i know i was never the same after this.i only went to a handfull of the races on asphalt.

I had stopped going to Flemington on a regular basis about 5 years before the paving.  Two things stuck out with me when I did make an occasional visit the asphalt Flemington.  1.  The racing just wasn't as good as the dirt days.  Keep in mind I always preferred dirt to pavement so maybe I was a little bias.  2. I thought the speeds were "dangerously"  fast, and was glad when they added those safer walls (huge "styrofoam" blocks) to cushion the hits.  It looked like it was snowing when a hot rod hit one of 'em!  Scott Ely  

I prefer dirt too, but i must admit the asphalt racing there was about as good as it gets compared to other asphalt tracks. Saw the supers there, crazy fast speeds

Here's a little something we posted in December 2002...

https://3widespicturevault.com/miscellaneous_pics&vitals/12.01.02_FLM_PVS_FLM_1102_1.htm

I cried and then wrote Paul Kuhl a letter "begging" him to change his mind.

I saw some Good races their on the pavment 

I'm a dirt guy I was even interviewed by a local newspaper on the track being paved.

I was surprized the races were as good as they were on pavement.

The track was a historical place should have been keep and used for special shows or made like Latimore valley! 

I never went back after the night they made the announcement. Been going for 25 years. I asked Paul Kuhl 2 hrs before the announcement that I heard a rumor about the track being paved. He chuckled and said it was just a rumor.  Lied right to my face.  I also sent a letter, but it wasn't begging him to change his mind.  It expressed my feelings.  Still miss the dirt.

living in Sunset Beach N C Myrtle Beach track was 20 min away in S C well thats now gone Looks to be the next phase of Tanger  or condos

I’m still impacted by it . Not a day goes by and I don’t think about Flemington Speedway 

The aphalt racing wasn't bad, but the dirt track was legendary and the atmosphere during those days was superior to the asphalt era. 

Man I miss that place dirt or asphalt. Dirt is what I grew up on but I loved racing on the pavement. I am sorry guys if you didn't see the races on the pavement you really missed some really good racing. Got to admit I missed the dirt on my chicken, I think it added flavor. That place was heaven to this kid growing up and a place where you could forget about all the bs in your life for awhile as an adult.

I went once after it was paved, that was enough.

Me too.  Went once.  Saw enough.  Wasn't for me.

Go figure... now I go to Wall (asphalt) as much or more than I do dirt tracks.

I think for me, especially at the time.... it wasn't only that it was done (paved), but how it was done.  Really feel like the loyal dirt fans were suddenly stuck holding the stinky end of the stick if you now what I mean.  I was really bitter about it at the time.  Not so much now..  (Well, maybe not quite as much... still a work progress!)  Still remember where I was when I heard the news - Mike Senna's Auto Repair Shop over near Bound Brook/Somerville area.  Mike told me and I thought he was putting me on.  Didn't believe it until I saw it in the paper, and even then thought, No Way....)

As was stated somewhere in a post above, it was inevitable, but sure seemed like it had some more years as a dirt track.  I was in the pits for the 1990 season and still remember good crowds and tons of race cars.

I still think that somewhere in the decision process was "out with the old (us dirt guys) and in with the new" which would mean a more upscale fan base/upscale show/and maybe eventually upscale  pricing, making the whole facility worth more than just an ol' dirt track.

I'll never know and I guess 32 years later it doesn't really matter.  But 32 years later, it still sucks though... 

Only went back 3 times after it was paved.  We ran the Twin 20's sprint car show on Shammey Shine weekend, and I went to see the Supers run there. Wicked fast around the track.  Liked the hydraulic wings that layed down on the straights, and stood up in the corners every lap.

You can't say that they didn't try something different to make it better. Rick Kuhl was a guest speaker at the Flemington Speedway Historical Society and he explained that the track wasn't turning a profit on dirt. They were getting a bunch of complaints about the noise and the dust. Car counts and crowds were down too. He thought that if they could get the truck series, the Super Modifieds and DA Cars along with the Pancake Mods there and the fans go home clean that maybe they could turn it around. With the dispute going on down at Wall Twp. they were the lucky recipients of drivers like Ray Evernham, Tony Siscone, Lenny Boyd along with the regulars like Pauch , Brenn, Gulick, Fusco and a bunch of others. What they didn't plan on were the speeds at which they turned. The cleanup of the styrofoam blocks was a pain in the neck too. I think the crews liked not having to clean off mud when they got home before they even started working on their cars.

I've always said that when track manager John Schier  died, he took the secret of keeping the dust to a minimal to his grave.

All good things come to an end. We just have to support the tracks that we have left or we will have another Flemington on our hands. 

Never saw a race on asphalt. Dirt is made for racing, asphalt made for getting there, lol.

For the Wall guys it was a place to go race, because of previously mentioned, the strike at Wall drove off the Modifieds to Flemington. It impacted the Wall fan because now they had to travel to see the Mods and what was left at Wall was, in my opinion, a terrible headline division in the MAD division.  These were affordable Modifieds and a second division. Jennie Nichol, owner, bit the bullet and got rid of the Modifieds and reduced the front gate and headlined the MAD's. It was pretty bad the first few years but got better. Car counts were very good though and a lot cheaper purse. Most of Wall's fans come from south of the track so it was a pretty good ride to Flemington.  Bad time for everyone.

Forgot about TAR cars. They were as bad as the MAD cars at Wall.

Russ, rules would have been simple because Tom O'Rorke was pit steward at both tracks.

Ruined my Saturday nights for a lifetime , still pissed off !!!