Delbert Gene Bitting was born January 14,1936, the youngest of the four sons of Claude and Florence Bitting. His first home was a farmhouse on Butter Lane in Exeter Township, which they shared with his grandparents. “They lived on one side, and we lived on the other,” he recollected. “The home still stands today.” His family moved twice, but resided in the Exeter/Neversink area through his youth. The area was largely undeveloped at that time. Del spent his younger years playing with friends and being mischievous at times. Del remembers, “We used to float watermelons at the Laurel Springhouse, and they were great to eat then because they were really cold. Sometimes we’d wait for the soda truck to drive through the culvert to deliver soda, and we would grab a case off the back of the truck and keep it in the cold water, putting the empty case back on the truck when we were finished drinking them.” Another fond memory is his yearly trip to the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. “Every year my parents would take us to the farm show, and they would buy me a toy tractor or piece of farm equipment.” To this day he faithfully watches the farm show on television and immerses himself in the events and memories that take him back to those times.
Del attended Jacksonwald Elementary School in the Exeter School District. Around the age of 12 or 13, he took a job leading ponies at carnivals and at Carsonia Park. “The owner of the ponies would let me take my pony home, and also let me keep him over the winter. My family lived down the road from Forest Hills Cemetery, and my Dad built a little barn to keep him; I named him Blackie. I would ride him from Lorane Road to Carsonia Park for the pony rides and sometimes we would take them to the place where Shorty Long had the country singers, to give rides to the kids.” Del was always eager to earn money, and would often sell cantaloupe and watermelon and pick dandelion with his mother, who cleaned and boxed it to sell for 50 cents a box. “I also played baseball in school and was confirmed at the little Red Church of Schwartzwald Church in St. Lawerence,” he adds.
As a teenager, Del dreamed of being a truck driver, or getting behind the wheel of a race car. He would eventually get to reach both goals, but not before suffering the devastating loss of his beloved mother, who kept her sons in line and on track. During the time that followed, Del lost interest in his high school education and left to enter the workforce before graduating. “I had to do a lot by myself, and in 11th grade I decided that I was not going to go back to school. I started working at Central Door and Plywood in St. Lawerance once I started driving. My older brother Claude Jr. bought me a 32 Chevy Coupe.”
How did you get involved with your first race? “I wanted to drive a truck and drive a race car before I even started to drive. The guys I went to school with were from Baumstown, and they had a ‘36 Ford Coupe that they were taking the fenders off and welding a rollover bar onto it. They asked if I would take it up to Hilltop Racetrack and drive it. I gave it a shot at Hilltop which was a track in the middle of a field which, if you ran off, you went into the cornfield,” he laughed. “We tried other cars, going up to Dorney Park, and to Nazareth with guys just getting into racing, and I won one or two races there. I also raced in Lancaster when I was really trying to get into it.”
“It was at the Reading Fairgrounds that Del developed his driving skills in the flathead division, then making his move into the modifieds,” explained Craig Ray, historian for the Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society. “While campaigning with the flatheads, most of his success was in the Jerry Katz #000 and #00. Del’s ability to get the most out of whichever car he drove led to steady point finishes from 33rd in 1958, 16th in 1960, to 14th for owner Jerry Katz in 1962, his most productive season in flathead competition at Reading. During his time in the flatheads at Reading, Del posted two top fives and 16 top tens.”
In 1963, Reading Fairgrounds owners Lindy Vacari and Albert Gaspari made a permanent change to racing at the track by featuring powerful modified stock cars. Del spent most of his time at Reading, but also raced at Grandview’s modified events, Langhorne Modified Sportsman, National Open at Langhorne for Modified Sportsman, Hatfield, Nazareth, Lancaster and Goldmine, mainly for car owners Jerry Katz, Bob Johnson, and Dick Marburger. A full recap of Del’s racing career, including car owners, numbers, tracks and standings, can be obtained by contacting Craig Ray, historian for the Reading Fairground Racing Historical Society listed below. Del’s racing career spanned from his teens through 1965 when he decided to call it quits following an injury and some strong encouragement from his wife, Mary Anne.
Del was able to reach his second goal, supporting his family as a truck driver, first working for Haas Trucking and later as a long-time employee at Empire Wrecking. While employed by Haas Trucking, he also helped tend the horse stables owned by his employer, where he was able to revisit his love of horseback riding. He enjoyed this transition time, driving from Reading to the countryside in Blandon on evenings and weekends to once again experience some life as a “country boy” while feeding, caring for, and riding his horse Black Jack, and others boarded at the stables.
Del enjoyed a long career with Empire Wrecking, first under founder Harry “Whitey” O’Neill, and later retiring under the ownership of his son Harry O’Neill. The relationship with his employer continued long after his retirement, when he would get together each Friday morning at Harry’s office, where old and new employees gathered together for coffee, cake and conversation. After Del was no longer able to drive, Harry would regularly stop by and pick him up to join them.
Del and his wife Mary Anne enjoyed retirement living, a simple life traveling to local farm markets and greenhouses throughout Lancaster and Berks County, going to their favorite spots to eat, looking forward to their yearly trip to the shore, and holidays spent with their family. Del was a flea market enthusiast, collecting things throughout his life which filled his backyard garage with neatly organized collections of memorabilia, from pedal cars, signs, old toys, to tools and whatever he decided to pick up on his regular flea market hunts. The couple tended several gardens around their home together, and were involved at their church in Glenside, where Del served on the property committee and they ran the community food pantry, “Ruth’s Room” together for 20 years. Del and Mary Anne were recognized by The Greater Berks Food Bank, now Helping Harvest, for their dedication to serving those in need. Del and MaryAnne downsized from their home in Glenside to Oakshire Senior Apartments ten years ago where they were active in their new senior community until MaryAnne’s passing in 2022.
In 2024 Del was inducted into the “Home of Champions” of the Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society. The Reading Fairgrounds Speedway was legendary, hosting nationally recognized drivers like Mario Andretti and AJ Foyt. Del was selected through a nomination and voting process, for his overall achievements and accomplishments during his career as a driver at the speedway. He reflected on his years as a driver and member of the historical society. “The biggest part of being involved with racing was meeting so many nice people. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed being part of the historical society events, where I would sign autographs for fans and get together with old friends. It was a great experience.”
At the age of 90, Del’s life is highlighted by visits with family and friends, watching the Phillies, listening to the oldies on his Alexa, and reminiscing every opportunity he has with whoever enjoys a good conversation.
Learn more about Del’s racing career by contacting historian Craig Ray at craigr0717@aol.com, who has a complete recap in the brochure from his induction to Home of Champions in 2024. He also has photos and some interesting stories to share.
For more information follow: The Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society on Facebook.
