Looking at the recent images provided by photographer Steve Cameron, specifically of cars rolling by on the frontstretch at East Windsor in the mid 70's, I got feeling kind of nostalgic....  I couldn't figure out why.

Then I looked more closely at the background of a few of the images and it hit me....  Warmups. 

Yup.... Warmups.

If you look closely at the pictures (example below), you'll see cars rolling out from the pit exit onto the speedway.  I kept looking at that part of the image....  and it took me to a place in my head that I probably haven't been for almost 50 years....

I was sitting up in the first turn, top row... corner seat just above the speedway office, with Airport Road to my hard right, pit road entrance a little right of center, and the entire speedway straight ahead, with the 4th turn all the way to my left. 

As the cars began rolling out, I'd say to my dad sitting next to me.... "There's Katona in the #K3...  and here comes McBride in the #11...  

We were at the races, and it's gonna be a great night.  Nothing else mattered.

Admittedly, these days I'm known as "Post Time Joe", deservedly so as for the past decade, by design, I show up right as the first green flag is waving on either the first heat race of the night, or in some case, taking my seat as the first feature of the night is going green.  I have no interest in warm ups these days...  I don't even have much interest in heats when it's a given that everyone will make the show.

I can't explain all the reasons why, and probably don't even know half of them, but it's just different these days.

But there was a time when I had to be either in my seat... or maybe sometimes I'd be down by the fence as soon as the water truck pulled in, and the first car was rolling out onto the track for warmups.

It was that important.  It set the stage for the night.

Was it the excitement just thinking about what was in store for the night?

Who was pulling onto the track next?  Was it a regular?  Was it an invader?  Maybe it was someone who had a bad crash the last time out and you had good feeling inside of seeing them back.....

Was it as simple as we were all just kids back then, back when it was still cool for you to take a good long look into the cockpit of the cars as the drivers rolled by at little more than an idle... Making a connection as a kid.... Being able to see that there was really a person inside that car... a real person that was about to tempt fate one more time... maybe ending the night in victory lane... or maybe on the back of a wrecker....  Or maybe in some cases, hoping that tonight would be the night where they'd finally make the starting field for their division's feature.  It didn't matter.  I looked up to them all.  They were all amazing.

Sometimes you'd see a driver look up and wave to his family sitting in the stands.... They'd wave back proudly.  Sometimes as a driver idled by, maybe he'd even notice you standing down by the fence.... looking at him.... and he'd maybe give you a little nod of the head...., maybe a little too cool to wave, and me being too cool to wave back...  But we knew we were both there, and that nod was cool enough for me.

Maybe it wasn't just the drivers....  Maybe it was the machines too.  Coupes... Coaches... Gremlins and Pintos...  Maybe a few Falcon's, Mustangs, Vegas thrown in too....  There goes Charlie Gunther in his little Covair... 

Some looking nice and shiny, and as the season went on.... some showing the battle scars earned. 

There's something about listening to an old coupe... or Gremlin... or whatever body style that's idling by next... with the driver sitting inside somewhere.... and sensing the power that was at the ready... at the slightest hint of of downward pressure of his right foot. 

Not yet... For now, an idle is plenty.  They'll be time later to show themselves, and all of us, what they can do.

So how about you?  We're you someone who arrived early, and made warmups an important part of your night at the races... kind of setting the stage for the rest of the night? 

Or maybe you were a driver that will look at the image above, and remember the feeling of pulling out of the pits for the first time on a given race night.... and remember seeing kids like me, on the other side of the fence....

.....who maybe when we felt a little bold, we'd give each other a nod, knowing that we were exactly where we wanted to be.

When my brother and I first started going to Flemington every Saturday night. We would get there before warm-ups to watch who showed up every week. The best part was the first few weeks of a new season, to see the latest cars, who were the rookies about to enter their first race or see if any invaders showed up.  Enclosed trailers ended that scenario. It was always fun to see your favorite drivers warm up the car or who was going to have a bad night ahead. 

I don't care to get there too early nowadays other than to grab a decent seat. Most tracks too do not honor the starting times anymore, so why bother? 

Wall Stadium, in the 70's and 80's, was you pretty much had to be there at 5 pm when practice started just to get your favorite seat. It was like most tracks then, the same people every week in the same seats. It was respected and expected.  Warm ups were also long on asphalt. An hour and forty minutes continuous, division after division. The same music played the whole time week after week. No announcing.  I bet Frank A Jr could rattle off all the songs. One that sticks with me was the Beach Boys "Let's Go Surfing" and "409" every week.  

Opening night practice was like Christmas!

Wall ran like clock work. 5 o'clock practice, 6:40 practice ended, 7 pm Modern Stock first heat. Three divisions only, unless the TQ's were there, twice a year.  8:45 intermission with the Lucky Coupon drawings and 9pm Modified feature. The only time they mixed it up was if The Sportmans or Moderns had an extra distance race which was rare.

Yes Roundabout is the song that really stands out for me.

My father and I would stand behind the top of of the grandstands as the Modifieds came off turn 4 during warm-ups. Back then you could still get a good view inside the car and see who was smooth and who was really sawing at the wheel.

