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I’m curious as to how many of us used to race at Pete’s Bike Shop in Flemington, NJ. My very first race was at Pete’s I believe near the end of the season of 1978 or 79,…holy crap I’m old!
What do you remember about racing there? How could anyone forget the 1 foot high start hill and the wobbly wooden start gate held at one end? I remember the staging area constructed of snow fence, and the big lunch truck which always seemed to be there for the races. Scorers sat on lawn chairs in the middle of the track at the finish.
Oval track, 1 1/2 lap. The huge dropoff in first straight, 3 huge “whoops” out of first turn, hey I was 12 or something, everything looked huge. Of course jumps today are about 20 times larger. Where there any other jumps?
I remember watching a sidehack race once, then I wanted one. There was endurance race(s), one of which I won. That was fun, keep racing around the oval, guy in last place drops off, keep racing until one rider is left.
Guess the last season was 1980 because I remember going to the “new” track over the library in 1981.
Let’s hear your thoughts!
Ed
Mr Oz,whats goin on?I remember racing there before the NBL track at the library,and then a couple of more times when the YMCA ran it.They raised the start hill and the berms as well,and it was only 1 “lap” by then.The lunch truck,I believe,was “Reckless” Rick Rekowski’s moms chuck wagon,she ran Terry’s country kitchen on Rt.12.I think his brother Joe raced also.
Started racing there about the same time, there’s pics of Pete’s all over the gallery.
Got my first real BMX bike there, mongoose moto-mag. Local hero was Guy Metz.I started racing in 78 and at Flemington in 79. The main reason I’m not famous, Guy Metz %^&%$#.
LOL just kidding in 79 I was nicky novice and got owned. I raced it thru 80 when one of the few that could beat me was Guy. I went all ABA in 81.I took several racers with me to the track most whose names I cant remember. One of my childhood friends brother used to race and hang if he didnt actually beat Farside once. His name was Greg Zanolini.
I usually hung out with Guy or Paul Stephens and the guys I went with or my mom. Also hung with another PA guy like I was, Kim Wolfkill.
I got into a car accident in front of the track! It was 1980. I was waiting to make a left into the track when i got rear ended 🙁
My bike got clipped and no racing for me that day. I was driving a tan nova with tons of stickers by 1981. I even made a racing stripe out of MXL stickers as they flowed me product.O in 1984 or so I was visiting my dad at his new house of Rt 31. Not far from Flemington. I heard that Petes track was gone but there was one at the YMCA. I went to go look at it and it was huge. But all weeded up and clearly not race-able. Since I was just visiting I didn’t bother to see if I could get it going. It could have been under construction. I went home twice between 84 and 86 so I’m not sure what year it was.
Erick W,
I assume that Kim Wolfkill is one and the same as the former Road and Track now MSN journalist??? I ran into him a few years a go through work. I was the test driver and one of the engineers for a couple Civic Si’s we put together for the Thunderhill 25 hour race. He was a guest Jouranlist/Driver…Awesome guy (fast driver too!) I knew he had a BMX background (I sent him a copy of Joe Kid) didn’t know he was old skool East Coast…..Small world!
Kmart
Thats the same Kim. I lived not to far from him and would sometimes go to the races with his family. He split his time between PA and WA. Yeah his dad was a race car driver and Kim I think even raced 24 hour at Lemans or Daytona in a Porsche I think.
I got rear ended. Sat and waited for the police. The jerk tried to say it was my fault, that I didnt have my turn signal on. Luckily the guys house was right there and he was out watering the grass. He told the cops he looked up and saw my turn signal on. If it was me punching it, it was cause I was pissed he hit my bike (either my Torker or my MCS) I raced in a Pedaler’s East jersey with no print, rarely a Torker jersey then a Langley’s jersey my days at Petes.
This is at my practice track in 1980 on my Torker. Unfortunately no pictures from Petes. Who knew one day wed be talking about the lil old track with such fond memories. But this is how I woulda looked behind Guy in 1980 lol.
Raced Pete’s several times in 1979-1980. Was racing mostly NBA at Stoney Point and Craigmere until the NBA went belly up. I think Pete’s was the first place I ever raced NBL. Good times for sure. Anyone remember the NBL WOS at the Flemington speedway. As I remember it had only 1 turn and was held on a Friday night. It was the first race of an NBL/NBA triple header. Flemington raceway(Fri. night-NBL), Lawerenceville(Sat. NBL), Stoney Point(NBA-Sun.).
lopez, are you comin out to any races?
Flemington’s WOS at the speedway broke off so many riders, it had something to dow with that first jump.. 😯
Yep thats why I went to the hospital and to this day hate track designers that don’t put safety first.
In practice everyone just slammed on the brakes going into the triple. Rich Farside and a few others just skyed the whole thing. No one pedaled thru them. I decided if I was gonna have any chance to beat the California guys I would have to try to pedal thru them in practice. I tried and ate shi7. Walked off the track and drove myself to the hospital with a separated shoulder.
I made it back to the track as the races were just about to start with my arm in a sling. I asked my friends how they planned to take the triples. They all said they didnt know lol. Just hit the brakes and hold on they said.
In one of the first motos Kathy Hanna crashed and broke her arm or wrist. The NBL then changed the jump *&^%^%$$. Couldn’t have did this on Thursday night, nope had to wait till it put two riders that I know of in the hospital.
The worst part was Saturday’s race was on the track I helped build %$%^&*(). I posted pics at Vintage BMX and in here I think from that Saturdays race as all I could do was watch and curse.
Fridays race at the Flemington was the only National I would make all year. How different could things have been had I raced Saturday and made the main and hung with the California 16Xs. Sad no one remembers me (cept Richie Votta) and the only 16X to beat me at that years NBL NJ State Championships was Guy Metz. That was after I missed the entire summer due to my shoulder.
LOL shoulda, coulda, woulda, I know
Erick,
Exchanged email with Kim Wolfkill today. He sends his best. He also mentioned something about you riding a BMX bike cross country??? What’s up with that???
Ken
Long story but in short I was thinking about doing it and Vineland Pro and friend of mine Bryan Gaburo said he was thinking of it. Im like hrmm, how many others are thinking of doing it? So I wanted to be first and move to California anyway to become a Factory rider and work in the industry. LOL didn’t quite work out.
Glad I made the trip but wish I would have done it after a couple years of college with some money in the bank.Long story but in short I was thinking about doing it and Vineland Pro and friend of mine Bryan Gaburo said he was thinking of it. Im like hrmm, how many others are thinking of doing it? So I wanted to be first and move to California anyway to become a Factory rider and work in the industry. LOL didn’t quite work out.
Glad I made the trip but wish I would have done it after a couple years of college with some money in the bank.
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