Cliff Kotary
{{Short description|American Dirt Modified racing driver (born 1919 - 2010)}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name = Cliff Kotary
| image =
| birth_name = Clifford L. Kotary
| birth_date = November 8, 1919
| birth_place = Floyd, New York
| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|12|27|1919|11|8|mf=y}}{{cite news|title=Clifford Kotary Obituary |url= https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-post-standard/2010/12-29/page-9/|date=December 29, 2010 |newspaper=The Post-Standard|location=Syracuse NY|page=9 |via=NewspaperArchive |accessdate=November 9, 2023}}
| first year = 1948
| car number = 60x, 90, 188
| championships =
| wins = 300+
| last finish =
| titles = 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 New York State Fair Champion
| awards=
| updated=
|last series=Modified racing career|retired=1968}}
Clifford "Cliff" Kotary (November 8, 1919 – December 27, 2010) was an American dirt modified racing driver who accounted for over 300 feature victories. He won an unprecedented six straight New York State Fair Labor Day Championships.{{cite news |last=Mosher |first=Ron |date=December 30, 2010 |title=Cliff Kotary, former driver, dies at 91 |url=https://www.uticaod.com/story/news/education/graduation/2010/12/30/cliff-kotary-former-driver-dies/44870659007/ |accessdate=November 9, 2023 |work=Observer-Dispatch |publisher= |publication-place=Utica NY}}
Racing career
Cliff Kotary began his racing career at Bennett's Field in North Utica, New York in 1948. He competed successfully at the renowned tracks throughout New York, Vermont, and Canada, including Fonda Speedway New York, Kingston Speedway Ontario, Maple Grove Speedway (Waterloo) New York, Monroe County Fairgrounds New York, State Line Speedway (Bennington) Vermont, and the Watertown Speedway New York.{{cite news |last=Wade |first=Bob |date=July 25, 1957 |title=Sports Beat |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/canandaigua/canandaigua-daily-messenger/1957/07-25/page-6/ |accessdate=November 9, 2023 |work=Daily Messenger |publisher= |location=Canandaigua NY |page=6 |via=NewspaperArchive}}{{cite news |date=August 24, 1957 |title=50 lap race on schedule |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/oneonta/oneonta-star/1957/08-24/page-8/ |accessdate=November 9, 2023 |work=The Daily Star |publisher= |location=Oneonta NY |page=8 |via=NewspaperArchive}}{{cite news |date=October 22, 1957 |title=Simek photo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=41MuAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA36&dq=cliff+kotary+speedway&article_id=3898,3383265 |accessdate=November 9, 2023 |work=The Daily Gazette |publisher= |page=19 |publication-place=Schenectady NY |via=Google Books}}{{cite news |date=September 5, 1959 |title=Kotary back at track, wins feature 2nd time |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/729950331 |access-date=November 9, 2023 |newspaper=The Kingston Whig-Standard |location=Ontario, Canada |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |date=September 8, 1959 |title=Kotary wins fourth feature, sets record for 10 miles |url=https://nny360.newsbank.com/doc/image/v2%3A12A5AC0AEA465C7B%40NGPA-NYNNTS-1769B58D5C53EB06%402436820-1767DC0173EEC0E9%4013-1767DC0173EEC0E9%40?pdate=1959-09-08 |accessdate=November 9, 2023 |work=Watertown Daily Times |publisher= |location=NY |page=14 |via=NNY 360Archives}}{{cite news |last=Shaw |first=David L. |date=July 10, 2021 |title=Memories of Maple Grove — The speedway, not the cemetery |url=https://www.fltimes.com/news/memories-of-maple-grove-the-speedway-not-the-cemetery/article_872f1d2f-96c1-5581-ada5-e04745210106.html |accessdate=November 9, 2023 |work=Finger Lakes Times |publisher= |location=Geneva NY}}
In 1960 Kotary won the first of six straight New York State Fair championship events at the Syracuse Mile. His attempt for a seventh Labor Day victory in 1966 ended while he was leading with four laps remaining and the engine broke.{{cite news |date=September 6, 1965 |title=Kotary defends title: Stock cars vie in title race |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-post-standard/1965/09-06/page-20/ |accessdate=November 9, 2023 |work=The Post-Standard |publisher= |location=Syracuse NY |page=20 |via=NewspaperArchive}}
Cliff Kotary was inducted into the Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, the New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame and the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame.
References
{{Reflist}}
External link
- [http://www.catamountstadium.com/CliffKotary_Watertown_188_BillDudleyColl.jpg Early Cliff Kotary stock car]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotary, Cliff}}