FW: Kingston Speedway Reunion Goes Green for a 3rd Year

Kingston Speedway Reunion Goes Green for a 3rd Year

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

It’s become a regular rite of the summer racing season.  For the 3rd consecutive year drivers, friends, family and fans of the former Kingston Speedway will gather at the Odessa Fairgrounds to celebrate the limestone city oval’s rich racing history.  From humble beginnings a few summers ago, show organizer Rob Clark says the event has gained strength and momentum each year.

“In the first go-round, we really didn’t know what to expect,” says Clark.  “Some of the drivers and fans heard about the show and linked to the various sites we were using to promote it.  There were comments on the message boards but until the gates opened it was had to predict how the event would be received.  The track had been closed since ’76 and while we hoped the turn-out would be strong, we had no idea how popular it would really be.”

With the 3rd round of the reunion scheduled for June 13th and 14th, fans can expect to see even more of their racing heroes and the cars that made the track a Friday night tradition.  To help generate some interest in the event, Rob Clark has worked to arrange a race night at Brighton Speedway Park.  Fans of coupe and coach racing will get a special treat Saturday, May 30th.

The track will host a vintage modified invitational event – featuring Kingston’s Tom Traynor, runners from the McNamee Concrete Series and a variety of drivers from throughout Ontario, including Brockville’s Denzil Billings Sr. and Harold Sonnenberg of the Niagara region.  Both drivers are in their 70’s and still compete actively at a variety of tracks.  The Rinaldi family has also invited Clark to set-up a display at the track to promote the event.

“We’ve been able to build-up a solid network of fans and friends,” Clark says.  “If things keep going the way they have been, we hope the next Kingston Speedway Reunion will be at a new Kingston Speedway.  Each year, people have told us about some of the former track’s cars and where they are.  Some of the drivers who ran the track every week have been lucky enough to search-out their former rides and have worked on getting them restored. 

Bob Prud’homme from Belleville, Ontario read about the first edition of the show in 2007 and then found-out the Malibu late model he raced at the track was still out there.  He picked it up, started working on restoring it and brought it to the 2008 edition of the show as a ‘work-in-progress’.  We’re hoping he’ll have the finished product at this year’s event.  There are even people out there who want to build a car from scratch as a tribute to their favourite racer.  The pieces might not be that easy to find, but they’re around if you know where to look for them.”

Another former Kingston Speedway car made its reunion debut in 2008.  Brockville’s Henry Hannewyk bought and restored a former 3 window coupe campaigned at the track by many time champion Tony Blake.  The car had been sold to veteran racer Ted Hossler and finished its on-track life being run by Blake, but raced as Hossler’s #97.  Hannewyk picked it up and did some hard work on the piece to get it into showcar condition.  The Brockville Speedway track photographer also runs it in selected vintage modified shows at the 3/8th mile oval.

Rob Clark says fans can expect to see a replica of Buzzie Reutimann’s famed #00 coupe, an original #24 Will Cagle car and some other new entries at this year’s edition.  There will also be several Kingston Speedway racecars that have been restored over the years and an interesting display of model racecars, scrapbooks, photo albums, trophies and memorabilia from the McAdoo’s Lane quarter-mile oval.  For additional information, visit www.carkatz.com or call Rob Clark at 705.359.1275.  You can also ‘google’ Kingston Speedway Reunion to learn more.

Mark your calendars now for the 3rd edition of the Kingston Speedway Reunion – Saturday and Sunday, June 13th and 14th at the Odessa Fairgrounds.

Photo attachments:

#1).  Tony Blake accepts a trophy from Kingston Speedway starter Phil Marshall.  (Photo by Vi Perry, Meyers Studios.  Clarke Motorsports Communications collection)

#2).  Brockville’s Henry Hannewyk bought and restored Blake’s #66 coupe to its former glory.

(Photo by Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications)