Harry Clay Oval
"The Annual Race of 1941"
It was the 101st anniversary of the Orange County Fair. The Middletown Times Herald began pitching the big race on Thursday, August 14. There would be 60 racers in attendance on Saturday competing for 32 starting positions. Drivers such as Rufe Anderson of Nashua, New Hampshire, Pan Wheeler of Mason City, Iowa, Jerry Eaton of East St. Louis, Missouri, were the "invaders" of the day. In addition, Joe Schwarz, of Philadelphia, Pete McKeown, and George Rutty were entered, and Eddie (Dutch) Kulp, the "Pennsylvania Speed King." Local favorites included Lew Volk, from Paterson, N.J. Time trials were set to begin at noon, with the first heat race to start at 2:15.
"When thirty-three drivers face the starter's flag on Harry Clay Oval at the Orange County Fair tomorrow, each speedster will have three definite reasons to win.
"Each driver competing in the New York State Open Championship automobile races will be thinking of coming out in front to cop the state title and the major share of the prize money which goes with it.
"In addition, each driver will be striving to gain points which will put him in front in his own racing organizations which will be represented in the title races, and each and every driver will be out to help his organization boost its reputation as compared with other organizations."
In the Saturday paper, the headline announced:
Crowds Throng to Harry Clay Oval For Auto Races
35 Drivers Set for Time Trials; Track Dries Fast
With the mid-morning announcement of Walter C. Stebbins (promoter of the races) that the auto races would definitely be held, another banner crowd was expected at Harry Clay Oval today for the six events of the gasoline derby which annually serves as the concluding highlight of the Orange County Fair.
The track, which received a thorough drenching all day yesterday and last night, began to dry this morning under a warm sun and a light breeze. Workmen busied themselves removing the thick layer of muck caused by last night's performance of the rodeo and officials declared the track would be in fine shape when the time trials got under way at one p.m. The trials were delayed an hour in order to insure a fast and safe track. Under the revised program it was announced that the trials would be speeded up considerably in order to allow the staging of the first competitive event as soon after two o'clock as possible.
Thirty-Five Pilots Listed
Thirty-five drivers, virtually all of them new to Orange County Fairgoers, were scheduled to compete. Following the time trials, three qualifying events were listed. Then, it was announced, would come a match race among the three fastest cars in the time trials. Listed as the fifth event was the consolation race, this to precede the featured thirty-lap event with ten cars. The three fastest cars in the qualifying events and the winner of the consolation race would race for the title in the finale, it was said.
Among the last-minute entries for the races was that of Harry Harper, 1940 Pennsylvania State Champion and 1941 National Open Champion who wired Walter C. Stebbins yesterday stating that he would definitely be on hand to compete in the New York Open Championship events.
Other top-rung speedway daredevils whose entries were accepted include Al Karp, of New York City, Jerry Eaton, of East St. Louis, Joe and Pete Schmauch, the racing brothers of Tamaqua, Pa., Ducky Pehlman, of Allentown, Joe Lovely, of Boston, and a score of others.
Time trials, consolation races, and a "Match Race…" Today we call it a "Dash for Cash." Auto racing, and its rules and procedures were pretty much established by then.
No one knew that auto racing at the Orange County Fair, and at every race track in America, would soon come to an end. War clouds were gathering on the horizon. Americans were already saving and donating scrap metal for our military buildup. In less than a year, American Troops would be fighting in northern Africa and the South Pacific. Auto races would be only a fond memory of peaceful days gone by. They were suspended "for the duration," and would return, but no one knew just when.
Text
from Picture:
Pictured as he stepped to the
microphone after his victory in the main event at Saturday's auto races was
Harry Harper, right, the speedster from Chester, Pa. Among those beaming
smiles on the winner was Walter Stebbins, left, the promoter - Photo by H.
DePrellas
Text from the Times Herald:
There weren't any crackups, no one was hurt and not a single car nicked the whitewashed railings at Harry Clay Oval Saturday, but it was almost universal consensus of opinion today that Saturday's auto races had produced some of the best driving in the annals of the event which highlighted the closing day of the 101st Orange County Fair. A crowd estimated at 10,000 thrilled to the twenty-third annual gasoline derby at the Clay Oval and cheered wildly as Doug Clarke, the official starter, dropped the coveted black and white checkered flag on Harry Harper, the speed demon from Chester, Pa., whose victory in the final event climaxed a great afternoon.
Long affiliated with Ralph Hankinson Speedways, the County Fair entered its second century under a new auto racing promoter - Walter C. Stebbins of New York, leader for many years of midget auto racing events. Mr. Stebbins, under the banner of Stebbins Speedways, provided more than 100 laps of motor madness with even powered cars in which skill and courage alone determined the winner. Thus was the famed Clay Oval injected into the veins of the Eastern Independent Auto Racing Circuit represented by the Penn-Jersey Racing Circuit, the New England Racing Association, the Central States Racing Association, the Canadian Racing Drivers' Club, and the American Racing Drivers' Club.
Crowd Pleased
Although the afternoon was free of accidents, only three of the drivers had ever raced on the Middletown track before and while no records were written in the archives of the Fair auto racing history, Fair officials and the general public agreed that they had seen the best card of automobile racing in the last half-dozen years.
