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A Brief History of Indoor Auto Racing In Atlantic City
(courtesy of Program Dynamics)
Auto racing inside Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City first began in 1938 when
a series of Midget car races was held during the fall of that year. The
following autumn, the Midget car racing events were held once again.
With the specter of World War II hanging over the nation, many auto races
were first voluntarily and later legislatively cancelled to aid in the war
effort and Boardwalk Hall racing was such a casualty.
Auto racing enjoyed a tremendous post-World War II boom throughout the
nation but Boardwalk Hall, while an active and thriving entertainment venue,
remained silent to the roar of racing engines.
It was not until January of 1965 that Pleasantville. NJ businessman George
Stockinger began the first of fifty five indoor racing events that would
stretch over the course of the next fifteen winters. The featured attraction
was the Three Quarter Midget, a smaller, more nimble version of the Midget car
that had been action back in 1938-1939.
Because of the scheduling of these races in the dead of winter, the Atlantic
City Indoor Races received widespread publicity among the auto racing media.
The frenzy peaked in 1973 when six events were held, though through 1981 at
least three events took place each year. The series ended as Atlantic City
was in the midst of its transformation from a fabled shore town to a worldwide
gaming mecca.
Big winners in the "Stockinger Era" included Doug Craig, Levittown, PA; Jack
Bertling, Caldwell, NJ; Bob Cicconi, Prospect Park, PA; Nick Fornoro, Jr.
Rockaway, NJ; Tony Romit, Cliffside Park, NJ; and Lenny Boyd, Farmingdale, NJ.
Twenty two years later, in 2003, Len Sammons, publisher of Area Auto Racing
News, perceived a need for and a value in resurrecting the Atlantic City
Indoor racing traditions. On January 18, 2003, a packed house saw the racing
events and Andy Mackereth from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada won the main event.
The auto racing success was no less spectacular than the renaissance of the
city of Atlantic City itself.
And so the Atlantic City Indoor Race has been reborn and thrives with fields
of cars so huge that two days of qualifying are needed to provide each entrant
a fair chance to earn an opportunity to compete for the biggest prize.
Support divisions since 2003 include Legends Cars, Slingshots, Micro
Stocks and Champ Karts.
The 2006 Atlantic City Indoor race will be the sixty-first of the modern
era (beginning in 1965).
Winners from 2003 to Present - Len Sammons Productions
| Year |
Day |
Date |
Winner |
| 2003 |
Saturday |
January 18th |
Andy Mackereth |
| 2003 |
Saturday |
January 18th |
Craig Rochelle - Legends |
| 2004 |
Friday |
January 9th |
Lou Cicconi |
| 2004 |
Friday |
January 9th |
Tim Howell - Slingshots |
| 2004 |
Saturday |
January 10th |
Joey Payne |
| 2005 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Jeff Heotzler |
| 2005 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Jesse Hartman - Slingshots |
| 2005 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Greg Harris - Micro Stocks |
| 2005 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Davey Sammons - Young Lions/Slingshots |
| 2005 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Steve Buckwalter - Mini Cup |
| 2005 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Brett Stratford - Champ Karts |
| 2006 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Lou Cicconi, Jr. |
| 2006 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Ryan Smith - Slingshots |
| 2006 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Rich Byrne - Micro Stocks |
