Utica Rome Speedway

Brien Radley · 02-24-2009, 09:44 AM

I still have pictures of Big Daddy and Shirley in the pits at Utica- Rome. What a place! I used to haul my 70 Cuda on a 1967 International flatbed truck over there on Saturdays and then to ESTA on Sundays. Wasn`t that long ago, was it?

Brien Radley

Stockerstang · 02-24-2009, 06:33 PM

Glad I posted this message... Rich, good to see you,I raced the Blue mustang at ESTA, remember? going to get that Super Stocker going this year? Send me a PM and we'll get together to look at those photo from Utica rome. I was a kid, around 13, 14 when the Jet car blew over the pop corn stand.. was a great night. Remember the car called Home Brew?, how about Rumble guts...anyone remember that car? Also a guy named Lynn Morton was a starter there I believe. I think he has many photos of the place.

richie 2 · 02-24-2009, 09:05 PM

wasent there a dragstrip @ fonda n.y.? what years did they run there?

Richard Todd · 02-24-2009, 09:44 PM

Kenny, RC ..I learned how to race at UR in the mid 60's in my 60 Chevy and can remember the the driving lesson I got racing my first tree. As with everything it took a while to catch on. In 68 I actually managed to win a couple of jr. stock elim. before going to my 340 Mopars. It was 72 when I teamed up with Al Hart and 73 when I took over driving the black CJ Mustang. I had never even owned a 4 speed car before let alone race one so the learning curve continued. First in SS and then back to stock in 74 till old UR's demise in 79 at the hands of the new owners. I had a big MPH advantage on all the competition till Kenny showed up with that damn TriPower Corvette which instantally erased my top end advantage. We sure had a lot good tough races, good memories and old frendships. RC, I remember your ex on the starting line without bad memories...maybe because I never got to know her. Rich

Ryck Campbell · 02-24-2009, 10:48 PM

Rich, glad to see that you are still out there. When is the stocker coming back out? I also heard a rumor that the Mustang was going to make a return. Richie 2; is that Forbes? If so, ask your dad if he remembers the night of the wallet toss. Racing sure was fun back in the day.

RC

KEN BUGAJ · 02-25-2009, 12:06 PM

RC, Richard,Phil at my age I'm just glad that were ALL still able to read these posts. lol

chris ok · 02-25-2009, 05:37 PM

wow never knew there was a track there. my mom's from ilion, home of remmington arms.
I go most every year to whitesboro for my uncles annual golf outting for scholarships for ilion high school.
utica lost all its industry many moons ago, very sad. univac, ge etc.... its like a ghost town driving thru the city on sunday morning in august.

Don Jr. · 02-25-2018, 09:56 PM

Hi New to the forum. Does anybody remember Ray Persons drag racing at Utica Rome, ESTA and Fonda .Looking for information on him. He would often travel with Shirley Muldowney back then. He raced mid 1950's thru the 60'sand possibly the 1970's. He was from Amsterdam NY area. Drag raced multiple cars and rails.Thanks for any help on this. I own his 1961 Corvette he drag raced back then.

richie 2 · 02-26-2018, 08:36 PM

how about Richie evans? being from rome ny he drag raced before going blacktop modifieds.....any stories?

02-24-2009, 09:44 AM	#1
Brien Radley Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 57 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Utica Rome Speedway I still have pictures of Big Daddy and Shirley in the pits at Utica- Rome. What a place! I used to haul my 70 Cuda on a 1967 International flatbed truck over there on Saturdays and then to ESTA on Sundays. Wasn`t that long ago, was it? Brien Radley

02-24-2009, 06:33 PM	#2
Stockerstang Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 210 Likes: 0 Liked 20 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Utica Rome Speedway Glad I posted this message... Rich, good to see you,I raced the Blue mustang at ESTA, remember? going to get that Super Stocker going this year? Send me a PM and we'll get together to look at those photo from Utica rome. I was a kid, around 13, 14 when the Jet car blew over the pop corn stand.. was a great night. Remember the car called Home Brew?, how about Rumble guts...anyone remember that car? Also a guy named Lynn Morton was a starter there I believe. I think he has many photos of the place.

02-24-2009, 09:05 PM	#3
richie 2 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 971 Likes: 431 Liked 205 Times in 93 Posts	Re: Utica Rome Speedway wasent there a dragstrip @ fonda n.y.? what years did they run there?

02-24-2009, 09:44 PM	#4
Richard Todd Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cobleskill, NY Posts: 1 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Utica Rome Speedway Kenny, RC ..I learned how to race at UR in the mid 60's in my 60 Chevy and can remember the the driving lesson I got racing my first tree. As with everything it took a while to catch on. In 68 I actually managed to win a couple of jr. stock elim. before going to my 340 Mopars. It was 72 when I teamed up with Al Hart and 73 when I took over driving the black CJ Mustang. I had never even owned a 4 speed car before let alone race one so the learning curve continued. First in SS and then back to stock in 74 till old UR's demise in 79 at the hands of the new owners. I had a big MPH advantage on all the competition till Kenny showed up with that damn TriPower Corvette which instantally erased my top end advantage. We sure had a lot good tough races, good memories and old frendships. RC, I remember your ex on the starting line without bad memories...maybe because I never got to know her. Rich

02-24-2009, 10:48 PM	#5
Ryck Campbell Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Rome, NY Posts: 56 Likes: 176 Liked 46 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Utica Rome Speedway Rich, glad to see that you are still out there. When is the stocker coming back out? I also heard a rumor that the Mustang was going to make a return. Richie 2; is that Forbes? If so, ask your dad if he remembers the night of the wallet toss. Racing sure was fun back in the day. RC __________________ Ryck Campbell NHRA Technical Specialist

02-25-2009, 12:06 PM	#6
KEN BUGAJ Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: LEXINGTON NC. Posts: 389 Likes: 43 Liked 18 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Utica Rome Speedway RC, Richard,Phil at my age I'm just glad that were ALL still able to read these posts. lol

02-25-2009, 05:37 PM	#7
chris ok Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Long Island, New york Posts: 592 Likes: 131 Liked 46 Times in 29 Posts	Re: Utica Rome Speedway wow never knew there was a track there. my mom's from ilion, home of remmington arms. I go most every year to whitesboro for my uncles annual golf outting for scholarships for ilion high school. utica lost all its industry many moons ago, very sad. univac, ge etc.... its like a ghost town driving thru the city on sunday morning in august.

02-25-2018, 09:56 PM	#8
Don Jr. Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 2 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Utica Rome Speedway Hi New to the forum. Does anybody remember Ray Persons drag racing at Utica Rome, ESTA and Fonda .Looking for information on him. He would often travel with Shirley Muldowney back then. He raced mid 1950's thru the 60'sand possibly the 1970's. He was from Amsterdam NY area. Drag raced multiple cars and rails.Thanks for any help on this. I own his 1961 Corvette he drag raced back then.

02-26-2018, 08:36 PM	#9
richie 2 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 971 Likes: 431 Liked 205 Times in 93 Posts	Re: Utica Rome Speedway how about Richie evans? being from rome ny he drag raced before going blacktop modifieds.....any stories?