Dreams, Plans and Realities  VS.  Coulda, Shoulda's

There is no question about what the speedway gave up in visible recognition when it was constructed on Floodgate Road instead of the intersection of Rt.s. 322 and 295. Now 45 years later, the original location is finally closer to being developed since the Rowan University complex influence landed in Glassboro. New Jersey.  There is no doubt  the decision  to locate on Floodgate Road had to be a yes since no alternative location would fly at that time.   Over the  years the speedway has given up thousands of dollars in free advertising it would have come from the visibility offered by the originally planned location.  Not even mentioning the high degree of accessibility from the intersecting highways!

The width of the new track allowed for the introduction of the 3 abreast, ten row, 30 car starting feature.  The principal was getting more cars qualified meant more cars taking money home.  The problem of the concept was new, not all the same drivers made the field each week and the center row, of the three rows , half way on back, weren't used to being in such a starting position.  When the feature hit the first turn there were groups of cars 5 abreast and bunched up going side by side!  I can't recall if the 3 abreast start made it through the first full year or not!  The track size has changed over the life of the speedway existence referring to the usable racing surface.  The clay surface doesn't last forever.  Dust, rooster tails, clumps stuck to cars and rain washing it down to the inside of the track, "uses up" the surface. In the fifth year of operation the track racing surface dimensions started to change. Truthfully financial limitations force the choice of moving the clay from the inside of the track which had washed down off the banks and slope of the track and grade it up on the track.  This moved the inside racing edge of the oval up, not making the track shorter but rather narrower. The track was also cut between turns one and two so that the surface didn't slant from the inside of the track, all the way up to the outside guardrail.  It stopped in about 15 feet and leveled off forming a flat ledge until it reached the outer guard rail.  Please note this reference is 35 years old and I'm sure holds no validity in reference to the speedway surface as it is currently graded today!

The original lighting system had all of the light poles placed on the outside the guardrail helping keep the infield obstacle free, making it safer for drivers and providing a clear view of the track from the grandstand.  When the layout drawings were completed for the original lighting system it was decided to place additional poles with lights between the ones already placed, doubling what would have been the minimum necessary to race safely.  With all of the planning layout of the system, the lighting engineers forgot about shadows! From the main grandstand side of the track, the cars on the back stretch had the lights on the outside casting shadows in to the infield, leaving  the grandstand side of the car, black in the shadow. From the pits the cars on the home stretch all were hidden in the shadows also.  During the coupes and coach period, each car body had its own distinct creative shape and fans could follow the cars by their shapes.  But the "cookie cutter" bodies which eventually evolved made the problem more evident. As time went by, often track light bulbs were often not replaced when they "burned" out.  Many times the light poles which originally had a minimum of three light banks ended up with one functioning light.  After the Wingate years portable lights were used to aim light on the backstretch to help main grandstand viewing.

The dog-leg  turnaround in the infield for cars to use when entering the pits from the track, while planned with good intention, became a "nightmare".  Cars dropping out of a race had to sit in the infield until the race was completed on the track.  The next race would come out of the opening from the staging lane, the cars completing the race on the track would then have to drop down and use the turnaround, before the cars which had  been sitting there after dropping out of the race, were finally allowed across the track. Trying to keep  that organized and operating smoothly was like having a "Chinese Fire Drill" at the pit opening. The pit opening out of the second turn was a necessary addition made several years later.

Riding with Leon to a meeting of the defunct Tri State organization's board of directors in 1974, which was still closing out tax matters with the state, Leon said to me, "You know what we did wrong with Bridgeport don't you Dodge?".  I said yes I know, we made the place too darn big".  The track designed for pure "Balls Out" racing didn't support the pushing and shoving that is necessary for a large portion of the spectators.  It  was the first time we ever discussed or admitted to what we both knew but left unsaid!

The speedway has been under the leadership of many promotions since it's opening in 1972.  The facility is nicer than ever for the fans with steps for reducing the size of the track being planned by the current promotional team.   My Senior Moment is from 40 years in the past and times change. From my following the progress of the new ownership and promotion, this could be the best yet.  I certainly wish them the best.

Thanks for listening.

Senior Moment by Russ Dodge

Comment:

Interesting story, Russ. Thanks for taking the time to record the history of local racing.

Wali Shifflett and myself had a '55 Chevrolet that we ran figure 8 with at Dorsey Speedway in Elkridge, Md. Shortly after Bridgeport opened and the season had ended at Dorsey, we decided to venture north to a BIG track that was totally foreign to us. We couldn't secure a trailer so we were forced to flat tow. We were extremely underpowered with the 250 cu. in. 6 cylinder. We didn't arrive until warm ups were almost complete so consequently we were not able to get on the track. We had never experienced a staging area and the gate was closed as Wali was pulling through the pits for our heat. We were really out of sync at this "new" track. We were first in for the consi though! We qualified for the feature with Wali having to run high gear instead of second. The car developed a severe miss during the feature and we were forced to pull out. We made enough for gas and a burger and didn't touch another car all evening, so our flat tow home was simple. We had made it to the BIG track and back although it was 3:30 in the morning.