e02.05.08_FRT_STR_NAZ_0069M

Visitor's Comments		To add your comments about THIS PHOTO - Click Here
Date:	Visitor's Name:	Comment:
02/0608	Gregory Saeger	Look at all the history on the track. What I really like about the picture is that the infield of the half mile is clean and far from what it looked like at the end. The real pleasure of the picture to me is the older gentlemen sitting in the middle of the picture with the blue shirt on. Hopefully he was laid to rest with only the vision he saw of the races the way they were, before the cookie cutter cars with way to much graphics on them. Some of us that were young enough to remember that day and are going to the races today have to wonder if dirt track racing will be around when we reach that gentlemen's age. What a great colorful photo, really captures the moment. Sure better then looking at a Dollar Tree, and an Auto Zone!.
02/06/08	Dominic Korzecki	I love this picture because even though it's before my time, I did get to go to Nazareth ½ mile a few times before it closed in '88. My father went here during this period though and what a great time it was to live in the Lehigh Valley for racing. Flemington, Nazareth ½ mile, Nazareth 1-mile, Harmony...you had your pick over the weekend. The spot where the fans are sitting in the photo is exactly the same spot where they built the Giant food store, where turn 1 and 2 are, is where the STS car care center is, the entire pits, backstretch, turn 3 and 4 is, is where the parking lot for the store is. And where you see the Acme supermarket sign, the Acme building still stands but is now a lawn and garden equipment supply store. I have a video of Nazareth ½ mile from '87 and you can see how the place went down hill from age and time. Coolest thing as a kid though was turning around and standing at the top of the bleachers and looking back at the 1 mile track's huge grandstands. When I go back to visit, I always drive around the Giant parking lot and remember the view. Great photo, thanks for sharing it with us !!
02/07/08	Jack Kromer	That is a great shot. Really takes you back to some fantastic days at the track. No wonder the stands were full. Those coupes and sedans-man I miss 'em. The Acme building is now gone, also. It was torn down last year. The only building left on the old half mile property is the old IGA on the backstretch, which is now the Dollar Store. The only thing left of the half mile that I know of is a few patches of asphalt from the old pit road entrance and pit roads from when the pits were on the outside.They are in the grass behind the fence in the back of the Brown Daub dealer on the big track property. Every day I load my mail truck there on the old outside half mile pit area.It's such a weird feeling. When I drive to my route I go thru the old pit area and every day you just think of the great names that were parked in that area. Schneider, Mulligan, Cagle, Carter, Hildreth, Malzahn, Van Horn, Ploski, Tanzosh, Shire, Steinkopf, Strupp-I mean you can go on forever. I can still see them today.
02/07/08	3Wide	I agree with Jack about this photo, and the feelings that it causes. I only got to Nazareth in the early part of the year, but something about this photo gives me that feeling of excitement that we all used to get whenever we went to a new speedway, or to one that we really loved. Maybe it had something to do with the long drive to get there... you know... as a kid... "are we there yet?"... And then finally, you were there! And you took your seat... and there before you was the stage. Thanks to Bob Smith for providing this great photo (his dad was the photographer) and also, good to hear from Jack Kromer (above post) who many of you know for his fantastic photo work from the 70's to current. Check out the AARN pictorials from the 70's and 80's and you'll see a ton of great Jack Kromer photos!
