 Start of a semi-final at Watertown Speedway May 1962 | |
| Location | Watertown, New York |
|---|---|
| Owner | City of Watertown New York |
| Operator | Northern Stock Car Club |
| Broke ground | 1843 |
| Opened | 1936 |
| Closed | 1974 |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Clay |
| Length | .8 km (.5 miles) |
Watertown Speedway was a 1/2 mile dirt oval raceway located at the Jefferson County fairgrounds in Watertown, New York.
Auto racing was first presented at the former horse track located on Coffeen St in 1936 and again in 1940, when the Jefferson County Fair featured sprint car races sanctioned by the American Automobile Association. In 1949, the Fair introduced the International Midget Auto Racing Association, which returned for two additional shows the same year. [1]
In 1951, Brewerton and Vernon Speedway promoter Al Richardson bought stock cars to Watertown for the first time, but by the end of that year, George Clark and George “Bud” Herbert, owners of the Edgewood Speedway in nearby Alexandria Bay took over promotion. Races at both tracks were sanctioned by the Adirondack Stock Car Club (ASCC), an organization of local car owners and drivers organized by Al Mosher. Club champions were determined by combined points earned from both racetracks.
In 1955, Herbert and Clark began construction of Adventure Town amusement park to replace the Edgewood racetrack. [2] The ASCC continued plans to race at the Watertown Fairgrounds track in 1955, and Tony Costanzo took over as race promotor. Unfortunately, low attendance and financial difficulties resulted in the season being cancelled after only 7 events.
ASCC champions were Don June (1951), Andy Rae (1952), Bobby Miller (1953), Allen Shirley (1954),and Tiny Benson (1955). [3] Benson made six appearances in the NASCAR Grand National Series (predecessor of the NASCAR Cup Division) from 1958 to 1959. [4]
In 1955 Howard Rowe and Douglas Atkinson promoted the Star-Lit Park Speedway, a mile and a half European style dirt road course that was built by Fred Kleemeier on outer Washington Street in Watertown, NY. It hosted only one race in 1955 and closed mainly because of severe dust problems. The following year, Rowe and Atkinson turned their efforts toward racing at the county fairgrounds.
In the book The Legends of Watertown Speedway, author David Stoodley writes: "In January 1956, several prominent Watertown area enthusiasts decided that something should be done about forming an organization to promote the return of stock car racing to Watertown and the north country. In a meeting held on March at the Watertown YMCA, seventeen men gathered and successfully organized the Northern Stock Car Club (NSCC). Officers elected were Douglas Atkinson, president; Howard Rowe, secretary/treasurer and Lloyd Smith, Austin Kilburn and Carl Walts as vice-presidents.). [5]
At a later meeting, according to Stoodley, the NSCC became a corporation. Stoodley noted that in April 1956 the NCSS signed a lease with the City of Watertown for $101.50 per week for use of the Jefferson County Fairgrounds track. The first race at the speedway was held on Sunday afternoon on May 15. The races were switched to Saturday night by the end of June. The speedway continued in operation for two decades.
Because of its close proximity to the Canada–US border, many drivers competed at the Kingston Speedway on Friday nights. The same rule book was used by both race tracks.
Track Champions were George Mahaffey, Bob Zeigler (3), Dutt Yanni, Dell Crill, Dick May, Frank André (2), Neal Tooley, Fred Gibson, Tony Blake, Chubby LaRoux (2), Gary Reddick (2), Guy Robinson (2), and Bud Hinman. Zeigler, May, André, Reddick and Robinson along with ASCC champion Don June have all been inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame. [6] André, Gibson and Blake were inducted into the Kingston-District Sports Hall of Fame. [7] Yanni was inducted into the Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame. [8]
May went on to compete in 185 races in the NASCAR Cup division between 1967 and 1985. [9] May’s car owner and crew then began to mentor a new driver, Bob McCreadie, who went on to be inducted into the Lowe's Motor Speedway Walk of Fame, the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame, and the Eastern Motorsport Press Association Hall of Fame. [10] McCreadie is the father of former NASCAR driver and current World of Outlaws and Lucas Oil Late model driver Tim McCreadie.
