Known as The Race of Gentlemen, the event has been revived since the 1950s by a local club called the Oilers of New Jersey. For one weekend in early October, racers, gassers, and fans gather on the beach in Wildwood, New Jersey, for one of only two instances of beach racing in the United States. The Mr. Local History Project looks at this iconic event and its history.
Tucked between the Atlantic Ocean and one of America’s most popular boardwalks, the smells of cheesesteaks, french fries, and pizza mix gasoline, roller coasters, water parks, and balloon games bring a carnival feel to The Race of Gentlemen, a three-day motorsports festival on the Wildwood beach.
The beach entrance was modified in 2021 to go through Morey Piers, a legendary amusement pier on the Boardwalk. This improved the experience by providing a more organized entrance and providing food and beverages for eventgoers.
A crowd of almost 15,000 people makes their way to Wildwood, New Jersey, America’s doo-wop capital, to compete or cheer not necessarily for any particular driver but for the sheer joy of the racing experience on a beach. Sponsored by The Oiler’s Car Club of New Jersey, revived over the past decade by Mel Stultz, Michael Kliman, Tom Larusso, and about 6 others, it carries on the tradition of Jersey beach racing that goes back to the 1800s.
The inaugural Race of Gentlemen was held in 2012 on the beach in Asbury Park, NJ, just days before Hurricane Sandy landed. After the inaugural TROG event in Asbury Park, Wildwood, New Jersey, became the event’s home. The move 100 miles south was necessary because Super Storm Sandy destroyed the Asbury park beach.
New Jersey Racing History
New Jersey has a storied tradition of beach racing, including an epic 1-mile beach race in Cape May during the summer of 1905. The exhibition featured the likes of Henry Ford, Louis Chevrolet, and speed record holder Walter Christie. At the time, the Cape May beach was deemed the “finest racing beach” in the world.
Cape May County Historical & Genealogical Society.
Only the famous Ormond Beach, Florida strip, was considered better than Cape May for racing new machines on the beach. All eyes were on Cape May on August 25, 1905, when Henry Ford, Louis Chevrolet, A. L. Campbell, Walter Christie, and 25 other drivers/machines came to race for two trophies. The Cape May Trophy would be awarded for the best time over a one-mile straightaway beach course. The other cup ($500) called the Kilometer Cup would be awarded for the best time on the beach’s kilometer course. The race, scheduled for July 29, 1905, was rained out and held the following day. Christie was victorious in his 8-cylinder, 180-hp Blue Flyer and took his great machine over the course several times. In these heats, the times were very close to the record; in three heats, his time was 25.2 seconds or 90.72 mph. Finally, as the spectators and officials looked on, he was clocked at 25 seconds flat (89.28 mph) – a new kilometer record. The later August races were run in subpar conditions but as you can see below, traveling at over 90mph on a beach in 1905 is pretty impressive. Racers would move on to Atlantic City the following weekend.
TROG Brings Racing Back to the Jersey Shore
To qualify for The Race of Gentlemen, all cars and motorbikes must be in the pre-1950s, each with accurate parts and tires from that era. “Two lanes, a flag girl in the center, and 1/8th mile of sand to prove you did something right to this car. 1/8th mile to race an Indian Chief against a Harley Knucklehead. 1/8th mile to see if that car you built in just enough time to put it on the line.
The crowd isn’t your typical racing fans that you see at NASCAR and Indy Car events. “We are our own kind,” said one attendee. “We love the feeling that this is our event, our way of life, and our people.” Yes, known as the Troglodytes, they are indeed a unique breed. Let’s just say you know when you see one. The great event kicks off on Friday with a welcome party on the beach called the Dance of the Troglodytes, an enduring term for the 50s-ish-looking greasers from a bygone era. Vintage cars, motorcycles, dress-ups, and plenty of tattoos adorn the partygoers.
“I’ve been a fan of beach racing for decades,” says Brooks Betz of the Mr. Local History Project. “Many don’t know that NASCAR started on the sands of Florida’s Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach.” This event takes you back to those days in every way, and we should be honored to have such a great event on Wildwood Beach.”
Not Just For The Amateurs
If my memory is correct, we remember going back to 2016 when Jersey’s own Ray Evernham showed up to TROG Wildwood to run the 1/8th mile in his 1924 Model T Roadster. But to his surprise, his pregnant wife Erin Mary Crocker Evernham also showed up for the race, and she took the Jersey legend down, not just once but a few times.
Aaron Kaufman of Gas Monkey Garage fame and his builders rushed in 2018 to prepare the Model A Dragster and Harley WLA for the Race of Gentlemen. But problems with the dragster threatened his chances. A show called Wildwood Or Bust was created about the story.
The Oilers Car & Motorcycle Club
“The Oilers Car Club was founded in 1947 by five guys returning from World War II. They dreamt not only of girls while they were away but of speed. They were a bunch of guys that were interested in going fast and trying to figure out ways to go faster. One of the founder’s names was Jim Nelson– he played cards with a gentleman named Robert Genat– he put out a book called “The Birth of Hot Rodding.” Many don’t know that Jim Nelson helped Wally Parks form the NHRA.
