Charlie Cregar
Bloomsbury, NJ
Charlie "Red" Cregar's racing career in the
NASCAR Modified, Sportsman and Grand National divisions was during the
dirt track heydays of the 50's and 60's. A Bloomsbury, New Jersey
native, he tore up the northeastern tracks, including that of Flemington
Fair Speedway.
Cregar made an annual trek
to Daytona to race on the beach in 1955, 1956, 1957 and to the first
race at Daytona International Superspeedway in 1959, where he started a
respectable 15th and finished 28th after an engine failure on lap 70 of
the 100 lap qualifier.
Mechanical failures plagued most of
his Grand National appearances (as shown below in statistics) as he
drove for himself and owners James Gess in '54-'55 and Happy
Steigel in 1959.
Cregar never finished on the
lead lap in any of his GN races, however he led 8 laps at Darlington in
the 1954 race, starting 11th and finishing 20th in a James Gess
Plymouth.
His best GN finish came in 1957 at
Concord (started 15th) and Wilson (started 10th) where he finished 8th
in each race in his own Plymouth.
(Editor's Note: More biographical
info and stories are requested about Charlie Cregar.
Send Here)
A Look at Dorney Park Speedway
By Steve Bubb
(Excerpt from above story...) Getting back to Dorney Park, in 1954 the
racing at the Park was sanctioned by NASCAR for the second year. The
early plan was to race on Wednesday and Saturday nights. That plan was
changed as crowds dropped off. Management at the Park went with
Saturday night racing and the attendance went back up. The stock cars
were still the headline class in 1954, with Red Crise promoting.
The
first winner of the 1954 season was Jack Rudy. In week two
Charlie Cregar went to victory lane
but one week later two drivers received winning honors. Newt Reinert
and Marty Acker were so close at the finish line that it was declared a
tie and both were given credit for the win. (Whole
Story Here)
Trenton Speedway Aug. 3, 1958
100-Mile National Championship
Sportsman-Modified Stock Cars
NASCAR Sanctioned
Winner - Bob Malzahn
- Bob Malzahn (NJ)
- Jack Murphy (NY)
- Budd Olsen (NJ)
- Ed Lindsay (MD)
- Bill Wark (NJ)
- Glenn Guthrie
(MD)
-
Charlie Cregar (NJ)
- Al Tasnady (NJ)
- Ed Soden (NJ)
- Jim Metzler
(NJ)
- Reds Kagle (MD)
- Bobby Abel (PA)
- Bill Berry (NJ)
- Vince Conrad
(PA)
- Mickey McGonnell
(NJ)
Wall Stadium Track Champions
Hall of Fame
| Year |
Modified/BRS Mod |
Sportsman/MAD |
"Old Sportsman" |
Modern Stock |
Street Stock |
| 1951 |
Bill Pfister |
-- |
Gordon Oldford |
-- |
-- |
| 1952 |
Bill Chevalier |
-- |
Charlie Dyer |
-- |
-- |
| 1953 |
Parker Bohn |
-- |
Charlie Dyer |
-- |
-- |
| 1954 |
Tommie Elliott |
-- |
Lenny Brown |
-- |
-- |
| 1955 |
Bill McCarthy |
-- |
Pete LaVance |
-- |
-- |
| 1956 |
Lenny Brown |
Joe Laga |
Jack Hart |
-- |
-- |
| 1957 |
Pete Frazee |
Joe Severage |
Don Stumpf |
-- |
-- |
| 1958 |
Bob Malzahn |
Kip Mitchell |
Charlie Cregar
|
-- |
-- |
| 1959 |
Al Pomponio |
Bob Briegel |
Jack Hart |
-- |
-- |
| 1960 |
Tommie Elliott |
Bob Howard Sr. |
Jack Hart |
-- |
-- |
| 1961 |
Don Stumpf |
Stan Van Brunt |
Jack Hart |
-- |
-- |
| 1962 |
Tommie Elliott |
Bob Vorhees |
Chubby Hower |
-- |
-- |
| 1963 |
Bill Chevalier |
Jack Kriska |
Bill Brice |
-- |
-- |
| 1964 |
Joe Kelly |
Bob McGuire |
Don Stives |
-- |
-- |
| 1965 |
Bill McCarthy |
George McDowell |
Parker Bohn |
-- |
-- |
| 1966 |
Jim Hoffman |
Ray Shea |
Parker Bohn |
-- |
-- |
| 1967 |
Tommie Elliott |
George Clayton |
Parker Bohn |
-- |
-- |
| 1968 |
Charlie Kremer Jr. |
Norm Janwich |
Parker Bohn |
-- |
-- |
| 1969 |
Charlie Kremer Jr. |
Norm Janwich |
Johnny Luhrs |
-- |
-- |
| 1970 |
Bob Rossell |
Bob Schultz |
Joe Severage |
-- |
-- |
| 1971 |
Don Stives |
Sonny Rostein |
Ed Leip |
-- |
-- |
| 1972 |
Charlie Kremer Jr. |
Terry Cain |
Joe Severage |
-- |
-- |
| 1973 |
Gil Hearne |
Pat Keeley |
Parker Bohn |
Nels Warren |
-- |
| 1974 |
Gil Hearne |
Sonny McCurdy |
-- |
Richie Verardino |
-- |
| 1975 |
Joe Severage |
Jack Buck |
-- |
Walt Rogers |
-- |
| 1976 |
Jim Hendrickson |
Larry Patterson |
-- |
Walt Rogers |
-- |
| 1977 |
Gil Hearne |
Chip Graves |
-- |
Ray Evernham Jr. |
-- |
| 1978 |
Gil Hearne |
Eddie Bohn |
-- |
Frank Biddle |
-- |
| 1979 |
Charlie Kremer Jr. |
Doug French |
-- |
Vinnie Green |
-- |
| 1980 |
Tony Siscone |
Jim Ransom |
-- |
Harold Dauncey |
-- |
| 1981 |
Gil Hearne |
Tom Mauser |
-- |
Lee Taylor |
-- |
| 1982 |
Tony Siscone |
Doug Wolcott |
-- |
Bob Ormsbee |
-- |
| 1983 |
Tony Siscone |
Steve Golembeski |
-- |
Steve Springsteel |
-- |
| 1984 |
Tony Siscone |
Donny Ling Jr. |
-- |
Glenn Osborn |
Joe Kafka |
| 1985 |
Gil Hearne |
Martin Truex |
-- |
Bob Haberstick |
Rich Mongeau |
| 1986 |
Tom Mauser |
Dave Michel |
-- |
Bill Cameron |
Nat Reynolds |
| 1987 |
Gil Hearn |
Dave Michel |
-- |
Ron Hyer |
Don Burns |
| 1988 |
Tony Siscone |
Matty Ricco |
-- |
Scott Davidson |
Gary Burton |
| 1989 |
Tony Siscone |
J.J. Jensen |
-- |
Bob Haberstick |
Rich Mongeau |
| 1990 |
Pete Brittain |
Jack Lippett |
-- |
Jeff Carpenter |
Rich Mongeau |
| 1991 |
Gil Hearne |
J.J. Jensen |
-- |
Ray Gastelu |
Rich Mongeau |
| 1992 |
Eddie Bohn |
Brian Scisco |
-- |
Ray Gastelu |
Frank Van Arsdale |
| 1993 |
Robert Schlechtweg |
-- |
-- |
J.R. Helberg |
Kenny Reaves |
| 1994 |
Mike Carpenter |
-- |
-- |
Ray Gastelu |
Scott Parkstrom |
| 1995 |
Jerry Cranmer |
-- |
-- |
Billy Cole |
Paul Jason Burdge |
| 1996 |
Dave Michel |
-- |
-- |
Jim Willis |
Paul Jason Burdge |
Flemington Fair Feature Winners 1963
24 Races 8 Different Winners
Race 6 June 08, 1963
Charlie
Cregar 1 Win
Flemington Fair Feature Winners 1964
22 Races 7 Different Winners
Race 6 Aug 22, 1964
Charlie
Cregar 1 Win
Flemington Fair Speedway All Time Dirt Modified Winners of The
60s 1960-1969
204 Races 31 Different Winners
19th Overall with 2 Wins
Charlie Cregar..........2 Wins: June 08/63 and Aug 22/64
Complete Flemington Stats
