Lancaster Motorplex
{{Short description|Motorsport venue in Lancster, New York}}
{{Infobox motorsport venue
| name = Lancaster Motorplex
| nicknames =
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| location = Lancaster, New York
| coordinates = {{coord|42.9506|-78.6271|type:landmark_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
| logo =
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| owner = Mike Swinarski, Scott Nurmi
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| opened = 1959
| closed =
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| former_names = New York International Raceway Park, Lancaster Raceway Park, Lancaster Motorsports Park, Lancaster Speedway, Lancaster National Speedway; Elegant Builders Raceway Park; Dunn Tire Raceway Park
| events =
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| website = {{URL|http://www.lancastermotorplexny.com/}}
| layout1 = Oval
| surface = Asphalt
| length_km = .8
| length_mi = .5
| turns = 4
| banking = Slight
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| layout2 = Dragway
| surface2 = Asphalt
| length2_km = .2
| length2_mi = .125
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| layout3 = Inner oval
| surface3 = Asphalt
| length3_km = .4
| length3_mi = .25
| turns3 = 4
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Lancaster Motorplex is an automotive racing facility in the Buffalo-Niagara Region of Western New York which features a {{convert|0.5|mi|km|adj=on}} slightly banked asphalt oval. The complex also includes a quarter-mile inner oval and an eighth-mile dragway.
Overview
The Lancaster Motorplex opened by promoter Ed Serwacki and 10 partners in 1959 as the Lancaster Speedway.{{cite web|last=Bisci|first=John|title=Edward Serwacki - Obituary|url=https://racersreunion.com/ron-wetzler/gallery/39675/ed-serwacki-gone-rip-obit-attached|date=November 25, 2010|website=Racers Reunion|accessdate=March 15, 2025}} The campus originally included a dirt oval track, a half-mile drag strip, sports car course and clubhouse complete with showers, but the surface was paved in 1963.{{cite news|last=Wilbur|first=Bob|title=July opening charted for Ithaca speedway|url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/elmira/elmira-sunday-telegram/1959/07-14/page-48 |date=July 4, 1959|accessdate=March 14, 2025|newspaper=Sunday Telegram|location=Elmira NY |page=7D |via=NewspaperArchive}} By 1971 Serwacki had bought out most of his partners, and sold the complex to Jim Vollertsen, former promoter of the Spencer Speedway in Willamson, New York. Vollersten owned the property until 1984, and his upgrades included incorporating the drag strip into the oval in 1976.{{cite news|title=Racing scheduled at Williamson International Speedway|url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=tim19960423-01.1.1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN----------|date=April 23, 1996|page=1|newspaper=The Times|location=Newark NY|via=NYS Historic Newspapers|accessdate=March 15, 2025}}
In 1989 Alex Friesen, whose family also owned the Ransomville Speedway, purchased the facility from Alan Moore and Bob Fedder.{{cite news|last=O'Brien|first=Dick|title=Friesens look to revive track|url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-herald-journal/1989/05-25/page-62 |date=May 25, 1989|accessdate=March 15, 2025|newspaper=Syracuse Herald American|location=NY |page=8E |via=NewspaperArchive}}{{cite news|last=Irvine|first=Dennis|title=Hot Laps|url= https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/towanda/the-daily-review/1989/05-19/page-8|date=May 19, 1989|page=8|newspaper=The Daily Review|location=Towanda PA |via=NewspaperArchive|accessdate=March 14, 2025}} Following Friesen's death in late 1996 the family continued to manage the racetrack until selling it to Gordon Reger, who then operated the venue for the next 20 years.{{cite news|last=Beebe|first=Michael|title= Accident kills man credited in car-race rebirth |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/accident-kills-man-credited-in-car-race-rebirth/article_f4cd6296-f935-5aa5-acaf-0eb076f2734b.html|publisher=The Buffalo News|location=NY |date= December 6, 1996|accessdate=July 31, 2024}}{{cite news|last=Rosenthal Drury|first=Tracey|title=Lancaster Speedway marketing motors into fast lane|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/1997/05/05/story3.html|date=May 5, 1997|newspaper=Buffalo Business First|location=NY|accessdate=March 14, 2025}}{{cite news|last=Richert|first=George|title=Attorney Paul Cambria considering purchase of Lancaster Speedway|url=https://www.wivb.com/news/attorney-paul-cambria-considering-purchase-of-lancaster-speedway/|date=March 4, 2019|publisher=WIVB-TV|location=Buffalo NY|accessdate=March 14, 2025}}
In 2019 Reger leased the facility to a group of investors who renamed the complex the New York International Raceway Park.{{cite news|last=Roberts|first=Jackie|title=Lancaster Speedway approaches opening weekend with new owners and a new name| url=https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/lancaster-speedway-approaches-opening-weekend-with-new-owners-and-a-new-name/71-ed5d210f-0431-4fa6-a370-cc3bd27abf0c|date=May 15, 2019|publisher=WGRZ-TV|location=Buffalo NY|accessdate=March 14, 2025}} Headed by drag racer Mike Swinarski and stock car driver Scott Nurmi, the investor group reorganized in 2022 to purchase the facility outright, rebranding it the Lancaster Motorplex.{{cite news|last=Fink|first=James|title=New York International Raceway Park rebrands as Lancaster Motorplex|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2022/06/10/investors-pay-149-million-for-lancaster-track.html|date=June 10, 2022|newspaper=Buffalo Business First|location=NY|accessdate=March 14, 2025}}{{cite news|title=New Owners for Lancaster National Speedway (NY)|url=https://www.performanceracing.com/magazine/industry-news/06-14-2022/new-owners-lancaster-national-speedway-ny|date=June 14, 2022|newspaper=Performance Racing Industry|accessdate=March 15, 2025}}
Events
On most Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights throughout the racing season, the Motorplex hosts a variety of Junior Dragsters, Trophy Class, Senior Nostalgia and other classes competing on the drag strip.{{cite web|title=Lancaster Dragway|url=https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/3842/schedule|website=MyRacePass|accessdate=March 15, 2025}}
Saturday nights feature oval track racing, with weekly racing by the Sportsman, Street Stocks, and 4 Cylinders, supplemented by special appearances by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Series, Asphalt Super Late Models, Supermodifieds, and TQ Midgets.{{cite news|last=Ott|first=Larry|title=WNY Autos: Racing calendar for 2024 taking shape around region|url=https://buffalonews.com/wny-autos-racing-calendar-for-2024-taking-shape-around-region/article_712c157e-8a04-11ee-a2a2-1b8d2c235e32.html|date=November 24, 2023|newspaper=The Buffalo News|location=NY|accessdate=March 15, 2025}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.lancastermotorplexny.com/ Official website]
- [https://www.racing-reference.info/tracks/Lancaster_Motorplex/ Lancaster Motorplex race results] at Racing-Reference
{{NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racetracks}}
Category:Motorsport venues in New York (state)
Category:Sports venues in Erie County, New York