Auto Racing History

Allentown Produces Many Race Drivers-- 

Gene "Gino" Swarthout, 1960s-early 1970s Race Driver

by Ron Taylor

While growing up in little Allentown, NY, in the 1940s I well remember my next door neighbor, Gene Swarthout. 

Gene had quite a successful racing career around the tracks of western NY/PA in his early driving years in Modifieds and Late Models.  Later he went on to drive other Cars and below is a list of the accomplishments of Gene in his own words.  Following the listing are a few pictures from his Memory Book and captions which Gene supplied.

Gene "Gino" Swarthout

1969 & 1970 United Racing Club Sprint Cars

1969 Rookie of the Year

1970 Champion

Raced with U. R. C. at the following tracks:         

Fonda, West Lebanon, Owego & Middletown, NY.
Bedford, Boyertown, Reading, Nazareth, Williams Grove & Abbottstown, PA.
Harrington, DE.
East Windsor & Flemington, NJ.
Essex Junction, VT.
Thompson, CT.
Charlotte & Raleigh, NC.
Canada.

*Raced IMCA Sprint Cars at Macon, GA & Tampa FL Nationals in 1971 by invitation as the URC Champion.
*Raced Super Modifieds at Oswego, NY.
*Raced Winged Sprints at Williams Grove, Selinsgrove, Boyerstown, Jennerstown & Oil City, PA.
*Started by racing Modifieds and Late Models in Western