How to make time in heavy traffic

[Inspectorjoe]

Since I've had lots of time on my hands lately, I started transferring some of my old home videos to DVD. I put some clips of the final race at the Nazareth 1/2 mile speedway on Youtube.

Ever see an enduro race? On the clip is more than 200 cars racing for 3 hours on a half mile dirt track. Even if you don't care for racing, you gotta see it. Driving in it had to be about the most legal fun to be found.

This was the final race ever held at the Nazareth 1/2 mile. Automobile racing at this track began in 1921. It's the track where in 1959, 19 year old Italian immigrant twins Aldo & Mario Andretti began their racing careers. The site is now occupied by a strip mall. Yeah, there aren't enough strip malls around here.

In the normal quality mode, the quality absolutely sucks. When the window opens, double-click on the start arrow and the Youtube page will open. Then click on Watch in high quality and wait til it downloads before watching.

[Steven Hockstein]

Joe

That is a fun video! Almost as wacky as school bus racing

I used to go to Flemington Speedway to watch the car races before it closed. I remember the enduro races at that track. The speedway site is now a mall as well.

Good news is Wall Township Speedway in NJ was closed last year but it will be open for racing in 09.

Any other car racing fans out there?

[Inspectorjoe]

Steven:

Yeah, Flemington was a great track. I went a few times before they paved it. I remember my car would be covered with dirt afterward.

I've never been to Wall Stadium and didn't know it closed. It's quite a ways away from me. I know a woman who worked there. She was telling me how great it was. Maybe I'll make a point of getting there this summer. You never know how long it will be around.

The Nazareth One Mile closed in 2004. That was a shame. It was a beautiful, first class facility, but it was a difficult track to pass on. The races tended to be pretty boring, with few lead changes. Attendance kept dropping. Still, it was sad to see the final checkered flag.

[Bill Kibbel]

I grew up 15 miles from Flemington. I was there many Saturday nights in the summers of the '70s.

http://www.3widespicturevault.com/FRONT ... ries_1.htm

[Steven Hockstein]

I remember when Flemington was a dirt track and it was always entertaining to watch the preppy newbies, with their Lacoste sweaters neatly covering their shoulders, get all excited when they saw that there were "Good" seats available near the end of the fourth turn. They would sit there for about 2 minutes until they realized that they would get showered wih clumps of clay as soon as the cars started to race! That was a show in itself.

I also remember that after the races we would go to the local diner and could easily tell who attended the races because we were the ones covered with dirt and looked like we had been driving the cars.

And of course, the car wash was an important stop on the way home.

[Steven Hockstein]

This is a site that lists the many race tracks in NJ that have come and gone. Also many photos and facts about the tracks:

http://www.njracingnostalgia.com/njhistory.html

[Bill Kibbel]

It was always a dirt track (from 1915 through 1990). I never returned there after the '70s. After paving, speeds increased to 140 mph, resulting in horrible wrecks. Cycle races were even worse.

I fondly remember the dirt/rubber dust. Dates were just thrilled when I'd take 'em to the speedway.