Kingston Speedway
Kingston, ON
Status:
Closed
Years:
1951-1976
Name History:
Track Configuration(s):
3/8 mile clay oval (1951-57)
1/4 mile clay oval (1958-1976)
Track Info:
- The original owner and the builder of the track was Rod Cutway
- Track was built on Alf Compton's land - he was Cutway's father-in-law
- Some unofficial races were held in late 1951 on a roughed-out version of the track
- Final construction took place in the spring of 1952 with the first official race day being on June 28, 1952
- Tony Blake was the first feature winner on June 28, 1952
- Originally there were no lights
- The 1952 season started with racing on Saturday afternoon - lights were added and racing switched to Friday night beginning on July 25, 1952
- 1952 - Spectator Kenneth Deyo was killed on Oct 3, 1952 when a car hit the wooden guardrails, causing them to scatter, hitting Deyo who was standing at the edge of the track
- 1955 - Lights were upgraded and new grandstands built
- 1956 - Grandstands were extended and lights were completely replaced
- 1957 - Wwitched from Friday night to Thursday night
- 1958 - Track was shortened from 3/8 to 1/4 mile by reducing the straights
- 1959 - More grandstands added
- 1961 - Corner banking was added - the track had previousy been flat
- 1963 - A newspaper article stated that most drivers had about $600-$700 in their car and the nightly purse was $800
- 1968 - Maximum engine size was increased from 250 CI to 310 CI
- 1968 - Corners were widened and banking was increased
- 1968 - A near riot broke out on Sept 20 when the drivers went on strike for more money in a 50-lap feature <br>           - The crowd blamed track owner Bud Gibson and turned on him, demanding a refund <br>           - Police were called and Gibson was escorted from the property <br>           - The issues were resolved and the 50-lapper was re-run at the end of September but another issue with one driver caused Gibson to close the season early
- 1970 - Ran mini-stocks on a few nights
- 1971 - Lighting on the backstraight was upgraded and new spectator washrooms were built, straights were widened and turn 2 reshaped
- 1971 - Mini-stocks were dropped
- 1972 - Mini-stocks were back
- 1974 - Sportsman featured paid $325 to win, $125 to Late Models and $50 for Mini-Stocks
- 1974 - Late Model engines went from 310 CI to 352 CI
- 1974 - New owner Bob Kennedy named Walt Pennock as track manager and promoter
- 1974 - Canteen was replaced and grandstands completely rebuilt
- 1977 - Earl Bilow announced in January that the track would open, but in March he changed his mind due to the costs - within a few weeks the track property was covered in old cars from the auto wrecker next door, also owned by Bilow
- A lot of Americans ran here as part of a circuit that included Watertown Speedway and other tracks in New York
- The track regularly hosted snowmobile racing in the winter
- The site is now a quarry <br> <br> <b>Ownership history:</b>
- 1951-54 Rod Cutway
- 1955 Lawrence Craven/ Arthur Terry/ Jack Keill
- 1956-65 Lawrence Craven
- 1966 Bud & Fred Gibson
- 1967-70 Bud Gibson - Fred sold his share to Bud in early 1967
- 1970 Phil Quintin/ Len Corcoran/ Hugh Bennett/ Dr.Gerry Wager/ Ken Cadieux - purchased in June
- 1971 Fred Gibson/ Bob Martin - purchased in late 1970, took possession in early 1971
- 1972-73 Fred Gibson
- 1974 Bob Kennedy - purchased in late January
- 1975 Earl Bilow
- 1976 Earl Bilow (leased to Jim Sarazin & Doug Emmons)