New York International Raceway Park

Last updated
Empire Dragway
New York International Raceway Park.jpg
LocationLeicester, New York
Coordinates 42°47′55″N77°56′08″W / 42.7986°N 77.9355°W / 42.7986; -77.9355
OwnerJerry and Clara Scaccia
Opened1971
Former namesDragway 36, Motorcity Raceway, New York International Raceway Park
Website www.empiredragway.com
SurfaceAsphalt
Length.4 km (0.25 mi)

Empire Dragway, formerly known as New York International Raceway Park, is a quarter-mile drag strip just located in Leicester, New York.

Contents

Overview

The track first opened on August 29, 1971. [1] The track was first owned by Peter Geib and Ron Mangone and Abe Hamza. Mr. Hamza was a concert promoter and Mr. Mangone was a successful contractor. Corwin Boddy designed the property area and Mr. Mangone's company built the track. Originally proposed as a full motorsports complex, there were ambitious plans to build a motorsports facility that would host oval racing, a full road course (which was to utilize the dragstrip as the front straight, as well as the dragstrip itself. [2] The track faced major financial difficulties from the start and was eventually taken over by Livingston County for unpaid taxes in the mid-80s. The track fell into disrepair and suffered some other damage due to being inoperative for nearly two years without proper maintenance.

The facility was originally called Empire Dragway, then became Dragway 36, followed by Motor City Raceway and New York International Raceway Park. The track's original name--"Empire Dragway", was resurrected following the 2008 season. The track still boasts the longest shutdown area on the East Coast, at 3,000 feet (910 m).

The longest running consecutive seasons occurred while it was owned and operated by Bob and Donna Metcalfe, who acquired it in 1986. It had an abbreviated opening season beginning in August of that year. Their first full season in 1987 had sanctioning from NHRA (National Hot Rod Association). In anticipation of hosting future National Events, a change of sanctioning bodies was made to IHRA (International Hot Rod Association) in 1989 and held its first IHRA Empire Nationals the following year. [3] Many schedule changes and facility improvements were made under Metcalfe's ownership.

At the end of the 2013 season, a Livingston County successful businessman, Jerry Scaccia and wife Clara, purchased the facility and intended to operate it on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. [4] The track has undergone many major improvements since the change in ownership—long needed basic maintenance, repaving, a new competitor entrance was constructed which made easier access for racers, much needed new drainage, rebuilt timing tower, updated timing system, improved lighting and installation of concrete barriers running the full length of the strip on both sides, with other minor changes as well. The Scaccia's first season began 4/19/2014; the inaugural full season ended 10/25/2014. The Scaccia's still own and operate the facility and continue to make further updates and improvements. [5]

Events

For a few years, it hosted what was to become a popular annual event in the '70s: The "Gold Cup". Over the years that followed, many promoters leased the facility to hold drag racing and also other events.

It once ran "test and tune" and bracket racing for trophies on Wednesday nights. Friday night the track was open to everyone for test and tune. Once a month the track held a "MOMS" events usually on a Friday night. "MOMS" stood for Mustang on Mustang Shootout (now defunct), and had been running pro-tree & heads-up racing at NYIRP since 1994.

Typically fifty to one hundred plus "pony cars" regularly showed up to race at each of these events. [5] On Saturdays, the track still runs its full bracket points program for paid purses. [6]

as of 2014 Official website

  1. ↑ "Five years of waiting ended". Greater Greece Press. NY. September 9, 1971. p. 12. Retrieved November 20, 2025– via New York Historic Newspapers.
  2. ↑ Hartnett, Jean D. (May 7, 1971). "Drag track at Leicester may be open this year". Courier Express . Buffalo NY. p. 20. Retrieved November 20, 2025– via NY Historic Newspaper.
  3. ↑ "Races brought crowds, money into the county". Genesee Country Express . Dansville NY. July 11, 1996. p. 4. Retrieved November 20, 2025– via Olo Fulton New York Postcards.
  4. ↑ "Empire revived under new ownership". The Buffalo News . NY. June 15, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Ott, Larry (February 14, 2019). "Empire Dragway readies for new season". The Buffalo News . NY. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  6. ↑ King, Steve (July 2, 2021). "NEOPMA Pro Mods at Empire Dragway". Northeast Outlaw Pro Modified Drag Racing Association. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
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