Remembering OCFS Flagger Jerry Enright

COLUMN BY: Joe Phillips – RPW – MIDDLETOWN, NY – Middletown’s Orange County Fair Speedway is back in action with  Annual Doug Dulgarian’s Nostalgia night. Cars and stars will be back at the track, celebrating past glories. Drivers such as Gary Balough, Del George, and Richie Smith,  will be joined with their more modern contemporaries Brett Hearn, Tim Hindley, and  Chuck McKee. A large autograph session is planned and stories will be told. 

Sadly, a long time member of the Orange County family will not be there. Jerry Enright,  former flagger and driver, lost his battle with cancer on May 7, 2026. Jerry was 61.  

Jerry was the son of legendary Northeast Flagman Tex Enright. Jerry was one of seven  children of Tex and Sally Enright. Bill, Bob, Robin, Sue, Jerry, Liz, and Tucker. Jerry has no children and was never married. 

Jerry raced in the sportsman division from 1998-2000. He raced at Orange County and  occasionally at Accord Speedway. Jerry started flagging races, first as an assistant in  the early 2000s. Later, Jerry became the starter at OCFS around 2008 until 2023.  Jerry had many pursuits and vocations throughout his life including: construction,  volunteer ambulance, volunteer firefighter, volunteer diver with the Port Jervis Fire  Department, go-kart engine building, policeman, sheriff, and phlebotomist. Racing was  his true passion.

Jerry Lived life to his fullest! 

Bill, Bob, and Tucker Enright helped with this writeup. Brothers are our main family and  friends as children and throughout life. Brothers will provide memorable stories about  each other. Brothers also will ride a sibling, but will be the first ones to stand up for each  other. Below are their words, and their stories. Many thanks Gentlemen! 

Bill Enright recalls one time working turns 3 and 4 at Orange County during hot laps a memorable story.

“The modified drivers were refusing to go down low on the racetrack into the wet stuff. I was furiously flagging and so focused on getting the drivers to go down the track that I didn’t notice Jerry and Jimmy Weed coming up behind me. They tapped my should with a flag and scared the life out of me,” Bill Enright explains. 

Bob Enright, another brother to Jerry and Bill Enright recalls another story.

“In 2001 or 2002, I was running the 358 class. Bill was working turns 3 and 4 and  Jerry was the assistant starter. A wrong wheel spacer offset was placed on my car,  unbeknownst to me,” Bob Enright explains, “ this caused me to keep spinning out, creating a hazard on the track. Jerry black flagged me,  my own brother!”

In the late 1960’s at the Cairo Speedway, Tex was racing. No one could start the grader  machine used to ready the track. To everyone’s surprise, young Jerry was able to start  the grader so the race could go on. A fourth grader saved the day! 

Tucker Enright recalls an additional story from Christmas 1998, after Jerry’s first racing season. Tucker sent Jerry a fake Christmas card from Tetz Concrete thanking Jerry for keeping them in business. Jerry had a tendency of hitting the wall in turns 3 and 4 after the pit gate often. Jerry was not amused. 

Many at Orange County Fair Speedway have a Jerry story and that is probably how Jerry wished to be remembered. In his final days, Jerry was strong in his faith and was quite stoic. Not a bad word was said by Jerry. 

God Speed Lil Chief! You will be missed! 

This is why Nostalgia nights are important. It is a chance to let drivers know how much  of a part of our lives they have become. Talk to the drivers, listen to the stories. Some  may be exaggerated, but they are all excellent! 

The program, which is presented by Escape Powersports, features the DIRTcar Big-Block  Modifieds, Tri-State Dry Wall Sportsman, and Interstate Batteries of Southern New York  Street Stocks.  

Per the Speedway: the speedway pits, stands, and Drive-In will open at 2:00 pm.  Nostalgia Night driver autographs will take place between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm. Race  cars will be on the speedway at 4:45 pm, with the evening’s first race taking the green  flag at 6:00 pm. 

Get out and support the local tracks in 2026!