2011:CHECK OUT THIS INCREDIBLE SITE!

TomKrawiec's Trenton Makes Music and Trenton Speedway

http://trentonmakesmusic.home.comcast.net/~trentonmakesmusic/speedway

My high school classmate Bob Shinkle sent this link to me. Bob and I spent our younger years within hearing distance of those race cars as they sped around the track at the New Jersey State Fair on Nottingham Way. Those of us old timers who remember those 1940's stock cars ripping around the New Jersey State Fair raceway will love this series of photos posted by webmaster Tom Krawiec. There are photos of a number of what I call "Rocky DiNatale" stock cars, not to mention the old midget racers, and of course the more recent Tom Petty, etc. more modern cars. Tom also has a very detaile site which features local music and musicians. Well Done, Tom, and thanks Bob for forwarding this to me.

2009: ROCKY DINATALE'S STOCK CAR HEAVEN

This view of Rocky DiNatale's establishment brings back many pleasant memories of the late 40's and early 50's when Don Slabicki, the late Ernie Plaag and I spent pleasant hours watching the guys at Rocky's getting their stock cars ready for a Saturday night race at Atco, Pittman, or other dirt tracks. I can still see those 37 or 38 Ford business coupes being transformed into speedy stock cars.

1947 Rocky DiNatale's Auto Garage

Wow, what memories! If you could magically sneak around to the right in this photo, you would be entering the bays at Rocky DiNatale's garage. Chances are there would be two '38 Ford business coupes being converted to racing stock cars. Chances are also good that you might see teenagers Tommy Glover, Ernie Plaag, and Don Slabicki admiring the wizards of automobile modification at work. You definitely would see one or more of Rocky's "Motorettes," which was a great little vehicle that held its own on the road. I will be posting a photo of the little gem which Jan Reesman was kind enough to share with us. Rocky DiNatale was a local legend on the local racing scene back in the mid to late 40's and into the early 50's. This photo was sent to me by Rocky's daughter, Janice, who is an accomplished motion picture writer-director. In fact, there are more graphics from Jan, and I am in the process of removing the remnants of scotch tape and other ravages of age.

1914: BARNEY OLDFIELD'S MERCER IN THE VANDERBILT CUP RACE

Three or four years ago at the Kuser Mansion, The Mercer Automobile Company was winning racing trophies galore during the company's golden years of 1909 - 1914.

1945: TRENTON SPEEDWAY AT THE STATE FAIR

The fellow in the photo was my racing hero back in the 40's and 50's. Of course we kids never had the money to gain legitimate access to the fair grounds grandstand area. That's where our dear old Klockner Road came into play. There was a side street, I think it was Smith Street that dead ended right in an area that gave us access to the "back track" at the speedway. The only thing between us and the race cars was a cyclone fence. It was a very dusty enviornment, but we loved it!

1936: REMEMBER THOSE "MIDGET" RACES?

WHEN I WAS A BOY, THE RACES AT THE N.J. FAIRGROUNDS WERE A VERY POPULAR SPORT. WE NEVER HAD THE MONEY TO GO TO THE GRANDSTAND, SO WE WENT DOWN KLOCKNER ROAD AND STOOD BY THE FENCE AT THE END OF SMITH STREET (?). (I'M NOT TOO SURE WHICH SIDE STREET ENDED AT THE FENCE.)

