With the racing world paused amid the COVID-19 outbreak, SPEED SPORT is highlighting race tracks around the United States. This is part of that ongoing series.
Track Of The Day: Weedsport Speedway
Address: One Speedway Drive, Weedsport, NY, 13166
Website:Â www.weedsportspeedway.com
History: Weedsport Speedway has a long and storied history in New York. The venue, built by Stan Dudzinski in a berry patch, opened for business for the first time on July 24, 1955. Originally a third-mile oval, the track became a three-eighths-mile oval later in the decade.
In 1970, Glenn Donnelly and Ken Ermiger acquired the facility, expanded it and began featuring year-round racingwith snowmobile racing during the winter months. Donnelly took full ownership of the track in 1975, eventually expanding his racing operation to form a sanctioning body known as DIRT Motorsports Inc.
In 1981, the track became the home of the Cayuga County Fair and it was later renamed Cayuga County Fair Speedway.
Donnelly owned the facility until 2013, when Al Heinke acquired the track, which had ceased operations during the summer 2011. He renamed the track Weedsport Speedway, selected driver Jimmy Phelps as the track’s new promoter and began the process of making multiple improvements to the facility, including new modern lighting and bleachers and a major upgrade to the main tower.
Some of the best dirt modified competitors in the country have raced at Weedsport Speedway through the years. Will Cagle, a six-time track champion at the New York oval, is the all-time wins leader at Weedsport.
Others to claim track titles at Weedsport include Alan Johnson, Bob McCreadie, Danny Johnson, Billy Decker, Tim Fuller and most recently, Matt Sheppard.
The track plays host to a number of touring divisions every year, including the Super DIRTcar Series for big-block modifieds, the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions, the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.
