By Glenn Isett
of the Lower Pottsgrove Historical Society,
for The Sanatoga Post
SANATOGA PA – The 2011 NASCAR season is now history, although news regarding last weekend’s (Nov. 20, 2011) Sprint Cup finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway has not yet seemed to die down. Sixty years ago, though, the points race had already been decided not in November but October, and specifically by Oct. 28, 1951, when the final 200-lap race was held at the Sanatoga Speedway.
Jimmy Ryan was points champion; Mose Moore was second and Monk Keller was third.
Gone but not forgotten: the fifth-mile Sanatoga Speedway, near what is now Sanatoga Park
Sanatoga’s place in racing history
Sanatoga Speedway was built in 1937 by Ed Moll, John Sweetwood, and Nick Pelacotti, near what is now Sanatoga Park. It was a 1/5-mile flat asphalt track, and remained that size until its untimely demise. It was primarily a midget track until 1941 and then closed during World War II.
With the end of the war, the racetrack obtained new ownership – and new showmanship – in the person of George Marshman. During the 1948 season he began racing “stock cars.” This was roughly a year before NASCAR held its first race in mid-1949.
The stock cars of Sanatoga were unlike the racers of today. They were primarily window-less, fender-less 1930-1940 Ford coupes, with an occasional Chevy or Dodge, and what was known then as a two-door sedan thrown in. Most had flat head Ford V8 engines and three-speed on-the-floor transmissions.
How a grueling season gets rougher
By 1951, the season ran from April to October and included 47 meets. This was possible because in many weeks there were two meets, and on Memorial Day, there was an afternoon and night program. Adding to this grueling schedule was the format of the program itself.
Depending on the number of entrants, there would be heat races of eight to 10 laps. Drivers who finished in the top 10 qualified for a semi-final. Then there were usually two semi-finals made up of the heat qualifiers. Again, there were a number of qualifiers for the feature race of usually 25 laps.
But, wait! There was one more chance to get into the feature event. All non-qualifiers could race in a consolation race and usually the top two would qualify for the feature. It was possible that drivers could run four races in one meet. Just to show the tenacity of a champion, on May 30, 1951, Jimmy Ryan won the afternoon feature and finished third in the night feature.
Folks loved the race, but came for the show
Marshman, the showman, in 1954 hosted a demolition derby that featured a Sherman tank. It was always a thrill to see a car go through the wooden back fence only to have it come crashing back through further down the backstretch.
Long after he left the business, Marshman finally admitted that the fence-crashing was staged. The fence was very loosely constructed near the beginning and the end of the backstretch. There was a rudimentary road for the driver to follow, and there was a spotter near the entrance to the third turn to wave him back through to the track when it was all clear.
Suddenly, the roar was no more
In 1958, placards began appearing to herald the arrival of the fastest drag strip in the area. Land was cleared in preparation, but suddenly it all ended, without explanation. The once bustling, noisy, thriving attraction that drew thousands weekly was silenced.
Mother Nature has slowly taken back what was originally hers, except for a few random patches of macadam that can be found among the weeds and high grass. Old racing aficionados will tell you with a note of pride and a hint of misty-eyed melancholy that “this is where the fourth turn was.”
Editor’s note: The Lower Pottsgrove Historical Society was formed in 1985 to share the heritage of Lower Pottsgrove Township with its residents. It meets on the second Wednesday of every month at its museum and offices in the former Sanatoga Chapel, 2341 E. High St., Sanatoga PA. Author and society member Glenn Isett has joined society President Beth Scherer in writing about Lower Pottsgrove history monthly for The Post.
Articles in this series:
- Love NASCAR Now? You Would Have Adored Sanatoga
- Timeless Treasures Fill Historical Society Chapel Offices
- Hilltop’s Still Making History, 59 Years After Opening
- Historic Answer To Heat: Township Swimmin’ Holes
- Need A Local Hotel? There Once Were Four, Right Here
- What’s Changed Most In ‘Grove Grads? Their Schools
- Shantz’s Mound Presence Made Sanatoga ‘Pheverous’
- Stars Danced In Lower Pottsgrove Long Before TV Show
- Never Heard Of Sanatoga’s Longview Hotel? Here’s Why
Photo from the Lower Pottsgrove Historical Society
Sanatoga Speedway
Always the showman, George Marshman, in 1954 began the spectacle called Demolition Derby which was not a race but it was truly a survival of attrition through luck. When the field of cars starting the event got down to only one still functioning, that one was declared the winner.
Though run inside the fence dividing spectator from the oval action, this was not an oval race. The infield as well as the oval track was in use by the driver contestants. Their instructions were to begin racing in a figure eight pattern crisscrossing the infield in a manner to excite the crowd with near misses at first, then later cause crashes targeted to disable a car while keeping your own going. It was immaterial whether you ran in reverse or forward. Those who were adept at driving in reverse seemed to be the better survivors of the spectacle.
The crowds just loved the garish nature of Demolition Derby. Race fans are used to getting some what dirty from dust but this event which used the clay infield churned hardened clay into fine particles blanketing everything. George Marshman saw this problem early and turned to chemistry to solve it.
This is where I enter the picture. I was a young infrequent spectator working for a landscape contractor operating from a Sanatoga location. George found out this firm had a hydro seeder normally used in spraying grass seed and fertilizer on disturbed ground along newly built highways. He contracted us each race day to spray a tank load of water spiked with a chemical that made water wetter on the infield which penetrated the clay and reduced the amount of dust occurring. I was the operator perched up on the pump platform spraying away.
The Speedway’s endurance seemed to be fading away around then and George, it seems to me, lost some interest in the Sanatoga operation. Remember, this was the coming of his son’s heyday in the big arena. Sadly Bobby Marshman, after leaving his mark on racing, left this life. The image of both Marshman and Sanatoga Speedway fade into history as all things etched in memory do.
Ronald C. Downie
Ron, what a terrific story! Thanks for adding your personal touch, and as always, thanks for reading.
A few facts that should be mentioned …
The track was first built as a dirt track. It held its first race on May 7, 1939, which was won by Vic Haynes.
Because there was such a major dust problem, the track was shut down and the dirt surface was paved. The first race on the new pavement was held on May 30, 1939, which was won by Jimmy Lee. The very first stock car race was held on June 15, 1949 and was won by Claud Bitting.
During the 1949-1950 seasons, the track was promoted by Karl Spatz. George Marshman started to promote the track in 1951. Marshman closed the track on June 12, 1958 to begin building a 1/2 mile asphalt drag strip. Just as the asphalt was being ready to be laid, Marshman, citing unforeseen problems, closed down Sanatoga on September 12, 1958. He then concentrated his efforts on the Hatfield Speedway.
Bob, it’s been awhile since we’ve heard from you. Delighted to have your additional information. Thanks very much for enriching the story!
Joe, Ron Downie was not alone watering the infield, as the Sanatoga Fire Co. used their old tanker truck. Dave Updegrove would drive with Tom Troutman sitting on top, spraying the infield. I also saw professional wrestling at the track and one time Joie Chitwood was there. The Sanatoga Fire Police also could add members, as they also did the parking lot / traffic control at the events.
Great stuff, Tom. Thanks for the addition. And special thanks to author Glenn Isett, whose article has struck such a responsive chord with readers. Great job, Glenn!