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(Photo of Raceway, Ed Schwalb Studio, Wellsville c. 1940's; Just prior to start of auto racing it is believed. A neat 1/2 mile........Wellsville, NY)
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Researched and Submitted by William A. Greene, 2006 from Andover News Articles
1950:
BASEBALL BENEFIT
AT WELLSVILLE RACEWAY
THIS SUNDAY
Sunday, November 5, will mark the grand finale for the current season of stock car racing at the Wellsville Raceway with a benefit program for the Wellsville Booster Club, an organization pledged to keep PONY league ball in Wellsville next season.
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A 40-lap feature event will climax an afternoon of thrilling races. Because of the full program, racing will start promptly at 1:30.
An unusual feature on the program will be a special match race in which six cars will make four laps of the track, slam to a stop in front of the grandstand, turn around and then complete the race by running in the opposite direction.
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STOCK CAR RACES START SUNDAY AT WELLSVILLE
The 1951 racing season gets under way Sunday, May 20, at 2;30 p. M. at. the Wellsville Race-way with a program of seven events including a 25 lap feature race.
The Atlantic Stock Car Racing Association. of Corning will be back again with many of the drivers who were track favorites last season. Included will be little Curly Hatfield of Corning, Dean Layfield, 50-lap champion of the 1950 season, unlucky “Lucky” Cornish of Elmira, Whitey Gorsuch, the Flying Dutchman of Andover and the likeable Jack Thomas of Wellsville.
The drivers will come to the Raceway with a month of racing under their belts because the Atlantic also conducts racing at Owego, N. Y., and Troy, Pa., tracks.
Although the cars will be straight stock, many new wrinkles under the heading of stock parts will be found on the cars of 1951. Raceway officials promise that the 1951 season will offer a program that will be hard to beat. Included are midget and big car races along with an auto thrill show.
6/21/1951
STOCK CAR RACES BANNED IN WELLSVILLE
Stock car races in Wellsville were prohibited on order of Mayor Martin, acting on orders from the District Attorney, Allen Mapes, this week.
The races are reported to have been ruled a nuisance on the complaint of a woman living near the track.
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7/12/1951
Stock Car Races
At Wellsville
Saturday Night
Miles Gorsuch and Robert Mitchell of Andover are expected to be among the 50 drivers who will enter stock cars in the first night racing card scheduled at the Wellsville Raceway on Saturday night of this week.
Closed since June 10 when the directors of the raceway voluntarily closed their track in compliance of the much disputed Blue Laws prohibiting Sunday racing, the fast Wellsville track has been equipped with flood-lights Which will make it possible to race at night.
Installed at considerable expense, the floodlights will illuminate the track with a total of over 51,000 watts which engineers promise will be adequate light for excellent vision on the part of drivers and spectators alike.
It has also been revealed that the Atlantic Stock Car Association, with whom the raceway has an agreement, has opened racing to "modified stocks” which means that faster cars will be appearing at the Wellsville track. According to an authoritative source modified stock cars may be equipped with high lift cams, motor block may be bored out and other alterations made to improve speed.
The Saturday night program will include a total of seven races, with a 20 lap feature race topping the evening's entertainment. Starting time is 8:00 o'clock.
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7/19/1951
STOCK CAR RACING
AT WELLSVILLE
SATURDAY NIGHT
With an obstacle race as an added feature attraction, area stock car drivers will .compete in the second night racing card at the Wellsville Raceway, Wellsville, on Saturday night of this week.
The track, which is reputed to be the fastest and best lighted oval in Western New York State, has been opened to modified stock cars and times of heats, semi-finals and of the feature 20-lap race were exceptionally fast as records for eight, 12 and 20 laps fell to heavy-footed drivers when night racing was inaugurated last Saturday night.
Dean. Sprague, Wellsville,, in a souped-up Ford, lowered' the 20-lap record to 11 minutes; five seconds, while hitting an average of 54 miles per hour as he liter-ally walked away with the night-cap. The former record was held by Dean Layfield, also of Wellsville.
A new eight-lap record was set by George Egbert, Scio, at 4:30, compared with a previous 4:36 time. He came back in a semi-final heat to knock Curly Hatfield' 7:07.2 record for 12 laps down to 6:58.2.
