1/17/2024
Can-Am Speedway
Golden Jubilee: Can-Am Speedway Celebrating 50th Season of Racing
The 2024 season will be one for the record books as the speedway will celebrate its 50th year of operation. The speedway has seen racers and fans from all over the world come through the gates to either take it all in as a fan, or be one of the many drivers to take a checkered flag from the historic facility.
It all started in 1974 when former Evans Mills Real Estate Broker Leslie W. Brown and his team began construction of the speedway. They broke ground, yes, however the ground was quite rocky, literally. The rocky portion of the speedway grounds was where the original layout of the speedway was going to be gave construction crews plenty of problems. After a few changes, the decision was made to simply move the track to its current spot on the property and leave the massive rock area for spectator parking, which worked perfectly with the big crowds that have packed the stands at Can-Am on many nights.
On a cool Friday night, June 14th of 1974, the gates at the all new Winner’s Circle Speedway opened with Jim Clark, former Woody VanOrder Memorial winner at Watertown Speedway, take the first ever Modified checkered flag from chief starter and Lafargeville New York native Lee Gill. That same night, two-time Watertown Speedway Champion Gordon Dobbins claimed the first ever Stocker feature event.
The speedway was a big 5/8 mile track at the time and pushed drivers and machines every night. The straight aways were wide and long and the corners were fast and sweeping, which made for some incredible speeds back in the day.
The track hosted 5 events including a United Racing Club event won by Buck Buckley.
After the 5 events, financial set backs and equipment that was not able to maintain the track properly, forced Brown to close the speedway for the rest of the 1974 season. At the same time a chapter was closing as Watertown Speedway would not operate for racing for the 1975 season, which led Bob Thurston Sr., Doug Atkinson and Thomas Coughlin to purchase the track.
The new and improved Can-Am International Speedway opened the doors in 1975 for the first full season, which saw Gary Reddick claim the first ever track championship in the Modified class while Keith Davis would win 4 times and score the championship in the Stocker division.
Over the years drivers like Gary Reddick, Tony Corcoran, John Dahm, Doug Carlyle, Pat and Danny O’Brien, Lee and Bill Gill, Billy Dunn and Tim Fuller won many races and track titles over the years and also helped put the speedway on the map, as a place where legends are made. By the way the drivers mentioned above combined for over 300 feature wins and 30 Modified track championships at the speedway.
Throughout the season we will take a look back and talk about many of the great drivers, officials, races and seasons, that helped make Can-Am Speedway what it is today.
Can-Am Speedway Golden Jubilee Article: 1/50
Article Credit: Tim Baltz
Submitted By: Tyler & Michelle Bartlett
