New York’s Lancaster Dragway Future In Limbo – Owner Vows To Sell Facility, Will Not Reopen For Racing Without New Ownership


New York’s Lancaster Dragway Future In Limbo – Owner Vows To Sell Facility, Will Not Reopen For Racing Without New Ownership

In what has become a sadly recurring tale for Lancaster Dragway located outside of Buffalo, New York, an owner’s outlook for the facility may see its gates closed forever. Owner Gordon Reger announced in the fall that he would be selling the track and did not plan to reopen it without new ownership. Over the last few seasons there have been facility improvements made at Lancaster. Paving, a new track surface, and other upgrades have the strip as functional as it has been since its 1959 opening day.

This would seem like a pretty cut and dry story but the extra layer or complication here is that Reger has been offered numbers very close to what he has been asking for the track and has refused to budge on his sale price. He was quoted in The Buffalo News as saying, “The track has not been sold and is still for sale and, like I stated before, I’m not planning on running the track anymore under my ownership. I’m not going to give it away. I’m looking to sell the track and for the price I’m looking for, not anything less.”

Signage has been placed along the road advertising the facility as property for sale and local racers are very concerned that Reger does not want to see the track operated any longer and is looking for a buyer who would use the land for industrial or other purposes. There’s no quotes or hard data to back this theory up but if in fact Reger has been offered money in the range of his asking price and has not budged, one can see where this theory started.

The drag strip and circle track combo facility has been on the verge of closure and has gone through operating upheavals over the last several years. In September of 2014 the track held what many believed would be its last drag race ever. Circumstances changed, good fortune shone down on the track and the last couple of seasons have seen the place draw cars, carry on weekly programs, and seemingly climb back from the brink.

As of this writing, a Save Lancaster GoFundMe account has raised $2,560 on a goal of $350,000 which would apparently be used to make a downpayment on the track and aid prospective buyers in their quest to bridge the money gap between themselves and Reger.

Lancaster has come back from a seemingly certain end before. One has to wonder how this will turn out. The winter months provide little action on the track at Lancaster but as history has shown us since 2014, there is plenty of drama off of it.


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19 thoughts on “New York’s Lancaster Dragway Future In Limbo – Owner Vows To Sell Facility, Will Not Reopen For Racing Without New Ownership

  1. 69rrboy

    A shame. Maybe he can turn a perfectly good track into a metal scrap business? Oh, I guess that only happens in NJ.

  2. Mike Brooks

    It’ll be a shame and a huge loss for racers in the area if Lancaster closes. I love my little home track. The place has really been on the rebound in the past few years and was on the right path. Hopefully something happens before its gone forever.

  3. Bob Keen

    Brian Lohnes. Thank you for shinning a light on a matter of great concern, to many people. For which they call Lancaster Speedway/ Dragway home!

  4. Roger Scheofield

    Hopefully this place gets sold and turned into something else. Aside from a select few this track is filled with whiskey tangos and low life’s who think they rule the world

    1. Low life racer

      Really maybe you should keep your liberal mouth shut. You have no Idea what your talking about. Your ingnorance really shows.

      1. ERIC MACCHIAROLI

        Maybe you should keep your mouth shut about political affiliation since you have no clue?

        Signed a liberal dragracer.

  5. Ronnie K

    Spent my whole childhood there and raced when I was finally able to. Be a huge part of mine and many others lives lost if this deal doesn’t go through.

  6. SAVE LANCASTER NATIONAL SPEEDWAY

    I remember as a lad l traveling to Niagara Falls one U.S. Independence Day / one Canadian Dominion Day family vacation.
    Being so close to Canada, my family would make the July 1-Dominion Day holiday celebration a vacation by celebrating July 4- American Independence Day.
    We\’d be in the Buffalo-Lancaster-Niagra Falls -Tonowanda area taking in the sights (and,sites).
    The one sight that will always stay with me,not the Canadian or American fireworks celebrations or Niagara Falls, will be the first time we drove by Lancaster on U.S. I-90.
    TWO FUNNY CARS ABOUT TO RACE, staged and ready to go.For a few surprising,unexpected,and totally right-ON seconds,the complete rear view of the action.
    Almost like standing behind the starting line.
    A great childhood memory.I wish all involved the very best.

  7. Jan Gojdycz

    If he really wANTS TO SELL IT GIVE US A PRICE and some particulars so everyone knows what they are looking at . you never know Courtney & hubby . might be looking for a realestate investment and this combo could be it . If i lived up there i would contact the Force family & see if they may be interested .

  8. James jones

    I’m sorry to hear that another track is on the verge of closing. All us drag racers, here on Long Island NY know what it’s like to lose three tracks in our area. I hope that if the owners do sell, i hope it be sold to a person or persons that is a die hard lover of Drag Racing.

  9. Nitro Joe Jackson

    I raced there a few times in the early 80\’s during the Quick 16 days they use to pay big money (back then) for bracket racing also. Hate to see any track going bust, sounds like the owner is playing hard ball and it back fired on him.

  10. Doug belasco

    Spencer speedway closed outside Rochester it would be nice to have a track for everyone in buffalo there are quite a few racers there plus Canadians come over

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