TRENTON SPEEDWAY - TRENTON NJ
Trenton Speedway was a racing facility located near Trenton, New Jersey at the 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. 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 one 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 "kidney bean" shape with a 20° right-hand dogleg on the back stretch and a wider turn 3 & 4 complex than turns 1 & 2. Trenton was a long-time stop for the AAA and USAC Championship Car series. Its first recognized Champ Car race was held in 1949 on the dirt mile. The series did not return until 1957 when the track was paved, but when it did, at least one Champ Car
race was held every year until 1979. A. J. Foyt won twelve Indy Car races at Trenton Speedway. The May 1976 race was Janet Guthrie's first Indy Car appearance. Trenton hosted the NASCAR Cup series eight times. The stars first rolled into town in May of 1958. It was a grueling 500 laps around the one mile track. Fireball Roberts would lead 380 laps to get the win by two laps over Junior Johnson. Lee Petty was third. In 1959 the race was reduced to just 150 laps, and it saw Tom Pistone beat Cotton Owens by 11 second at the finish. Lee Petty was again third. T he series did not return until 1967; and this time the raced 300 laps. Richard Petty was the dominant car on that day, leading 244 laps and beating Darel Dieringer by 28 seconds. Jim Paschal
was third three laps back. 1968 saw another driver put on a dominant performance as LeeRoy Yarbrough led 285 laps and beat David Pearson by a lap with Bobby Allison third. When NASCAR returned in 1969; the track had been transformed into the 'kidney bean' shape and was 1 1/2 mile long. The race was still 300 miles; but was now just 200 laps. Pearson would break through and get the win here that year. Allison was second with Bobby Isaac third, both a lap down. Petty would be the first repeat winner at the track in 1970; winning by just two seconds. Once again Allison finished second. Petty added a third win in 1971 and he outran Buddy Baker by 23 seconds to claim the checkers. Allison was third. 1972 was the final year the Cup series came to the
track. It would see Allison finally break through to get the win as he beat Bobby Isaac by just a few car lengths. The track closed in 1980 and the Fairgrounds itself closed three years later. The former site of the speedway is now occupied by the Grounds for Sculpture, a UPS shipping facility, and the housing development known as "Hamilton Lakes".
1968 Indy cars at Trenton Al Unser (5) -------->
and Mario Andretti (2) front row
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