| Msg ID: 2768480 | Williams Grove Opener/3 Mile Island 1979 |
| Author:Jack Kromer
3/18/2023 11:25:49 AM |
I shot my first Central PA sprint car race 44 years ago today, on March 18, 1979 at Williams Grove and was immediately hooked and couldn't wait to return to that area for more races.
Kramer Williamson won that day. (shown here on 3/18/79 in the #11, racing with Lynn Paxton 1)
Then, ten days later I thought I'd never have the chance to shoot another race out there after the nearby 3 Mile Island nuclear plant had a meltdown on March 28--which in a worst-case-scenario would have turned that whole area into a radioactive wasteland.
In one heck of a coincidence, a few days before the 3 Mile Island meltdown, "The China Syndrome" movie was released in theaters. That movie was about a fictitious nuclear plant meltdown, which then really elevated the fears of everyone in PA.
Scary time for the area.  |
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| Msg ID: 2768610 | Williams Grove Opener/3 Mile Island 1979 |
| Author:SteveWhitney
3/19/2023 5:02:54 PM Reply to: 2768480 |
I came home from work that day and my ex-wife was in an absolute panic. She was ready to get in the car and head for who knows where. I tried to explain that we were over 100 miles away but it did not calm her down,. |
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| Msg ID: 2768630 | Williams Grove Opener/3 Mile Island 1979 |
| Author:Greg Collins
3/19/2023 8:17:07 PM Reply to: 2768610 |
I can relate, Steve. My wife was working at a bank in Easton, when the news broke her manager immediately rushed out and purchased many gallon bottles of water, anticipating the contamination of the city's water supply. He returned to the bank, announced his purchases and their purpose, and set the staff into a panic. |
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| Msg ID: 2768614 | Williams Grove Opener/3 Mile Island 1979 |
| Author:bpletcher
3/19/2023 5:22:10 PM Reply to: 2768480 |
i was there that day and many other openers at the grove 1st working on the kehan 97 then with frankie kerr when he started his sprint career- grove used to have over 50 cars back then and kramer was tough in the naggin-wagon |
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| Msg ID: 2768624 | bpletcher:Williams Grove Opener 1979 low car count |
| Author:Jack Kromer
3/19/2023 6:57:27 PM Reply to: 2768614 |
While I really got hooked on Central PA racing that day, we all thought Central PA racing might be in big trouble on the drive home that 1979 Williams Grove, as they only had 19 or 20 cars that day with no consi. Growing up with the modifieds and still going to the modified races regularly, we were all used to seeing larger fields, with even large consi car counts. But, they survived and Central PA car counts improved and all these decades later, they are still racing. |
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| Msg ID: 2768632 | bpletcher:Williams Grove Opener 1979 low car count |
| Author:bpletcher
3/19/2023 8:41:32 PM Reply to: 2768624 |
sorry jack i didnt want to miss lead anyone i meant to say when i was helping frankie kerr in the 80s the car count was that good every heat was a feature and we worried about qualifing some nights -the groves hey day |
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| Msg ID: 2768638 | bpletcher:Williams Grove Opener 1979 low car count |
| Author:Jack Kromer
3/19/2023 9:28:20 PM Reply to: 2768632 |
No worries my friend! I knew what you meant about those later years. I just brought that low-car-count thing up because it was one of my first Central PA sprint car racing memories--like, "Wow this place is pretty cool, but they sure look like they are in trouble here" (in 1979), when they didn't even have a full field for the opener. |
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| Msg ID: 2768679 | bpletcher:Williams Grove Opener 1979 low car count |
| Author:kjeyres
3/20/2023 10:42:22 AM Reply to: 2768638 |
Cool story Jack. That "meltdown" was a blessing in disguise. It brought national awareness to the threats of nuclear energy which still exists to this day. It really made people accountable. |
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| Msg ID: 2768770 | Williams Grove Opener/3 Mile Island 1979 |
| Author:bobby711
3/20/2023 7:15:15 PM Reply to: 2768480 |
We had an envionmental diaster in our area in the late 1970s Love Canal in Niagara Falls. We played the Hyde Park golf course which was about 5 miles from the Love Canal and I jokingly told everyone not to go near the water on the golf course. |
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