‘A Thread In The Fabric Of NJ’: Man Fights For Historic Preservation Of Wall Stadium

WALL, NJ — Lifelong Monmouth County resident Anthony Siano is no stranger to the history of Wall Stadium.

Located on Route 34, the infamous speedway has been a host to racing at the Jersey Shore since 1950, and has become known for events like their annual Turkey Derby as well as a home to racers like Martin Truex Jr., Ray Evernham, Jimmy Blewett and more.

In his autobiography “Born to Run,” the Boss of New Jersey himself even wrote about the racetrack, describing it as a “...smoky, rubber-burning circle of love where families came together in common purpose and things were as God intended them.”

While Wall Stadium has remained a hotspot for racing over the years and is one of the few stock car racing tracks still operating in New Jersey, it hasn’t been without its changes or challenges either.

At the start of 2026, the raceway came under new management after being operated by the Krause family for over a decade, and toward the end of February, the track and its surrounding areas will be in the spotlight again at a Wall Planning Board meeting.

Set to take place on Monday, Feb. 23, the board will host a public hearing to present the findings of a preliminary investigation into areas that could be declared in need of redevelopment or rehabilitation on Route 34 and West Hurley Pond Road, with one of the areas listed as the Wall Stadium address.

In the weeks leading up to the presentation, many residents and racing fans alike have called for people to attend the meeting and protest any potential redevelopment, but Siano has taken action to protect the speedway a step further: by fighting for historical property designation of the track.

“Over the years, I’ve been so saddened by the fact that they want to close a piece of New Jersey history,” he told Patch. “Because so many of the racetracks are gone. And for Wall Stadium, this place – to me – is a thread in the fabric of New Jersey, as far as its history.”

“Anybody from New Jersey, not from New Jersey, across the nation, north, south, east and west,” he continued. “They’ve all heard of Wall Stadium at one time or another.”

In an effort to protect Wall Stadium from any potential incompatible development, Siano has submitted an application for Historic Property Designation of the speedway to the NJ Historic Preservation Office (NJ HPO).

In this application, Siano has outlined events like the annual Turkey Derby as contributing to New Jersey’s history, alongside things like the track’s introduction of the Modified Affordable Division (using small block engines and narrower tires) and technical specs that helped create the foundation for the Modifieds that run today.

Though the application is still being processed by NJ HPO, Siano is hoping his work will help preserve the track and ensure it remains a living part of New Jersey history.

As of Thursday morning, township officials have not responded to a request for comment on Siano’s preservation efforts. Wall Stadium officials were unable to comment at this time.

“It’s not just about one race; it’s about how Wall Stadium represents the larger history of stock car racing, automotive culture, and community entertainment in New Jersey,” Siano said.

“To some people, it’s a race track – ‘who cares?’ We care,” he continued. “A lot of people here are traditionalists. They love motor sports racing — I went [to Wall Stadium] every week for like 20 years when I was younger.”

“It’s something that I take really near and dear to the heart,” he said. “Because I am a big race fan. I’m a New Jerseyan. And the thing that really saddens me the most is to see something like that go.”

To learn more about Wall Stadium, you can visit their Facebook page.

Details on the upcoming Wall Planning Board meeting can be found here.