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  *Comments on Flemington Speedway:*
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  1.   CFob posted:
  03.06.2011 - 5:52 pm
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Speedway was closed in 2002 and sold for development in 2005. A Lowe's
now occupies the former location of the Flemington Speedway. A true shame.


  2.   Cooper posted:
  03.08.2011 - 3:59 pm
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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 barrier and was America's longest-running Saturday night
shorttrack until its closing.

Flemington opened 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. The track was reconfigured in 1966 into a
5/8 mile, semi-banked D-shaped dirt oval. The track remained this way
until being paved at the end of the 1990 racing season. The speedway
hosted one of a handful of public appearances by 1992 Presidential
candidate H. Ross Perot. More than 25,000 people attended and tied up
local roads for hours.

After being paved, speeds at the track dramatically increased. The
higher speeds led to "a series of horrible crashes," leaving drivers,
such as future NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Ray Evernham, severely
injured. After talking to crew chiefs and drivers, track officials
decided to add foam blocks to lessen the impact of crashes. The foam
bricks led to crashes at up to 140 mph (230 km/h) leaving no serious
injuries.

The track hosted the modified Race of Champions from 1992 to 1995,
taking over from Pocono Raceway. The race moved to its current home at
Oswego Speedway in Oswego, New York for 1996.

The track also hosted the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for four races,
from 1995 to 1998. All four races were won by Chevrolet, with Ron
Hornaday Jr. winning two.

The last Pro-Touring series to race at the speedway was the then ARCA
Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series' (Now ARCA Re-Max) Flemington ARCA 150. The winner
was Frank Kimmel who would go on to win his first series title that
season. The race was to be run on August 14, 1999, but due to a severe
thunderstorm that hit the track after qualifying, the race was run the
next day before a nearly empty house. It was the only ARCA race at the
Speedway.

The track continuously lost money after being paved, and closed on
November 8th, 2002. The track was sold off to developers and demolished
in early January 2005. The development, called "Raritan Town Square," is
slated to contain office, civic, restaurant and retail spaces, including
a Wal-Mart and Lowes.

(As of 2009 a Lowe's Home improvement store sits on the former property
of the Flemington Speedway.)


  3.   Timberwolf Frenzel posted:
  01.03.2012 - 7:50 pm
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Greatest Racetrack ever-even better than Dayton!


  4.   Unser1 posted:
  04.07.2014 - 10:07 pm
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Track was basically a square and raced like somewhat like a circle with
drivers constantly turning.


  5.   AnonymousEFR posted:
  05.27.2014 - 10:01 pm
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Very local track for me. Honestly, I don't miss it, it had a good 75
years. Yes, just 75. The track to me closed in 1990. They put it on life
support when they paved it.


  6.   RaceFanX posted:
  01.16.2016 - 8:08 pm
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Track was nicknamed "The Square" after its unusual shape.


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