The Syracuse Mile was a

dirt Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains * Dust: a gener ...

oval An oval () is a closed curve in a plane which resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.) it is given a more precise definition, which may include either one ...

raceway located at the

New York State Fairgrounds The New York State Fair, also known as the Great New York State Fair, is a 13-day showcase of agriculture, entertainment, education, and technology. With midway rides, concessionaires, exhibits, and concerts, it has become New York's largest an ...

in Syracuse, New York. Originally built for harness racing in 1826, the first auto race was run in 1903, making it the second oldest auto racing facility in United States history. The track and grandstands were torn down in 2016 by state government officials with the plan to modernize facilities.

Harness racing

The Syracuse Mile hosted harness racing from its opening until 2005. The

Hambletonian Stakes The Hambletonian Stakes is a major American harness race for three-year-old trotting horses, named in honor of Hambletonian 10, a foundation sire of the Standardbred horse breed, also known as the "Father of the American Trotter." The first ...

were held from 1926 through 1929. In the early 1970s, a new 16,000-seat grandstand was built as part of an unsuccessful attempt to bring back the Hambletonian Stakes.

Auto racing

In 1900, a $10,000 bid was awarded to build a dirt track suitable for auto racing on the perimeter of the harness track. The first auto race at the track was held in 1903, and won by

Barney Oldfield Berna Eli "Barney" Oldfield (January 29, 1878 – October 4, 1946) was an American pioneer automobile racer; his "name was synonymous with speed in the first two decades of the 20th century". After success in bicycle racing, he began auto ...

in his "Baby Bullet". Oldfield averaged more than 60 mph in a lap around the mile. Syracuse was one of the several tracks one mile in length that made up the

AAA AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Airports * Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA) * Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA) Arts, entertainment, and me ...

national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

. From 1925 to 1971 the Fairgrounds Board contracted with former Indianapolis driver Ira Vail to promote auto racing. With Vail's promotion, drivers such as Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and Al Unser competed for wins during one of the Indianapolis 500's golden era's, putting the Syracuse Mile in the national spotlight. On Labor Day 1949 the sportsman modified stock cars took to the track. The New York State Fair Championship then became a Labor Day a tradition that lasted until 2003.

Floyd, New York Floyd is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 3,819 at the 2010 census. The town is named after William Floyd, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The Town of Floyd is located east of the City of Rome and ...

driver Cliff Kotary reigned as State Fair Champion for six straight years (1960-1965). In 1955 the first of three races for what is now referred to as the NASCAR Cup Series at the fairgrounds. Tim Flock, Buck Baker and Gwyn Staley were victorious in the three events held from 55-57. NASCAR's Convertible Stock Series also competed in 56 and 57. Curtis Turner and Possum Jones were victorious in those events. In 1972, Glenn Donnelly began promoting races at the fairgrounds adding to the Labor Day event with races on the Fourth of July and Columbus Day weekend. The October race became

Super DIRT Week Super Dirt Week is a modified racing event held annually on Columbus Day weekend in Central New York state. History The first event was scheduled over three days, from September 29, through October 1, 1972 at the New York State Fairgrounds. In ...

, and continued at the Fairgrounds until 2015. Buzzie Reutimann beat NASCAR Hall of Famer

Jerry Cook Jerry Cook (born June 20, 1943) is a NASCAR modified championship race car driver. He began racing at the age of 13 and won the track championship at Utica-Rome Speedway in 1969. Racing career He eventually went to become a six-time champion in ...

for the 1972 Championship. Brett Hearn of

Kinnelon, New Jersey Kinnelon () is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, New Jersey, United States, located approximately west of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,966, a drop ...

, became the all-time win leader at the "Moody Mile," after claiming 6 Super Dirt Week main event victories and 6 "358 Modified" triumphs, the final coming in 2014.

The “Moody Mile”

The race track was nicknamed "The Moody Mile" after driver Wes Moody turned a 100-mile-per-hour lap in 1970.

Closure

In 2015, New York Governor

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cu ...

announced a sweeping redesign of the fairgrounds that included taking out what was the 16,000-seat grandstand and mile-long dirt track. The last stock car race was held that year on Columbus day weekend. The Super DIRT Week events were moved to a temporary dirt track at

Oswego Speedway The Oswego Speedway is a 5/8 mile race track in Oswego, New York. It was built in 1951 and was paved with asphalt since the 1952. The track has held dates on several national tours - the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, ASA National Tour, and USAC ...

References

External links

“Black Flag:We're Losing One Of America's Best Dirt Tracks And It's Heartbreaking.” Japolink.com
Dirt oval race tracks in the United States Sports venues in Onondaga County, New York Motorsport venues in New York (state) Defunct horse racing venues in the United States 1826 establishments in New York (state) Sports venues completed in 1826 Sports venues demolished in 2016 Demolished sports venues in New York (state) {{Super DIRTcar Series tracks