Weissglass Ran 19 Cards in 1954

By Nat Kleinfield

Copied from the December 22, 1954 National Speed Sport News (by John Nelson & Bill Skinner)

Staten Island, N. Y. – Under the guidance of Gabe Rispoli, Stan Branowski and Vic Barranco, the 1954 auto racing season at Weissglass Stadium in Pt. Richmond, here embraced 19 programs, the same number presented in 1953.

Four other cards were rained out, May 20 and 27, July 1 and August 19 while a number of others were run under threatening skies or shortly after a downpour.

Sixteen modified-sportsman stock meets under NASCAR sanction were conducted in addition to two midget car speedfests sanctioned by the ARDC, and the final show of the year was a combination stock-midget program.

The curtain went up on May 6 and fell on September 23, the schedule taking in 16 Thursday nights, two Monday nights, one Sunday afternoon, the stocks were seen on Thursdays, the midgets on Mondays, the lone Sunday card for stocks.

Twenty-eight drivers won at least a single event, taking in heats, semis, etc. while nine drivers split the main events. Frankie Schneider topped the field in total features won, collecting four. Tommy Elliott, who won the inaugural, and Jerry Morese came next with three each; George Tet, Joe Bossard, and Don Stumpf, the latter winner of the closing night’s feature, accounted for a pair of firsts each while George Horvath snared a single feature.

Bill Compton and Fred Meeker topped the ARDC midget features run as part of complete doodlebug cards while Steve McGrath hit the jackpot the night midgets and stocks shared the billing.

Bossard was the first to repeat a main event victory after five drivers had paced such races, getting his follow up on June 24, the initial win on June 3. Important contests went to Elliott, taking the 75-lapper on July 8; to Schneider who got a 50-lapper on July 29 and then came back on August 26 for the 100-lapper. Morese took the solitary Sunday afternoon feature on September 12.

The tricky track, a “short” asphalt surfaced affair, was originally a baseball diamond- is still used for the sport as well as football, etc. -and as a result is tougher to negotiate than ovals. Many wrecks took place on the year, much on the same order as in the past at Weissglass, but only one really seriously accident occurred, that one sending veteran Ralph Sheeler to the hospital for weeks after a bad flip and roll that ripped the roof of the car loose and produced severe cuts to Ralph.

Top talent was on view every week as indicated by the fact that the number one and number two men in national modified standings for 1954, Jack Choquette and Tommie Elliott, were regulars there as was Frankie Schneider, former national modified king and number three sportsman driver this year. Many others who have held titles also were listed regularly.

Bill Hammersly won a special event on July 15, that was open only to Staten Islanders while Budd Laureno grabbed another such chase the next week, each at 20 laps and run in conjunction with full programs. Destruction derbies and other specials were presented during the summer.

George Horvath copped the track sportsman class title with 726 markers, followed by Walt Tompkins, 706, Frank Schneider, 598, Harry Stucker, 578, Lennie Gould, 532, Bill Hammersly, 474, Jerry Dunkleman, 464, Buddy Laureno, 450, Les Carrajat, 404, and Slim Brown, 300. Of these ten Tompkins, Horvath, Hammersly, Brown, and Dunkleman were 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th last year. Horvath succeeds Nick Nicolette as champion.

Modified class honors went to George Tet, his 872 topping Jerry Morese, 754, Tommie Elliott, 657, Don Stumpf, 422, Jack Choquette, 407, Joe Bossard, 322, Johnny Mann, 246, Jake Goodski, 242, Bud Reds, 194, and Russ Meyer, 154. Of this group Stumpf, Tet, Morese, and Goodski were 2nd, 3rd, 7th, and 10th last year. Tet succeeds Schneider as champion.

Officials were Bob Sall, Chief Steward; Ray Mattade, Handicapper; Craig Mellenger, Starter; Lillian Hill and Nancy Brown, Scorers, Buddy Hill, Pit Steward; Jimmy Campbell, Pit Gate Custodian, Art Kline, Timer, and Nat Kleinfield, Announcer.

The trio who made the races possible at Weissglass deserve genuine credit for bearing up under generally poor weather all year long. They will start the 1955 schedule sometime in May.

Tet set a 10-lap record of 2:22.92 breaking on July 29, Stumpf’s 1953 mark of 2:23.06. Morese wound up with the 25-lap record 5:54.96 set September 9 after Stumpf and Elliott had chalked up new marks.