| Location | Hartsville, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°16′11″N77°38′50″W / 42.2696°N 77.6473°W |
| Owner | Paul Amidon |
| Broke ground | 1958 |
| Opened | 1959 |
| Closed | 1965 |
| Surface | Clay |
| Length | .536 km (0.333 mi) |
| Banking | High-banked |
Hornell Raceway was a 1⁄3-mile (0.54 km) dirt oval racing facility in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.
Paul Amidon was a crewman working area racing events when, in 1958, he decided to build his own racetrack on land he owned at the outskirts of Hornell, New York. [1] The track opened in 1959 with a lack of race car entries and a rough and dusty track surface. Amidon quickly switched to hosting the more popular “B-Class” (sportsman) and “Modern” (hobby stock) cars, and resolved the track surface issues. [2]
The Hornell region was a significant repair and maintenance center for the railroad, with a massive railroad yard and repair shops that were among the largest in the country at the time. [3] Many race spectators were on train crews that were subject to short notice calls to work. To accommodate them Amidon installed a telephone in the announcer booth so that the train dispatcher could have crew members paged. [1]
Racing continued through the 1965 season, after which Amidon had the property restored for farming operations. [1] [4] [5]