Penske built a new track on the footprint of the old 1 1⁄ 8 mile dirt oval. The facility and a large amount of property behind it was purchased by Roger Penske in 1986. The facility remained closed for three years. Brightbill’s $50,000 victory in a 125-mile Modified contest on October 9, 1983, was the last race that was run there under Vicari’s direction. Maintaining the two dirt tracks turned out to be a larger financial burden than expected, and Vicari closed the two tracks. The races that he staged there drew big crowds, large competition, and much acclaim. His idea was to host a series of high-paying special events for USAC’s Championship Dirt Cars and Modifieds. Vicari cleared eleven years of plant growth, refurbished the facilities, and shortened the bigger track to a one-mile (1.6 km) dirt oval. In 1971, the large track was closed, and would remain closed until facility was purchased by Lindy Vicari in 1982. Frankie Schneider won eleven races total at the track, the most of any driver. Buzzie Reutimann won a 150 lap race in 1971. In addition, Rags Carter won four consecutive events. Mario Andretti won the USAC dirt champ car race in 1969. The race was won by Al Unser, who beat local driver Mario Andretti. ![]() USAC Dirt Champ cars raced at the track on July 13, 1968. Al Tasnady started near last in the Augmodified event, and won the race by lapping all drivers except Schneider. In 1968, the track hosted five modified events. The track held nine events in 1967, which was the most events the track hosted in one season. The event turned out to be the only event at the track in the season. Frankie Schneider had a clean sweep at the event - he had the fastest qualifying time, won his heat race, and won the feature event. The big track was opened in April 1966, as a five-turn 1.125-mile (1.811 km) dirt track named Nazareth National Speedway. ĭuring Roger Penske's ownership in 1988, the track was sold to nearby Laneco supermarket and demolished. In the time period the short track was open, Buzzie Reutimann won 33 races, leading to the 19 track titles. The 1⁄ 2 mile track continued to operate weekly during the closing of the large track from 1971 to 1982. The track was also the location of one of the first enduro races on the east coast. ![]() He continued the racing, and added in additional events, such as demolition derbies. ![]() In 1952, Jerry Fried purchased the fairgrounds. The race included 35 cars, and attracted a crowd of 11,000 spectators. Following the Great Depression the first large race that happened at the small track would be held in 1947 by the American Automobile Association. The first automotive events held at the location were not racing, instead it was a sport called auto polo. The 1⁄ 2 mile dirt track was constructed in the 1900s as a horse racing track. In 1987, the Penske-owned paved speedway replaced the big track and the small track was demolished and the site was replaced by the expanding of a nearby grocery store in 1988. In 1966, an additional 1 1⁄ 8 mile dirt track was added. The site began hosting motor racing events in the 1910s. Around 1900, a new 1⁄ 2 mile dirt track was constructed at the current location between Route 191 and 248. As the crowds grew, the location grew too crowded to remain in the center of the town. Nazareth Speedway started as a horse racing track farther up in the center of the town in the 1850s known as the Northampton County Agricultural Fairgrounds. There are no current plans to return racing to the facility. Īs of November 2015, the site was purchased by Raceway Properties LLC under David Jaindl. It was also associated with Frankie Schneider due to his large number of wins on the two dirt tracks. The facility is often linked to local drivers Mario and Michael Andretti's early racing careers. In 1987 it was reopened as a paved tri-oval that measured just slightly under 1 mile. In its early years, it was a dirt twin oval layout. Nazareth Speedway was an auto racing facility near Nazareth in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania which operated from 1910 to 2004 in two distinct course configurations. Tyler Kern Memorial Speedway (Currently) Pennsylvania International Raceway (1987–1993) International Speedway Corporation (former) Raceway Properties, LLC (since November 2015)
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