Conley Pride: 1944-2021

Extravaganza race car driver Conley Pride died yesterday at age 76. He was a devout fisherman in his spare time, attempting to capture the "Golden Croaker" with his friend Trent Wetzel the day after each race. They never found the great beast, but ate a lot of fried bass, 'taters and Old Milwaukee's along the way. Conley never won an Extravaganza Series race, but maintained his status as one of the great New Jersey dirt track racers, rising through the ranks at New Egypt speedway and Flemington. He would continue to race at Flemington after his retirement, and won one of the first late model features after the track became paved in 1990. A crash in 1992 at the facility ended his career as a driver, though helped evolve the standard use of "foam blocks" at race tracks across the east coast. Conley also enjoyed watching drag racing at Englishtown whenever he got the chance, bringing his cooler of fish and beer to the grounds. His father Walter was the last Morristown Speedway track champion before the facility closed down in 1955.