Joe Hartmann, the former communications director at Pompano Park, Pocono Downs and Foxboro Raceway, and a recent nominee to be placed on the ballot for the sport’s Communicator’s Corner of the Hall of Fame, died Sunday morning, March 13, at his home in Deerfield Beach

, Florida at the age of 59.

Hartmann began working as a sports reporter at the Middletown Times-Herald Record in New York in the early 1970s, covering races at Monticello Raceway. He later moved to his hometown Port Jervis Union-Gazette, where he was honoured as State Sportswriter of the Year by the New York State High School Wrestling Coaches Association.

In 1980, Hartmann accepted the position of communications director at Foxboro, later going on to Pocono Downs and then to Pompano Park, where he worked closely with the late Communicators Corner member Allen J. Finkelson.

While at Pompano, Hartmann worked closely with the Moira Fanning of the Hambletonian Society, who oversees the national publicity for the Breeders Crown championship races, which were held several times at the Florida racetrack.

In 1996, Hartmann returned to Foxboro where he worked for two years as assistant general manager and publicity director. Following the closing of Foxboro, he also played a role in the opening of the new Plainridge Racecourse. Hartmann was also a freelance writer for several of the sport’s trade magazines, including being the Florida correspondent for The Horseman And Fair World.

Hartmann is a past national president and chairman of the board of the U.S. Harness Writers Association, a past president of the North American Harness Publicists Association, and was the winner of that association’s Golden Pen Award in 1994.

Funeral arrangements will be posted when available. Please join SC in offering condolences to the family and friends of Joe Hartmann.

(harnessracing.com)