The Racetrack At 57 Gunnville Rd. – A History Of Lancaster Dragway And Why It Needs To Be Saved


The Racetrack At 57 Gunnville Rd. – A History Of Lancaster Dragway And Why It Needs To Be Saved

(Words by  Rob Kozak – Photos Rob Kozak Collection) – Originally a 1/2 mile dirt oval, the race track at 57 Gunnville Rd. in Lancaster, New York opened its doors on May 30, 1959.  What is now known as Elegant Builders Raceway Park, has been known by several different names over the years; Dunn Tire Raceway Park, Lancaster Raceway, Lancaster Motorsports Park, New Lancaster Speedway, and Lancaster National Speedway.  But, to Buffalo, NY area racers and spectators, it’s known simply as Lancaster.

lancaster

An 1/8 mile drag strip was added in front of the oval in preparation for the 1960 racing season.  Over several years, the dirt oval was paved and increased in size several times until it reached its current 5/8 mile design.

While every community has its love affairs with their sports stadiums, arenas, and race tracks, I’d venture to say very few have produced what this little track next to I-90. There’s an old saying around the pits at Lancaster that is a derivative of the line from the Sinatra tune “New York, New York”.  Frank says, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere,” but at Lancaster it goes, “if you can win at Lancaster, you can win anywhere.”  There is more than a little truth to this statement.

While our stick and ball teams struggle to be competitive, the list of racers from Lancaster who have gone on to set national records, win races, both nationally and internationally, and brought multiple championships back home to Buffalo, is a long one. Since the inception of the drag strip at Lancaster, there have been many racers who have gone on to prominence.

One of the first factory backed racers to come out of our area was Dick “Barney” Oldfield.  Oldfield gained recognition behind the wheel of “The Good Guys” Super Stock Dodge run out of the Jan-Cen shop of Jim Janis Sr. and Tony Centra.  Oldfield later went on to shoe several Chrysler backed entries including the famed “Motown Missile”.

Dick Oldfield

Around the time Oldfield was gaining momentum, a young kid nicknamed “Gentleman” Jim Oddy started to make himself known nationally.  In 1972, Oddy won Competition Eliminator at the NHRA U.S. Nationals. Jim continued for several years to garner attention behind the wheel. While continuing to race locally at Lancaster, as well as regionally and nationally, Oddy won both Driver and Mechanic of the year honors in NHRA Division 1.

jim oddy

After hanging up his fire suit, Oddy turned to another of Lancaster’s regulars, “Fast” Fred Hahn, handing him the driving duties of his now infamous “Black Mariah” Corvette. Hahn, at the time, was one of our areas best drivers running weekly in Quick 8 competition at Lancaster.  Hahn also piloted Paul Zgoda’s Top Alcohol Funny Car on the match race circuit.  Together Hahn and Oddy re-wrote nearly every door slammer record book from 1988 through the early 2000s.  The duo won championships in every sanctioning body in which they competed, including the NHRA and IHRA.

Fred Hahn By Ken Bainbridge

The exploits of Hahn and Oddy on the national scene helped fuel the fire of Mike Janis, the son of the aforementioned Jan-Cen Racing Engines owner, Jim Janis Sr. Mike erupted onto the national scene in the late 90s, and by the early 2000s Janis had won two IHRA titles, and become the second winningest driver in IHRA Pro Modified history.  Janis still competes today and has amassed an impressive resume since his last title.  While winning the U.S. Nationals in 2013 is high on the list of accomplishments, even more impressive is the list of racers around the globe that utilize engines prepared by Janis at the shop his late father started nearly 60 years ago.

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Lancaster is also responsible for helping hone the skills of the winningest sportsman driver in NHRA history, Dan Fletcher.  Fletcher, a resident of Rochester, NY, would routinely make the trip down the New York State Thruway to compete at Lancaster before making the transition to that of a traveling professional sportsman racer.  Fletcher currently has amassed more than 80 NHRA national event victories, and three world championships; two in Super Stock, and one in Competition Eliminator.  In addition, Fletcher has countless division wins, championships, and racing accolades too numerous to list.  Another accomplished local driver to the NHRA scene is Bill Leber, Jr.  Leber has won several NHRA national events, the Super Stock Division 1 championship twice, and was NHRA Division 1 Driver of the Year in 2003.

Billy Leber

Other Lancaster racers that have enjoyed a degree of success away from home are the Grainy Brothers, Mike Swinarski, Dave Tomasino, Duane LaFleur, Jason Oldfield, Jason Vitez, and Ken Jozwiak.  However, there is now a new group of racers that are taking to the road, with some already taking home national event victories, like Bob Bauer, Dan Flanigan, Jon Jablonski, Ray Thurston IV, and Rochester’s Pete D’Agnolo.  Pete, who won his first NHRA national event in Charlotte, NC earlier this year, is also the frontrunner to win the 2014 IHRA Super Stock championship.  A couple of racers who literally grew up at Lancaster are Vic Puglia, and Robert Bauer III.  Puglia, in 1998, at the age of 13, won the IHRA Junior Dragster World Championship, while Robert Bauer III has been a multi-time Lancaster Junior Dragster Track Champion.  Both Vic and Robert currently have full-size rides, and have promising racing futures ahead of them.

Bob Bauer

 

waltpryzbyl

(On a side note; since we just mentioned some of Lancaster’s past Junior Dragster Champions, a story about Lancaster and its Junior Racers would not be complete without telling you about the FIRST Junior Dragster in the history of drag racing. Yep, the one that sits in Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum and has Lancaster painted on the side. It was the first and it was built by one of Western, NY’s motorsports legends, Ken Bainbridge, for his sons, Kenny, Keith and Kevin.  Originally built in 1971 for Kenny it was rebuilt for Kevin and Keith again in 1978 when they were 6 years old they ran it at Lancaster. Many of you may know Ken Bainbridge Sr. as Old Man of Old Man Engineering.)

Bainbridge Jr Dragster

 

dragster 003c Dragster 004 Dragster 006 Dragster 043 Dragster 073 Dragster 086 Dragster 175 Dragster 176 Dragster 176a

There are people in this area who have made careers in this sport, and even became world famous at what they do, with Lancaster having played an important role. Jim Salemi of G-Force Race Cars, Jon Salemi of Resolution Racing Services, Mike Stawicki of MSR Racing Engines, and Dan DeLaney, Dan the Sign Man, to name a few.  In addition, there are other companies that have close ties to Lancaster and are able to thrive in the motorsports business such as Jiffy-tite, Fluidampr, and Data Clutch.

Jim Zakia

These legends and up and comers of the world of drag racing came from that narrow, little track that NHRA Funny Car Champion Cruz Pedregon said, “is not a drag strip”.  Well Cruz, don’t be jealous not everyone can win there.  It is possible that many of these accomplishments would not have come to pass if not for that little track next to I-90.

Now that I’ve given you a glimpse into Lancaster’s past, I’d like to make you aware that the track’s future is in question.  While many would describe the current state of the facility as “a rundown dump”, I prefer to look at it the way Johnny Cash described that “Ragged Old Flag”, as I’m mighty proud of that rundown dump.  I can remember where the Bison’s logo was in the 1980s.  I can tell you about how a regular Friday night quick 8 was as competitive as any national event, or I can tell you stories of the after hours foot races us kids had on the track while our parents bench raced over some Gennys.  I can tell you how scared I was my first pass down the track during time trials, me in a “Gutless” Cutlass up against a ’55 Chevy that was so loud I didn’t know if my car was even running.  Or, I could tell you about taking the most beautiful girl in my high school on our first date (an honest to goodness model) to Lancaster for a Quick 8 show when I was 17.  But, then I’d also have to tell you it was our only date because I may have ignored her a little bit when I was asked to put a tune on a blown small block Chevy powered dragster.  Hey, it went from 5.30s to high 4.80s in one pass!  If I told you those things I’d also have to tell you my favorite memory of Lancaster and how my brothers and I would fight in the station wagon on the way down the track to see who got to sit on the floor of the Gremlin, next to Buzzy when he was towed back to the pits after a run.

Kozak and Krause gremlin By Gerry Krause

I know there are plenty of people who have lived in our area that have similar stories and that’s why it’s important to me at this time to tell you that the future of the facility is up in the air. The current owner of the property has again put the place up for sale and the existing lease ends at the end of the season. There is someone interested in purchasing the facility, but there’s nothing solid yet.  So, that’s why I took it upon myself to organize one last big event for the year.  Could it be the last ever?  I don’t think so, as I’m hoping rumors become reality and a new owner comes in with a vibrant attitude and fruitful ideas. If that happens, then we’ve set the bar for every season finale’ to come. Either way I hope to see every one of you with a memory of Lancaster on September 26th at the “Last Drag Race?  Lancaster!!!”

torrelli

(For those of you who watched Bangshift’s coverage of Drag Week and saw Nick Plewniak and his “Stretchy Truck”, yep he’s one of ours too.)

stretchy

FJ Smith Camaro

 

 

 

 


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14 thoughts on “The Racetrack At 57 Gunnville Rd. – A History Of Lancaster Dragway And Why It Needs To Be Saved

  1. charlieg

    Lancaster is my home track 10 minutes from my house, that’s where I learned to drag race and hopefully continue to race.

  2. Ian Mol

    Many a good Friday night watching Quick 8 like Midnight’s Madness Gremblin shown. Too bad racing at Atlanta Speedway on Friday Night’s is not as good. Remember also no lights after shutdown area other than a single light down in the woods. Oh and the same cop patrolling the berm in the pits for years so we would not get close to the track. Great times there after crossong from Canada to see the action. Too bad I am so far away.

  3. Keith Bainbridge

    Extremely proud to be from Lancaster. . It has been a birth place for a lot of professional racers like myself, and my brother Kenny..We both were fortunate enough to win Nascar championships. Kenny is a true champion and currently employed at DEI. Carrying on the Old Man’s talent with the best transmissions in Nascar..

  4. Dave

    Fond memories. I remember weeknight drags and weekend oval track races back in the 70’s. Jim Oddy. Occasional jet cars. Bracket racing with 5 second difference dial-ins. LOL. I am old, but my long term memory is still good!

    Brian, didn’t know you are a WNY native.

  5. Dave Miller

    I believe Mr Fletcher was a Rochester Talent, Spent many Saturday Nights @ Hooterville. These 2 short tracks make you very good specially on the tree. We ve raced all 3 local tracks, Hate to see Lancaster go by the wayside.Sure was fun knocking their points leader off the first round. The very best competition tho. Also wish for a miracle, Beam back Niagara.

  6. evil16v

    It’s a historical site… i don’t know how many buildings around here have been saved by that status… surprised someone doesn’t try that angle with a race track.

  7. Ken

    I’ve raced at Lancaster since 1990, winning over 30 races & 4 track championships. I still support our little track on Friday nights & hope that somebody steps up to save it so we can continue to make more history there.

  8. Tom P

    I was talking to some guys at SRCA Drag Strip in Great Bend Kansas on DragWeek and they said it has historical status. I think that should be done with Lancaster and many others.

  9. Kerri

    The racing community is a family. We have shared highs and lows, rubbed and raced and tgrown some blows, but at the end of the day, its a family here. I work at Lancaster. I don’t do it for the money, I do it because I love it there. I think it’s very important to recognize not only the racers but the current owner who has been the one who kept us from losing a race track in our area. Over the past four years I have grown to love the people there, racers, fans, spectators, pit crews and the employees. I am proud to be a part of this legendary Track. Seeing the stands and pits full last week brought a tear to my eye and it brought such excitement to the fans as well as the racers. Cross our fingers for more glory days!!!! Special thanks to the Galuzzi family for all their hard work, dedication and family oriented work place.

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