Wall Stadium Promoter Cliff Krause Dies

WALL, NJ — The local auto racing community is mourning the death of Cliff Krause, the Monmouth County racing fan who along with his wife, Diane, resurrected racing at Wall Stadium Speedway.

Krause, who suffered a heart attack late in the week, died Saturday, according to a number of reports from friends of the Krause family. The family has not yet issued a formal statement, but the Wall Stadium public Facebook group was filled with tributes to Krause.

"God bless you Cliff Krause for all you have done for me and for Wall Stadium," wrote Jeff Gravatt, the longtime Wall Stadium spokesman.

Diane Krause told My Race News on Saturday that her husband had suffered a heart attack and was in a medically induced coma. He died sometime after that report.

Steve Eccles, administrator of the Facebook group Down the Shore, things that are not there any more, said a candlelight vigil has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday in the parking lot of the speedway to honor Krause's memory.

"The track will not be the same," Eccles said. "Thank you for keeping it open."

Cliff and Diane Krause became involved with the stadium in 2011, three years after the future of racing at the stadium became questionable when the owners of the property decided to close the track in 2008 due to falling attendance, according to a report by Speedsport.com.

The Krauses have signed another contract to continue racing at Wall Stadium through 2019, according to the Speedsport.com report.

Diane Krause on Saturday told My Race News that the 2018 schedule is nearly ready and would be posted soon.

In a 2016 interview with Area Auto Racing News, Cliff Krause said he had been assured by the owners of the property on which the track is situated that he can keep going forward with the lease as track operator.

"Though the owners want to only go with a year-to-year lease, Krause has been told that the track is 'his to operate as long as he wants,' " the report said.

"That’s my goal, to keep Wall Stadium and its great history, intact," Krause told the publication. "Since Diane and I took it over in 2011, when things were looking very bad for the track, we have been very pleased with the response and growth that we’ve gotten here every year since. Our fans have supported us, and we’re getting more and more of them, including kids and entire families, each week and year."

In addition to the Wall Stadium racing, Krause was the founder and owner of Supreme Manufacturing in East Brunswick, according to the Area Auto Racing News article. Supreme Manufacturing produces ice cream toppings and juice concentrate mixes among its key products that are marketed to clients around the country and internationally. He had been involved in local short track racing for over 25 years.

Details of funeral arrangements were not immediately available. In addition to his wife, Krause is survived by his son, Andrew, and daughter, Emily, and hundreds of racing fans throughout the Jersey Shore.

"The entire (Down the Shore) family would like to send heartfelt condolences and prayers not only to Andrew Krause but to his mom Diane and and sister Emily .. MAY CLIFF KRAUSE , R.I.P .... GODSPEED," Eccles wrote.

Wall Stadium sign, via Google Maps