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Trenton Speedway to be remembered
Great IndyCar venue missed by many
Friday, November 21, 2008
The track, which closed in 1980, offered everything from Indianapolis Cars, NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup), Modified stock car, Midget and Sprint Car competition. For the Motorsports 2009 weekend, many of the race cars that were seen in action at Trenton International Speedway will be on view. And, plans are in the works to have a number of the drivers and team members who participated there at the show to meet the fans. Originally a dirt oval, Trenton became a one-mile paved track in the mid-fifties. By the 1970s, until its final race, Trenton Speedway was a peanut shaped one and one-half mile track. Overall, it produced some exciting racing events throughout the years. Notable organizations such as NASCAR, USAC, ARDC and URC sanctioned the events. The final race run at Trenton was for the asphalt Modified stock cars, in June, 1980. That scheduled 134-lap event, which was called official after 79 circuits due to rain, was won by Geoff Bodine. Many time NASCAR Modified champion Richie Evans finished close behind with N.J.’s John Blewett Jr. third. Bodine ultimately became a Daytona 500 winner. “Having worked there as the public relations director for several years I have a lot of fond memories and great stories,” said Motorsports 2009 public relations director Ernie Saxton. “It was indeed a great racing facility. I remember Jimmy Clark racing there and Janet Guthrie making what I believe was her initial run in an Indianapolis car at Trenton. It will be exciting to get a chance to see some of the old cars and the old timers that participated in events at Trenton.” The first time that Colin Chapman brought his rear-engine Lotus Indy Cars to the Brickyard in 1963, he entered two of them for Dan Gurney and Jimmy Clark at Trenton, NJ Speedway (then a 1-mile paved oval) to test his concept and work the bugs out. It was a record attendance for Trenton Speedway to see the great Jim Clark race, a record that would never be broken even though the famous track held races for another 20 years......which of course just goes to prove that fans will turn out in large numbers when "heroes" are in the starting lineup.
The fairgrounds and speedway location has since been turned into an industrial complex and is also the site of the New Jersey Sculpture Gardens and the very classy Ratz Restaurant. The Motorsports 2009 Race Car & Trade Show will fill close to 300,000 square feet of the Atlantic City Convention Center and will offer just about everything imaginable in motorsports. Attendees will have the opportunity to collect autographs from a variety of national and regional racing figures. And as Motorsports 2009 takes place during the day on January 16th and 17th, the Gamblers Classic Indoor Auto Races will be take place at night at Atlantic City’s famous Boardwalk Hall. Information on both events can be had at www.aarn.com. Ticket information is also available at the site or by telephoning 609.888.3618. AAA Championship Car
USAC Championship Car
[edit] CART Champ Car
[edit] NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup
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