You might find this hard to believe but some Gentleman in an X3 still stands out to me as so smooth....using one hand on the wheel!

Also, just as intermission was starting the Modifieds and Sportman would come out for one last practice to fine tune the cars!

Then there was the Wall Game where you had to pick the top 4 in the Modifid feature. Each week without a winner of the Wall Game the amount grew!

Damn those were some good times!

When it came to East Windsor we could never get there early enough.We would park  and watch all the cars pull in off Airport Rd.It was somthing I looked forward to each week., being able to see all the cars in there open haulers was really cool and it added to the excitement.

There was something different about EW for warm ups compred to other dirt tracks. How they cut the clay and the ruts street stocks getting stuck sliding all over . I Miss those days with my Dad

joe -this is amazing its as if you and i talked about this but we didnt.  i feel exactly like you - i started out at reading and hatfield or flemington. my dad took me everywhere.  at one point we went 4 nights a week when bridgeport ran thursdays.  then when i started working in the pits, it was like family with the other teams you parked next to every week. 

now adays cars parked next to each other wont even look at one another.  now a days if im not going into the pits to see friends i cant be botherd going early, and on the way home wondering why i went at all!

todays racing is different for sure but it is what it is and i dont want to spoil it for younger fans who didnt experience the past - thanks joe i thought it was just ME 

I wonder if this is an attention span issue.  I find that, with all that goes on with life, job, family, etc. I don't have the timer or inclination to become totally imersed in just one thing.  When I was a kid like Joe describes, all I thought about was racing 24/7 all the time.  Finally getting to the track was a big relief valve opening and I wanted to drink in everything from warm-ups to walking the pits after the feature.  I was lucky my father indulged me.  I have been unlucky in that none of my kids has ever been interested in going to the races.  I now have high hopes to convert my grandson!

Back in the good old days, I would have to wait on the road for Flemington to open the gates! Get my 4th turn seat, and then wander around watching everything opening. Maybe go over to the sign in gate and watch cars and drivers come in. Cross back in time for the warmups, the familiar smells of  every kind. Food, fuel etc.Then watch the night unfold before me. Great times,great memories-forever. Only those who were there understand!!

Whether it was back in the 70s when I was going to Harmony, Reading, Nazareth or Flemington, or going to open wheel races at Grandview during the past couple of decades, I was always in my seat before the first car hit the track for warmups. It was an important part of the entire event experience. This thread has served to bring back great memories for me, thanks for getting it started, Joe.

Starting in 1975 for me at The Port, I wanted to see local racers that I personally knew at the track. Hearing the cars warming up from across the track and anticipating who was going to run well. Pulling for Dave Stanton, Sam Gangemi, Mike Kostic, George Driver in his #1 sportsman, etc. Seeing the first cars to hit the track. Usually a sportsman car. Enjoying the different creations in builds. The sound of open headers howling....  Dreaming about someday doing it. I did it and moved on.

My dad and I always got to Shangri-La early.  I loved watching the warmups, catching up with friends before the races (or setting up when I was helping out in the pits), and one of my favorite things from when I was little until the track closed was looking over the back of the "careful or you'll fall through" grandstands to see which cars were pulling in at the pit gate, which haulers, which new cars or invaders... It was necessary.  I hated getting there late (by late I meant after warmups started).  The great thing about that track was that the modifieds were arrayed on the inner oval, and everyone had their space (Richie Evans was always in the first turn end of the pits, Spencer in the fourth turn, etc).  It was the best time ever. 

For example, I recall one time when a dump truck showed up with a Modified in the bed.  It was owned by Bob Stevens and driven by Harry Ely, an older straight up Pinto when most cars were offset Troyers or RE.  It was a throwback.  Eventually he upgraded equipment (to a couple of Dolin chassis), haulers (old school bus) and drivers (Ed Conoran as opposed to Scary Harry, who earned his nickname by his unique line around the track - hug the inside on the straights, then head to the outside of the turns. Yes really!).  

Thanks for all of your follow up posts, and the memories you had of getting to the track early/and or watching warmups.  I'm sure there's a bunch of guys out there who read the thread that could add to it, but they're part of the group that love our site.... love to read what everyone else is saying, but would never post!  (Don't like to type.... other....)

That's ok... glad to have everyone on board, here, "on the board!"

East Windsor Speedway. There was nothing I didn't love about the place, but the WarmUps were not only for those bad ass fuel injected small blocks, they were for us drivers. A time to forget the work day and get the real blood going.

My Mom and I would get to Windsor around 6:00 or so and head to the back gate (entrance to the pits).  Always got excited to see my favorite hot rods, their owners and drivers up close. 

This is a photo taken by my Mom of Vic Gilbert, owner of the 147 and 148 driven by the Taylor twins. 

Here are the photos.

The first is Joe Hall.

The 2nd photo is of Fred Menscher's 21. 

  The 3rd photo is off Stan Ploski.

This is my mom's photo is of Tony K's 11, followed by one of Tony K, "Pop" Gibbons and his step son, driver Joseph Kelly, at Winsdor's backgate. Scott Ely

Nice pictures of the pit entrance Scott