New York

All-Time Favorite New York Track:

All of the New York tracks that race modifieds on dirt!

Current lifetime trackchasing state rank:  Worse than 10^th place!

Best Memories:

I will be the first to tell you that I’ve seen a lot of good dirt track modified racing in New York at places like Weedsport, Brewerton, Fonda, Fulton, Woodhull, Lebanon Valley (although fogged out there one night) and Ransomville. I first met Andy Ritter at the Adirondack International Raceway. I saw a great American-Canadian Tour race with John Sullivan at the Airborne Speedway – asphalt version. The Albany-Saratoga Speedway was one of the few tracks that accepted only “food coupons” for food. As a fan, I don’t like that idea. If a track promoter wants to keep their employees from stealing hire better people. Don’t inconvenience me, the fan. Only dollar bills were accepted at Brewerton Speedway a place where they have very good racing but apparently can’t trust their employees?

I joined journalist Dave Sully at the Merrittville Speedway In Ontario, Canada. Dave wrote a very nice story for one of the local sports magazines regarding my visit.

I rode shotgun in a 10-lap, 12-car race at the Honeoye Lake Ice Track. Enjoyed the TQ midgets at Lancaster. I met Dave (above) and Marcia Sully as well as Grant Young at the Little Valley Speedway. The Monticello Motor Club country club-style road course facility really rolled out the V.I.P. red carpet for me. The Muddy Acres Raceway provided the first-ever “X” rated auto race we had ever seen. At that same show, we served margaritas to trackchasing commissioner Will White. He loved ‘em. Glad the folks at the Yates County Fairgrounds never gave up on their enduro despite the heavy rain.

New York has great racing but you’ll likely get dusted down seeing it!

Yes, the Canandaigua Speedway was a real dust pit as was the Five Mile Point Speedway as was the New Afton Speedway as was the Rolling Wheels Raceway Park as was the Thunder Mountain Speedway. New York has a lot of dusty tracks! There was lots of ice fishing at the Caroga Lake Ice Track. The Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds ran off their figure 8 event in 42 minutes. I saw my first ever JM Productions event in Cobleskill. When we showed up at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg the event was sold out. No problem for the master of “ticket management”. We found a fellow selling mattresses at the fair and he got us in through the side door!

The Exposition Center at the New York State Fairgrounds was the best brand new facility I had seen all year. Fun watching Carl Crawford (above) race and meeting up with trackchaser P.J. Hollebrand and the Smith boys, Jim and Pat. At the time I saw it the Glad Rag Raceway in Saratoga Springs (track #344) was the worst track I had ever seen and remains in that position until today. Gus’s hot dogs in downtown Albany was the highlight of our visit to the indoor racing at the Times Union Center. It was fun seeing the only dirt track for microd racing at the Tri-County Speedway in Whitney Point. The Utica-Rome Speedway had just about the best inner oval racing I had ever seen….their big track was good too.

I drove twenty hours out of my way to see a 10-minute figure 8 race at the Hemlock County Fairgrounds. Jim Wingate and his crew offered up great hospitality. I found the racing at the Syracuse mile pretty boring. However, I loved the figure 8 racing at the Syracuse Fairgrounds. The Orange County Fair Speedway was our home dirt track in 1980 and had just about the best concessions we had ever eaten.

Really great racing at the asphalt track at Oswego, loud…but you can’t see well. I sat with my Canadian buddies Graham and Glenn Shirton (above) at the dirt version of Oswego. You can see a lot better on the backstretch than the front stretch and the backstretch is much better for sneaking into the pits. Good salt potatoes at the Paradise Speedway. Got a free track t-shirt at the Poughkeepsie Speedway.

It took me until 2003 to make a long-awaited visit to the Riverhead Speedway. It was fun discovering “microd” racing at Sodus and Syracuse with Tom Wilcox and his crew. Jennifer, the track owner at the Stateline Speedway was really nice. I met Englishman Rick Young (above) at the Thunder Alley Speedpark up in Evans Mills. Watkins Glen is interesting. You can’t see a thing without walking around but walking around is a fun thing to do at Watkins Glen. I first met trackchasing fellow competitor P.J. Hollebrand at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Palmyra.

The Freedom Raceway in Delavan was my 500th-lifetime track. That was a major milestone for me. I never thought I would see racing at that many tracks. I could tell you where track #1,000 came from…the Auburndale Speedway in Florida. Off the top of my head, I couldn’t tell you where I saw my 1,500^th, 2,000^th or 2,500^th tracks!

If you see a track link in the above list simply click on it to be transferred to my Trackchaser Report. Here you will be able to read about my adventure at this particular track. Not only will you learn about my time at the track but you’ll hear about all of the interesting people, places and things I encountered during the entire trip, coming and going, to that speedway. Most of my Trackchaser Reports will also include a photo album and YouTube video. Check it all out. Don’t be afraid to use the “search” box in the upper right corner of my website’s home page. Just type in the track name or whatever and you’ll be directed to the place you want to be.

Below is a key to surface types and track configurations so you can understand the above list just a little bit easier.

Surface types:  D-dirt; P-paved; M-mixed

Configuration types:  O-oval; RC-road course; F8-figure 8 track