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Schneider was born on August 11, 1926, in Maplewood, New Jersey, not far from Newark. His father, Frank Sr, was employed at the Western Electric Company in Newark at the time. Frank is the oldest of 5 children, Eleanor, Lorraine, Robert, and Charles are his younger siblings. He left home when he was 16, and he started racing cars when he was 21. He was an American stock car, modified, midget, and sprint car racer. Schneider began his career on June 15, 1947, by winning $70 for driving his streetcar to a seventh-place at Flemington Speedway. Schneider is believed to have won at least 750 races in the next thirty years. He routinely raced in several classes at eight races per week. He reportedly scored at least 100 wins again in 1958. Schneider won the Langhorne National Open, the country's top event for Sportsman and Modified racers in 1954 and 1962. In 1963, he won four track points championships—Middletown, Harmony, Reading, and Nazareth—in a car he bought for $1,000. He also won the 1952 NASCAR modified title, where it is suspected that he scored at least 100 wins. Schneider earned his nickname, "The Old Master", through his ability to master anything with wheels. Schneider made his first NASCAR Cup start in 1949 at Hamburg Speedway, where he finished sixth. He ran one race in 1950, again at Hamburg, where he finished 11th. 1951 saw him run one race, this time at Morristown Speedway (NJ); he finished 37th and won ten dollars. He made six starts in 1952, the first being in West Palm Beach. He ran a stout race starting third and finishing

fourth. At Jacksonville he started seventh and finished third. He had two other top ten finishes that year. He made his only start in 1953 at Langhorne, where he started fifth and finished 12th; in a race won by Dick Rathmann. 1957 saw him make the most starts in a season. After starting seventh in the Daytona Beach course, his car stalled and he finished 40th. At Richmond he finished fourth, and at Raleigh he won his first pole. After starting first, and leading 37 laps, he would be passed by Paul Goldsmith with 38 laps to go to claim the win. Schneider finished second. His next three races he posted top ten finishes, with a fourth at Watkins Glen. In the Southern 500, he started fifth, he had a motor expire after 19 laps and finished 47th. He had one other top ten finish that season. In 1958 he would make seven starts at the Cup level. He finished 29th on the shores of Daytona when his motor expired after 29 laps. At Fayetteville, he finished fourth behind winner Curtis Turner. Three races later the Cup cars returned to Fayetteville again. Lee Petty won the pole with Bob Welborn starting along side. Petty would fall out after 27 laps with a broken axle, and see Buck Baker take the lead. Bob Welborn took the lead with 74 laps to go and managed to hang on to beat Schneider for the win. Four drivers finished on the lead lap on the tight 1/3 mile bull ring. Speedy Thompson and Curtis Turner rounded out the top four finishers. Martinsville saw Frankie have a miserable run, and finish 27th. He next raced at Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas VA. It was 150 laps on a

3/8 mile paved track. Frank started fourth, and led 106 laps, beating Jack Smith for his first and only career Cup win. He finished fourth his next start at Old Bridge Stadium (NJ). His final start would come at Starkey Speedway in Roanoke VA. Schneider would start fourth, but Jim Reed would lead all 150 laps to claim the win. Schneider finished fourth. In his Cup career; Frank made 27 starts, had the one win, eleven top five, and 16 top ten finishes. Frank also made a few starts in NASCAR's convertible Series. Three came in 1957. His best finish that year would be fifth at Municipal Stadium in

Philadelphia PA. He started sixth, and finished fifth, three laps behind, behind winner Bob Welborn. In 1958 he made six starts. Along with the hard top race on the beach at Daytona, Frank also ran the Convertible race. He started 28th and had his work cut out for him to get to the front. He was never able to run down the leaders, and in fact finished a lap down, to winner Curtis Turner in 11th place. At North Wilkesboro he had his worst run of the year. He started fifth, but had his motor expire after on 31 laps finishing 17th. His final four starts he had finishes in the top ten. He was ninth at Bowman Gray Stadium, and was seventh at Darlington in the Rebel 300 after starting fourth. At Ashville-Weaverville Speedway, in Weaverville NC, there was a great battle among the top three finishers. Bob Welborn would get the win by a slim margin over Banjo Mattews and Schneider, as they all finished on the lead lap. Frank's best run came at Richmond

Fairgrounds Raceway in VA. Possom Jones led the first 59 laps, before falling out from a dropped piston. Next Billy Myers took the lead for 85 laps. His rear end failed while leading the race, and he retired after 144 laps. Schneider would take the lead and hold it for 30 laps, but Joe Weatherly would motor by with 26 laps to go, and drive away to win by over a lap. Schneider was second followed by Fred Harb. He continued to race is various series, and scored his last feature win on July 31, 1977, at the 1/2-mile dirt track Nazareth Speedway. Although he competed in almost all 50 states, the Bahamas, and Canada, Schneider raced most of his career at the Orange County Fair Speedway, Reading Fairgrounds Speedway, Flemington Speedway, Harmony Speedway, and Nazareth Speedway. The Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame inducted Schneider in 1992 as part of its inaugural class. Schneider's career is the subject of the video "The Old Master: Frankie Schneider". Schneider died at the age of 92 on November 11, 2018.

Fantasy NASCAR Racing

FRANK E. "FRANKIE" SCHNEIDER - 8/11/1926 - 11/11/2018