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Photo ID # f08.21.09_037_ALB_FLM_0060S_1
Car #: #37
Driver (s) : Bobby Albert
Location: Flemington
Date: 1960's
Photographer: Bruce Craig
Photo provided by: Russ Dodge
Comments: Senior Moment From Russ Dodge:

Fair Excellent!

This photo Bruce Craig photo is one of my favorite Flemington prints. Being a "Saturday night regular" I was a stock car fan to the core! Now however, having "come to my dumbness" a couple decades ago, I have an appreciation of all the exciting laps of "wheel to wheel" racing I missed by not attending open wheel races in my early years.

This is a list of thoughts and memories that you may expand upon as we share this Senior Moment:

1. It's fair time at Flemington! In the late 50's I recall losing one Saturday night show because they were setting up for the fair. Saturday and Sunday afternoons were for midgets and sprints, leaving Saturday night for stock cars.

2. Bobby Albert contemplates the race as he waits for his car to be pushed off. It's sharp how he is resting with his hand on the pressure pump. How exciting to see the driver working the pump to pressurize his fuel system. Not knowing the mechanics of it, as kids, it meant to us he was getting every possible bit of speed out of the car he could!

3. Note the mid-60's dress of the crew members on the track. T-shirt? Not me! Short sleeves (plaid print) and buttons were the order of the day! You just don't see too many cigars anymore!

4. The colored banners draped on the front of the box seats in the grandstand are super!

5. Flemington Fair was a real country fair with tractors on display by the local dealers. Out buildings housed 4H displays with all the prize winning livestock on display.

6. All the food vendors plus the one sponsored and run by local organizations.
7. A Beer Garden!

8. Carnival type mid-way with rides and games of chance.
Whether you were a farmer or not, you tried not to miss the fair. Shows were featured during the week and in the later years, most of those programs focused on motor sports of some type.

Just a couple words about Bobby Albert. I never met him until years after he retired from driving. He became an auctioneer and dealt in antiques, clocks in particular, I believe. I met him at a NOTARC old timer's party in the early 90's and won at auction his driving suite he had given the club, to use as a fund raiser. It is quite worn and as he autographed it he said he used it in over a hundred shows. Laughing he said it would have been more but his son said he wouldn't go to the races with him anymore if he kept wearing the beat up old thing!

He was quite proud of his grandson being a driver, carrying on the family tradition. He always had a smile and a friendly greeting from that first meeting on. That was usually followed by an inquiry into what "new" old racing stuff I had found for my collection.

How about sharing your thoughts as we share this Senior Moment.

Senior Moment by Russ Dodge

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Date: Visitor's  Name:

Comment:

08.21.09 Ed Duncan The car that Bobby is driving is the Dick Hennessy Offy, Great pic
08.21.09 Bob G If this shot was from the mid 60's I was probably in the box seats with my dad. I remember being so scared in those seats "never admit it to dad though".. I don't remember this car but do remember Bobby Albert running the Bill Dorer car I think it was called the bulldog offy. "I always liked the names of the cars" remember when they would call them "specials"..
08/23/09 John D.Marelli Time after time Russ Dodge Rattles my memory and unlocks stuff not recalled for many decades.  Incredible.

This was Fair week in the mid 60's (The push truck is a 64 Ford). The #37 even shows his ARDC membership. 

The box seats were a very special place to sit. Back then, during fair week, they were premium numbered seats to be purchased. During the regular Stock Car season though, it was first come first served.. I ought to know.

Being too young to drive, each week scraping a local ride some 25 miles away, The gates would swing open at 12 noon each Saturday.  Armed with blankets, it was a mad dash to the boxes. Just south of the start finish line, I'd always grab one for me and my buddies, and another for friends who were later considered Flemington royalty.

Yes Bob G,. thinking back now, those seats were really scary, but exhilarating at the same time.  Nowhere else did you get the sense of speed, or literally, a taste of the track like you did when you sat in the front row.

So yet once again, I thank you Russ Dodge.
08.25.09 Bobby Albert (son) This picture is of my dad , it is the Dick Hennessey car and the year is 1964 . Just to give a tid bit of info , if you look at the helmet there is a painted Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign on the front.  In his travels from track to track, he met a man named Jacob Zook who was a noted Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign painter.   Being very superstitious as a lot of the racers were back in that era, he asked Mr. Zook if he could paint a hex sign on the helmet - one that would bring him good luck

Most drivers had numbers, flames and in later years there names painted on there helmets, but to my knowledge, my dad is the only one who had such a sign on his.  It brought a lot of attention and notoriety to my dad.  My dad was often featured on the front page of the nights racing programs after he started wearing this helmet. .

Mr. Dodge, I got a big kick about my dad and the uniform.  Your story is accurate and true.  I didn't like that uniform.   It's real neat to know that people still remember my dad and the comments and the stories they have to share about him and other drivers of that era. Thanks Bobby Albert
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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