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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 55 Race Meets (53 TQ - 2 ARDC - 1 AMA)