Wellsville Raceway
| Location | Wellsville, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°07′11″N 77°55′42″W / 42.1197°N 77.9282°W |
| Operator | Bill Lydle |
| Opened | 1950 |
| Closed | 1954 |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | 1 km (0.62 mi) |
Wellsville Raceway was a 5⁄8-mile (1.0 km) dirt oval racing facility located in the Chautauqua-Alleghany (or the western Southern Tier) Region of New York State.
Overview
Wellsville Raceway was located on the former Wellsville Driving Park fairgrounds. A group of 10 investors formed the Wellsville Speedway, Inc. in 1950, and took possession of the old fairgrounds.[1] The first auto race was held August 6, reportedly to a crowd of 4,500 spectators and sanctioned by the Atlantic Stock Car Racing Association.[2]
The raceway was one of a series of venues in the Twin Tiers region of New York and Pennsylvania where drivers began their careers before becoming known on the state and national scene.[3][4]
The racetrack shut down after the 1954 season, and the land was repurposed for what is now the Wellsville School complex.[1]
References
- ^ a b Roberts, Bob; Ellis, Bob (July 26, 1977). "The Fifties: When Stock Cars were king in Allegany County". Wellsville Daily Reporter. NY. p. 7. Retrieved August 20, 2025 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ "Wellsville Raceway opened Sunday". Andover News. August 12, 1950.
- ^ Wiser, Chuck (October 14, 2021). "Words From Wiser: Tracking from Rug Rat to Track Rat". The Wellsville Sun. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
- ^ Easton, Ford (2014). Stock Car Racing in the '50s. IPP. ISBN 9781500171780.