The 1950's

Tailfins - Rock & Roll - Fuel Injected Corvettes - Two Seater Thunderbirds. The end of Packard, Hudson, Willys & Nash. The First Edsels - The Last Edsels. Sock Hops - Car hops - Drive-in Movies - 3D Movies & TV Dinners. Poodle Skirts - White Buck Shoes - Dungarees (with rolled up cuffs) - Leather Jackets. "The Wild One" starring Marlon Brando - James Dean - Bebop & Hula Hoops. Davy Crocket - Zorro - 77 Sunset Strip - Sid Caesar - Imogene Coca - The Honeymooners - Marilyn Monroe and "The King" Elvis (not Richard Petty).

Saturday nights at Victory Speedway.

I was born 10 years too late, and must rely on other peoples' memories and the newspapers.

Have any good memories of the '50's? Email 'em, please. VictorySpeedway@gmail.com

The First Full Season of Stock Car Racing

Middletown Times Herald, Friday April 14, 1950

Headline:
Stocks at Victory Speedway Sunday

Middletown Times Herald, Monday, April 17, 1950
Opening Night

Three notes on this article:
1. It is extremely difficult to read. I apologize for this. I’ll try to get a better copy of the original next time I’m at the Thrall Library.
2. Tex Enright was best known as the starter at OCFS for many years. Today his son, Jerry, is the assistant starter.
3. I included the article about the "Good Time" track on purpose. The "Good Time" track is the Goshen Mile, scene of the Big Car races in the late ‘40’s, referred to elsewhere on this website.

In 1950, if you weren’t running off to a midget race, you might have been home watching the new entertainment medium called "Television." There wasn’t much to watch other than "The Milton Berle Show" or "The Life of Riley," starring Jackie Gleason. You still listened to the radio during the day. There was music, but "Top-40" rock & roll was a few years away. In fact, there was no such thing as "Rock & Roll." So, you’d settle in next to the Philco radio, or get comfortable in front of the RCA Television, and nod off. Take a look below at what was on and check out some ads for the newest cars and other items

LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD

Middletown Times Herald, Friday May 26, 1950

Middletown Times Herald, Monday May 29, 1950

Press coverage of the races was wall-to-wall in the late forties—early fifties.
The Middletown Times Herald has been a friend of the speedway for as long as the track has existed.
There were a few years when the coverage was scant but, for the last season or two, the sports writers at the Times Herald—Record have gone above and beyond in reporting the events at OCFS.
Kudos to the TH-R and, especially, Ken McMillan. Next time you see Ken, say Thank You for his efforts!

A Program from July 4, 1951

Thanks to Lee Taylor, Sebring, FL for sending the above program, the ticket stubs and the snap shot of Sonny Strupp on the front stretch. You can see part of the "Little Track" in the upper left.! Lee is a friend I’ve never met. We have corresponded via email for years. We often planned to meet at Thundercross Motorsports Park in Okeechobee, FL, but never managed to make the connection. Hopefully, Lee and I will greet one another at OCFS one of these days!

It's Here! The 1950's Nash Rambler Convertible
Lois Lane drove this car in the Superman TV show.

1956 DO YOU REMEMBER.......
Here are a few facts:

Jan 5, Elvis Presley, a Tupelo Mississippi truck driver, began his 1st recording session for RCA. "Heartbreak Hotel," written by Mae Boren Axton, was the first song recorded. It became the first of his 45 records to sell over a million copies.
Jan 14, Little Richard released "Tutti Frutti."
Jan 26, Buddy Holly had his 1st formal recording session.
The Federal Hourly Minimum Wage was set at $1.00 an hour. The first American of record to die in Vietnam was Air Force Tech Sergeant Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. His son, Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, died in Vietnam Sep 7, 1965. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis performed for the last time at the Copacabana Club in NYC after a decade together as the country's most popular comedy team. The Italian liner Andrea Doria collided with the Swedish passenger ship Stockholm off the New England coast late at night and began sinking in 200 feet of water 50 miles southeast of Nantucket Island, Mass. 51 people died as a result of the impact. The Doria was headed from Genoa, Italy, to NY, and sank eleven hours after the crash. US motto "In God We Trust" was authorized. Elvis Presley made the first of three appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show." By his third and final appearance on the Sullivan Show, due to a number of viewers who were outraged at his suggestive gyrations, he was filmed from only the waist-up. IBM introduced the Model 305 computer capable of storing 20 megabytes of data. Reynold B. Johnson, IBM lab leader, developed a way to store computer data on a metal disk instead of on tape or drum. The first commercial disk drive, called RAMAC (random access method of accounting and control), was developed by IBM and sold for $50,000. It used 50 disk platters, each two feet in diameter. Together they held five megabytes of data. His Random Access Method of Accounting Control began the disk drive industry. Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series to date as the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 2-0. The 1st video recording on magnetic tape was televised coast-to-coast.

