Wall Township Speedway
Encyclopedia
Wall Township Speedway is a race track
in Wall Township, New Jersey
. The track opened to the public in the spring of 1950 and has operated for at least a part of every year since. The track was an early home to racing stars Ray Evernham
and Martin Truex, Jr. Also, it hosted NASCAR Strictly Stock Series (now Sprint Cup) event in 1958. The more prominent drivers over the years have included Gil Hearne (eight time champion), John Blewett III
, Jimmy Blewett
(Two time champion), Jimmy Spencer
(Garden State Classic winner), Tony Siscone
(six time champion), Richie Evans
, and Charlie Jarzombek
(Garden State Classic winner).
The track officially reopened for a full season of racing in 2009, capped by the Turkey Derby. The name was changed back to the familiar "Wall Stadium".
The 2010 season started as usual, but as of September 2, 2010, the track closed once more, due to the expiration of Morton's lease on the property. The marquee, which earlier that week had noted the weekend's upcoming races, simply read "Racing cancelled till further notice". The 37th annual Turkey Derby ran as scheduled on November 26 and 27, under the terms of a short-term lease to Don Ling and the Blewett family. The track was put up for sale shortly thereafter with an asking price of $18 million. The track reopened thanks to a Mr. Cliff Krause. Who rented the track out from the owners for a one years lease.
Racing is scheduled to resume in 2011 under new management. Cliff Krause of Holmdel signed a one-year lease with track owners to conduct a full schedule of races.
The 2003 season, hosted a NASCAR (then Featherlite) Whelen Modified Tour event. The race was contested at 150 laps, and that race was held the next year, and it was quickly dropped from their future scheduling. In 2007, the cars returned to the speedway after, being absent from the schedule for three seasons, and it hosted a "Flash" event with a pair of 50 lap races, and the feature is the final 50. Unfortunately, the Tour cars weren't scheduled again ever since.
Turkey Derby
After the 1974 season, the management/staff added a race for the Thanksgiving weekend, entitled "Turkey Derby". The first was a 100 lap feature SK Style Modified event initiated by Jack Arute, Sr. at Stafford Motor Speedway
. From 1974-1992, the Modified race was contested a 150 lap event. When the years went by, the format had been changed to three 50 lap events, if the driver finishes in a certain spot, he will be declared the overall winner. To this day, the full blown Modifieds races in a 100 lap event, and the SK Style Modifieds runs the same process.
Garden State Classic
The Garden State Classic, was established in 1957. The format of the event was first consisted a grueling 300 lap event. When the 1980's started, it was cut to 200 laps, 1993, cut to 100 laps. Today, it's 150 laps.
.
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
in Wall Township, New Jersey
Wall Township, New Jersey
Wall Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 26,164.Wall Township was formally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1851...
. The track opened to the public in the spring of 1950 and has operated for at least a part of every year since. The track was an early home to racing stars Ray Evernham
Ray Evernham
Ray Evernham is currently a consultant for Hendrick Companies. In 1999, Evernham won the NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated “Person of the Year”.-Racer:...
and Martin Truex, Jr. Also, it hosted NASCAR Strictly Stock Series (now Sprint Cup) event in 1958. The more prominent drivers over the years have included Gil Hearne (eight time champion), John Blewett III
John Blewett III
John Richard Blewett, III from Howell Township, New Jersey, was a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver.-Career:...
, Jimmy Blewett
Jimmy Blewett
James Robert Blewett, known as Jimmy Blewett, is a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver, and the younger brother of the late John Blewett III.- Rising Up :...
(Two time champion), Jimmy Spencer
Jimmy Spencer
Jimmy Spencer is a current television commentator, and a former NASCAR driver. He formerly hosted the NASCAR inspired talk show, “What’s the Deal?”, on SPEED. He is the former co-host, with John Roberts and Kenny Wallace, of the SPEED's pre-race and post-race NASCAR shows NASCAR RaceDay and...
(Garden State Classic winner), Tony Siscone
Tony Siscone
Tony Siscone was raised in Collings Lakes, New Jersey. He graduated from Hammonton High School in 1967 and later went on to graduate from Rider University in 1971. Siscone was a successful high school teacher for 17 years...
