Utica Rome Speedway
 

I was wondering if anyone out there remembers racing at Utica Rome Dragstrip. It was an 1/8 mile track that also had a paved oval where drag racers would pit on saturday night... on sunday they had modifieds race there. The track was located in Vernon NY. Thats upstate NY about 30 miles East of Syracuse. The track used to have some big SS/Stk races there in the 60's and 70's as well as booked in funny car shows (Phil Castronova, Don Schumacher, Al Graber, Jungle Jim with Clare Sanders behind the wheel etc.
Just posting this to see if anyone remembers the track.

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

My dad got his start racing at Utica-Rome dragway back in the 70's. Used to be a lot of super stockers in central new york. I never got to see any racing there as they changed it to a dirt oval in the late 70's/early 80's, but I've heard plenty of stories about the awesome bite on the concrete starting line and the saturday night air. The place is still around and they pack in quite a few to watch the dirt modifieds. You can still see the starting line in the infield and the cleared tree line where the track used to be. Too bad they shut it down, it would be sweet to still have a track 15 minutes from home.

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

My story is about the same as Joe's. My Dad and uncle would go and race something they put together out there. Definately sounded like good times. My Dad has some amazing stories, alot of side betting, blown engines and great racing! Wish I could have been there!

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I raced there in the early 70's untill it closed. I ran my 69 AMX 390 ,4speed ,posi.,Back then I drove my car about 40 miles ,raced it and drove home hoping nothing broke. We all ran class,stock/super stock, gas ,modified production,etc. Many ,well wait.. all.. no lets just say we were are all FAMOUS ! Come on guys, give yourselves a pat on your back. It won't cost you anything, it's cheap. Lets see , cheap is $5 to get in and $1 to race. That is what it cost at Utica Rome. Lets take a walk in the pits,over here is BOB HERTLINE"s SS/HA Camaro,there was BILL RUSSELL"s Chevy wagon the MAGIC BUS, ROGER FORBE's SS Matchmaker Camaro, the Blue VENOM Camaro, CHARLENE WOOD's "Tons of Fun" Pontiac Wagon, RALPH CONTE & HERM SCHREMER 'S Mighty MOPARS and so many more. Moving on , the Modifieds... MOE HALE's "Hangman" 55 Chevy, RICHIE FORBE's "Kong" Camaro, CURT LaSHURE's Opel, GORDY HMIEL's Pinto, PETE DeSALVO's Mustang II, and BOB NEWBERRY's Vette. All these cars are making me hungry, which brings me to their famous hotdogs...First off they were Hoffman, 10" long in a 5" bun. Best dogs ever... Also, I'll never forget when DON GARTLITS and SHIRLEY MULDOWNEY did a match race there. There were also other now famous people who ran there. I still have my AMX, my trophies, many, many pictures from Utica-Rome, ESTA and Fulton, and best of all , my memories...

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

Super Hugger
Foxy Lady
Flash Back
Conklin/Conklin
Mr. Z
Pied Pipper
Joe Kinney
Bill Plage
Bob Humphrey
We had a blast there,
Double points/double money nights were packed,
New Jersey Boys came up
Peter's Cheater/ Pete Fedun
Wally Clark
Pete Z
Hart/Todd (prospector)
Baker/Evans
Stormalong
We would start at Utica Rome then head out to Esta for Sunday....

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

Ah, those WERE the days, weren't they Kenny?


RC

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

Hey Ryck, Yes they were !
Hope all is well with you.
If anyone has any picture's I sure would like to see them.
Like the night the Jet Car blew the popcorn stand over. lol

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

I RACED THERE ONLY COUPLE TIMES, I REMEMBER THAT YOU COULD NOT DO STATIONARY BURN OUT YOU HAD TO KEEP MOVING. WAS THAT ESTA OR UTICA ROME????


HI, R.C. & KEN "b"


PHIL HARNDEN
SS/IA 1474

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

Ken, you had to mention that popcorn stand. That brings back both good and bad memories. Remember, my ex was the starter back then. BTW, that's a bad memory; the ex that is, not the popcorn stand.

RC

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

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.

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

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

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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

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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

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

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.

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

How about black belt the blue gtx. i have old pics of that car

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Raced there once, with my stocker , remember 2 things.

The burnout box was so close to the starting line that on my first run, I tried to stage with the back tires, until the starter motion me back.

Yes, we were pitted on the oval, I was on the outer edge and dropped a socket which rolled a long ways, in the dark to the infield.

It was an adventure, one that I am glad I attended. The only other stocker that was there that I am sure of was Dan Rockwell with his Pinto, I know there was a bunch more.

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Here's a link to some great pics from Utica Rome and ESTA.

http://dragracersreunion.ning.com/ph...=01dejevv02q61

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Man did those pictures bring back some memories Bob. I actually found a picture of my old car at U-R and many more of friends I use to race with.