WERE YOU A STOCK CAR RACING FAN? CHECK OUT WWW.WALLYCAMPBELL.COM

FROM JEFF HARDIFER, THIS INCREDIBLY INTERESTING WEBSITE ON THE RACING CAREER OF LOCAL RACING LEGEND , WALLY CAMPBELL. THANKS SO MUCH FOR TELLING US ABOUT THIS SITE, JEFF. I HAVE MANY HAPPY MEMORIES OF THE HOURS I SPENT WITH MY BUDDIES DON SLABICKI AND ERNIE PLAAG AT ROCKY DINATLE'S GARAGE HANGING OUT WITH THOSE MANY STOCK CAR DRIVERS. ATCO, PITTMAN, AND OTHER RACING VENUES WERE ALL A PART OF ROCKY'S INCURSION INTO THE AUTO RACING GAME. TO THOSE MANY RACING FANS WHO MAY VISIT THIS SITE, BE SURE TO ADD WALLY'S WEBSITE AS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITES. AND THANKS AGAIN, JEFF FOR THE HEADS UP. BY THE WAY, ROCKY'S LOVELY WIFE WAS "LUCKY LUCY," LEADER OF AN ALL-GIRL CONTINGENT OF "HELL DRIVERS." THEY PERFORMED DARING AUTO FEATS WHICH WERE EVERY BIT AS EXCITING AS JOEY CHITWOOD AND LUCKY TETER. UNFORTUNATELY, A VIEWER SENT ME SOME PHOTOS, BUT THEY WERE NOT RECOGNIZED AS VALID FILE TYPES. WHEN I LOST MY COMPLETE COMPUTER HARD DRIVE A FEW MONTHS AGO, I LOST THE EMAIL ADDRESS OF THE SENDER AND AS A RESULT, I HAVE NO PHOTOS OF LOVELY LUCY AND HER EQUALLY LOVELY FEMALE DAREDEVILS.
TOM GLOVER
WWW.WALLYCAMPBELL.COM

1914: THIS IS ONE OF TWO FOR YOU, TIM KUSER

THE MERCER WAS IN ITS HEYDAY BACK IN THE 1910 - 1914 ERA. ALONG WITH MANY RACING TROPHYS, THERE WERE MANY VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS.

1909: The Roebling "Planche" Auto

I leave it to Mercer Automobile experts like Tim Kuser or any other Mercer Auto historian to tell us whether there is a link between the Kuser and Roebling families with the Mercer Car, and the Roebling's "Planche." Was the Planche involved in the formation of the Mercer Automobile Company?

Al Tasnady's '37 Ford Stock Car

I WAS COMPLETELY DELIGHTED WITH THIS WONDERFUL 3 DIMENSIONAL DISPLAY OF AL TASNADY SITTING IN HIS 1937 FORD STOCK CAR WITH THE BACKGROUND OF THE N.J. STATE FAIRGROUNDS GRANDSTAND AND RACE TRACK. I WOULD GUESS THAT THIS PHOTO WAS CIRCA 1948 OR 1949. I COULD VERY WELL HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE SPECTATORS AT THAT RACE. WE USED TO WATCH THE RACES FROM THE SMITH AVENUE AREA OF THE FAIRGROUNDS RACE TRACK, OFF OF KLOCKNER ROAD. DURING MY TEEN YEARS, TASNADY, ROCKY DINATALE, PEPPER CUNNINGHAM, AND OTHERS WHOSE NAMES ELUDE ME, MADE A DEFINITE IMPRESSION ON US IMPRESSIONABLE TEENAGERS! THE NUMEROUS HISTORIC OVERSIZE DISPLAYS DOTTING THE PARK THIS YEAR WERE SIMPLY EXCELLENT. KUDOS TO WHOMEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE. I ALSO DIDN'T FAIL TO NOTICE THE "HOLLYWOOD" TYPE "HAMILTON" SIGN ALONG ONE OF THE PATHWAYS. ALL THAT WAS MISSING WAS THE MOUNTAIN!

1940: Trenton Stock Car Races

One of the saddest events in the history of Hamilton Township was the loss of George Hamid's New Jersey State Fair. The loss of the speedway at Langhorne was also a sad loss to area racing fans Along with the annual N.J. State Fair, the loss of the races and the race track in Hamilton was one of the gems of the east in its heyday. Here's a photo from the "Sunday Times Advertiser" of August 4, 1940 with photos of some of the racing stars of the day. My favorite driver was Bill Holland.

1946: Stand aside, Nascar, Here are the Midgets!

How I loved to watch those little race cars slipping and sliding along the dirt track at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds race track! My hero was Ted Horn. I can still hear those "Offey" engines roaring past us as we watched from the Smith Street area of Klockner Road.