Walnut Dale 1970 aerial. From Larry Jendras collection. North is at top (compare 1971 aerial image). The outline of the original oval track is visible, with the D-shaped track built in 1969 as Shippensburg Speedway inside.

Shippensburg aerial 1971. The speedway is visible at upper right (northeast), with the village of Cleversburg two miles west. Shippensburg is out of view, 5 miles west of the track. From Penn Pilot, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, www.pennpilot.psu.edu 

Walnut Dale 1957 second turn. Note rocks and gravel in subsoil, likely a hazard to drivers. Roy Richwine photo, EMMR collection.

Walnut Dale 1957 third turn. Looking north along the backstretch, possibly from same vantage point as previous image. Roy Richwine photo, EMMR collection.

Walnut Dale, late 1980s, first turn. Compare with 1957 photo above. The builders of Shippensburg Speedway in 1969 built up banking in the turns and placed posts as an inner barrier. Photo by John Sheaffer.

Walnut Dale first winner. From the weekly Valley Times-Star of Newville, Pennsylvania accessed on www.newspapers.com.

Duke Negley 1956 Walnut Dale. Note the judges’ stand, lack of spectator seating, and lack of protection for spectators. John Sheaffer collection, photographer Russ Stine.

Duke Negley Walnut Dale 1957. John Sheaffer collection, photographer Russ Stine 

Walnut Dale trophy. Inscription reads, “Walnut Dale Speedway, Bobby Rhine Benefit Race, June 23, 1957, winner Duke Neagley (sic)”. This was the last documented race meet at the original Walnut Dale track. Trophy is currently at EMMR.

Shippensburg pit pass. This was issued in 1969 to Conrad Ramsey, who drove in at least one Figure 8 race. Larry Jendras collection.

Mel Kreiser at Walnut Dale. John Sheaffer collection 

Walnut Dale Speedway

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

By John Nelson, John Sheaffer, Larry Jendras, and Steve Bubb

July 31, 2020

         Walnut Dale Speedway was a rather informal race track that hosted stock car racing in 1956, 1957, and perhaps in 1958. A new track called Shippensburg Speedway was built on the same site in 1969 and ran a few races. Information comes chiefly from local newspapers, especially the daily Public Opinion of Chambersburg and the weekly Valley Times-Star of Newville, accessed on www.newspapers.com. Acquaintances with drivers who raced and on-site inspections after racing ended yielded further information. Photographs on file at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (EMMR) portray the track in 1957.

         In 1956 the Tri-County Jalopy Club, under president Dean Mixell, purchased a 96-acre farm southeast of Shippensburg and “developed a track almost twice the size of the Williams Grove oval”. Although that statement implies a track nearly 1 mile around, pacing on the ground and measurement from an air photo indicates the actual length was approximately 3,600 feet or 5/8 mile. The first race meet took place on July 22, 1956 and was free to the public. Reportedly, a crowd of 5,000 to 6,000 spectators witnessed two heat races and part of a consolation race, but the feature event was postponed because of rain. The following Sunday, July 26, the postponed race was completed and Lynn Weibley of Carlisle declared the winner. “Jalopy” stock car racing then proceeded every Sunday, weather permitting, through the end of October. Incomplete results show that Fred Hurley of Newville won five feature races, while Lynn Weibley won two and Duke Negley of Carlisle and Ken Hurley, brother of Fred, scored one apiece. On one occasion, August 12, “Class A” and “Class B” stock cars raced separately, but otherwise only a single class of cars competed. Photographs indicate stripped-down early 1930s coupes. Similar cars, also termed “jalopies”, raced at other tracks in the area, including Williams Grove and Hagerstown.

         Racing continued at Walnut Dale in 1957, but only a few race results made the local papers. Bleachers seating 600 were erected in April, the first time that the speedway provided seating. Les Mixell of Shippensburg, Bobby Hersh of Seven Valleys, Carl Rotz of Carlisle, and John Baughman won feature races. Robert Rhine of Shippensburg was critically injured on June 9 when his car tore through the fence and struck several trees. Although advertisements continued through September, the last documented race at Walnut Dale, a Bobby Rhine benefit, took place on June 23. The winner’s trophy from that race currently resides at the EMMR. 

         In 1969 John Westfall of Shippensburg purchased the property and hired Art Beidel of Fannettsburg to build a new high-banked, D-shaped dirt track inside the 5/8-mile oval. The new track was said to measure ½ mile, but aerial images indicate it was considerably shorter. An inner figure-8 course also was constructed. The new track was named Shippensburg Speedway. Plans were announced to run small-block Modified and Hobby classes, together with figure-8 races, beginning in late August. Advertisements, conversations with a former driver, and a pit pass indicate that several race meets took place, but no results of those races have come to light.

         Reasons for the demise of Walnut Dale/Shippensburg have not been publicized, but several factors may be surmised. Neighbors and spectators complained that dust was a major problem and the track could be very rough. No spectator seating was provided until the second season, and it was inadequate even for the declining crowds. Several area tracks, including Williams Grove, Lincoln, and Hagerstown, were better established and offered more amenities and stronger competition. The nearly fatal accident to Robert Rhine in June 1957 might have had legal repercussions. Observers agreed that the 1969 edition of the speedway was crudely constructed. That effort competed head-to-head against strong Super Sprint programs at several area speedways and the well-established Sportsman programs at St. Thomas and Silver Spring.

         Walnut Dale Speedway is plainly visible on aerial images dated 1970 and 1971, shortly after racing ended. The track is on the north side of Walnut Dale Road 2 miles east of Cleversburg. Portions of the speedway, including the banked south turn and a row of posts serving as an inside barrier, were still evident in the 1980s. The area is now largely wooded and several homes have been built where the track was.

         In his 2017 edition of The History of America’s Speedways, Allan Brown lists this track as Walnut Bottom Speedway. There is a community of Walnut Bottom not far from the old speedway, but online news archives and general Internet searches respond only to the name Walnut Dale. An unrelated Shippensburg Speedway on a different location hosted Karts and Micro-Sprints between 1988 and 2014. That track was at 178 Walnut Bottom Road, just off Interstate 81 on the east side of Shippensburg.

Race Winners at Walnut Dale Speedway

Date            Winner                            Home Town           Car Number

7/29/56        Lynn Weibley                  Mt. Holly Springs

8/5/56          Races rained out

8/12/56        Melvin Kreiser (Class A)     Annville                   711

                     Fred Hurley (Class B)         Newville                  7

8/19/56        Fred Hurley                         Newville                  7

9/2/56          Duke Negley                   Carlisle                    83

9/3/56          Fred Hurley                         Newville                  7

9/9/56          Fred Hurley                         Newville                  7

9/16/56        Fred Hurley                         Newville                  7

9/30/56        Ken Hurley                          Carlisle                    71(?)

10/7/56        Duke Negley                       Carlisle                    83

10/28/56      Lynn Weibley                      Mt. Holly Springs    

4/14/57        John Baughman

4/28/57        Carl Rotz                             Carlisle

5/7/57          Les Mixell                            Shippensburg 

6/2/57          Bobby Hersh                       Seven Valleys         115

6/9/57          Races took place, Robert Rhine critically injured in crash

6/23/57        Duke Negley                       Carlisle                    83