New York Drag Strips

[Jeremy1374]

Paul this is really neat info. I'm particularly interested in the Dunkirk drag strip especially being from the Buffalo NY area. I see they raced there for a short period of time but in all my time around racing (37 yrs old so take that for what it's worth) I'd never heard of the track. My dads been racing for 40 yrs but don't think he was racing when the track closed. He raced Niagara drag strip and of course Lancaster for many yrs. thanks again for taking time to share this.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Dover Drag Strip

Wingdale, New York (Dutchess County)

Southeastern New York

Location.....
Pleasant Ridge Road (County Road #21), Wingdale, New York

* Drag Racing......{1961 thru 1976}

* Race Days.........Sunday

* Track..................1/4 Mile
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Attracted Racers from;
* Dutchess County
* Putnam County...............(15 Miles South)
* Westchester County.......(40 Miles South)
* Orange County................(40 Miles West)
* Rockland County.............(60 Miles Southwest)
* Western Connecticut......(30 Miles East)
* New York.........................(70 Miles South)
* Long Island......................(90 Miles South)
* Northern New Jersey......(90 Miles Southwest)

* 'Hey-Day'........................{1961 thru 1974}

* Car Counts.....................300 to 350

Featured
* Stockers
* Super-Street
* Super Stock
* Gassers
* Modified Prodiction
* AWB's
* Altereds
* Junior Fuelers
* Funny Cars
* Dragsters
* Pro Stock

General Overview
* Opened to a large Racer Participation and fan attendance.
* Called the 'Fast Track'
* Followed NHRA car classifications
* NHRA sanctioned {1965-1966 and 1970-1971}
* Held many 'big events' and 'big name' Match Race events
* Many of the Drag Racers were regulars, giving the Track a 'warm atmosphere'.
* Dino 'The Weirdo' Lawrence, a popular track announcer {1965 thu 1972}.
* The 'gas crunch' of 1975 and lack of staging big name events hurt Racer Participation, and car counts dropped to 150 to 200.
* Insurance issues ended the season in May 1976.

[Paul Ceasrine]

New York Drag Strips



Long Island, New York

New York National Speedway
Center Moriches (Suffolk County - Central Long Island)
1966 thru 1980
{1/4 Mile and 4-Lanes}

Westhampton Dragstrip / Suffolk County Dragstrip
Westhampton (Suffolk County - Eastern Long Island)
1953 thru 2004
{1/4 Mile}

Islip Speedway Dragstrip
Islip (Suffolk County - South Shore, Long Island)
1963 thru 1971
{1/8 Mile}


South Eastern New York

Dover Drag Strip
Wingdale (Dutchess County)
1961 thru 1976
{1/4 Mile}

South Central New York

Montgomery Airport-Dragstrip
Montgomery (Orange County)
1958 thru 1960
{1/4 Mile}

Shangri-La Speedway Dragstrip
Owego (Tioga County)
1959 thru 1960
{1/8 Mile}

Skyview Drags
Tioga Center (Tioga County)
2004 thru 'still active and successful'
{1/8 Mile}

Tri-Cities Drag-Way (Endicott Airport)
Endicott (Broome County)
1961 thru 1970
{1/4 Mile}

North East Central New York

Fonda Speedway Drag Strip
Fonda (Montgomery County)
1957 thru 1968
{1/8 Mile}...1957-1958
{1/4 mile}...1959

South Glens Falls Dragway
South Glens Falls (Saratoga County)
1961 thru 1978
{1/4 MIle}

Pittsfield Airport-Drags
Pittsfield, Massachussets (Berkshire County)
1957 thru 1963
{1/4 Mile}

Lebanon Valley Dragway
West Lebanon (Columbia County)
1963 thru 'still active and successful'
{1/4 Mile}

North East New York

North Hudson Dragway
North Hudson (Essex County)
1964 thru 1975
{1/4 Mile}

North Central New York

ESTA Safety Park Dragstrip
Cicero (Onondga County)
1960 thru 'still active and successful'
{1/4 Mile}