An innovation this season along with the new era in the Fair's auto thrill was the inverted system of starts. All events, except the time trials, semi-feature and feature races were started with the slowest car of the qualifying trials in the front tiers, and the fastest in the rear positions. This inverted start is used exclusively with midget race events on the dirt and board ovals. Nat Kleinfield of Newark, N.J., the race narrator, added to the afternoon's interest with his accurate and peppy descriptions of the events.
Harper Goes to Front
At 4:45 o'clock while the pungent odor of castor oil drifted over the hills and deafening roar of speeding motors faded in the carnival din, the smiling Harper, who has been driving big cars for six years, was crowned the New York State Open Champion. This as the result of lead-footing his black and yellow number 15 Hal Special to victory. He took the lead at the dropping of the green bunting by Starter Clarke and held that position for the twelve and a half-mile grind over nine competitors. The 1940 Penn State Champion started on the pole by virtue of accomplishing his half-mile qualifying trial in 28.26, fastest of the more than two score fellow pilots.
Taking the lead as the field went into the first turn, the Pennsylvanian never slowed down until he completed the twenty-five laps. However Rufe Anderson, the Nashua, N.H. pilot who drives big cars as well as midget autos, gave Harper a merry chase. Anderson's McDowell special lacked the necessary power to overtake Harper although the New Englander always appeared ready to capitalize on Harper's mistakes, mistakes the latter didn't make.
Rutty Makes Bid
They finished the way they started - in one, two order. Lew Volk of Paterson and Ducky Pehman of Allentown started in third and fourth spots, holding their positions for only a couple miles until George Rutty of Philadelphia, starting fifth, crept into fourth place and remained there. Twice, however, Rutty brought the crowded stands to their feet when he careened the north turn high and wide sending clouds of dirt into the adjoining fields.
Three quarters of the twenty-five laps found Volk fifth. Earl Johns, the Camden, N.J. racer, third after beginning sixth, while Harper and Anderson set the pace.
Horace Baker of Shelbyville, Del., and Tom McKenna, the Hartford, Conn. Ace, were forced to drop out due to mechanical trouble early in the event. The Brockton, Mass., entry, Johnny Lynch, having won the consolation race, was eligible to start in tenth and last hole and came all the way up to fourth on the twenty-third lap but lost the place on the twenty-fourth time around and finished fifth. Bob Cooney drew the eighth starting place and the Pittsburgh chauffer finished in the same spot.
Match Race Close
Harper now has three firsts to his credit toward capturing the Eastern Independent Auto Racing Circuit pennant. He won the main event at York, Pa., on May thirtieth, and the feature race at the Delaware State Fair on August second.
In the match race Volk, Anderson, and Harper, they with the three fastest time trials, also staged a thrilling race ever, a two-mile distance. Many times the three autos were running wheel-to-wheel. Volk spurted ahead at the start and led to the finish.
Bob Cooney, on the pole in event four, took the lead but lost to George Rutty who came up from third place in the third lap to win the five-miler. Here Duncan MacKinnon and Pan Wheeler provided a race of their own for the crowd with Wheeler overtaking MacKinnon on the straight-aways only to lose on the curves. The Scotchman started second but finished fourth with Wheeler a radiator behind after starting sixth.
A "New Era" had been ushered in with a new sanctioning body and promoter. Little did anyone know on that perfect August day that this "New Era" would be so short-lived. The "Annual Races" at the Orange County Fair had, after twenty-two years, come to an end. By December we were at war, and auto racing was curtailed "for the duration."
How many young men who watched the races that day dreamed of driving a high-powered racing car on the Harry Clay Oval? If there were any, their dreams would have to wait. Four months later, many of them were being inducted into Our Armed Forces, and headed overseas to fight for Our Nation.
The Harry Clay Oval remained silent for more than four years while the United States was tested, tempered and, finally, victorious. (Click HERE for a D-Day broadcast, and HERE for a live broadcast of the Japanese surrender and celebration. The Japanese Surrender broadcast is one of the most moving audio clips I’ve ever heard.)
In 1942, a 1/5-mile paved track was built in the infield directly in front of the main grandstand. Several high school track meets were held on this little track. At first, it was a clay oval. Sometime during the war, it was paved.
There was no "Annual Race" held in 1946 (according to the records I've been able to find), but one was held in 1947, 1949, and 1950.
Then, it was over.
In time, the half-mile "Hard Clay" would play host to more and more "Stock Cars," built in shops and garages all over the area. Officially, the first "Stock Car" race was held on September 18, 1948.
Nat Kleinfield returned after the war to provide the play-by-play for the races for many years. The American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC), founded in 1939, is still going strong, so there are threads connecting the two eras of racing at OCFS.
The "New Era" gave way to the "Modern Era," which continues to this day. The pioneers of this "New Era" who, just after World War Two, took their first laps at Victory Speedway are owed our deepest gratitude. They picked up the threads that were laid down in the summer of 1941, and started something that, hopefully, will never be finished.
Young men (and women) will always want to go fast and compete, and fans will always go wild in the stands on Saturday nights as their favorites fly under checkered flags.
May it be ever so.