Kingston Speedway
{{Short description|Motorsport venue in Kingston, Ontario Canada}}
{{Infobox motorsport venue
| name = Kingston Speedway
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| location = Kingston, Ontario Canada
| coordinates = {{coord|44.2828|-76.4924|type:landmark_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
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| opened = 1952
| closed = 1976
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| layout1 = Oval
| surface = Clay
| length_km = .4
| length_mi = .25
| turns = 4
| banking = Semi-banked
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| turns2 = 4
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Kingston Speedway was a quarter-mile dirt oval raceway located in the Thousand Islands region of Ontario, Canada.
Overview
In 1951 Rod Cutway organized a group of racing enthusiasts and roughed-out a version of a three-eighths-mile racetrack on his father-in-law’s land.{{cite web|title=Track Database – Kingston Speedway|url=https://www.canadianracer.com/track-detail.php?trackid=kingston&view=history|website=Canadian Racer|accessdate=May 6, 2025}} Final construction took place in the spring of 1952 with Tony Blake claiming the first official feature win on June 28, 1952. Blake went on to capture six track championships.{{cite news |last=Kennedy |first=Patrick |date=April 17, 2003 |title=Tony Blake 'a Class Act' |newspaper=The Kingston Whig-Standard |location=Ontario, Canada}}
Lawrence Craven began a decade long stretch promoting the facility in 1955, during which he added banking and shortened the track to a quarter-mile. Multi-time track champion Fred Gibson then took over operations along with his brother Bud. In 1967, Bud Gibson bought out his brother and also announced jointly with the Watertown Speedway a rule change to allow overhead valve V8 engines and to increase engine displacement from 250 to 310 cubic inches.{{cite news|title=Stock car speed is increased|url=https://nny360.newsbank.com/doc/image/v2%3A12A5AC0AEA465C7B%40NGPA-NYNNTS-176AD59A2C78356D%402439824-176AD5096CECCBFA%4028-176AD5096CECCBFA%40?search_terms=|date= November 29, 1967|newspaper=Watertown Daily Times|location=NY|via= NNY360 Archives|accessdate=May 6, 2025}}
The facility continued operations with several other promoters, including Fred Gibson's return from 1971-1973, closing after the 1976 season when the property was sold to a neighboring limestone quarry.{{cite news |last=Kennedy |first=Patrick |title=Kingston Speedway still holds special memories, 45 years after the end|url=https://www.thewhig.com/opinion/columnists/kingston-speedway-still-holds-special-memories-45-years-after-last-race|date=March 12, 2021|newspaper=The Kingston Whig-Standard |location=Ontario, Canada|accessdate=May 6, 2025}}
Track Champions
| class="wikitable"
!Modified !Late Model !Mini Stock |
| 1976
|Jack Theoret |Ken Pugh |
| 1975
|Jack Theoret |John Kuipers |
| 1974
|Norm Davey |Dan Corcoran |Denzil Coughlin |
| 1973
|Denzil Billings |Danny Reid |Denzil Coughlin |
| 1972
|Walter Pennock | |Al Bissette |
| 1971
|Walter Pennock | colspan="2" rowspan="20" | |
| 1970 |
| 1969
|Tony Blake |
| 1968
|Barry Poitras |
| 1967 |
| 1966 |
| 1965
|Fred Gibson |
| 1964
|Tony Blake |
| 1963
|Tony Blake |
| 1962
|Fred Gibson |
| 1961
|Woody Van Order |
| 1960
|Tony Blake |
| 1959
|Woody Van Order |
| 1958
|Woody Van Order |
| 1957
|Woody Van Order |
| 1956
|Tony Blake |
| 1955
|Woody Van Order |
| 1954
| |
| 1953
|Ernie Lindsay |
| 1952
|Andy Rae |