In 1956, in Orange County, New York, "Victory Speedway" was the place to be on Saturday nights. From Ray Martin’s book, "The Hard Clay in Orange County – 50 Years of Speed" – Racing was flying high at Orange County. Every week the stocks showed and the fans crowded and shoved their way into any available seat they could find and even some they couldn’t find. On Saturday nights, the highways leading to the track were jammed with pick-up trucks and race cars riding silently on the trailers behind. Any resident of the county could tell you when it was Saturday night just by looking out the window and watching for a few minutes.

In just a few short years, stock cars became the dominant division at the speedway, eclipsing the midgets that established "Victory Speedway" as the premiere motorsports venue in the NY Metro area. The cars were much the same as they had been in 1948 – ‘30’s and ‘40’s – vintage coupes minus fenders, lights, trim, and windows, most with colorful paint schemes. The power plant of choice was still the venerable flathead Ford, with a few GMC straight sixes thrown in for good measure. The racing world would soon be stood on its ear, however, as the small block Chevrolet V-8 was just coming on line.

Imagine the passageway under the main grandstand is a "Time Tunnel." You emerge from the tunnel at 8:00 p.m., May 26, 1956. You’re pretty sure you’re at Orange County Fair Speedway, but things look different. The first thing you notice is that the track is a lot farther away from the grandstands, and there is a wide strip of green grass between you and the white wooden fence that surrounds the ½-mile racing surface. There is no chain link catch fence, nor is there a starter’s stand. The wooden starter’s stand is located directly across the track, a holdover from horse racing days. There are no "jersey barriers." They haven’t been invented yet. The infield isn’t nearly as crowded as it is today. The view from anywhere is unimpeded by giant haulers. Every racer tows his car on an open trailer or slant-back truck. The "Little Track" is still there, where it will remain until sometime in the mid-60’s. Looking across the track, you expect to see the drive-in section, but it won’t appear until 1967. Instead, there is a grove of trees and an occasional cow grazing. The far side of the third turn is a pit, a burial ground for empty beer cans, a place to be avoided by wayward race cars.

Looking up at the grandstand, you notice that there are no luxury skyboxes, just open space that looks out upon the midway. The seats are exactly the same. The half-covered stands are the same, as well, and they are filling rapidly in anticipation of the evening’s festivities. Cam Thompson clears his throat, and begins the play-by-play…

Back to "The Hard Clay…"

But on the 26th, the weatherman cooperated and the flags were out at the speedway. Two drivers who were there that night wished that it had rained again. The 2nd turn was the trouble-maker. A pilot by the name of Johnny Woodburn flipped five times and, another chauffer, Fred Gauther, made a car do the same thing four times. The name of Walt Goetchius showed up for the first time that night in the final report. Likeable Walt came tearing into the 3rd turn on the first lap of the feature and became a veteran when he turned over. He then went into the usual act of cars disappearing over the bank and landing on top of the fragrant empties. Charlie South was the main event driver with Strupp 2nd and Herbie Mason 3rd.

In 1956, a record was set that stands to this day. It is a record no one wants to see broken or even bent. In 1956 there were 14 rainouts.

But on this warm, dry Saturday night in 1956, "Victory Speedway" was jammed to capacity by people who hadn’t seen a race in a while, and they were waiting for their favorites to fly under checkered flags. Parents brought their young children with them, and at least three kids who were there that night are still ardent fans of the sport. Gary Tremper brings his kids out the races every now and then, as does Lenny Chidgey. Ralph Corwin had a knack for being in the thick of things when photos were being taken. Today, he is the Dean of Race Photographers at OCFS. Tom Avenengo was there, and he still visits OCFS when he’s not helping his grandson in his racing efforts. Roberta Cousin and Evelyn Croft were there. They have been coming to "Victory Speedway" every week since 1948. They have seen every track champion who ever competed on this historic clay oval. We are all honored by their presence. They’ve been under the weather for a few weeks, so please keep them in your prayers.

There are many others who may have been here 52 years ago who are in the stands tonight. This column is for all of you. Your fierce loyalty to this sport, and to this speedway, is an inspiration to the rest of us.