A Muhlenberg Township resident for over forty years, Lindy brought back the Miss Reading Fair Pageant as well as creating the Little Miss Pageant while continuing the traditions of the annual Reading Fair. Donny and I also raced, but the smaller version go During this span Tommy won 11 of 26 races and soon it was known, in order to win at the Fairgrounds, you had to beat Tommy Hinnershitz. We raced on dirt and on asphalt mainly in the tri-state REIDER, Blackie MAYBERRY, Tom 3/31/63 PANTUSO, Vince HIEBER, Gary Do they share their experiences? 20,000 spectators jammed the place to. The Reading Fairgrounds Speedway is one of those long ago vintage tracks affectionately known as the Group of 71. 2 The historical information about the photos and articles on goreadingberks.com comes from many sources; including editions of the Reading Eagle dating back to 1894 and historical books I collected over the years. Today, as a trackchaser, I commonly get up at some very early hours. Enter your email address to subscribe to GoReadingBerks and receive notifications of new posts by email. Dick Quallio Over the years other performers included Ray Charles and Pat Boone. The 80 acres of motor sports memories was being converted into a shopping mall. 3 5 5 5 TROUT, Bob WISMER JR, Kenny 2 As I came out of the theater, though, I decided that it would be fun to update a . MEAHL, Ken I do remember seeing something at the track that I had never seen before. READINGER, Dan Got Dad more angry when I told him that we call them engines. 9/10/76 "I went out of the third turn upside down," he said. 16 3 2 The beloved flatheads grew in popularity and stature. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. GRIFFIN, Bernie 7 Ten years later they presented their first and only double show with another organization, the RSCA. 1 From September 20, 1924 to June 29,1979, dirt-track racing fans crowded the 80 acre site of the Reading Fairgrounds located in Muhlenburg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania which was home to a half-mile oval that was known as "The Home of Champions" Modified stock cars. Your guess is as good as mine! Food memories immortalized on canvasand plates - PressReader 2 7 5 1 Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 3 On Saturday May 21st, 2022, a plaque commemorating the Reading Fairgrounds & Speedway was ceremonially dedicated to the drivers who lost their lives there. 14 52 Thats why I fell asleep during the racing at Reading! MALZAHN, Bobby 1 Hello, from the Reading Stock Car Association we have the ultimate book 115708529208 6/22/75 great modifieds, we loved watching the sprint and midgets race GOLLUB, Gary If youve got a question, comment or whatever please leave it at the bottom of this report. 8/21/64 4 6 Creative Event Ideas For Amazing Corporate Events Bobby Hauer 2014 Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society Elected Officials ELY, George Ver ms de Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Resurrection 2013 en Facebook. Do they share their experiences? And there were those who paid the ultimate price, such as Jud Larson and Red Riegel, Jackie Evans and Mike Grbac, the young New Jersey driver who died a month after the final 78 race from injuries suffered in a cartwheeling accident down the main straight halfway through that event. Thanks for filling in so much nostalgia for my upbringing and the roots I am so proud of. 11 The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. 3 Pickell Jr. We would like to thank The 7 Publisher Racing Sanctioning Corp. of America Publication date January 1, 1978 See all details Inspire a love of reading with Amazon Book Box for Kids 1 1 Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 4 LONG, Tommy The Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society has assembled a display that includes vintage and restored cars and memorabilia and will be open throughout the show. In 1947 a building designed for roller skating was added to the facilities. HAUER, Bobby 10/17/65 80 4 1 Most of the racetracks in the U.S. are located well over 1,000 miles from where I live. 7 Back 2 10/21/62 THE CLASSIC TRACKCHASER REPORT From September 20, 1924 to June 29,1979, dirt-track racing fans crowded the 80 acre site of the Reading Fairgrounds located in Muhlenburg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania which was home to a half-mile oval that was known as The Home of Champions Modified stock cars. That car has been restored. Red Riegel were killed in the first turn racing sprint cars. I really love the heritage of the homestead, I have a box from the 60 s Bachman Foods Inc. Its. . 