Hall of Fame Pioneer Driver Bob Rossell Passes.

Rossell, from Jacobstown, NJ, was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in 2018. 

Rossell began racing on the paved New Egypt Speedway quarter-mile in 1958, in an old Chevy coupe with an engine out of a junk pile. Working out of NES champion “Stubby” Stevens’ nearby Jacobstown garage, along with his good friend Gil Hearne, Bob was just getting going when the U.S. Air Force took him out of the scene for a year, in 1961.

When Rossell returned, he jumped back in with both feet — barnstorming up and down the Eastern seaboard, tagging along with the infamous “Eastern Bandits,” holding his own with Ed Flemke, Dennis Zimmerman, Rene Charland, Red Foote and the like.

Bob’s big scores include NASCAR’s 200-lap Battle of Bull Run at Old Dominion in 1963, Wall Stadium’s 300-lap Garden State Classic (twice), Langhorne qualifiers at Flemington and Orange County Fair Speedway, five extra-distance events at East Windsor, and a 90-minute timed race on the 1-1/8 mile Nazareth National big track, where he beat the great Frankie Schneider on the last turn of the last lap. After dominating Utica-Rome’s 1963 New Yorker 400, Rossell’s win was protested by Lou Lazzaro, who alleged Bob was pushed across the line. Many months later, NASCAR awarded the win to Lazzaro.

Rossell was a regular in the elite All-Star Racing League from 1967-71.

He was also a sought-after car builder, with top drivers like Will Cagle and Tommy Corellis, among others, finding success in Rossell racers. Cagle ran Rossell cars almost exclusively from 1965-72, arguably some of his best years racing in the Northeast.

It was a great existence until July 1971, when Rossell was critically injured during an All-Star event at Lebanon Valley, almost losing a foot, laid up in Albany Medical Center for 29 days.

Tough and stubborn, Bob was back driving the following spring. By July of ’72, he was back in form, clicking off five wins that summer, including a 100-lap Syracuse qualifier at East Windsor. 

Rossell never officially retired — “I put the car on the trailer after a rough night at East Windsor and just never took it off.” — but went on to a second career, building sulkies for Standardbred horses for more than a decade.

Bob Rossell was an excellent Racer and Fabricator. Bob Pickell had his best year ever driving the red # 2 sedan which Pickell and Lucky Jordan owned together. This #2 Sedan was built by Bob Rossell.

Photo by Ace Lane sr, scanned from the ACE book.  Hank Winecker

So sorry to hear of Bob's passing. Got to know him later in life, but was always a big fan of his.  It was neat seeing him at odd races like Georgetown just taking in a modified show with his sweet wife Carol. Gil introduced him to me and whenever he saw me it was a nice greeting.

We were lucky at Wall when Bob drove the Barney 14 for a few years. Always fast and won often including the Garden State Classic twice.

Rest in peace my friend.

I met Bob and Carol many years ago. They were so nice and friendly. They always went out of their way to say hi. I'm really going to miss him. I just wanted to share some of my pictures of Bob through the years. If any of you could share these with Carol, I'm sure should would like to see them.

I had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with Bob at the P’burg Mall shows. A true gentleman and always willing to talk with me about his racing career. Sincere sympathies to Carol, his family, friends and fans.

I have to say it was an honor to know and race with Bob Rossell. I will always remember him bending some 1 3/4 1/8 wall seamless tubing for me when I was building my 36 Chevy coupe. He charged me $2.00 a bend back then. What a deal, what a great guy. Rest in peace.

Bob's mom, Ruth, had a small general store in Cookstown. When I fell in love with racing as a young boy, I would make a weekly trip to her store to purchase a copy of Area Auto Racing News. My dad was friends with Bob; he would refer to him as "Shakey Jake." Bob was one of the first race car drivers I ever met when Dad took me to East Windsor at age 7.

I became a fan for life; my email has "561" in it in honor of his backup car.

- David

Here is a photo i took a number of years ago of Bob and his wife Carol at Middletown for Nostalgia Night.We always had a lot of laughs when being together.Bob was a great man.

