Flemington Speedway
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| Aerial photo of the track from 1995 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location | Flemington, New Jersey | |
| Time zone | GMT-5 | |
| Coordinates | 40.5266, -74.8534 | |
| Opened | 1915 | |
| Closed | 2002 | |
| Former Names | Flemington Fair Speedway (1915-1990) | |
| Major Events | Stevens Beil / Genuine Car Parts 150 (1995-1998) Race of Champions (Modified) (1992-1995) |
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| D-shaped Oval | ||
| Surface | Asphalt | |
| Circuit Length | 0.625 mi (1.000 km) | |
| Turns | 4 | |
| Banking | Semi-banked | |
| Lap Record | 0:18.817 (Stacy Compton, Impact Motorsports, 1998, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) | |
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.
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[edit] Early history
Flemington opened in 1915 as a half mile dirt 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.[1] 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.[2]
[edit] 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 Nextel Cup team owner Ray Evernham, 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 mph leaving no serious injuries.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5] The race was to be run on 8-14-99, 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.[6] The development, called "Raritan Town Square," is slated to contain office, civic, restaurant and retail spaces, including a Wal-Mart and Lowes.[7]
[edit] NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history
| Season | Date | Race | Winning Driver | Truck Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | August 19 | Stevens Beil / Genuine Car Parts 150 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | Chevrolet |
| 1996 | August 10 | Stevens Beil / Genuine Car Parts 200 | Mike Skinner | Chevrolet |
| 1997 | August 9 | Stevens Beil / Genuine Car Parts 200 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | Chevrolet |
| 1998 | August 8 | Stevens Beil / Genuine Car Parts 200 | Terry Cook | Chevrolet |