Next Saturday night in addition ,to a scheduled seven events, a special obstacle race will be staged in which bales of hay will liberally sprinkled around the track and which drivers will at-tempt to dodge as they challege each other for the checker flag. This attraction has been used in the west and mid-west and has proven to be thrill-packed from start to finish.
It has also been announced that a drawing will be made Saturday night with the winner to be given the thrill of a driver's view of the track as he, or she, co-pilots Miles "Whitey" Gorsuch on a two-lap ride around the oval.
Starting time Saturday night is eight o'clock.
Miles Gorsuch and “Bob” Mitchell of Andover both finished in the money Saturday night, Gorsuch a second place and Mitchell in a fourth.
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7/28/1951
KNOXVILLE DRIVER
WINS AT WELLSVILLE
Loren Doan of Knoxville, in his yellow and black Hudson, walked away with the honors at the Wellsville Raceway Saturday night as he flashed to a first place in the feature race and annexed second place in the heat and semi-final races.
Although he picked up 13 points in standings, Doan still trails Dean Layfield by 13 points. Layfield added nine points to this previous total of 38 to remain seven points ahead of his nearest rival, George Egbert of Scio.
The Canaseraga Central School band opened a six-week band competition which is being sponsored by the Raceway and were impressive in their green and white uniforms. Prior to the races they presented a 15-minute program in front of the grandstand and then played during the races.
Raceway officials have announced that the Potter County Pamona Grange Band, composed of musicians from the Cowanesque Valley, would be on hand this Saturday night to entertain racing fans. The Grange Band is reported to be one of the best organizations in Northern Pennsylvania and are expected to offer real competition to other bands in the contest.
Jack Brownell, Wellsville, furnished the thrill of the night when he ran his red and yellow Ford coupe through the crash rail, and apparently only slightly slowed down, knocked a hole in the fence and disappeared. Uninjured, Brownell said tht he would be back in this week with a new car.
The semi-annual championship race which is scheduled to be held a week from Saturday night, is expected to bring the tops in stock car racing.
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9/9/1951
CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT
WELLSVILLE RACEWAY
SATURDAY NIGHT
With their eye on an expected large purse and Trophy which will go to the winner of the Mid-summer Championship Race, area stock car drivers will converge on the Wellsville Raceway on Saturday night of this week.
A full program of qualifying heats, and semi-finals is scheduled in addition to the Championship Race and competition is expected to be the keenest of the year as the drivers will all be riding intent on at least getting into the feature race.
Dean Sprague, who has shown his heels to the entrants at Wellsville nearly every time he has taken his car on the track, is rated the favorite for the Championship, but may not be able to compete after having damaged both of his Ford cars last week. Whether he will have either of them ready to go this week is problematical.
Dutch Hoag, Naples, a newcomer to the Wellsville Oval last week, gave notice that he was a contender for the Championship as he roared to two first places, one in the qualifying heats and in the feature, and was awarded a first place in the semi-final when Gus Nelson, Bradford, who finished in first place, was set back to second for passing a car on the yellow caution flag.
Dean Layfield, who is leading all drivers in points standings, will also be a serious contender for the Championship, and will be out to make it two in a row, having won the 50-lap Championship race last fall.
Gus Nelson, Bradford, in his Red Coupe, equaled the eight-lap record of 4:30 held jointly by George Egbert, Scio and Sprague, and then knocked 22 seconds off the 10 lap record set by Loren Doan, Knoxville.
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8/23/1951
Championship
Race Won By
Naples Driver
Dutch Hoag, Naples mechanic, driving for only the second time on the Wellsville Raceway last Saturday night walked away with $140 in prize money and a trophy as winner of the mid-season championship race, which covered 40 laps.
This Saturday a special evening of races is planned and officials have announced that the Scio Firemen's Band, one of the most out-standing musical organizations in the area and a group which has won countless prizes, will be on hand to compete in the band contest.
It is also revealed that track officials will pick the four fastest cars with drivers competing against time for a special award. Real speed is expected in this event with drivers not confronted with the necessity of watching for other cars on the track.
Directors of the Raceway, in hopes of presenting as much as possible in the way of entertainment have also announced that a horse pulling contest would be staged if a sufficient number of teamsters were available in the area. Men owning teams who would be interested in a contest are asked to drop a card to Mr. Herold Ford; at Ford & Peckham, Andover.
