Nazareth has been the home to many local cement companies, which provided employment for numerous area residents. A neighbor to the old Nazareth and Lone Star cement companies was the Nazareth Fairgrounds, site of the former Nazareth Speedway.

The old track was purchased by Mr. David Jaindl, who intends to develop the site. This writer and many Lehigh Valley race fans attended many of the races. Years ago, I researched the site and actually purchased tickets to view the races. Guess it’s hard for some of my readers to believe!

The year is 1976. I am at the half-mile dirt track enjoying the daring drivers dashing around the track. Jerry Freed is the promoter, and the crowd is large.

The Horlacher Brewing Company is sponsoring the Imperial Pilsner Twin Hundreds - on Sept. 29, 1976. Their Hofbrau Brewing Company subsidiary produces the beer. Do my older readers remember a thirst-quenching Horlacher’s? They brewed the beer on Gordon Street in Allentown.

Modified stock cars will compete in the event. The speedway seats 7,000 fans. This is Horlacher’s first venture into racing. The company is in the midst of a dramatic turnaround with sales up 84 percent. In 1976, many of our smaller breweries were on the decline. Remember Old Dutch in Catasauqua and Tru Blu in Northampton?

The stock cars are using fuel injection, and the price range for the cars is from $10,000 to $18,000. The racing is exciting; there is dust in the air from the clay track.

Coming home from the track, I will be stopping in Bath at Bob’s Dog House. The menu - hot dogs, 35 cents; chili dogs, 40 cents; hamburgers, 50 cents; steak sandwiches, 85 cents; pierogies, 3 for 45 cents; French fries, 45 cents; 9-inch hot dog, 64 cents; and if you are a smoker, 57 cents a pack.

An old cement worker recalls a gasoline station close to the track where he would fill up every Saturday.

The attendant was a handsome young man with black hair. Yes, young Mario Andretti, a student at Nazareth High School, filled the tank. The Andretti family would start their racing careers in Nazareth, and Mario would become one of the most popular drivers in racing history.

In later years, the Penske group would purchase the track and bring many famous Indy drivers to participate in race events. The track was paved, and new grandstands seated thousands. Dwindling attendance eventually resulted in the track’s closing. Hopefully, Mr. Jaindl will remember Mario and these famous drivers at the historic track with some markers of its past when he completes the development.

Today, when one drives past the old track, the sounds of roaring engines and cheering crowds are gone, faint memories of the past.