Auto race draws estimated crowd of 3,000
Beach front 'Race of Gentlemen' featured pre-WWII cars, motorcycles
Despite tidal issues, the inaugural Race of Gentlemen went off without a hitch at the Allenhurst and Loch Arbour beach front this weekend.
“We had zero problems,” said Allenhurst Police Chief Robert Richter of the event. “This was the first time this town has seen anything like that. It was something new for us.”
The event featured 15 cars and 15 motorcycles, all in pre-World War II style. Richter estimated the crowd at the race was 2,500 to 3,000 people, which event organizer Mel Stultz confirmed.
The race was slated for 10 a.m. but it was pushed back to 1 p.m. because of the wind. Stultz had chosen Saturday. Oct. 20 for the race because on that day, the tide was slated to be the lowest all year. But on Saturday, a strong breeze he’d been expecting was nowhere to be found.
“There was supposed to be a west wind at 12 to 15 knots which would have helped to push the ocean further back, and that didn’t happen,” Stultz said today. “But it was part of the excitement — ‘We’ll wing this.'”
In addition to live music from noon to 1 p.m., the crowd enjoyed vehicular theatrics from the vintage car and bike drivers while waiting for the tide to drop, Stultz said.
“We were doing some test practices and stuff like that to kinda get people motivated and interested,” Stultz said.
Since the day of the race, Stultz has gotten praise and support from pre-WWII auto enthusiasts in Sweden, Germany, Italy and throughout the U.S., he said.
“It was a success, that’s for sure,” he said. “An event like this hasn’t happened in the United States since 1956.”
Cars were brought onto the beach on a cement ramp on the north end of the Allenhurst beach. Stultz received help from volunteers like Jason Burke of Ocean Township, who “went far and above the call to help us,” he said. “When we realized the tides weren’t going to cooperate, he brought in thouands of dollars of equipment and helped us pull it off.”
For a photo album of the event from the Asbury Anchor (asburyanchor.com), click here.
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[Photos above courtesy of Murray Fraser.]