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8/30/1951
Saturday Night
And Labor Day
Races at Wellsville
Officials of the Wellsville Raceway have announced that a Spectacular weekend in stock car races is slated for the fast Wellsville track, featuring both regular stock and semi-modified cars.
A regular full program of six races will be held Saturday night and the promoters have guaranteed a $1000.00 purse for Monday, Labor Day afternoon. Such outstanding drivers as Gus Nelson of Bradford, Pa., Loren Dean, Knoxville, Pa., George Egbert, Scio, Dean and Herb Layfield, Wellsville and Curley Hatfield, Elmira will be on hand plus many other drivers who will be hoping for a portion of the $1000.00 prize money.
One of the best feature races this year was witnessed last Saturday night when Dean in a strictly stock Hudson was edged out by Nelson driving a modified Ford. Under the classified style of racing, strictly stock cars compete against each other, as do modified cars in all races except the feature. In the feature race the modified cars are started approximately 3/10 of a mile behind their slower rivals. This means that the modified cars must make up the extra distance and then work their way through a field of as many as 20 regular stocks. This makes for added excitement to spectators and a much fairer race for all the drivers.
The other five races were equally thrilling, with new track records set for eight and twelve laps. George Egbert averaged 58 mph in an eight lap heat and Gus Nelson negotiated the twelve lap-semi-finals in 6:42 seconds. The eight lap record was formerly held jointly by Egbert, Sprague and Nelson and the 12 lap record was held by Dean.
Curley Hatfield, whose fiancé has promised to marry him, but not until he wins a feature race, came from deep in the pack but couldn’t do better than fourth place.
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9/6/1951
Nelson Features
Week-end Race
Gus Nelson of Bradford proved to area stock car fans at the Wellsville Raceway over the weekend that he not only had a lot of soup under the hood but also that he knew how to run it as he drove to first places in the feature races both Saturday and Monday; received the checkered flag in four other events and was second in the only other two races in which he was entered.
His superb driving netted him a total of 23 points for the two days and pushed him well into the lead among drivers on the track.
Nelson pushed George Egbert of Scio to a new track record of 5:30 for 10 laps Saturday night, eclipsing the old record held jointly by Nelson and Dutch Hoag of Naples. Not to be over-shadowed, Nelson came back in the 12-lap semi-final and hung up a new record of 6:42 and Monday chopped an even 12 seconds from this, lowering the record for the distance to 6:30.
Nelson also knocked three seconds off the track record in the feature event as he clocked at 11:12. The former record of 11:15 was set by the late Dean Sprague on July 14.
Doan came in for his share of the glory and incidentally the prize money, as he drove his yellow and black stock to first place in the first heat and first semi-final and staged a battle with Nelson in the feature.
Another full program of racing is planned at Wellsville and as an added attraction the Rushford Community Band, winner of many awards in marching competition will be present to perform prior to and during the racing program.
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9/13/1951
Hoag, Nelson, Doan
Feature at Raceway
Spectators looking for thrills, really found plenty of them at the Wellsville Raceway, Saturday night when Dutch Hoag of Naples; Loren Doan of Knoxville and Gus Nelson of Bradford staged what was probably the most outstanding races of the season.
Hoag, who returned to the Wellsville track after a lay off of several weeks following the sale of the car which he drove to the Mid-season Championship, apparently has another modified equally as good as the first. He drove to first place in all three races in which he was entered.
Doan, still driving his strictly stock car, finished first in his heat, was second to Dean Layfield in the semi and third in the feature. This Saturday night in addition to the regular card of six races it was planned to have Doan, Hoag and Nelson race against the clock in an effort to determine which car is the fastest when not hampered by a congested track.
The Rushford Band was on hand Saturday night to compete in the area band contest being held in connection with the Saturday night races. Efforts are being made to secure another group for this week and if successful this will mark the conclusion of the contest. Bands which have competed are, The Canaseraga Central School Band, Scio Firemen's Band, Tioga County Grange Band, and the Rushford Band. Supporters of these groups are urged to send their votes to Robert Wilson in Whitesville, as soon as possible in order that the finals may be arranged. The ultimate winner of the contest will receive a $100 prize.