Had the opportunity of having breakfast with Gil Hearne and Phil Speno today.  I asked Gil if Bob had anything to do with the building of Gil's beautiful #12 '37 Chevy coupe.  Gil offered that Bob contributed to the building of every hot rod Gil had built in the northeast, and even some of his (Gil's) cars that he ran down south.  Regardless of your generation as a race fan, I just hope you appreciate what the drivers, mechanics and owners from Bob and Gil's era did for our sport.  They didn't just drive them (with success), they also built them from the ground up!  And may Bob rest in peace.  Scott Ely  

Very sad news ... Condolences to Bob's family , friends , & fans . A true contributor in the early years of dirt track racing ..... R.I.P. Bob      

RIP Bob.  Always one of my favorites.

Rest in Peace Bob thoughts and prayers to Jimmy,Carol and Kris always fun to watch him race that # 56

Bob Rossell's funeral service is being held at the Tilghman Funeral Home, located at 52 Main St. in Egypt, NJ 08533.  The Tilghman online site shows viewing hours are this Sunday (Mar 29th) 6 pm to 8 pm, and Monday (Mar 30th) 10 am to 11am.  The funeral service will also be held on Monday from 11 am to 11:30 am. Interment will take place at the Jacobstown Baptist Church cemetery immediately following the funeral service.  May Bob rest in peace.  Scott Ely

It was a real treat to get to know Bob. I loved to listen to stories about how racing was back in his heyday. I truly believe that Bob's era was the best of times for dirt modified racing.

One day, when I was working at Lawrence Engineering, Bob came by and spent some time just looking around at all the mass-produced parts and pieces that were available to racers. " I used to have to make all this stuff by hand" he laughed. 

A genuine good guy, good racer and fabricator and friend. He will be missed

Rest in peace, Bob 

Bob was one of the greatest Dirt Modified fabricators, and drivers of our era....He helped me and Burnett alot in our early days when we asked him he always had a good answer.. He was also great at race car maintenance as when did you ever see him drop out of a race.. You will be missed--RIP Bob....Thanks for the memories, HtH

One of my all time favorites, winning driver on dirt and asphalt. GreaT car builder also. I enjoyed speaking with Bob several times in the stands at Bridgeport. He told me about his leg injury. He sawed a side bar out of each side of his car to save weight since the Lebanon Valley race was Open Comp. The doctors wanted to amputate his leg. Luckily another doctor who just returned from Vietnam was present and told Bob we'll try something. We will know in 2 days if it works. They performed a procedure from Vietnam, overlapping and splicing the leg bones together. It worked, however Bob's one leg was now about an inch shorter than the other. Bob reconciled it as a small price to pay, and he would have 3 side bars in his cages from now on. Another time we were talking and he said that the 1963 Ford had the perfect kick up in the back for a Modified chassis. Guess what my first car was for the highway when I was 17? My brother and I most built a race car out of it. Could of would of should of. 

Prayers for Carol and their family and friends. May he Rest in Peace.

....A few more of Bob:

A favorite on the track, and off.  ....I always looked forward to seeing Bob (whether at a mall show, or maybe at Bridgeport or New Egypt), and without fail, we'd find something interesting to talk about.  

Bob checked all the boxes.  Racer, fabricator, builder and driver of some of our most memorable cars, a hard worker (there were not enough hours in a day for Bob). and a heck of a story teller.

I remember one time when I was helping to set up guest drivers for a New Egypt Speedway Legends Event for Buffy Swanson, and I called Bob's house early one evening to see if he could attend, and Bob's wife Carol answered, and told me to call back a little later because "If it was still light out, Bob's was still outside working."

Everything about Bob is why I enjoy doing what we all do here.  The years watching him race, the amazing cars he built over the years.... and then getting to meet Bob after his driving days were over, but for me, the stories were just starting.....  

Bob Rossell in victory lane with Harry Dee at East Windsor Speedway

If someone was to ask any of us why we have been fans of short track racing for over 50 - 60 years, all you would have to do is look at everything Bob was about, and what he accomplished, and the answer is obvious.

As so many have offered, we will miss talking racing memories with Bob, but we will always remember.

My condolences to Carol, and to Jimmy, and the entire Rossell Family.

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Service Information:  Family and friends are invited to a visitation for Bob on Sunday, March 29, 2026 from 6 PM to 8 PM at Tilghman Funeral Home located at 52 Main Street, New Egypt, NJ 08533, and again on Monday, March 30, 2026 from 10 AM to 11 AM.  A funeral service will begin at 11 AM at the funeral home with interment to follow at Jacobstown Baptist Cemetery located at 49 Jacobstown-Arneytown Road, Wrightstown, NJ 08562.

https://tilghmanfh.com/tribute/details/2059/Robert-Rossell/obituary.html#tribute-start