Fulton Airport-Dragstrip
Fulton (Oswego County)
1955 thru 1963
{1/4 Mile}

Mil-Ray Speedway-Raceway
Fulton (Oswego County)
1962 thru 1972
{1/8 Mile}

Central New York

Utica-Rome Dragway
Vernon (Oneida County)
1962 thru 1977
{1/8 Mile}

North West New York

Spencer's Dragway
Williamson (Wayne County)
1959 thru ''still active and successful'
{1/8 Mile}

Jackson's Speedway / King's Dragway
South Butler (Wayne County)
1958 thru 1977
{1/4 Mile}

Western New York

Dunkirk Airport-Dragstrip
Dunkirk (Chatauqua County)
1955 thru 1962
{1/4 Mile}

Niagara Raceway Park / Niagara Falls Dragstrip
Niagara Falls (Niagara County)
1961 thru 1974
{1/4 Mile}

Lancaster Dragstrip / Dunn Tire Raceway Park
Lancaster (Erie County)
1960 thru 'still active and successful'
{1/8 Mile}

Empire Dragway
Leicester (Livingston County)
1970 thru 'still active and successful
{1/4 Mile}

[Jimbo17]

Paul:

Thanks for posting the name of the road that Dover was located on.

Not sure I ever knew what the name was.

I always remember the guy from the state mental hospital standing on the side of the road directing traffic and letting every one know where to turn left.

Dover was the place to be every Sunday for many of us and the drive from Stamford to Dover was about 52 miles back in those day's because we went out through the Pound Ridge area to Bedford and then up route 22 to Wingdale.

I had family that lived in Dover Plains for years and instead of turning left onto the road where Dover Drag Strip was located it you continued north on 22 on the left was an area known as Onion Town which I was always warned you do not go up in that area for any reason.

Did you know about the history of Onion Town?

Jim Hill

[Paul Ceasrine]

Oniontown Area,

That's just a myth.

It's a small Hamlet that is just south of Dover Plains, where it's mostly
'Locals' that have lived in the area forever.

A small enclave of small homes.

Same thing with the neighborhood on the right side of Route 22, just past Pleasant Ridge Road.

Mostly 'cottages' that have been converted to year-round homes.

Everybody forgets that Dover Dragstrip was actually located in Wingdale, which is south of Dover Plains.

That area has been 'depressed', since Dover Drag Strip closed and the State Hospital shut down.

[ss wannabee]

Fantastic piece of work, Paul! Don't know where you got all that info on some not so well-known venues?

But New York State is pretty big...and it goes to show that drag racing was catching on
like wild-fire back in the "glory" days...tracks being built all over the place...and commun-
ities WANTING them...

A bit different TODAY...eh?

Wondering if you got a bit more info on Tri-Cities...and the Mill-Ray track...never heard of that one?

Perhaps a photo or an ad from those places...maybe North Hudson?
Thanks again!

[Ed Fernandez]

Paul,you forgot Connecting Highway.Drew crowds from everywhere,some good payouts and non stop till the men in blue turned on the fire hydrants.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Tri-Cities Drag-Way
Route 17-C
Endicott, New York

Tri-Cities Airport ( Endicott-Johnson City- Binghamton ) - { Broome County, New York }

Track.....3500' x 100' Asphalt-Paved

Lighted Runway with Overhead Spot-Lights

* Race Days.... Saturdays { May thru October }... { 1961 thru 1966 }
* In 1967............Race Events cut back to { 4 per Year }...{ 1967 thru 1970 }
* In 1970........... The Airport was re-paved, and the U.S. Federal Government eliminated the use of the 'Strip' for Drag Racing.

NHRA sanctioned.

1/4 Mile

Good Car Counts......225 to 250

Track History.....1961 thru 1970

Attracted Racers from
South Central New York
North East Pennsylvania
North West New Jersey



General History

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