Frankie Schneider
Born: August 11, 1926       Hometown:  Lambertville, NJ

Frankie Schneider of Lambertville, New Jersey was a stock car, modified, midget, and sprint car racer. He had one NASCAR Grand National  victory at Old Dominion Speedway in 1958. He also won the 1952 NASCAR modified title, where he may have scored at least 100 wins.

Schneider began his career in 1947 by winning $70 for driving his street car 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 eight races per week (in several classes). He reportedly scored at least 100 wins in 1958. Schneider won the Langhorne National Open, the country's most noted event for Sportsman and Modified racers, in 1954 and again in 1962. He scored his last feature win in 1977 at the 1/2-mile dirt track Nazareth Speedway. He still occasionally races at Orange County Fair in a Modified. He was recently voted driver of the century by Area Auto Racing News.

  

"The '57 Chevy and NASCAR share a special link that makes these paint schemes particularly fitting," said Chew. "In 1957 the factory issued basic black utility coupes for NASCAR competition and gave them to many of the Chevy team drivers. Because of their black color, they were nicknamed Black Widows. Rex White, Jack Smith, Speedy Johnson,  Frankie Schneider and Buck Baker all drove those cars and Baker won 10 out of 40 races that year en route to the NASCAR Grand National championship."

 

Schneider and Nazareth Speedway

Nazareth Speedway was a motor racing circuit in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania which operated from the 1910s to 2004. The track is often associated with local drivers Mario and Michael Andretti. It was associated with Frankie Schneider in its earlier dirt track history.

The track was renovated, and re-opened in April 1966 as named. The track featured modified races. Frankie Schneider had a clean sweeps at the event - he had the fastest qualifying time, won his heat race, and won the feature event. That turned out to be the only event at the track in the season.

The track held nine events in 1967, which turned out to be the most the track hosted. Frankie Schneider won five of the events.

 

 

 

 

 

Nazareth National Speedway, a five-turn 1.125 mile dirt track, hosted five modified events in 1968, and Schneider won three of them. Al Tasnady started near last in the August 24, 1968 modified event, and won the race by lapping all drivers except Schneider. The USAC Dirt Champ cars raced at the track on July 13, 1968. The race was won by Al Unser, who beat local driver Mario Andretti.

Nazareth National Speedway held 52 races on the mile and one eighth track between October 15, 1966 until it was closed on November 7, 1971. Frankie Schneider won eleven races, which was by far the most.

       

                

Signing his new book

Frankie Schneider with 1960 Grand National Nascar Champion Rex White

 

Frankie S. on Daytona Beach

   
With 1960 GN Champ Rex White and a future racer?

   

SCHNEIDER TRIVIA:  Martin Truex, Jr. became the first driver from New Jersey in 49 years to win in NASCAR's top series with his first official Cup victory in the Autism Speaks 400 in Dover on June 4, 2007. Frankie Schneider of Lambertville, NJ won at the Old Dominion Speedway on April 25, 1958.

Car Owners Frankie Schneider Drove For in the Nascar Ranks: Hubert Westmoreland Clark-Warwick Hugh Babb Schneider Sponsors in Nascar: ROCKET

NASCAR Statistics:   27 races run over 7 years.

Best Points Position Finish: 20th - 1957 (Grand National)
First Race: 1949 Hamburg Speedway
First Win:    1958 Old Dominion Speedway
Last Win:    1958 Old Dominion Speedway

Wins:  1       Top Tens:  16         Poles:   1

Awards:
-- 1952 NASCAR modified champion
-- Voted driver of the century by Area Auto Racing News

Harmony Speedway Phillipsburg, NJ Modified Stock Car Feature Wins
Driver's Name	Number of Wins
Frank Schneider	26
Will Cagle	22
Al Tasnady	14
Dick Tobias	10
Bob Pickell	8

Provided by Harmony Speedway Historian Greg Collins

Harmony Speedway Phillipsburg, NJ MODIFIED STOCK CAR FEATURE WINS YEAR BY YEAR
1963	1964	1965	1966	1967
Al Tasnady 5	Frank Schneider 11	Frank Schneider 12	Dick Tobias 7	Dick Tobias 3
Billy Deskovich 2	Will Cagle 5	Will Cagle 3	Al Tasnady 6	Al Tasnady 2
Sammy Beavers 1	Bob Pickell 3	Billy Deskovich 1	Bobby Blatt 2	Bob Pickell 1
Will Cagle 1	Hoop Schaible 1		Bob Pickell 1	Frank Schneider 1
Otto Harwi 1	Al Tasnady 1		Frank Schneider 1
Bob Pickell 1			BuckyBarker Jackie Hamilton (Tie) 1
Frank Schneider 1

 

"The Old Master", The Frankie Schneider Story, with Dennis Keenan.  A detailed account of the life of one of the greatest stock car drivers in history.  This book is filled with facts and photos from the early years of stock car racing. Don't miss us at New Egypt Speedway, July 7th 2007 for the Hall of Fame Night. Frankie will be there signing autographs! Dennis Keenan, author of several articles published in various auto racing magazines, and a former member of Frankie Schneider's pit crew, has constructed this detailed accounting of the Old Master's life and accomplishments.  This book has been written using interviews with Frankie and many other race car drivers from the 40's through today.  Frankie recently celebrated his 80th birthday.  He still takes the wheel of a race car from time to time. This incredible story about a true American stock car hero, will make the perfect gift for that race car fan.  Read about the accomplishments of a man who built and raced most of his own cars. Frankie was recently voted "Driver of the Century" by Area Auto Racing News.  Now you can read why.

Frankie Schneider Grand National DRIVER WIN (1)

Frankie Schneider Grand National DRIVER POLES (1)

Frankie Schneider Strictly Stock / Grand National DRIVER Statistics

Frankie Schneider Strictly Stock / Grand National OWNER Statistics

Thanks To:

Nascar Nextel Cup Series Tickets

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