Bethel Motor Speedway
| Location | White Lake, Bethel, Sullivan County, New York, USA |
|---|---|
| Time zone | GMT-5 |
| Coordinates | 41.70818300, -74.836841 |
| Owner | Fred Graf Racing, LLC |
| Operator | Tracy Chirico, Business Operations Manager |
| Broke ground | 1959 |
| Opened | 1960 |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | .25 mi (.402 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
Bethel Motor Speedway is a quarter-mile asphalt oval race track, located near the site of the original Woodstock Music Festival in White Lake, New York. The track was constructed in 1959, and opened for operations in 1960. It has existed under several names, including White Lake Speedway, Catskill Mountain Speedway, Sullivan County Speedway, and Kauneonga Speedway. The track closed in 2006 and remained idle through 2007. Fred Graf Racing, LLC, purchased the speedway, and it reopened under new ownership bearing the Bethel Motor Speedway name on August 9, 2008. Dave and Joanne Rocket, who promoted races at the speedway from 1998 until 2004, returned as promoters under the new owner. The speedway was resurfaced in November 2010, providing a new racing surface for the 2011 season. For the 2011 season, management of the speedway was assumed by Tracy Chirico, Business Operations Manager; and John Condit, Race Director.
For the second half of the 2012 season, to present, the duties of Race Director would be assumed by George Van Arsdall, Jr., Head Technical Inspector 2003-04, and 2008-12, under the new title of Race Day CoOrdinator.
During the 2015 season, the track began live PPV broadcasts, available through internet streaming.
Events
On a weekly basis, Bethel Motor Speedway hosts dirt 358/Sportsman cars on asphalt, Bethel Motor Speedway (BMS) Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Street Stocks, and 4 Cylinder Novice and Advanced divisions. INEX-sanctioned Legends and Bandoleros also run weekly. The speedway hosts a limited number of races for Vintage Dirt Modifieds and ATQMRA Midgets, among other divisions.
Special events include the annual LegendStock race, which has been a qualifier race for the INEX Legends Asphalt Nationals since 2010. The trademark of the event is a three-foot tall guitar-shaped trophy.
Racing takes place on Saturday nights, with the season typically running from late April through early October. The speedway charges $8 grandstand admission for all shows.
References
Alan E. Brown, The History of America's Speedways: Past & Present. Comstock Park, Michigan: Brown, 2003, ISBN 0-931105-61-7, pp. 491
http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/bethel-motor-speedway/
http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/NY/WhiteLake.html#TrackFacts
Tracy Chirico, "'Rocket'ing Tracks Back to Life in Upstate New York", Speed51.com. Retrieved 09/16/09
External links
Coordinates: 41°42′29″N 74°50′13″W / 41.708°N 74.83684100°W