02/12/08	Barz Family	When staring at this picture, I thought of many, many things that we as Americans have experienced and learned about the world that we didn't think about 40 years ago. The image of a cut coupe with carburetors. A head scarf on a woman to keep the beehive in place. A full crowd on a Sunday afternoon to watch big ol' modified cars blast dirt in our faces just makes me think about life then, and how complicated it seems now in comparison. And remind me. Did the guy with the Falcon R-12 body seem like a goof or an innovator? I just can't explain how cool I think this photograph is. The Barz Family Wayne, Lori, Connor and Olivia
02/16/08	Fred George	They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Looking at this picture and bringing back the fond memories of Nazareth Speedway, Im having trouble finding just a few of those thousand words to express why I'm getting goosebumps from seeing all those "Heroes" lining up for what appears to be the feature event. My friends and I were at this track every Sunday to watch the races. A couple of us were fortunate enough to live about 1/2 mile away in that neighborhood you can see over the buildings just off turn 2. I just couldn't wait for Sunday to come so we could make the fun walk to the track. It was a blast watching the cars come to the pit gate on their haulers, then go in to our seats about 10 rows up right behind the start finish line to watch the cars come out to run the track in after Ward Crozier dumped the water on it. Man how the mud use to fly up in the air. Personally, we had the fortune to grow up and witness what I think was the greatest era of dirt track modified racing ever. Every week they easily drew over 50+ of the best modified drivers on the east coast. Ohhh, and if the Reading Fairgrounds didn't run on Sundays, well, use your imagination. I was one of those kids you see along the fence, at one time or another. With our eyes as big as saucers, we got their autographs and were able to chat with the drivers, even if briefly before they thundered off to risk their lives doing what they loved. I know its sad what happened to the track, but don't let it die in your hearts. "Heroes" never fade away, they become a memory that's everlasting. Thank you to Bob Smith who provided this great photo and to 3-Wide for this wonderful website. Thanks for stirring up all those memories!!!! Here's hoping more pictures of Nazareth will find their way to this site!! Mr. Smith, would it be possible to purchase a copy of this photo, somehow???? Fred George fgleadfoot@rcn.com "Dirt is for Racin'" "Asphalt's for gettin' there." Support Your Local Race Tracks!!!!!!
02/18/08	racerxx44	i do recall the 43 car was owned and built by jim horton sr
02/28/08	Kevin B	VERY POSSIBLY THE BEST PHOTO IN THE VAULT!!
03/01/08	Anthony Ferraiuolo IV	I also want to thank Mr. Smith for sharing this photo. No doubt this is one of many nice days at Nazereth in 1969. I was only 11 at the time but I wish we could bring that era back. Definitely Whip Mulligan in my father and Uncle Ron's first modified ( that's how I know its 1969). What a field of cars! Is there any wonder that the stands are packed.
12/01/08	Wayne Heiserman	I can help you with some of the cars. The 11 is Johnny Harroll, the 16 is Charlie Decker and the R-12 is Elton "Wildman" Hildreth.
01.29.09	Steve Whitney	The R12 is was unique in that it has a Rambler American body because it was sponsored by Ronco Rambler. I remember seeing the "Wild Man" get mad about an official's decision and sit on the roof of his car while talking it over with Ken Golden. I can't exactly remember if it was this car or the 16J.
05.17.18	Jeff Bowen	Tony IV. Just recently discovered this photo. Great summer. I'm the kid in the green sweatshirt looking at whip. It was exciting to discover it.

Photo ID #	e02.05.08_FRT_STR_NAZ_0069M_1
Car #:	#many!...24, 11, 16, 44, 73, R-12, 43, 7, 27Jr, 9... and a couple others!
Driver (s) :	We'll let you guys fill us in on most, but we're pretty sure about Will Cagle #24, Rags Carter in the #44, maybe Lauden Potts or whip Mulligan in the #73?, Sammy Beavers in the #43, Bill Wilson #7, Stan Ploski in the #27Jr, and Ed Farley in the #9.
Location:	Nazareth, PA
Date:	Late 60's
Photographer:	Bob Smith (Father of the provider of the photo.)
Photo provided by:	Bob Smith
Comments:	Comment from Bob: Comment from Bob: The photographer of this photo was my father Bob Smith and I hold the original. My name is also Bob. This is one of my favorite pictures. My brother and I are two of the kids standing along the fence taking in Rag Carter's #44. I'm thinking this must have been a big race day because that's when we traveled to different tracks. Our weekly track was OCFS but it was always fun going to the other tracks in the area.