REMEMBERING THE READING FAIRGROUNDS

Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show remembers Reading Fairgrounds

By Dino Oberto ….. “Keeping Track”



It was June 29, 1979 when the final race was held at the “Home of Champions” the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway. Hard to imagine that on that fateful day when Dave Kelly crossed the finish line with his dirt modified stock car he would be the final winner at the track that was known nationwide as one of the premier short tracks of its time.

The track opened in 1924 and for decades each week during race season the stands at Reading would be filled to the brim with fans coming out to see a legion of local and regional talent. There were 12,000 people who attended the finale.

While modified stock cars headlined the weekly action for many of those years, Reading also hosted some of the country’s top open-wheel and late model stockers as well.

AAA and USAC had a very strong presence with its midget and sprint car divisions often making stops at the Berks County ½-mile oval. Likewise from those same classes all of the provincial chauffeurs new having a win at the track meant having a huge notch in one’s racing belt.

Even NASCAR competed there with Junior Johnson winning the only two appearances in 1958 and ’59.

Although it has been over 30-years since its closing, the memories remain alive and well and on the very site in which the racing once took place. The track was located on the former Reading Fairgrounds, now home to the Fairgrounds Square Mall and since 1984 during the last week in February the annual Racing Legends Reunion and Car Show is held which pays tribute to the past history of Reading Speedway while showcasing a huge variety of present day racing livery from all around the area.

“The Reading Racing Reunion & Car Show started as a way to keep the memories of the Reading Fairgrounds alive and strong. The drivers and car owners who competed at Reading always seemed bigger than life, strong in character and determination and at the same time, always accommodating to the thousands of race fans who cheered them on week after week. And, then there was the voice of the Reading Fairgrounds, announcer Warren Ruffner who was as much a hero as the very drivers and owners,” said the shows originator Bob Miller.

“Last but certainly not least, is Lindy Vicari, now deceased, the driving force in making this weekly happening exactly that."

Many of those memories will be remembered during the weeklong show as the Reading Racing Historical Society will be in attendance at the event. Drivers and owners who once competed will be on hand along with a great selection of photos, special collectibles and many restored race cars.

“We have a great group in the Reading Fairgrounds Historical Society who handles a special portion of the show. Freddy Adam did an unbelievable job keeping all that together last year. He is a true legend of Reading and was our guest of honor last year,” said Brett Deyo, who assumed the promotion of the event from Miller in 2009.

“We open up the doors and that whole group is there with their vintage cars and amazing display and line-up of past drivers.”

A number of special events will take place during week. Each night of the show will have a theme starting Monday with open wheel, followed by small car, modified and late model and sportsman on the ensuing evenings. The defunct Penn National Speedway will be featured on Saturday.

Friday is set aside for the Reading Fairgrounds reunion with a special tribute to the memory of Ruffner, who recently passed away.

“We’re really big on the past, present and future of this show,” said Deyo.

The show is so popular that it actually rivals the number of mall goers during the Christmas shopping season.

Every available spot will be taken up with some sort of racing vehicle. It is expected that as many as 125 cars will be on display.

“We’re ahead of where we were last year as far as the registration. We had a great turnout last year and a lot of guys saw that who came out without cars and what a big crowd it was and all the local media exposure,” said Deyo.

“We’re lucky in this area of Pennsylvania that we still have a decent amount of race tracks around and drivers who come out to this show value their sponsors and want to get the exposure for them. Others just like being part of it and seeing the fans.

“It’s good to see some of the top name drivers as well as those from all other divisions.”

The show starts February 20 and runs through the 26th. With racing still a solid two months away here in eastern Pennsylvania, the Reading show is an excellent midwinter racing fix. It remembers the past while giving a prelude to the upcoming season.