Racing History in the Southern Tier of New York

Hi Folks...I need your help. I have started research on tracks in the southern tier. If anyone has info or contacts for the area ie: Airport Speedway, Glider City (Southport Speedway), Horseheads and Big Flats in the late 30's or anything in the area ie: South Seneca in Lodi etc etc etc...please contact me, Bob @ 607-739 -2789...looking for contact info for Francis Lyman of Elmira who had a HUGE collection. Thank-you and in the mean time I will share with you some of the stuff I have found so far........
 
Airport Speedway in Big Flats ran from Sept. 7th 1952 until some time in 1953. It was a 1/4 mile dirt oval which was located at the spot the National War Plane museum was erected. Unfortunately it was plowed under and nothing remains of that site. I did, however find a satellite image from 1994.
 

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I did a little research and can now tell you that the winner of the first race held at Airport Speedway was Bud Chamberlain of Troy. Finishing in second place was Leroy Pakard of Troy and in third was Hank Clark of Ithaca. Heats were won by Clark and Bucky Buchanan of Elmira. 
 

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Well Morgan C. could help you out a lot with that.

There was a Hornell Raceway in Hornell, NY. In someone's back yard actually  :-X but the track is completely gone, no remnants of it at all. Although I may have a few photos. But I cant seem to locate them as of now.

Seemed like there was a track in every town or City LOL! There was one in Tuscarora called Addison Hills Speedway which raced back in the 70's, also a track in Mills, PA called Mills Speedway. My grandpa, Darrell Dennis used to race at Mills, Addison Hills, and Hornell. 
 

justmark

Champion
Southport Speedway/Glider City Speedway
1957-1958: Elmira, NY
1/_ mile dirt oval
Glider City was near the current site of the Southport Correctional Facility, southeast of the intersection of Rt. 328 and Rt. 14 (commonly called Bulkhead). It was located on the southeast side of Elmira (Southport) off of SR14, and now is the site of the Southport Correctional Facility.
STATUS: little remains of the facility?
Jackie Soper was the 1958 Southport Speedway champion.
 

Fireball

Champion
Hornell Raceway opened in 1959.  The third of a mile high banked track was owned and operated by Paul Amidon.  The track was located on Ashbaugh Hill across the road from Amidons house.  I am told the track with the banks still exist.  Below are photos of the backstrech.



 

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Fireball

Champion
Another Speedway was the Bath Speedrome.  This track was located outside of Bath off the old route 15 near Kanona.  I believe it was in operation from 1954-1956.
 
yea my dad raced there at hornell,an angelica an hunts or called short tract ,my grandfather also raced at naples. have to get the pics out again.
 

justmark

Champion
Here's the information that I've compiled on my site about closed/inactive NY tracks.....

http://www.nyracezone.com/news/2006/news060227b.htm
 
there's a great list on dirt track digest...lot's of stuff that isn't on it as it hasn't been verified...I have one that I found out a little more about today... The Reed Run Thrill Bowl ran in 1939 in Elmira. According to notes from Francis Lyman "it consisted of oil drums placed in a field to delineate a course, in a circle with lefts and rights, ups and downs." Fee to spectate: thirty cents. (not sure what the ups/downs part was about)  Soooo...where exactly is Reed Run in Elmira? Curuious as a cat! Also have info that there was a track called "Tri-County Speedway" in Elmira which is new to me.....Jump in if you know...Thanks again!
 
Fireball said:
Hornell Raceway opened in 1959.  The third of a mile high banked track was owned and operated by Paul Amidon.  The track was located on Ashbaugh Hill across the road from Amidons house.  I am told the track with the banks still exist.  Below are photos of the backstrech.

Fireball, I have seen the track to this day and actually someone pointed it out to me where the track is now, and the track is not visible at all. Actually my friends live on the property now, and they have a pond out where the track was. No remnants of the track left sad to safe but a great property they are living on.
 

dan dan

Rookie
when did they put the pond in? i was up by there last summer and dont remember a pond but i may have missed it.  the banks in the corner were still there up until a few, well maybe 5-10 years ago.
 

Fireball

Champion
I actually did not see the track.  A friend from Canisteo informed me at Thanksgiving time in regards to the track.  Here is a link (hopefully this works) to the Hornell
website http://hornellhome.com/Welcome.htm

  where there are a number of photos I had posted.  They are all property of Ron Amidon, son of the owner.

Link does not take you directly to photos - Go to top of the page and select around Hornell - next select 50 & 60's secttion - once that opens you will see the icon photo for Hornell Raceway.
 
well here is an overhead image of the property now. The pond was put in 2006 or 2007 when the house was built. My friend was the one who put the pond in.
 

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