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9/20/1951
Band Finals at Wellsville Raceway
Finals in the area band contest which has been sponsored by officials of the Wellsville Raceway are scheduled to he held Saturday night of this week prior to the regular program of stock car racing.
Incomplete tabulations show the Scio Band and the Rushford Band to be leading but the final tally will not he released until later. The winner of the first elimination which will bring together the two most popular bands will result in a $100 prize to the band which secures the greatest number of votes Saturday.
In races last week, Dutch Hoag of Naples again came through with three victories, including the 20-lap feature and also placed second in a strictly modified heat. Loren Doan of Knoxville won first in the strictly stock heat and semi-final race. Emory Mann of Warren, Pa. won the second heat for strictly stock cars.
Nelson of Bradford managed to hold his total point lead although Dean Layfield narrowed the margin to five points. Doan moved into third place with 97 points and Egbert dropped back into fourth place. Officials of the Atlantic Stock Car Racing Association have announced that the annual Championship race will be held on the Wellsville track, Saturday night, September 29.
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9/27/1951
Championship Race at Wellsville
Saturday Night
The stock car epic of the year will be staged at the Wellsville Raceway Saturday night when 30 heavy footed drivers will compete in the annual 50 lap Championship race with the winner to receive a handsome trophy to be awarded by the Atlantic Stock Car Racing Association.
Dutch Hoag of Naples, Gus Nelson of Bradford, Loran Doan of Knoxville, George Egbert of Scio and Dean Layfield of Wellsville, based on previous performances, are conceded to be the favorites in the race with Jack Thomas and Walt Babbitt of Wellsville and Curly Hatfield of Elmira, given more than an outside chance.
Although the above named drivers have massed the greatest number of points during the current season, the 50-lap, 25 mile race is a grueling test on both driver and car, and because of this a rank outsider can very well come through with an upset victory.
Included on the evening’s card will be a full program of six races, including the feature with strictly stock cars and semi-modified cars run in separate heats.
The races scheduled last week were called following the first heat when rain caused an excessively muddy track and proved a hazard to drivers.
Stock car racing has risen to be one of the most popular sports in the country and if you are looking for an evening of thrills, plan to witness the championship race at the Wellsville Raceway Saturday night.
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10/4/1951
Car Races Saturday.
Horse Pulling Sunday
It was predicted last week that almost anything could happen and probably would during a 50 lap Championship Stock Car Race and that just about tells the story of activities at the Wellsville Raceway last Saturday night.
A last minute decision resulted in the running of a 50 lap race for strictly modified cars and a 25 lap feature for semi-modified cars.
Dean Layfield, who won the 1950 Championship race, came through with his second big victory as he shook off all challengers with an average speed of 51.6 mph. Loren Doan of Knoxville went into an early lead but threw a right front wheel in the 21st lap and was forced to withdraw. Dutch Hoag, who usually drives in the modified classification, was entered in the Championship race but he also lost a wheel and although he negotiated six laps on three wheels and a brake drum, he crashed into the fence in the 28th lap.
In the modified feature the race developed into a battle between Curly Hatfield, Dutch Hoag, Gus Nelson, Jack Thomas and Herb Layfield with Thomas taking advantage of the breaks to score his first major win of the season.
Although the Championship race was scheduled to be the final program of the season, track officials have announced that due to the large number of spectators who expressed their desire to have the races continue a regular card of six events will be held this Saturday night.
The gas burners will give way to the hay burners Sunday afternoon at the Wellsville Raceway when area teamsters will compete in a horse pulling con-test in front of the grandstand. A spokesman for the raceway stated the prizes will be large enough to draw out the best teams in western New York.
Interested horseman who desire additional information should contact either Ralph E. Benjamin from Wellsville or Herold Ford at Andover.
The contest is slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. and team owners should plan to have their entry on the grounds by 1:30.
The addition of a horse pulling contest is in keeping with track officials attempts to make the raceway available for diversified spectators entertainment.
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At present I have no further articles from the Andover News until the following:
7/30/1953
Stock Car Races Open
Again in Wellsville
Wellsville Raceway stock car races that were recently discontinued by Buffalo promoter Ben Lalomia will be resumed under new management on Friday evening, July 31, and will be conducted through the month of August each Friday night.
Jim Dean, Wellsville resident and part owner of the track will take over the promotion and operation of the track on an individual basis.