Maple Grove Raceway
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| Location | Brecknock Township, Berks County, near Mohnton, Pennsylvania |
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| Time zone | GMT-5 |
| Coordinates | 40°12′46″N 75°57′41″W / 40.2127°N 75.9614°WCoordinates: 40°12′46″N 75°57′41″W / 40.2127°N 75.9614°W |
| Owner | Stauffer family |
| Opened | 1962 |
| Major events | NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series |
| Dragstrip | |
| Surface | Concrete |
| Length | .25 mi (.402 km) |
| Lap record | 0:4.441 (Tony Schumacher, Don Schumacher Racing, 2001, Top Fuel) |
Maple Grove Raceway is a quarter-mile dragstrip located near Mohnton, Pennsylvania, just outside Reading. It opened in 1962 as a 1/5-mile dragstrip. It was eventually lengthened to its current quarter-mile length in 1964. The track has been sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association for most of its existence. It has hosted an NHRA national event since 1985. Uni-Select Auto Plus came aboard as the Nationals sponsor in 2011. Other key events include the American Drag Racing League, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the Geezers Reunion at The Grove, the Super Chevy Show, Mopar Action, Fun Ford Weekend and the NHRA Pennsylvania Dutch Classic.
Local drag racers can compete in the Sunoco Race Fuels Money Trail, a points program that crowns champions in Super, Pro, Street and Top Bike eliminators. Younger racers, ages 8–17, can compete in the Junior Drag Racing League. Both programs have been successful on a national basis; drivers from the Money Trail program have won 13 Summit Racing Series Northeast Division ET Finals, while the Juniors have won four NHRA Eastern Conference championships.
1923 – Alfred and Edna Stauffer purchase land in Brecknock Township for logging business. As each parcel is cleared, he starts to develop it.
1928 – Maple Grove Park swimming pool opens
1930s – Brecknock Speedway, on the site of present MGR, opens as oval track. Operated by John Fuzer, the half-mile dirt track features sprint cars.
1940s – Brecknock Speedway closes and land is purchased by Alfred Stauffer
1957 – Friendship Motorcycle Club receives Stauffer’s permission to run eighth-mile drag races. To cut down on number of rocks kicked up by the motorcycles, Stauffer paves starting line with concrete, a racing first. Strip is built inside of old oval track and runs parallel to Bowmansville Road, about 90 degrees from the today’s track on the spectator side.
1960 – A group of local racers from the Eastern Custom Car Association – including George Weiler, Carl Ruth, Bob Eveland and Lee Crupi – approaches Stauffer about converting track into full dragstrip that can be used by cars.
1962 – Maple Grove Drag-O-Way opens in August. Carved out of the terrain by John and Roy Stauffer, the track is a fifth-mile long and 30 feet wide.
1963 – Track is widened by 10 feet for safety and a dual-lane timer is installed. Alfred Stauffer and other family members visit Cecil Country Dragway for ideas and it’s decided to expand the track again for the ’64 season.
1964 – Track is lengthened to 4,000 feet long and 60 feet wide to allow quarter-mile racing. Bob Cassidy hits 180 mph in an AA/Gas Dragster and J.D. Zink runs 225 mph in a jet.
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Wikipedia