In 2010, the club’s keys were handed to Meldon Van Riper Stultz III, a Jersey Shore native who, with his colorful crew of vintage car and motorcycle revivalists, now stages the TROG events in Wildwood, New Jersey, and Pismo Beach, California.
What Happened to the Wall of Death?
Those who attended earlier TROG events were given a true legendary treat known as the Wall of Death, a death defying activity where stunt cyclists would enter a 12-foot-high wooden barrel and grab money from onlookers at the top of the structure while spinning around the barrel at 30mph. “And these weren’t tiny motorcycles; they were full-blown Indian motorcycles! Watch the video below and tell us that these guys aren’t crazy. Truly nuts! But we loved it!
Rhett Giordano is the ringmaster. While his two assistants stand in the center, Giordano rides around the Wall of Death — sometimes with no hands, on the tank, and he even does powerslides — in jeans, a t-shirt, and helmet-less. The danger is the entertainment. Giordano knows it; he also loves it. Watching him ride around on a wall parallel to the ground is amazing, and I bet it’s even more incredible to actually do it. Face it: sometimes, to have the most fun in life, you have to put safety in the rearview and say, “fuck it.”
The lion’s name was Tuffy. It was a 300-pound African lion owned by Joseph Dobish, a sideshow concessionaire on the Wildwood boardwalk. When the lion got lost and killed, the attraction was shut down forever until 2016.
The wall was repainted after 1937 and again for the World’s Fairs. Courtesy of the Dobish family, submitted by Alan Mercer of the U.K. The performers were David Herst, 26, of 145 West Ninety-fourth Street, and John Luck, 40, of 11-04 Santel Avenue, Corona, Queens. Herst was taken to French Hospital with a fractured leg. Luck was taken to Queens General Hospital, where he died of a fractured skull.
Mel Stultz Sums it Up
Stultz, who grew up in Keyport but now resides in Neptune, summed it up well: “Part of what makes the event special is a mindset of not taking oneself too seriously, and that extends from the organizers to the entire TROG community.”
Part of what makes the event special is a mindset of not taking oneself too seriously, and that extends from the organizers to the entire TROG community,”
Meldon (MEL) Van Riper Stultz 3rd
“Entrants come from all over the world and represent varying professions, though many maintain at least some aspects of this retro culture in their everyday lives. Babies play in the sand while septuagenarians congratulate millennials on keeping the scene alive.”
MLH TROG Photo Gallery
Wanna Race?
TROG “Competition” Car Specs
- Year: Car bodies must be 1934 or older, American-made only.
- Engine: American made 4 cylinder and V8 flatheads up to 1953. OHV 1949-1954
- Fuel: Gas only, NO ALCOHOL OR NITRO!
- Running gear: 1953 and older. No modern transmissions, disc brakes, alternators, etc.
- Wheels & Tires: No 15-inch wheels. 16, 17 & 18 inch only. No widening of wheels, stock only. No aggressive knobby or paddle tires. No wood T wheels, no stock A wheels
- Paint: Period paint that emulates the early days of racing. No late model graphics, No vinyl stickers or emblems, etc. Cars can be shiny, primed or have old paint. No sponsorship/advertising allowed on cars or bikes without written consent. 3 number maximum. Do not letter your car until you receive your approved number.
- ALL cars must have a modern 5-point harness. Black or dark green with the modern tags removed.
- All car racers need a DOT half helmet dated within the last 7 years.
- Cars must have visible race numbers. 3 numbers maximum for race numbers. Paint, white masking tape or shoe polish.
- No headlights,
- No white wall tires unless pre-approved by TROG or aggressive tread,
- No Fenders on hot rods (some very early-teens racers and speedsters may be exempt but must be pre-approved).
- No stock body sedans or closed cab pickups unless heavily modified!!
- Vintage reproduction parts, such as frame rails, intakes, cylinder heads, ignition systems, Stromberg carbs, etc., are accepted. Converted 12 volt generators are okay, but no alternators.
- Absolutely no fiberglass bodies.
- VINTAGE STYLE ROUND OR SQUARE ROLL BAR IS NEEDED ON ROADSTERS—NO CAGES, JUST LIKE THE ORIGINALS. When sitting, the roll bar must be 2 inches over the driver’s head with a helmet on.
Additional Stories
- Ford vs. Chevy on the Beach in Cape May (1905)
- 1909 Racing on the Beach in Cape May
- Mr Local History Cool Motorsports Articles
- Weird NJ introduces TROG
- Inside The Cornwall Wall of Death
- Tuffy the Terror Lion and the Wildwood Wall of Death
- Rhett Rotten’s Wall of Death Returns to Brooklyn (2021)
- TROG official website
- TROG Facebook Page
- TROG Instagram Page
