Kingston Speedway
| Location | Kingston, Ontario Canada |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°16′58″N 76°29′33″W / 44.2828°N 76.4924°W |
| Opened | 1952 |
| Closed | 1976 |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Clay |
| Length | .4 km (.25 miles) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Semi-banked |
| Turns | 4 |
Kingston Speedway was a quarter-mile dirt oval raceway located in the Thousand Islands region of Ontario, Canada.
Overview
[edit]In 1951 Rod Cutway organized a group of racing enthusiasts and roughed-out a version of a three-eighths-mile racetrack on his father-in-law’s land.[1] Final construction took place in the spring of 1952 with Tony Blake claiming the first official feature win on June 28, 1952. Blake went on to capture six track championships.[2]
Lawrence Craven began a decade long stretch promoting the facility in 1955, during which he added banking and shortened the track to a quarter-mile.[1] Multi-time track champion Fred Gibson then took over operations along with his brother Bud. In 1967, Bud Gibson bought out his brother and also announced jointly with the Watertown Speedway a rule change to allow overhead valve V8 engines and to increase engine displacement from 250 to 310 cubic inches.[3]
The facility continued operations with several other promoters, including Fred Gibson's return from 1971-1973, closing after the 1976 season when the property was sold to a neighboring limestone quarry.[4]
Track Champions
[edit]| Year[1] | Modified | Late Model | Mini Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Doug Carlyle | Jack Theoret | Ken Pugh |
| 1975 | Ovide Doiron | Jack Theoret | John Kuipers |
| 1974 | Norm Davey | Dan Corcoran | Denzil Coughlin |
| 1973 | Denzil Billings | Danny Reid | Denzil Coughlin |
| 1972 | Walter Pennock | Al Bissette | |
| 1971 | Walter Pennock | ||
| 1970 | Tony Blake | ||
| 1969 | Tony Blake | ||
| 1968 | Barry Poitras | ||
| 1967 | Fred Gibson | ||
| 1966 | Gary Reddick | ||
| 1965 | Fred Gibson | ||
| 1964 | Tony Blake | ||
| 1963 | Tony Blake | ||
| 1962 | Fred Gibson | ||
| 1961 | Woody Van Order | ||
| 1960 | Tony Blake | ||
| 1959 | Woody Van Order | ||
| 1958 | Woody Van Order | ||
| 1957 | Woody Van Order | ||
| 1956 | Tony Blake | ||
| 1955 | Woody Van Order | ||
| 1954 | |||
| 1953 | Ernie Lindsay | ||
| 1952 | Andy Rae | ||
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Track Database – Kingston Speedway". Canadian Racer. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ Kennedy, Patrick (April 17, 2003). "Tony Blake 'a Class Act'". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Ontario, Canada.
- ^ "Stock car speed is increased". Watertown Daily Times. NY. November 29, 1967. Retrieved May 6, 2025 – via NNY360 Archives.
- ^ Kennedy, Patrick (March 12, 2021). "Kingston Speedway still holds special memories, 45 years after the end". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Ontario, Canada. Retrieved May 6, 2025.