| 2006 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Christopher Allen - Young Lions/Slingshots |
| 2006 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Tom Ervin - Outlaw Micro Stocks |
| 2007 |
Saturday |
January 13th |
Joey Payne - Micro Sprints |
Winners from 1965 to 1981 - "George Stockinger Era"
| Year |
Day |
Date |
Winner |
| 1965 |
Saturday |
January 16th |
SNOW |
| 1965 |
Saturday |
January 23rd |
Dick De Young |
| 1965 |
Saturday |
January 23rd |
Reds Hallowell - Lanco Flathead |
| 1965 |
Saturday |
January 23rd |
Jim Herr - Lanco Open |
| 1966 |
Saturday |
January 15th |
Jim Macguire |
| 1966 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Bobby Courtwright |
| 1966 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Ed Leip - Foreign Compacts |
| 1966 |
Saturday |
January 29th |
George Sweeten |
| 1967 |
Saturday |
January 21st |
Bobby Hamilton |
| 1967 |
Saturday |
January 28th |
Len Duncan |
| 1967 |
Sunday |
January 29th |
Al De Angelo |
| 1968 |
N/A |
N/A |
NO RACING IN 1968 |
| 1969 |
Saturday |
January 18th |
Mike Dee |
| 1969 |
Saturday |
January 25th |
Tommy Mc Andrew |
| 1969 |
Saturday |
February 1st |
Johnny Coy Sr. |
| 1969 |
Sunday |
February 2nd |
Bobby Hamilton |
| 1969 |
Saturday |
October 11th |
Jack Bertling |
| 1969 |
Saturday |
October 18th |
Sonny Sanders |
| 1970 |
Saturday |
January 24th |
Pete Mourad |
| 1970 |
Saturday |
January 31st |
Bing Metz |
| 1971 |
Saturday |
January 23rd |
Jack Duffy |
| 1971 |
Saturday |
January 30th |
Tony Romit |
| 1971 |
Saturday |
February 6th |
Doug Craig |
| 1972 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Doug Craig |
| 1972 |
Saturday |
January 29th |
Doug Craig |
| 1972 |
Saturday |
January 29th |
Larry Michaels |
| 1972 |
Saturday |
March 4th |
Doug Craig |
| 1973 |
Saturday |
January 20th |
Tony Romit |
| 1973 |
Sunday |
January 28th |
Doug Craig |
| 1973 |
Saturday |
February 3rd |
Ed Enes |
| 1973 |
Wednesday |
February 7th |
Rick Hocking - AMA Motorcycles |
| 1973 |
Saturday |
February 10th |
Tony Romit |
| 1973 |
Saturday |
March 10th |
Len Duncan |
| 1974 |
Saturday |
February 9th |
CANCELLED - GAS SHORTAGE |
| 1974 |
Saturday |
February 16th |
CANCELLED - GAS SHORTAGE |
| 1975 |
Saturday |
January 18th |
Johnny Coy, Sr. |
| 1975 |
Saturday |
February 8th |
Larry Michaels |
| 1975 |
Saturday |
February 22nd |
Johnny Coy, Sr. |
| 1975 |
Saturday |
March 1st |
Bob Watkins |
| 1976 |
Saturday |
January 17th |
Jack Bertling |
| 1976 |
Saturday |
January 24th |
Johnny Coy, Sr. |
| 1976 |
Saturday |
January 31st |
Jack Bertling |
| 1976 |
Saturday |
February 7th |
Larry Michaels |
| 1977 |
Saturday |
January 22nd |
Tom White |
| 1977 |
Saturday |
January 29th |
Bob Cicconi |
| 1977 |
Saturday |
February 5th |
Bob Cicconi |
| 1977 |
Saturday |
February 12th |
Bob Cicconi - ARDC Midgets |
| 1978 |
Saturday |
January 21st |
SNOW |
| 1978 |
Saturday |
January 28th |
Jack Bertling |
| 1978 |
Saturday |
February 4th |
Lenny Boyd - ARDC Midgets |
| 1978 |
Saturday |
February 11th |
Phil Davoulas |
| 1979 |
Saturday |
January 20th |
Phil Davoulas |
| 1979 |
Saturday |
January 27th |
Jack Bertling |
| 1979 |
Saturday |
February 3rd |
Johnny Coy, Jr. |
| 1980 |
Saturday |
January 19th |
Will Ford |
| 1980 |
Sunday |
January 20th |
Lenny Boyd |
| 1980 |
Saturday |
January 26th |
Johnny Coy, Sr. |
| 1980 |
Sunday |
January 27th |
Nick Fornoro, Jr. |
| 1981 |
Saturday |
January 17th |
Nick Fornoro, Jr. |
| 1981 |
Sunday |
January 18th |
Bruce Kindberg |
| 1981 |
Saturday |
January 24th |
Jon Holmquist |
| 1981 |
Saturday |
January 31st |
John Jenkins |
| 1981 |
Sunday |
February 1st |
Nick Fornoro, Jr. |
| 1965 - 1981 |
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55 Race Meets |
(53 TQ - 2 ARDC - 1 AMA) |
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