Hornell Raceway
| Location | Hartsville, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°16′11″N 77°38′50″W / 42.2696°N 77.6473°W |
| Owner | Paul Amidon |
| Broke ground | 1958 |
| Opened | 1959 |
| Closed | 1965 |
| Surface | Clay |
| Length | .536 km (.333 miles) |
| Banking | High-banked |
Hornell Raceway was a 1⁄3-mile (0.54 km) dirt oval racing facility in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.
Overview
Paul Amidon was a crewman working area racing events when, in 1958, he decided to build his own racetrack on land he owned at the outskirts of Hornell, New York.[1] The track opened in 1959 with a lack of race car entries and a rough and dusty track surface. Amidon quickly switched to hosting the more popular “B-Class” (sportsman) and “Modern” (hobby stock) cars, and resolved the track surface issues.[2]
The Hornell region was a significant repair and maintenance center for the railroad, with a massive railroad yard and repair shops that were among the largest in the country at the time.[3] Many race spectators were on train crews that were subject to short notice calls to work. To accommodate them Amidon installed a telephone in the announcer booth so that the train dispatcher could have crew members paged.[1]
Racing continued through the 1965 season, after which Amidon had the property restored for farming operations.[1][4][5]
References
- ^ a b c Hall, Dan. "History of the Hornell Raceway". Hornell Home. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
- ^ Weingarner, Bill (July 5, 1959). "Hornell Raceway owner predicts banner year". Sunday Telegram. Elmira NY. p. 2D. Retrieved August 17, 2025 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ Elattar, Johanna (November 15, 2024). "Hornell's Railroad History: A Journey Through Time". Hornell Sun. NY. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ "Hornell Raceway". Potter Enterprise. Coudersport PA. September 1, 1965. p. 12. Retrieved August 17, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Paul J. Amidon". Brown and Powers. April 30, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2025.