Ransomville Speedway is a one-half mile semi-banked high-speed dirt oval raceway located ten miles from the Canadian-American border in Western New York.
| Location | Ransomville, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°15′42″N 78°55′30″W / 43.26167°N 78.92500°W |
| Owner | Parm Atwal |
| Operator | Dave DiPietro |
| Opened | 1958 |
| Website | www |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Clay |
| Length | .8 km (.5 miles) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Semi-banked |
| Little R | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | .1 km (.0625 miles) |
| Turns | 4 |
Overview
editHall of Fame race driver Ed Ortiz and fifteen friends, self proclaimed the Slowpoke Club, got into racing by building the original Ransomville Speedway on property behind the Ortiz family car dealership in 1954. When land became available outside of town the Slowpoke Club formed a corporation, sold shares of stock, and passed the hat at races to come up with the down payment. A local woman advanced the money for the rest of the cost and held the mortgage and the Ransomville Speedway opened at its current location in 1958.[1][2]
When the track became available in 1972, Canadian Stan Friesen, the 1969 track champion, along with a partner acquired it. Friesen also owned the nearby Merrittville Speedway in Ontario, Canada.[3] The track remained in the Friesen family until 2015 when it was purchased by Parm Atwal, whose family was an active sponsor of races at the track.[4] In 2024 Dave DiPietro Sr. was named the speedway's general manager.[5]
Events
editThe facility offers go-kart racing every Thursday night in the summer.[6] On Friday nights, action moves to the "Big R" and includes five racing classes: Modified 358's, Sportsman, Novice Sportsman, Street Stocks and Mini-stocks.[7]
Each New Year's Day the track runs the Hangover 150 Enduro. Unseasonably warm (46 degrees) weather in 2007 brought out a standing-room-only crowd and 244 entrants. Classes for four-, six- and eight-cylinder cars run 50 laps each.[3]
References
edit- ^ Petty, Steven (April 23, 2020). "Remembering Ransomville legend Ed Ortiz". Dirt Track Digest. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ Edward Y. Millar (2020). Ransomville Speedway: Dirt Track Workers in Western New York (Oral history interviews). Lewistown NY: Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University. Retrieved January 5, 2025 – via Library of Congress.
- ^ a b Boone, June (February 2009). "Ransomville Speedway:The Friesen family runs this rural dirt track in New York with a flair for promotion and a wealth of small town principles". Stock Car Racing (magazine). Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2005.
- ^ Lynch, Kaley (December 13, 2015). "Ransomville Speedway under new ownership". Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. NY. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
- ^ "'Big R': Ransomville Speedway celebrates 2023 season at awards banquet, names new GM". Grand Island NY: Niagara Frontier Publications. December 4, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
- ^ "Little R returned to action Thursday under the lights at Ransomville Speedway". The Daily News. Batavia NY. July 19, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
- ^ "Classes". Ransomville Speedway. Retrieved January 5, 2025.