| |
| Location | Flemington, New Jersey, USA |
| Time Zone | UTC -5/-4 (DST) |
| Capacity | 25,000 (grandstands) |
| Opened | 1915 |
| Closed | 2002 |
| Major Events | World Stock Car Championship Round of New Jersey |
| Former Name(s) | Flemington Fair Speedway (1915 - 1990) |
| Dirt Rectangular Oval (1915 - 1990) | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Distance | 0.625 mi (1.006 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Semi-banked |
| Paved Rectangular Oval (1990 - 2002) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Distance | 0.625 mi (1.006 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Semi-banked |
Flemington Speedway
Flemington Speedway was a motor racing circuit in Flemington, New Jersey which operated from 1915 to 2002. The track was at one time known for being the fastest 5/8 dirt track in the United States, and later for its pioneering use of foam blocks used to lessen the impact of crashes, which led to the adoption of the SAFER barrier. Flemington was America's longest-running Saturday night short track until its closing.
History[edit | edit source]
Flemington Speedway was created as a nineteenth century fairgrounds horse track. It was a half mile, four-cornered dirt oval. Motorcycles first raced on this horse track in 1911, and the "Speedway" hosted its first automobile race 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. After the World Stock Car Championship began hosting races in 1950, stock car races became an annual event, and eventually became the weekly Saturday night featured attraction after lights were added in 1955.
The track was paved in 1990 as an attempt to reverse its slow decline and attract major touring series back for the first time since the mid-1970's. Though the World Stock Car Championship returned and held ten races at Flemington, it was not enough to offset the losses the track faced yearly, and Flemington closed in November 2002.
The track was eventually sold off to developers and demolished in early January 2005. A multi-use development called Raritan Town Center now occupies the surrounding area, and a Lowe's store sits on the defunct speedway property
Notable Races[edit | edit source]
- May 7, 1950 - third race of the National Stock Car Series, won by James August.