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I remember the very first time I ran at U-R. I couldn't believe the burn out procedure. I adapted quickly. It was a double money night. We had just got converter back from A1 had not raced in over a month. I think it was early October. I think there was 8 or 9 stock elim cars. Notables were Bill Plage and Baker & Evans. Any ways I worked my way through eliminations to the semi finals I ended up againist Plage. In time trails he was going -.2 to .3 under I was +.2. I was a G/SA he was a J/SA. I had to give him the spot. Well I won the round. Man was he mad. Went to the tower and talked to Tiny Baker. Who promptly came to see with Bill in tow. Tiny says to the both of us, "It's up to this gentle man here. If he want's a rerun. We do one." I declined. Wow did Bill throw a fit. I little while later Dan Shula came up to me a said that won't happen in the final. I had to run the Baker and Evans E/S camaro in the Finals. Dan was the driver. I tried to get out on them, but I red lite. I won 75 bucks that night. The race before this one was at Spencer Speedway. I went to the finals that night too. I broke the tranny in the burnout box. That was why I had just got the converter back. Man those were the days

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

Hey everybody,
First time on this site. It caught my eye when I seen comments about Utica/Rome dragstrip. I now own a car that I beleive ran there quit a bit. I bought this car off the 2nd owner who told me it was raced here. I live at Plain City, Oh. which he does also now. He's from New York, around this area, and had stored this car for some 20 yrs. w/ 27,000 original miles. It's a 72' 340 Duster, 4 spd. w/ tawny gold paint (looks brown). Anyway, I was hoping someone on this site may have seen this car, or knows who may be the original owner. Like to know more about it, and what's been done to the engine. It had 5.38 gears, cluster of sun gauges, M/T finned valve covers, tow plates, firestone 500 slicks in trunk, 15 x 8 cragars, and rubber mat floor. Time slips from Utica/Rome running 8.20's, 8.30's found in glove box. Hope to hear from someone that's seen this car. I'll try to add some pic's, which also had 5 class winner decal on pop-out window. Unable to send pic's , files are too big right now, will try later.
Thanks, Terry

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

Hey everyone,
I was able to down size my photo's of the Duster from around this area. Well kinda, these are photo's of my original photo's days after I bought the car, a little fuzzy, but you can see the car. The color is call Tawny Gold, which is a brownish green, almost army green with gold metallic. No alteration other than, I believe super stock springs with offset hangers for the larger tires. Maybe someone has seen this car at the track.
Thanks, Terry

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Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

I ran U-R once, around 1963-1964. Had a 63 Galaxie with a 289 stocker. Some NY tracks I ran were:
Utica-Rome
Esta
North Hudson
South Glens falls
Jacksons Dragway
And a couple of tracks in the Rochester area, can't remember their names. One might have been Spencer, the name is familiar, but can't plce the location.

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Charlie, Spencer is still there. Has had a few name changes. I went when I think it was Apple Valley. 1/10 mile I think on the side of a speed way. Left Lane had a dip. cool looking wheelies thru it.
Empire Dragway was NYIRP till last year. It was formerly motorcity dragway I think before NYIRP. nice track that had a IHRA National for over 10 years.
Any word on Utica Rome working on reopenning a drag strip. I know they could use the work in Utica area.
Chris O'K.

Duster looks real nice. enjoy it.

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Forgot all about Long Island being part of NY :o. I have a "record" certificate from National Speedway dated 5-2-71 for QO (Q optional stock). It is signed by Rick Stewart.

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Don't forget Fulton, NY. An 1/8th mile strip that was also alongside an oval. I thinsk it ran Friday night. Round robin time trials. Very few big name cars but lotsa fun. I flat towed a '64 Plymouth Fury from Syracuse to run in the early '70's. Then we would run ESTA on Sunday.

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Seeking Photos or video for Utica Rome/ Esta and Fulton Speedway form the late 60s to mid 70s
Thanks

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Yeah, anybody have photos or stories about Fulton that they can share?

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ss wannabe
I have drag racing results/articles for Fulton from 1968 through 1971 of what was published in the newspaper which werent many. I can hook you up if needed. I have located the niece of the original owner/operator. no response back. there are a few guys still around who raced there.

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Does anyone remember a racer named Andrea Freeman? She ran a 1965 Ford Falcon 289 4speed car? From the stickers and trophies she seemed to hold her own back in the day at both Utica Rome and ESTA in the 67 68 seasons. I have the car now in my garage it needs a complete resto. I tried to get her to sell me the car for the last 20 plus years but she wouldn't let her go until last year. Car can be seen on facebook under the page falcon drag car reborn. Thanks for any info

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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.

Re: Utica Rome Speedway
 

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