Flemington Speedway
Encyclopedia
Flemington Speedway was a motor racing circuit in Flemington
, New Jersey
which operated from 1915 to 2002. The track is most known for hosting four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races and its pioneering use of foam
blocks used to lessen the impact of crashes, which led to the adoption of the SAFER barrier
and was America's longest-running Saturday night shorttrack until its closing.
oval. The track's grandstand opened in 1917 and remained standing until the track was demolished in January 2005. The track was reconfigured in 1966 into a 5/8 mile, semi-banked D-shaped dirt oval. The track remained this way until being paved at the end of the 1990 racing season.
The speedway hosted one of a handful of public appearances by 1992 Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. More than 25,000 people attended and tied up local roads for hours.
, severely injured. After talking to crew chiefs and drivers, track officials decided to add foam blocks to lessen the impact of crashes. The foam bricks led to crashes at up to 140 mi/h leaving no serious injuries.
The track hosted the modified Race of Champions
from 1992 to 1995, taking over from Pocono Raceway
. The race moved to its current home at Oswego Speedway
in Oswego, New York
for 1996.
The track also hosted the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for four races, from 1995 to 1998. All four races were won by Chevrolet, with Ron Hornaday Jr. winning two.
The last Pro-Touring series to race at the speedway was the then ARCA
Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series' (Now ARCA Re-Max
) Flemington ARCA 150. The winner was Frank Kimmel
who would go on to win his first series title that season. The race was to be run on August 14, 1999, but due to a severe thunderstorm that hit the track after qualifying, the race was run the next day before a nearly empty house. It was the only ARCA race at the Speedway.
The track continuously lost money after being paved, and closed on November 8th, 2002. The track was sold off to developers and demolished in early January 2005. The development, called "Raritan Town Square," is slated to contain office, civic, restaurant and retail spaces, including a Wal-Mart and Lowes.
(As of 2009 a Lowe's
Home improvement store sits on the former property of the Flemington Speedway.)
Flemington, New Jersey
Flemington is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 4,581. It is the county seat of Hunterdon County....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
which operated from 1915 to 2002. The track is most known for hosting four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races and its pioneering use of foam
Foam
-Definition:A foam is a substance that is formed by trapping gas in a liquid or solid in a divided form, i.e. by forming gas regions inside liquid regions, leading to different kinds of dispersed media...
blocks used to lessen the impact of crashes, which led to the adoption of the SAFER barrier
SAFER barrier
The Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barrier, sometimes called a soft wall, is a technology found primarily on oval automobile race tracks and intended to make racing accidents safer...
and was America's longest-running Saturday night shorttrack until its closing.
Early history
Flemington opened in 1915 as a half mile dirtDirt track racing
Dirt track racing is a type of auto racing performed on oval tracks. It began in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 30s. Two different types of racecars predominated—open wheel racers in the Northeast and West and stock cars in the South...
oval. The track's grandstand opened in 1917 and remained standing until the track was demolished in January 2005. The track was reconfigured in 1966 into a 5/8 mile, semi-banked D-shaped dirt oval. The track remained this way until being paved at the end of the 1990 racing season.
The speedway hosted one of a handful of public appearances by 1992 Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. More than 25,000 people attended and tied up local roads for hours.
Life as a paved track
After being paved, speeds at the track dramatically increased. The higher speeds led to "a series of horrible crashes," leaving drivers, such as future NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Ray EvernhamRay Evernham
Ray Evernham is currently a consultant for Hendrick Companies. In 1999, Evernham won the NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated “Person of the Year”.-Racer:...
, severely injured. After talking to crew chiefs and drivers, track officials decided to add foam blocks to lessen the impact of crashes. The foam bricks led to crashes at up to 140 mi/h leaving no serious injuries.
The track hosted the modified Race of Champions
Race of Champions (Modified)
The Race of Champions is a yearly stock car race using modified race cars. The Race of Champions is the successor to the Langhorne National Open, and uses the 1951-1971 opens as the first 21 RoC events. Champions from weekly racetracks throughout the Northeast and Southeast are awarded guaranteed...
from 1992 to 1995, taking over from Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
. The race moved to its current home at Oswego Speedway
Oswego Speedway
The Oswego Speedway is a race track in Oswego, New York. It was built in 1951 and today is an asphalt race track. The track is the Labor Day Weekend home of the 200-lap, non-wing, big-block supermodified Budweiser Classic and Race of Champions...
in Oswego, New York
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
for 1996.
The track also hosted the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for four races, from 1995 to 1998. All four races were won by Chevrolet, with Ron Hornaday Jr. winning two.
The last Pro-Touring series to race at the speedway was the then ARCA
Automobile Racing Club of America
Automobile Racing Club of America is an auto racing sanctioning body in the United States, founded in 1953 by John Marcum. The current president of ARCA is Ron Drager. The ARCA RE/MAX Series races stock cars similar to those seen in past years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and indeed most cars...
Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series' (Now ARCA Re-Max
ARCA RE/MAX Series
-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...
) Flemington ARCA 150. The winner was Frank Kimmel
Frank Kimmel
Franklin James Kimmel is an American stock car driver/owner. He drives the #44 Ansell Gloves/Menards Ford in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Kimmel has won the ARCA championship nine times, including eight consecutive...
who would go on to win his first series title that season. The race was to be run on August 14, 1999, but due to a severe thunderstorm that hit the track after qualifying, the race was run the next day before a nearly empty house. It was the only ARCA race at the Speedway.
The track continuously lost money after being paved, and closed on November 8th, 2002. The track was sold off to developers and demolished in early January 2005. The development, called "Raritan Town Square," is slated to contain office, civic, restaurant and retail spaces, including a Wal-Mart and Lowes.
(As of 2009 a Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
Home improvement store sits on the former property of the Flemington Speedway.)
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history
| Season | Date | Race | Winning Driver | Truck Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 1995 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series The 1995 NASCAR SuperTruck Series Season, the first one ever to be run, began February 5 and ended October 28. Mike Skinner of Richard Childress Racing won the championship.See also: 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1995 NASCAR Busch Series... |
August 19 | Stevens Beil / Genuine Car Parts 150 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
| 1996 1996 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series The 1996 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season began March 17 and ended November 3. Ron Hornaday of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. won the championship.See also: 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1996 NASCAR Busch Series- 1996 Team Chart :... |
August 10 | Stevens Beil / Genuine Car Parts 200 | Mike Skinner Mike Skinner (NASCAR) Mike Skinner is an American driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is the primary driver of the #60 Big Red Soda Toyota Camry for Germain Racing. He is the father of former NASCAR drivers Jamie and Dustin Skinner... |
Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
| 1997 1997 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series The 1997 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season began on January 19 and ended on November 19. Jack Sprague of Hendrick Motorsports won the title.See also: 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1997 NASCAR Busch Series- 1997 Team Chart :- Chevy Trucks Challenge :... |
August 9 | Stevens Beil / Genuine Car Parts 200 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
| 1998 1998 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series The 1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season began January 18 and ended November 8. Ron Hornaday of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. won the championship.See also: 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1998 NASCAR Busch Series- 1998 Team Chart :- Chevy Trucks Challenge :... |
August 8 | Stevens Beil / Genuine Car Parts 200 | Terry Cook Terry Cook Terry Cook is an American former stock car driver. He is married to former Craftsman Truck pit reporter Amy East, and brother-in-law to driver Bobby East... |
Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |