Trenton Speedway
Grand National/Winston Cup Northern 300 (1958–1959, 1967–1972) | |
| Half-mile oval (1900–1941) | |
|---|---|
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | 0.5 miles (.81 km) |
| Mile oval (1946–1968) | |
| Surface | Dirt (1946–57) Asphalt (1957–69) |
| Length | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
| Dog-leg oval "Kidney Bean" (1969–1980) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.5 miles (2.41 km) |
| Banking | Turns 1 & 2: 10° Dogleg: 4° Turns 3 & 4: 15° |
Trenton Speedway was a racing facility located near
New Jersey State Fairgrounds
. Races for the United States' premier open-wheel and full-bodied racing series of the times were held at Trenton Speedway.
Racing history
The first race at the Fairgrounds was held on September 24, 1900, but there was no further racing there until 1907. Regular racing began in 1912 and continued until 1941. A new 1 mile dirt oval was opened in 1946. In 1957 the track was paved. It operated in that configuration until 1968 when the track was expanded to 1.5 miles (2.41 km) and a "
Grounds for Sculpture, a UPS shipping facility, and the housing development known as "Hamilton Lakes".[1]
Championship cars
Trenton was a long-time stop for the
CART. During his career A. J. Foyt won twelve Indy Car races at Trenton Speedway. The May 1976 race was Janet Guthrie
's first IndyCar appearance.
NASCAR
Trenton hosted the
Stock Car Racing magazine listed it on the schedule in its early 1974 season issues) but was dropped early in the year and replaced by Pocono Raceway
's Purolator 500.
Major races for NASCAR modifieds
National Championship races
From 1958 to 1971, a NASCAR National Championship race for
modified stock car racing was held annually at Trenton Speedway, promoted by Sam Nunis. Through 1962, these were hundred-lap races. In 1963, the race was expanded to 200 laps, making it one of the longest and highest-paying races for Modified and Sportsman racers in the country. Ray Hendrick from Virginia was the leading winner of these races, driving the Jack Tant-owned number 11.[3]
Race of Champions
From 1972 to 1976, Trenton Speedway hosted the
Race of Champions modified race. Five different drivers won the five RoC events at Trenton. In 1977, the Race of Champions was moved to Pocono Raceway
.
Race results
All winning drivers were American.
AAA/USAC/CART Championship Car
NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup
| Season | Date | Winning Driver | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | May 30 – 500 miles | Fireball Roberts | Chevrolet |
| 1959 | May 17 – 500 miles | Tom Pistone | Ford |
| 1967 | July 9 – 300 miles | Richard Petty | Plymouth |
| 1968 | July 14 | Lee Roy Yarbrough
|
Ford |
| 1969 | July 13 | David Pearson
|
Ford |
| 1970 | July 12 | Richard Petty | Plymouth |
| 1971 | July 18 | Richard Petty | Plymouth |
| 1972 | July 16 | Bobby Allison | Chevrolet |
Lap Records
The official race lap records at Trenton Speedway are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog-leg Oval: 2.41 km (1969–1980) | ||||
| CART | 31.341[4] | Gordon Johncock | Penske PC-6 | 1979 Trenton Twin Indy |
| Stock car racing | 40.564[5] | Bobby Isaac | Dodge Charger | 1972 Northern 300 |
| Oval: 1.609 km (1946–1968) | ||||
IndyCar |
30.701[6] | Al Unser | Lola T150 | 1968 Trenton 150 |
| Stock car racing | 34.710[7] | LeeRoy Yarbrough | Ford Torino | 1968 Northern 300 |
References
- ^ Galpin, Darren. "Trenton Track Info". Tracks Around the World. The GEL Motorsport Information Page. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ "Race Results at Trenton Speedway". Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved 9 May 2007.
- ^ Jendras Jr., Larry. "Trenton Speedway Sportsman-Modified Results". The Vintage Racer. Retrieved 9 May 2007.
- ^ "1979 Trenton Champ Cars | Motorsport Database".
- ^ "1972 NORTHERN 300". Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ "1968 Trenton Indycars". Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ "1968 NORTHERN 300". Retrieved 2 June 2022.