wikipedia Image
Although the famed U.S. Route 66 does not figure into this story, New York state route 66 has a few little stories of its own. It is pretty likely that hundreds of people living in and around the Poestenkill, NY area would finish watching the vintage TV program with the cool guys, driving their Corvette along US 66 to venture out and attend the movies at the Hollywood Drive – In Theater or – perhaps take in some stock car races at the Hollywood Bowl Speedway.
Courtesy of Ken Gypson
Pete Winnie 00 rams a
competitor as an appropriately – numbered car looks for room at Route 66
Speedway.
The Bowl had previously been named Route 66 Speedway by creator, Harold Garstang, a garage operator and the erstwhile co-promoter of Burden Lake Speedway, nearby. Actually, the area around Poestenkill, including such metropolises as Averill Park, West Sand Lake, and Snyders Corners, was loaded with race track. Burden Lake, which had actually made the pages of a national magazine when a stray wheel from the races almost killed people picnicking nearby, was the one of the first stock car tracks anywhere.
Garstang, who had been around the post – WWII auto racing scene for a while, had begun with pre – roadster jalopies at the old cinder track near Fultonville, NY. He was there when the slightly – more – sophisticated roadsters took to the track at Burden Lake, and was one of the racing movers and shakers who could see that the dangerous roadsters were not going to be socially acceptable for long. Stock cars were already beginning to take the place of the roadsters at Burden Lake by the time Harold Garstang was fixing to leave.
Ladabouche Collection
Harold
Garstang and an apparent
team mate await jalopy action at Bob Whitbeck’s
cinder track in Fultonville in the 1940’s.
If he learned anything from his experience at the West Sand Lake, NY track, he realized that – if someone was going to all the trouble to actually build a track, why not make it on even ground ? Burden Lake went up and down like a roller coaster. By 1950, Harold Garstang was locked in a heated disagreement with Burden Lake property owner Charlie Whitford about proceeds from the beer stand, and he stormed off to found his own operation, nearby. Garstang chose a spot very close – as the crow flies – from Burden Lake. His track would be located on the corner of NY Rte 66 and NY Rte 351, near Averill Park,
Garstang and partner Bud Heffner would name their new track Route 66 Speedway, probably to not only make the location clear but to also cash in on the popularity of the TV program. Harold had a garage on the hill of turns 3-4 which was also the corner of routes 351 and 66. Some of the Route 66 regulars included Boyd Sousi, the Wait brothers, Jack Sweeney, a driver named Canfield, Lou Hacker, Ray French, and one of the first Northeast African - American drivers - Johnny Kettel. The well – traveled Hacker, a very straight – laced – looking man usually, was probably one of the bigger stars, having already run at Burden Lake, Greenport, and other venues.
Courtesy of Ken Gypson
Along with Bo
Green, Johnny Kettel was a pioneer in the stock car racing game for African –
Americans wanting to get into the race programs on the track.
Garstang and Heffner would run the track through the 1959 season, a season that was tough on tracks all over the Northeast. After 1959, they decided the large concentration of tracks in the greater Capital District of New York was probably going to render their little operation unprofitable. After having been involved – in some capacity or another – in racing since before the war, Harold Garstang retired up the hill to run his business and watch the races for free.
Courtesy of Ken Gypson
Check out the wheel
heading for the M6 of Cohoes, NY driver
Marcel Moore in a 1958 tangle. Note the spectators parked
above the turns with no catch fencing. Nice Harold !
In 1960 Ed Ryan, who was promoting Pine Bowl and Rhinebeck Speedway, took over and renamed it Hollywood Bowl...in deference to that drive-in movie theater just east of the track. Most everyone though, knew it as the Hollywood Hole. The track closed at the end of the season never to open again...but....one really neat thing happened that last year. A very young Mario Andretti drove a cream colored, Crosely - powered TQ midget there under the American TQ Midget Racing Association.
