Fulton Raceway iconic wall torn down !!

[BOZO6106]

I read in my latest issue of AARN that they were gonna tear down the steel plate wall behind the hill on turns 3 and 4 and could not believe until I drove by the speedway this afternoon.I wrote earlier about the high center section of the wall falling down and now the whole thing is gone only to be replaced by a chain link fence,oh what a shame.I wonder how many people realize the history behind this once beautiful asphalt track before it was destroyed by Dirt being put down in 1979.How many remember the iconic roadside sign with a #57 race car sitting on top it.The track is located on Rt.57 about 3 miles outside the city of Fulton.I know I am a sucker for history but come on man the talent that raced there when it was asphalt track is a whos who.Troyer,Evans,Bodine,Kent,Shampine,Cook,Jarzombek,Lazarro,Seamon,Bernie Miller,Kotary,Diffendorf,Dutch Hoag,Nolan Swift and on and on etc.I just hate to see history destoyed.

[doubledot]

Miss Vicky would roll over in her grave at the idea of people standing outside a chain link fence watching cars go through turns 1 and 2 without paying.

Milray Speedway will never be the same.

[oldflagger81]

I remember that night in early 1978 when we arrived to the track they told us the next week was to be the last Ashphalt race at Fulton.  Paul Heitmann & I were the Starters that year & we were very unhappy with that decision.  Each week was a who's who in Modified racing & the Street Stocks were filled with many up & coming drivers.  And as for that car on top of the sign, that was Fulton's calling card.  I for one would love to see the clay taken off that track & go back to Sunday Night Racing on the TAR !!  JMO, but Dam, that sure was a Great Track !!

[BOZO6106]

The top street stockers included Tom Druar,Billy Seamon,Genteman Jack Furman,Don Dippel,Brian Horn,Jake Eastman,Randy Scott,Bobby Engler,Billy Zacharias,Buck Catalano,Tony Vecchio Jr.,Fayne Corbin,Gene Kotary,Gary Hall,Jerry Knox and so on etc.What a great time in racing and only 2 divisions not the 7 - 9 they run these days,just a much simpiler time I guess.Thank you to those who shared their thoughts.I love to sit around a campfire and share a cold one and reminisce about the good old days of racing with people who lived it and know what they are talking about.

[The Big D]

I used to love the 50 car, 50 lap street stock races and the great field of cars they would attract from all over NYS as it was the who's who of SS racers. We used to haul up from the southern tier of NYS. The we being the SS #5 of Lyle Williams.

Dennis E Hotaling

[BOZO6106]

I remember the #5 of Lyle well and can remember the car was called the Squasher or something like that.The 50 car 50 lappers were awesome.Thanks for sharing.

[The Big D]

You are welcome Bozo, The car was called the "Squaw Chaser" as Lyle had a little Indian blood in him, probably could not get away with calling it that in todays world.
 I have not been to the track since they covered it in dirt and we used to pit up in turns 3 and 4 in the shadow of the wall.   
 Always enjoyed racing there and watching the modified's and the street stocks as they put on a great show.

The Big D

[BOZO6106]

The old NEARA circuit was Spencer on Fridays,Shangri-La on Satrurday and Fulton on Sunday.

[leadfoot4]

The old NEARA circuit was Spencer on Fridays,Shangri-La on Satrurday and Fulton on Sunday.

I remember those days!

I haven't been to Fulton since the dirt was laid down. I went to watch the drag races there, a couple of times, too.

[BOZO6106]

I guess everyone thinks DIRT is the way to go seeing how we have very asphalt tracks left in New York and many other states as well.

[The Big D]

I have been a longtime pavement fan since the early seventies, but I had to admit to myself that asphalt racing was all but dead as a weekly show a couple of years ago as Chemung was getting some pretty low car counts and the low car counts helped put Shangri-La 2 under.
  So a couple of years ago 5-Mile Point had Bradford County night and you could get in free so I went and they had over 100 cars and in some classes you actually had to qualify to race in the futures and I did enjoy it so the next Saturday night I went to Thunder Mountain and they had like 125 cars and the hook had been set. since then I have been splitting my time on Fridays between Chemung and Penn-Can and going to Thunder mountain on Saturday nights.
  Do I like dirt in my soda, not really but I have learned to enjoy dirt racing and would have to say that I am now a fan.    But asphalt racing will always be #1 in my heart and I have so many great memory's of it and the great drivers I have had the privilege to watch.

The Big D

[leadfoot4]

I guess everyone thinks DIRT is the way to go seeing how we have very asphalt tracks left in New York and many other states as well.

My take on it is once you get past the initial investment, a dirt car potentially is less costly to maintain, especially with respect to the tire costs. Therefore, lower costs equals more cars, which potentially equates better crowds. I won't deny that I've been to a number of dirt races, over  the years, in fact, the very first oval track race I went to, was at some "hole in the wall" dirt track, somewhere near Lancaster, PA, in the summer of 1957. And the first races I watched, when my family came to Rochester, in 1958, were at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, also a dirt track. But over time, my interest gravitated to asphalt.

And as the cars became more specialized, and running asphalt or dirt became more than just changing the tires, the cars began to less and less look like "real" cars, but the dirt cars, to me, deviated more, which turned me off. However, that apparently didn't change as many people's opinion as it did for me, so dirt has maintained a presence, as asphalt has faltered.

[Twistin]

Fulton was the last of a 3 day racing weekend for us. Spencer, Lancaster then Fulton.  Always looked for the car up on the sign, and then going inside to the unique seating. those were the days for sure.

[Goggles Pisano]

A couple of thoughts.  Fulton has always been the best place to watch. Great big seats too.  I raced there a couple of times and even though it is small it felt a lot faster than some of the 5/8th size tracks.  My dad even took my brother and I to see the snowmobile races there back in the 70's.  Great track. 

[uticamike]

Fulton was the last of a 3 day racing weekend for us. Spencer, Lancaster then Fulton.  Always looked for the car up on the sign, and then going inside to the unique seating. those were the days for sure.

yup that old yellow 5 window Ford with the 57 painted on it.