Wildwood, New Jersey, drew summer tourists seeking respite from the Great Depression. Among the attractions on the boardwalk was the “Motordrome Wall of Death,” featuring motorcycles and race cars whirling around a wooden bowl-like enclosure. But the real spectacle was Tuffy, a 300-pound African lion owned by Joseph Dobish. Tuffy rode in a sidecar next to Dobish’s wife, Irene, as she drove a race car at breakneck speeds around the steep-sided, rickety planks of the Wall of Death. Despite the crowds’ amazement, Tuffy’s life was marked by poor conditions and mistreatment. Tuffy remained in Wildwood when the season ended, locked up behind iron bars. Tragically, Tuffy escaped and mauled a man, leaving a chilling legacy on the Jersey Shore.
The Motorcycle Wall of Death is Returning to Wildwood
Get some!!! TROG Wildwood Oct 4-5-6 2024… Get ready to get it on!!! We welcome back the WALL OF DEATH… lots of Dirty Rock and Roll… Night Of The Troglodytes, and lots… lots more under wraps still… So stay TUNED!!!
https://www.facebook.com/theraceofgentlemen/
On The Race of Gentleman’s Facebook page, they announced that the Wall of Death will be returning to Wildwood.
Those who attended The Race of Gentlemen in 2016 were given a true legendary treat known as the Wall of Death. In this death-defying activity, 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!
When we attended, 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 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 impressive, and I bet it’s even more incredible actually to do it. Face it: sometimes, to have the most fun in life, you have to put safety in the rearview and say, “fuck it.”
This time, American Wall of Death will be the ringmaster. The show will feature antique Indian and Harley-Davidson motorcycles along with hand-built 4-wheel racing machines.
“Nothing compares to seeing the show in person at the top of the 14 foot board wall, where you can smell the rubber burn and feel the wind as the motorcycles race just inches from you!”
America’s Original Extreme Motorcycle Thrill Show! Jay Lightnin’ Owner / Operator
The Wall of Death at the 1939 NY Worlds Fair 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.
The Race of Gentlemen, aka TROG
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 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.
In 2021, the beach entrance was modified to go through Morey Piers, a legendary amusement pier on the Boardwalk. This improved the experience by providing eventgoers with a more organized entrance and food and beverages.
More MLH Related Posts
- 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
