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The Rock - Allegany County Fairgrounds got its start as the Cumberland Fairgrounds back on October 9, 1924. This long tract of land along the Potomac River known around the community as Fairgo, was transformed into a beautiful fairground resting beneath the towering cliffs of Knobley Mountain.
The facility started out as a fairgrounds and hosted horse racing during the two weeks of the Cumberland Fair. The horses gave way to USAC Sprint Cars and stock cars in on July 31,1966. This would be the first time that a sprint car sported a roll cage as one graced the Ken Brinn Sprinter. The ARCA series also made an appearance on that day and Tom Pistone won that event. One of the most recongnizable names ever to claim a win at the Cumberland Raceway is Mario Andretti
Allegany County purchsed the fairgrounds in May of 1986 with racing taking a break between 1982 and 1991. Racing took place during the day on Sunday afternoons from 1978 to 1982. Street Stocks, Modified Stocks, and Limited Late Models were the divisions of competition during this time. Pete Cameron, former promoter of the Potomac Speedway in Budds Creek, MD, won the final race in September 1982 when the track closed.
Ben Evans leased the speedway from the county in 1991 and promoted racing events for the next nine years. Evans ran races on Saturday nights under the lights for the very first time on May 11. Bob Hershman racked up six Late Model wins while Jack Pencil scored seven Street Stock victories. The high car count for the first year was eighty cars on September 14 with Rick Eckert winning the the Late Model portion of the race. JR Keifer won the Semi-Late feature while Pencil took home winners honors in the Street Stocks.
The sophmore season for Ben Evans was even better. This would be the year that saw the creation of the Queen City 50. Forty-five cars showed up on October 10 for a race that was won by Chub Frank. Lynn Geisler set fast time with a 21.40 lap and finished second in the feature. Gary Stuhler, Dave Groves, and Tom Clise rounded out the top five.
Tim Hitt won the second Queen City 50 on October 9, 1993. Lynn Geisler set another new track record with a lap of 20.292 but again had to settle for second. Stuhler took his second consecutive third place finish while Chub Frank took fourth. Brian Ruhlman rounded out the top five for the second annual event.
The URC Sprint Cars made their first appearance to The Cumberland Speedway in 1994. Sixty-four cars showed up for the third annual Queen City 50, which was won by Rick Eckert. Stuhler was second with Bob Salathe finishing third. Al Richards and Scott Brode rounded out the top five in a race that saw Stuhler set fast time with a 21.02 second lap. Jim Deneen set the Semi-Late track record on July 24 of 1994 with a lap of 24.03.
Forty cars showed for the fourth Queen City 50 showdown with Gary Stuhler winning over Doug Timmons, Tom Clise, JR Keifer, and Scott Brode. This would also be the year in which Salathe locked down seven Late Model victories in a single year. Another exciting event in 1995 was the "Run Whatya Brung" race on September 30. Eighty-three cars showed and Scott Haus held off Mike Hess for the victory. Andy Fries, Jeff Miller, and Salathe rounded out the top five.
Chub Frank scored the win in the 1996 version of the Queen City 50 that featured 45 cars. Scott Haus won the second Run Whatya Brung but it was Chris Harr picking up his first Late Model championship. Kevin Smith dominated the Semi-Lates with six wins on his way to that title.
The STARS series made their stop in Cumberland in 1997. Donnie Moran secured the victory over forty-four other cars. Stuhler, Steve Francis, Eckert, and Haus rounded out the top five in that event. Rick Eckert set fast time with a lap of 20.695 seconds. The E-Mods also made their first appearance this year with Greg Fetters winning that title. It would also mark the domination of Bob Salathe as he tore off a streak of eight consecutive wins to take the championship by fourteen points over Dave Troutman. Stuhler won the Queen City 50 while Rick Singleton captured the "Run Whatya Brung" show.
Ben Evans brought in the KARS Sprints, MACS, and two STARS races for the 1998 season. Twenty-five KARS Sprints were on hand while thirty-three racers showed up for the MACS race. Gary Stuhler won that event over Scott Rhodes, Bo Feathers, Dave Troutman, and Scott Brode. Fifty-six cars showed for the first STARS race of 1998 with Stuhler taking home that win over Steve Lucas, Bob Salathe, Steve Francis, and Rick Aukland. Tim Hitt won the second STARS race of '98 over Chub Frank, Aukland, Steve Shaver, and Mike Balzano.
Ben Evans closed the Cumberland Speedway on August 20, 1999. Before closing the books Bob Gordon racked up nine Semi-Late wins, setting a single season record that still holds today. The Virginia Sprints made their first showing with 27 cars while the KARS organization returned with 24 cars. Bob Salathe won the final race under the Ben Evans promotion team while Jack Pencil won the Late Model title.
Bob Salathe took over after that point and changed the speedway name to The Rock. Late Models, Limited Late Models, UMP Modifieds, and Street Stocks would kick off the racing at the Allegany County Fairgrounds facility. Doug Horton won the Late Model title while Jim Deneen captured eight Limited wins on his way to that division champiosnhip. Quint Milburn had three victories to secure his first UMP Modified Championship. Matt Spounagle won the Street Stock title.
Gary Stuhler was a dominant force in 2001 with eight victories but it was Todd Ritchey getting his first title for the Late Models. Ritchey would repeat in 2002 while Will Rowe (AMRA Modifieds), Matt Emerick (Street Stocks), and Jerry Kennell (Enduro) won their respective titles.
Bob Salathe decided at the close of the 2002 racing season that he wanted out of the "racing business." Rick Jones stepped forward and signed a lease as the new promoter of what is now called The Rock - Allegany County Speedway. Jones' first year would find races being run on Sunday evenings.
Gary Stuhler gained national exposure by capturing the $25,000 bonus for winning both The Rock and Hagerstown Super Late Model Championships. Stuhler came close to topping the nine win record set by Bob Gordon but was stopped just short at eight. Travis Dillman won the newly formatted 88 lap Big Kahuna and collected the $10,000 payday.
The 2004 season will bring about a switch back to Saturday nights. The Super Late Models, Late Models, Street Stocks, and Hobby Stocks will be a part of the weekly schedule. The Super Late Models will be paid $1500 to win as a part of the weekly show with last place receiving $150.
The Rock - Allegany County Speedway is a beautiful facilty with a popular mountainous backdrop. Musco lighting makes for great television viewing while concrete barriers line the speedway for added protection. The grandstands feature all aluminum seating with back rests, making for a comfortable visit for the race fans. Although several improvements have been made to make The Rock become what it has today, nothing will ever take away or hide the storied history.
The are many stories to be told about the Allegany County Fairgrounds and the racing that has taken place over the many years. Want to know more - then do as many will do - ask some of the veterans of the raceway!
More to be posted as it is uncovered ... Stay tuned.
Special thanks to Ray Welsh for much of the information shared here ... |
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Upcoming Events
June 2
Pit Gates Open 3:00 pm - Grandstands 4:00 pm
Hot Laps 5:00 pm - Racing 5:45 pm
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