Cars Set Splintering Pace!

As a young stock car fan during the 50’s in South Jersey, I often heard the “old Timers” talking about a wooden board track “over by” Hammonton. Some placed it at a place called Amatol. The stories were very interesting and by later research found to be fairly accurate.

“Over by” Hammonton (NJ) ended up being the land behind the State Police barracks on Route 30 about 4 miles East of Hammonton. A 600 acre parcel of land called Amatol had been the location of a munitions plant during World War I and included dwellings for the plant workers. When the war ended, so did the need for the Amatol facility and the place was dormant.

In 1925 some investors selected the site to build a board track for auto racing. With board track racing already in existence in other parts of the country, the fastest and grandest race track became the intent of the investors. An experienced California contractor with 10 tracks to his credit was hired to build the new $750,000. , 1 ½ mile speedway.

Starting construction in early January 1926, the track was finished with grandstand seating for 30,000 people by the May 1st opener, just four months later! The new track was operated by Atlantic City Motor Speedway Association, listing the track location as Speedway, New Jersey, the newly appointed name for the old Amatol facility. The official name appearing on the tickets was the Atlantic City Speedway.

The track was designed for all-out speed with the turns banked at 45 degrees. This is greater than Daytona and other super speedways today! On may first, a driver named Bennett Hill set a new world speed record – 146.7 mph. The opening show winner, Harry Hartz went the 300 mile distance in 2 hours and 14 minutes averaging 135 mph. This took place before an opening day crowd of 80,000.

A newspaper article recounted the start of the race being delayed when the official track car had a front wheel fall through a board on the track requiring carpenters to repair the surface. It was reported that spectators actually stuck their heads up through the openings in the surface to watch the race!

Only 14 cars were there for the opening show which was an indication of the future car count and success of the track. Two more races were held in the remaining 1926 opening season with the last championship car race held in May 1927. Following the last stock car race in May of 1928, the track was closed for racing and leased to automobile companies for performance testing.

Why did the track fail? Aside from being a dangerous way to race on a wood surface spotted with oil, in a car running faster than it should on the fragile tires of the era, some of the causes are relevant today. The track operated in a time leading into the depression when money was tight and the admission prices were high. Grandstand seats ranged in cost from $4.20 to $15.40. General admission was $2.20 which was a major part of a weeks pay in 1926!

Offering high purses, $12,000. to win, the opening show did not guarantee the big name drivers of the day. They scheduled races on conflicting dates near INDY time as well as with the more established board track in Altoona, Pa. This kept the “stars of the day” racing elsewhere. With the constant breaking down of the track and the short field of cars, it’s easy to understand the track demise. A sheriff’s sale in 1935 brought the demolition of the speedway with the used lumber being sold from the facility.

Senior Moment by Russ Dodge

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