A 6 cylinder Late Model Division was started in 1965. Division champions were Jim Armstrong, Charlie Baker, Dick Lappan, Dave Clark, Ally Amell, Gordon Dobbins (2), Jim Clark, Bill Eisele, and Jeff Walts. [11]
Through the 1960s, Rowe and Atkinson joined race director Ira Vail in promoting the New York State Fair Championship. [12]
By the spring of 1975, racing operations had moved to the Can-Am Speedway in La Fargeville. Rowe and Atkinson along with fellow area promoters Tom Coughlin, and Bob Thurston were honored in 1996 by the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame for their contributions. [13]
Richard Ernest Evans, was an American racing driver who won nine NASCAR National Modified Championships, including eight in a row from 1978 to 1985. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame lists this achievement as "one of the supreme accomplishments in motorsports". Evans won virtually every major race for asphalt modifieds, most of them more than once, including winning the Race of Champions three times. Evans was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame on June 14, 2011. As one of the Class of 2012, Evans was one of the Hall's first 15 inductees, and was the first Hall of Famer from outside the now NASCAR Cup Series.
Donald "Dutch" Hoag was an American racing driver who won the Langhorne National Open five times when it was the most prestigious event for Modified and Sportsman racers.
Tim McCreadie is an American Dirt Late Model racing driver. He is the 2021 and 2022 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion. In 2007 he ran a partial schedule in NASCAR West Series, ARCA RE/MAX Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and World of Outlaws Late Model Series.
James "Jimmy" Horton III is a businessman who owns a radiator and chassis shop after a Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame career racing dirt modifieds. He raced in 48 NASCAR Winston Cup races in eight seasons. He was a regular on the ARCA circuit in the 1980s and 1990s. Horton has won many of the most noted races for dirt track modifieds in the Northeastern United States.
Richard May was a NASCAR driver who competed in 185 races in the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup Series between 1967 and 1985.
Modified stock car racing, also known as modified racing and modified, is a type of auto racing that involves purpose-built cars simultaneously racing against each other on oval tracks. First established in the United States after World War II, this type of racing was early-on characterized by its participants' modification of passenger cars in pursuit of higher speeds, hence the name.
Kenny Brightbill, nicknamed the "Shillington Slingshot" and "Mr. Excitement" is a former NASCAR and professional dirt modified driver from Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. He has won 441 career professional races and is also the all time wins leader of Reading Fairground Speedway with 135 career wins. Brightbill has won many of the most noted races for dirt track modifieds in the Northeastern United States, most notably 1988 Syracuse Miller High Life 300.
Robert David "Barefoot Bob" McCreadie was an American Dirt Modified racing driver. He is an inductee to the Lowe's Motor Speedway Walk of Fame, the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame, and the Eastern Motorsport Press Association Hall of Fame.
The Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame was established in 1992 to recognize individual achievements in the sport of stock car racing. It is located at 1 Speedway Dr., Weedsport, New York.
Richard (Dick) Nephew was an American stock car racing driver and national titlist of the NASCAR Sportsman Division.
Purdy “Budd” Olsen was an American national champion stock car and sprint car racing driver from the Thorofare section of West Deptford Township, New Jersey.
Alex “Al” Tasnady was an American stock car racing driver from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. After retiring from driving, Tasnady served as race director for Flemington Speedway.
Elmer Musclow was an American stock car racing driver from Rochester, NY. He is regarded as a pioneer of motorsports, competing in the 1940s when prizes seldom exceeded the likes of quarter barrels of beer and complimentary dinner tickets.
Ernest "Ernie" Gahan was an American stock car racing driver. He spent the majority of his career racing in the Modified division, and won the 1966 NASCAR Modified Championship.
Robert "Bob" Cameron was an American stock car racing driver. He was a pioneer of the sport, competing in the inaugural year of the Strictly Stock division, which is now the NASCAR Cup series.
Donald "Don" June was a pioneering driver of dirt modified stock cars. He dominated the inaugural season at Edgewood Speedway in 1951, winning 11 feature events at the Alexandria Bay, New York oval and claiming the Adirondack Stock Car Club championship.
Robert "Bob" Zeigler was a driver and promoter of modified stock car racing. Equally adept at driving on both dirt and asphalt surfaces, he was recognized for his driving talent and respected for building a speedway during what many believe to be the golden age of stock car racing.
Marcel LaFrance was a Canadian dirt modified racing driver. His racing career spanned two countries and 38 years, winning 268 feature events and claiming five track titles.
Joe Plazek is a Canadian stock car racing driver. He was a three time New York State Fair Champion, and also won Rookie of the Year honors while competing in the Canadian premier touring stock car series.
Mervyn "Merv" Treichler is a retired American stock car racing driver who competed on both asphalt and dirt surfaces. In 1970 he won the Race of Champions, the premier asphalt race for modifieds. He also claimed the marquee events for dirt modifieds at Super Dirt Week in 1981 and 1982.