ALLEN GEORGE, JR….50 plus years of drag racing

Allen started his racing antics way back in 1959, when he took his Dad’s 1958 Oldsmobile J-2 to the now defunct Hatfield Speedway. Hatfield Speedway was a complex consisting of a paved and a dirt oval and included a 1/8 mile paved drag strip, located on the fairgrounds in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. The drag strip operated from 1958 through 1966. Having been bitten by the infamous drag racing bug Allen purchased a 348/250 hp 1958 Chevrolet and competed on many of the tracks in the region. Interestingly, many of these tracks like the Reading Fairgrounds, Allentown Fairgrounds, Wind Gap (aka: the “Sticks”) and Nazareth Speedway were dirt ovals with the drag racers competing on the straight-away for approximately 300’ and using the corners to shut down. He also raced at Vargo Dragway located outside of Perkasie, PA a suburb of Philadelphia as well as the historic York U.S. 30. Both of these facilities were paved quarter miles.

At this period of his life, Allen drove his car to work, where he was employed as a mechanic at Newman Chevrolet in Allentown, PA and then racing five times a week. Needless to say, his mechanical skills were honed in well after braking ring and pinion, transmission gears and engine. In the early years he was a “first round runner-up.” After installing the replacement engine in 1961 with more horsepower things changed and he started taking his share of wins

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On December 2, 1963 things changed somewhat as Allen was drafted and served a two years hitch in the Army. While stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington he met a friend and became involved racing a 1960 Chevrolet. While on leave in 1965, Allen helped repair his brother’s 1964 Pontiac GTO and drove it at York US 30 competing in the BB/Stock category before returning back to Fort Lewis.
Upon his discharge, Allen and his brother purchased the “Wusher and Englet” 1923 T-bucket altered as a roller with plans to install 292 cubic inch Chevrolet engine. The project never got off the ground and the chassis sat idle for over forty years. In this period life started to grab Allen with drag racing going on the back burner. After getting divorced in 1987 his interests in drag racing were again spurred and he purchased a 1962 Chevrolet Impala. Shortly after, he attained a 409 engine replacing the original 283. In 2005, the chassis was stolen, but fortunately return at which time a total restoration was executed with a straight-eight Buick engine install as raced in its last configuration in 1965. The restored car was displayed at the 2005/6 York Reunion. Currently the vehicle is on display in the Lehigh Valley Timing Association exhibit at the “America on Wheels Museum in Allentown, PA.

The Impala was Allen’s introduction to the East Penn Late Great Chevy Club that promotes the restoration of 1958-1964 Chevrolets. After getting totally involved with the organization he was elected as their club president a position he held for seven years prior to be elected the club treasurer a spot he still holds. At the LGCC convention held in Reading, PA an event that coincided with Maple Grove Raceway’s Super Chevy Show Allen put his restored 409 on the track and once again was hooked big time on drag racing. Around 1991 he became interested in the NSCA (National Street Car Association) competing in their Nostalgia Super Stock category. Since then, Allen has raced in the now non-operational Eastern States Timing Association. After the ESTA group ceased operation two other groups were formulated; MANDRA (Mid-Atlantic Drag Racing Association) and NETO (North East Timing Association). Allen is now the vice president of MANDRA and participates in the MANDRA and 422 Allstars nostalgia drag racing series as well as the 348-409 internet group that runs an event at Thompson Raceway Park in Ohio and the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion at Bowling Green, KY.

January 2013