(six time champion), Richie Evans
Richie Evans
Richard Ernest Evans , was an American racing driver who won nine NASCAR National Modified Championships, including eight in a row from 1978 to 1985. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame lists this achievement as "one of the supreme accomplishments in motorsports"...
, and Charlie Jarzombek
Charlie Jarzombek
Charlie Jarzombek was an American racecar driver from Baiting Hollow, New York.-Racing career:He started racing in 1962 on the Long Island tracks of Islip, Riverhead Raceway and Freeport Stadium...
(Garden State Classic winner).
Track Origins
Founders Tom and Jennie Nicol sought to build their own racetrack after enjoying stock car racing at Long Branch Speedway. The couple bought 55 acres of land off Route 34 in Wall Township and built a one-third mile oval with 30-degree banking in the turns, unheard of at the time. Racing began in 1950 with the annual Turkey Derby capping each season on Thanksgiving Day beginning in 1974.New Ownership
After the 2001 season, Jennie Nicol decided to sell the speedway and, it was purchased by Timothy Shinn. His co-owners were Tom Mauser, Joe Sanzari, and Fletcher Creamer for the 2002 season. The track was retitled Wall Township Speedway. After two months, Mauser was dismissed as the Track Operations Manager. In 2004, Fred Archer came to the fold as co owner. By 2005, car counts and capacity crowd started to decline and, there were rumors swirling about the track's future.Track's Demise
After the 2007 season, several employees were laid off from their positions. The track closed on March 14, 2008 with the track's marquee reading CLOSED FOR GOOD.Revival
After eleven months of not being operative, former track operations manager Jim Morton secured a lease to operate the race track for the season ending Turkey Derby Event in November 2008, and the crowd was overwhelming.The track officially reopened for a full season of racing in 2009, capped by the Turkey Derby. The name was changed back to the familiar "Wall Stadium".
The 2010 season started as usual, but as of September 2, 2010, the track closed once more, due to the expiration of Morton's lease on the property. The marquee, which earlier that week had noted the weekend's upcoming races, simply read "Racing cancelled till further notice". The 37th annual Turkey Derby ran as scheduled on November 26 and 27, under the terms of a short-term lease to Don Ling and the Blewett family. The track was put up for sale shortly thereafter with an asking price of $18 million. The track reopened thanks to a Mr. Cliff Krause. Who rented the track out from the owners for a one years lease.
Racing is scheduled to resume in 2011 under new management. Cliff Krause of Holmdel signed a one-year lease with track owners to conduct a full schedule of races.
Special Events
NASCAR Whelen Modified TourThe 2003 season, hosted a NASCAR (then Featherlite) Whelen Modified Tour event. The race was contested at 150 laps, and that race was held the next year, and it was quickly dropped from their future scheduling. In 2007, the cars returned to the speedway after, being absent from the schedule for three seasons, and it hosted a "Flash" event with a pair of 50 lap races, and the feature is the final 50. Unfortunately, the Tour cars weren't scheduled again ever since.
Turkey Derby
After the 1974 season, the management/staff added a race for the Thanksgiving weekend, entitled "Turkey Derby". The first was a 100 lap feature SK Style Modified event initiated by Jack Arute, Sr. at Stafford Motor Speedway
Stafford Motor Speedway
Stafford Motor Speedway is a semi-banked 1/2 mile paved oval located in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. It is part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. It hosts four events on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2010....
. From 1974-1992, the Modified race was contested a 150 lap event. When the years went by, the format had been changed to three 50 lap events, if the driver finishes in a certain spot, he will be declared the overall winner. To this day, the full blown Modifieds races in a 100 lap event, and the SK Style Modifieds runs the same process.
Garden State Classic
The Garden State Classic, was established in 1957. The format of the event was first consisted a grueling 300 lap event. When the 1980's started, it was cut to 200 laps, 1993, cut to 100 laps. Today, it's 150 laps.
Modifieds dropped from schedule
After the 1992 season there are some changes going about. When the 1993 season started the fans received devastating news: Modifieds had been dropped from the schedule. The fact was there was a dispute over the purse structure and the drivers in that division went to race elsewhere but the division found a new home at the now closed Flemington SpeedwayFlemington Speedway
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...
.