2 Use it! 3 The case for selling high-quality used stuff YOURSELF! Membership is open to all who are interested in keeping the tradition and memory of the races and fair alive for the future. Am now a Tony Raines, 9 8 17 5 Below: Lindy Vicari, shown below with pageant winners (unable to he identified), operated the Reading Fairgrounds from 1955 to 1979. were still neck and neck. One day Ill be in Tucson, the next in maybe Tuscaloosa and the following day in Syracuse. We raced with Michael Andretti when he was a kid at an There were Brightbill and Chamberlain, Dick Tobias and A1 Tasnady, Bobby Gerhart and Freddy Adam, the names who made Reading what it was -and who were made what they were in many ways bj the fairgrounds. 1 SASSAMAN, Dave From September 20, 1924 to June 29,1979, dirt-track racing fans crowded the 80 acre site of the Reading Fairgrounds located in Muhlenburg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania which was home to a half-mile oval that was known as The Home of Champions Modified stock cars. 2 2 2 I didnt begin producing my YouTube videos until 2009 (YouTube channel: RANLAY). 031 60 52 60 Info@enchelab.com. 9/5/75 It was the end of an era. They built a Horse Race Track and grandstands which were opened to the public in 1916. Below: Car # 54 races # 76, Freddy Adam, the Kutztown Comet, who competed in more seasons than any other racer. My memories of that trip are few. Vince Conrad 12 GRBAC, Mike 6 18 1 Whitey Kerschner There were some sacrifices but there was a reward. 2 If so, please feel free to share your memories in the comments section below. Have you ever in your life heard of trackchasing? When you receive one of my Trackchaser Reports or find one on my website atwww.randylewis.orgI hope you will take the time to imagine in your mind what it took to make this trip from SoCal and understand the fun I had doing it. USPS to hold job fair in Reading this weekend The Reading Fair had it's first fair in 1854 at Penn's Commons, in what is now City Park. We lcome To. 1 I am the face behind GoReadingBerks. I was born and raised in Reading, PA. The Reading Fairgrounds in Muhlenberg Township Then in 1963 the inevitable occurred and Reading switched over to running weekly modified competition paying $500 to win and posting the largest weekly modified purse around. Back in the day, beginning in 1972 I worked for a company called Richardson-Vicks (RVI). TV to this day. This is a professional offset lithograph print that was commissioned many years ago and quickly sold out. EPRIGHT, Fritz 3 When a caution flag was thrown the yellow lights went on alerting the drivers to slow down. It was henceforth proclaimed throughout the ranks, to win at Reading is beating the best, but it was tough. FITZCHARLES, Paul These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. So many local drivers made the competition tough and exciting. 19 Reading Fairgrounds Modified Stars Photos 4x6 Glossy Brightbill,Chamb 1975 Reading Fairgrounds Program Gerald Chamberlain Dick Tobias Reading Fairgrounds Modified Memories Book 1975-76 Syracuse Fairgrounds Schaefer 100 Super Dirt Week Dirt Modified 1975 Reading Fairgrounds Program Kenny Brightbill Dick Tobias 3 The winner of the Grand Finale` - when the Reading Fairgrounds held its final event, in June of 1979, Dave Kelly drove his beautiful Mustang-bodied No. Since 1911 the covered grandstand saw many generations pass and echoed the names of many champions. Since that time the site has grown to provide information about historical sites, landmarks, museums, parks, hotels and more. 1 17 to victory. 17 21 FRENCH, Ralph SUMMARY Copyright 2021 GoReadingBerks | All Rights Reserved |. OSBORNE, Lee there. 2 MILLER, Paul The Reading Fairgrounds was considered to be the best weekly racing program in the country. 20 BRENN JR, Ken 11 The Reading Fair & The Reading Fairgrounds - WordPress.com the Vault, and of the Reading Fairgrounds to join their great organization and support It was delightful to see young ones browse through a variety of books. 3/23/74 230 Reading Fairgrounds ideas | stock car, old race cars - Pinterest was one of the first races I ever attended. 4 Thats probably the most inconvenient location in the country for seeing tracks in the U.S. Nevertheless, this CLASSIC Trackchaser Report has finally bubbled to the surface and is now available for everyone to see atwww.randylewis.org. 6 reading fairgrounds memories - kasheshchhabbria.com their efforts. 1 There was the sight of promoter Lindy Vicari in his grader, working the track surface to the optimum of tackiness the good kind. Ronnie Tobias SEIDEL, Bob STANTON, Dave 22 This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin.