Several years ago I started a massive project.  I wanted to record the race results for as many former Pennsylvania tracks as possible.  This has turned into a monster of a project.  When I first started I was looking at maybe 250 former tracks in the state.  Now I believe it will be over 400.  A project that I thought would take two years now will take many years.

While recording the wins at these long-gone speedways, I came up with another project.  I decided to keep track of how many feature wins drivers had at these former tracks.  I wanted to find out which driver won the most features at the former speedways that were spread across the Keystone state. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  I have the feature winners for over 100 tracks and so far that fills several disks. 

Before I started this project I asked several old timers if they had an idea who might have the most feature wins at former tracks.  This does not include tracks currently running, plus tracks that had closed and came back
to life like Hummingbird and Latrobe.  When I say Latrobe I mean the track south of town not the one that was on the edge of Latrobe. 

Getting back to the response from the old timers, most would not come up with a name but a class that they raced in.  Most felt it would be from the old stock car/modified class.  I thought it would come out of the midget
ranks.  The midgets in the 30s and 40s ran almost every night of the week. 

So, I started keeping a list of the feature winners.  I had to come up with a few rules.  First, the feature winner would be from the main class at the track.  If a track ran sportsman and limited sportsman, only the sportsman winner would be added to the list.  But, if the limited sportsman class ran a show by themselves on another night, I would add that name because they were the main class.  An example would be the old Nazareth Speedway.  They would race modifieds and limited modifieds on Sunday night. Only the modified winner would be added to the list.  On Thursday night the limited sportsman would run by themselves.  Then I would add the limited sportsman winner. 

The second rule was if a track ran two headline classes both feature winners would be added to the list.  At Herb Harvey Speedway they had modifieds and late models along with a six cylinder class.  Modifieds and late models were both headline classes so their winners would be added. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish where a class goes from being a support class to a main class like the hobby stocks at Dorney Park evolving into late
models.

With all of that in mind I went to work on the list.  I might be about a quarter of the way into the project and one driver has quickly shot into the number one spot.  Those that thought the leading winner would come out of the stock car/modified ranks are right so far.  The old barn storming days of western Pa. racing, which featured so many speedways during the 50s, produced the leading driver in Dick Linder.  In front with 110 wins, Linder raced at so many  speedways.  Linder died in a big car crash at Trenton bringing the end to a very talented racer. 

Here is the list I have so far.  I have a long way to go, this list will drastically change.  I will list the driver, the classes he raced in, the number of wins and the tracks he won at.  Over the next year I will periodically update the list.  So here are the top drivers in wins at former speedways.  I listed the drivers with 30 or more wins.

1. Dick Linder - Stock Cars, Midgets and Modifieds - 110 wins 
   Tracks: Claridge, South Park, Heidelberg, Butler, Arden Downs, Mon Duke, Rose, Latrobe, Greater Pittsburgh, Sportsman's Field, Ford City VFW, Tri County.

2. Herb Scott - Stock Cars, Big Cars - 93 wins 
   Tracks: Claridge, Mon Duke, Arden Downs, South Park, Butler, Heidelberg, Spring Church, Turnpike, Green Valley, Penn, Ford City VFW, Latrobe.

3. Buddy O'Conner - Stock Cars, Roadsters - 89 wins 
   Tracks: Claridge, Rose, Mon Duke, South Park, Greater Pittsburgh, Arden Downs, Spring Church, Turnpike, New Kensington, Penn 

4. Gerry Chamberlain - Super Modifieds, Modifieds - 54 wins
   Tracks: Reading, South Penn.

5. Charlie Miller - Midgets, Big Cars - Foreign Cars - 53 wins
   Tracks: Yellow Jacket Frankford, Yellow Jacket G Street, Lancaster, Reading, Hilltop, Hershey Stadium, Hatfield, Dorney Park, Mahanoy City, National.

6. George Fonder - Midgets - 50 wins 
   Tracks: Bloomsburg Fair, Sanatoga, Yellow Jacket G Street, Hershey, Hatfield, Dorney Park, Bone Stadium, National

7. Ed Fiole - Stock Cars - 42 wins
   Tracks: Claridge, Mon Duke, Heidelberg, Butler, Arden Downs, South Park

8. Dick Tobias - Modifieds, Super Modifieds - 42 wins
   Tracks: Circle M Ranch, Mount Carbon, Hershey Stadium, Reading, Nazareth

9. Otto Harwi - Stock Cars, Modifieds - 40 wins
   Tracks: Dorney Park, Nazareth, Stroudsburg

10. Al Tasnady - Modifieds - 40 wins
    Tracks: Reading, Hatfield, Allentown Fair, Nazareth

11. Dutch Schaeffer - Midgets, Three-Quarter Midgets - 39 wins
    Tracks: Yellow Jacket G Street, Bloomsburg Fair, Hershey Stadium, Dorney Park, Bone Stadium, National

12. Dick Bailey - Stock Cars - 37 wins
    Tracks: Claridge, Mon Duke, Heidelberg, Ford City VFW, South Park, New Kensington, Dickey Ben Starbrick, Butler

13. Fred Fehr - Stock Cars, Modifieds - 34 wins
    Tracks: Stroudsburg, Dorney Park, Lehighton, National, Mahanoy City

14. Mark Light - Big Cars, Stock Cars, Midgets - 34 wins 
    Tracks: Reading, Langhorne, Nazareth, Lebanon Fair, Central, Lewistown Fair, Maple Grove, Schuylkill Fair, Kutztown Fair

15. Mike Little - Midgets, Stock Cars - 34 wins
    Tracks: Erie Stadium, Bloomsburg Fair, Heidelberg, Butler, Sportsman's Field 

16. Larry Bloomer - Midgets - 33 wins
    Tracks: Yellow Jacket G Street, Dorney Park, Sanatoga, Bone Stadium

17. Bill Schindler - Midgets, Big Cars - 31 wins
    Tracks: Yellow Jacket G Street, Yellow Jacket Frankford, Allentown Fair, Sanatoga, Heidelberg, Langhorne, Bone Stadium, Buhler Stadium, Pleasant Hill 

18. Mike Klapak - Stock Cars - 30 wins 
    Tracks: Tri County, Heidelberg, Butler, Sportsman's Field, Ford City VFW

- Steve Bubb

UPDATE

Former Track Feature Winners Part II

       I continue to try and find the results of former Pa. tracks.  As I do I am keeping, and I might say it is now monsterous in size, list of all the feature winners of the former tracks.  I am curious, trying to find out which driver won the most features at former tracks.
       This is the first update.  As with the first one to make the list of feature winners, the driver has to win in the main class.  If a track ran modifieds and hobby stocks, only the modified winner would make the list.  Some tracks ran modifieds and late models and if both were star divisions then both winners would make the list.
       The leader in wins on the first list was Dick Linder but now Herb Scott is way out in front.  I still have a long way to go so this list will change a number of times.  To make this list a driver has to have won 35 or more features.

1. Herb Scott - Stock Cars, Big Cars, Super Modifieds - 154 wins
       Tracks: Claridge, Mon Duke, Arden Downs, South Park, Heidelberg, Butler, Turnpike, Green Valley, Penn, Latrobe, Ford City VFW, Butler Prospect, Spring Church

2. Dick Linder - Stock Cars, Modifieds, Super Modifieds - 111 wins
       Tracks: Claridge, South Penn, Heidelberg, Arden Downs, Mon Duke, Butler, Rose, Latrobe, Sportsmans Field, Greater Pittsburgh, Tri County, Ford City VFW

3. Buddy O'Conner - Stock Cars - Hot Rods/Roadsters - 97 wins
       Tracks: Claridge, Rose, Mon Duke, South Park, Arden Downs, Turnpike, New Kensington, Penn, Latrobe, Pittsburgh

4. Al Hamilton - Stock Cars, Modifieds, Super Modifieds - 61 wins
       Tracks: Airport, Mahaffey, Dubois, Fireball Stadium, Clearfield Quarter Mile, Houtzdale

5.Tie: Clate Husted - Stock Cars, Modifieds, Super Modifieds - 55 wins
       Tracks: South Penn, Mahaffey, Paradise, Houtzdale, Clearfield Half (Driving Park), Clearfield Quarter

5. Tie: Charlie Miller - Midgets, Big Cars, Foreign Cars - 55 wins
       Tracks: Yellow Jacket G Street, Reading Fair, Hilltop, Hershey Stadium, Hatfield, Dorney Park, Lancaster, Yellow Jacket Frankford, National, Mahanoy City

7. Tie Gerry Chamberlain - Modifieds, Super Modifieds - 54 wins
       Tracks: Reading Fair, South Penn

7. tie Ed Fiola - Stock Cars - 54 wins
       Tracks: Claridge, Mon Duke, Heidelberg, Butler, Arden Downs, South Park, Latrobe

9. Frankie Schneider - Stock Cars, Modifieds
       Tracks: Lehighton Fair, Dorney Park, National, Yellow Jacket G Street, Allentown Fair, Langhorne

10. George Fonder - Midgets - 50 wins
       Tracks: Yellow Jacket G Street, Bloomsburg Fair, Sanatoga, Hershey Stadium, Hatfield, Dorney Park, Bone Stadium, National

11. Dick Bailey - Stock Cars, Modifieds, Super Modifieds - 48 wins
       Tracks: Claridge, Heidelberg, Ford City VFW, New Kensington, South Park, Butler, Mon Duke, Dickey Ben Starbrick

12. Al Tasnady - Modifieds - 47 wins
       Tracks: Reading Fair, Hatfield, Nazareth

13. Ralph Quarterson Jr. - Modifieds, Super Modifieds, Stock Cars - 44 wins
       Track: Butler Prospect

14.Tie: Dick Tobias - Modifieds, Super Modifieds - 43 wins
       Tracks: Hershey Stadium, Reading, Nazareth

14 Tie: Dutch Schaefer - Midgets, Three Quarter Midgets - 43 wins
       Tracks: Yellow Jacket G Street, Bloomsburg Fair, Hershey Stadium, Dorney Park, Bone Stadium, National, Willow Grove, Municipal Stadium

16. Tie: Rags Carter - Modifieds
       Tracks: Reading Fair, Nazareth

16. Tie: Otto Harwi - Stock Cars, Modifieds - 41 wins
       Tracks: Stroudsburg, Nazareth, Dorney Park, Municipal Stadium

18. Jimmy Ryan - Stock Cars, Modifieds
       Tracks: Sanatoga, Dorney Park, Municipal Stadium

19. Tie: Gus Linder - Stock Cars, Modifieds - 39 wins
       Tracks: Claridge, Arden Downs, Heidelberg, Mon Duke, South Park, Latrobe, Greater Pittsburgh

19. Joe Mihalic - Stock Cars, Modifieds - 39 wins
       Tracks: Claridge, Rose, Arden Downs, Heidelberg, South Park, Mon Duke

21. Fred Fehr - Stock Cars, Modifieds - 36 wins
       Tracks: Hatfield, Municipal Stadium, Nazareth, Dorney Park, Lehighton Fair, Mahanoy City, Stroudsburg

22. Larry Bloomer - Midgets, Three-Quarter Midgets - 35 wins
       Tracks: Yellow Jacket G Street, Sanatoga, Dorney Park, Willow Grove, Bone Stadium

Be sure to check out Steve Bubb's weekly column in Area Auto Racing News

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