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Preserving the History of the Dirt Tracks of Schuylkill County, PA

The co-founder of the longest tenures racetrack in Schuylkill County history has passed away. Frederick Roerhig, better known as Fritz, died on July 21, 2019 at the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Allentown, PA at the age of 79.

An inaugural inductee into the Coal Region Racing Hall of Fame on April 6th, 2019, he, along with fellow inaugural inductee D. B. Muscara, built a practice track they called "The Bullpen" after completing a strip mining operation on that same piece of property in 1971. The name was quickly changed to match the coal vein underneath it becoming Big Diamond Raceway. The entire facility would be the last completely new track built in the county.

Fritz also proudly served his country in his beloved Marine Corp from 1957 to 1967. Upon his return from military duty, he began his career in the local anthracite mining industry. He began as a truck driver before purchasing his own truck which would lead him to forming various partnerships in the coal business as well as other business ventures. One of those businesses with D. B. Muscara helped bring about the creation of Big Diamond Raceway. Joe Kuperavage, who at one point co-promoted Anthracite Raceway in Schoentown, was also involved in Big Diamond for a number of years.

Fritz's involvement in Big Diamond was as a co-owner, co-promoter, and eventually mentor to its current promoter, his stepson Jake Smulley and his wife Jasmine.

Coal Region Racing would like to extend their condolences to his family and friends.

One of the most unique characters in racing, Charlie Gilmore from Kutztown, PA, passed away on June 24th, 2019. He was 82. Those old enough to remember this car from 1980 know Charlie only cared that it ran. And run it did. This vintage Brightbill-Kreitz chassis Falcon bodied small block turned many laps at Grandview and the paved Dorney Park as well as at Penn National. When a fellow racer on opening day said to him the car still had the dirt on it from the previous racing season, his answer was, "It ran when I parked it."

Beginning his driving career in 1963 at the fabled Reading Fairgrounds, Charlie drove a number of cars with great success. He even raced an ostrich once! He moved to Dorney Park winning 25 features before calling Grandview his home. On Friday nights around the time this image was made, he could be found on the clay at Big Diamond, Saturday night on pavement at "The Park", then on dirt at Nazareth on Sunday night, all with the same car!

The machinist at Dana Corporation in Reading, PA was old school as he built as many parts for his racers as possible. He was also always willing to help his fellow competitors anytime. Eventually, his sons Kenny, also known as Monk, and Mike followed in his footsteps and began their racing careers. Even today, his grandson Brett is carrying on the family tradition by racing at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville.

From everyone at Coal Region Racing, we extend our condolences to his family and many friends.

One of the best racing artists of any era suddenly passed away. Emerson Freese died of a massive heart attack on January 26, 2019. He was only 57. Mr Freese's incredible racing art work has been seen by countless numbers of race fans through the years. The Anthracite Raceway Memorial Reunion artwork as well as our recent Coal Region Racing tee shirt artwork were both of his creations.

When the photographs and other details for the Coal Region Racing tee shirts were dropped off at his art studio business, Out of the Blue II in Jim Thorpe, he related stories of his friendship with the late legendary Sprint Car pioneer racer, Tommy Hinnershitz.

From all of us at Coal Region Racing our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

The Coal Region Racing Hall of Fame Inductees for 2019.

The possibility of at least 2 additional race tracks in Schuylkill County has recently come to light.

In the upper photo from August 28, 1958 shows the outline of a small dirt track located along Sweet Arrow Lake Road about 1 1/2 miles from Cressona.

In the second photo from August 12, 1971 shows the outline of a small dirt track located along Stone Mountain Road just off Sweet Arrow Lake Road just south of the first image.

These 2 possible little facilities were approximately 1/4 mile about. The second one may have been built to replace the first one.

If anyone has any information on either or both of these possible race tracks, please contact me directly at coalregionracing@gmail.com.

Today, February 5, 2019, JoAnn Roehrig would have been 75.

The local racing community of the coal region lost one of its most prominent people. JoAnn Roehrig lost her long and brave fight with cancer on Saturday August 4th, 2018. She was 74.

From the day the gates at Big Diamond first swung open for its inaugural race on August 27, 1972, JoAnn was a fixture at the track and in the main concession stand. With her love of cooking, she and her very capable staff made and served some of the best race track food found anywhere. Because of JoAnn, Big Diamond was known for having some of the best french fries money could buy. Not only did she oversee the feeding of the fans and competitors, she also made sure the cash payout for the purses was completed by the end of the night's racing activities.

Devoted to her children, there was nothing she wouldn't do for them. From coaching their bowling team, leading the Minersville High School band parents association, chaperoning them for 2 school trips to Germany, to any other event they may be involved in, Mrs. Roehrig was never far from their side ready to do whatever was needed. Her adoration for her family continued with her grandchildren. And somehow she found time for various community groups.

JoAnn Roehrig could laugh and joke with the best of them or be stern and direct when she needed to be. Admired and respected by many fans and racers alike, the list of people who would call her a friend might be endless.

After the 2005 closure of Big Diamond Raceway, JoAnn would eventually move out of Minersville and resettle in the northern Berks county borough of Hamburg. There, with her long-time companion, Wilmer Weiss, she enjoyed many years with her children, grandchildren and friends. She was also a very good friend to Coal Region Racing. Without her foresight to save many items from the early years of Big Diamond Raceway, from 8mm movies, hats, and even match books, much of these articles and additional information has been invaluable to the preservation of this local racing establishment.

To her many family members, friends and those countless number of people whose lives she touched and enriched, we send our deepest condolences...

Our long awaited display of local racing history is now open to the public. Thanks to the Orwigsburg Historical Society, artifacts from the archives of Coal Region Racing will be accessible during the society's regularly scheduled hours.

This undated image is courtesy of Irv Yeict sent to us by Dennis Somers.

These are the earliest forms of race cars to compete in Schuylkill County. This photograph is from the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds in Cressona, PA. In the very beginning of automobile racing, machines such as these were common at county fairgrounds tracks across the country. As you can see, they lacked even the most basic safety equipment. Many a driver was injured or killed because of this. Two fatalities were recorded here, the very first casulty on July 4th and the second on August 4th, 1935.

Irv Yeict was the owner of S & Y Paints in Pottsville, PA and was a huge supporter of local dirt track racing by sponsoring dozens of race cars of all types through the years.

Many thanks to both Irv and Dennis for sharing this priceless photograph with Coal Region Racing

Gold Mine Speedway 1953

Here are two examples of what early sprint car racers appeared as in the 1950's and 1960's at such tracks as Brandonville, Ringtown and the inner oval at Mount Carbon. Since photographs from those tracks seem to be non-exsistant, these two photographs from the Circle M Ranch Speedway Reunion held on September 23, 2017 show what the sprint cars from that era really looked like.

Brandonville raced what were known then as "Big Cars", early forms of what we have come to know as today's modern sprint cars before the wings. This is what those cars had evolved into during the 1950' and '60's that competed at the big, flat Brandonville 1/2 mile dirt track.

Mount Carbon was known to have an inner oval that hosted midget racing and early forms of micro-sprints during it's tenure. Circle M Ranch hosted at least one event in 1955 while Mahanoy City, Ringtown, and possibly Brandonville and Sparky's also raced these early racing machines.