THE OPENING PAGE FOR
AIRBORNE PARK SPEEDWAY, ADIRONDACK RACEWAY,
AIRBORNE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, and PLATTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
Starting out in 1954, Airborne has survived until the present time, largely running under some sort of the name "Airborne" due to the fact it was constructed at the same time as Plattsburgh's sprawling Strategic Air Command base [which has long since been closed]. This page will have links to go to pages representing most of the major eras of the track, up to around 1987. I will mention what it has run since then, but not as an emphasis.
What Is In a Name ?
 Bob Mackey Photo via Mike Watts, Sr. This gate was only there in the first year or so. Here, Maurice hasn't incorporated the word "Park" into the name. |
 Plattsburgh Press Republican Photo The Airborne truck here, obviously a 1950's model, has "Park" in the name. |
 Bob Mackey Photo via Mike Watts, Sr. In 1964, Gaston Desmarais promoted the track and called it Adirondack Raceway - maybe at owner, Broderick's insistence. I kinda screwed up the screen capture. |
 Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock After the Adirondack season, Maurice Broderick goes back to simply Airborne Speedway. |
 Bob Frazer Photo via Mike Watts, Sr. When C.J. Richards got his fingers into Airborne to pair it up with his newly - paved Devil's Bowl, he re-named it Plattsburgh International Raceway. |
 The name Airborne Speedway came back after Northern NASCAR run from 1972 - 74. |
v The track returned to using Plattsburgh International Raceway during the tenure of promoters who kept it going until the end of the 1970's. |
 Courtesy of Ron Klein C.J. Richards would revive the track that lay dormant for a season and used the names Airborne Speedway and Airborne International Raceway under DIRT sanction. |
 Tom Curley and the American - Canadian Tour paved the track and continued using Airborne Speedway. |
 The track went through a period, after Curley, where a number of entities promoted and owned the property. Airborne Speedway was used. Then the term "Park" returned. |
 In very recent years, the name Airborne Park Speedway has been retained. |
 From 360 Nitro Site Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock By the early '60's, Airborne |
A Brief Progression of Airborne Cars - from 1954 to Today
 Bob Mackey Photo via Mike Watts, Sr. A 1955 lineup that includes Dick Goodelle in the Rowe T-800, Bill Wimble in the Rowe 26, Jackie Peterson in the V1, and Dick Nephew in George Pametier's 6 7/8. |
 Bob Mackey Photo via Mike Watts, Sr. Airborne [or former] drivers were at the top of the national points races for years. Here are Ken Shoemaker in a Henry Caputo car, Jim Luke in Hal Kempeny's 113, and Bob Bruno in Allie Swears' 51. |
 Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock By the early '60's, Airborne was at the center of the NASCAR sportsman universe. This photo shows a new paved surface and drivers: Ernie Gahan, Jean-Paul Cabana, Rene Charland, Bill Wimble, Bob Bruno, and Ernie Reid. Every one of these was in the top standings in 1961, with Wimble tieing Dick Nephew for the title. |
 Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Through the '60's, into 1970, the cars evolved into specific pavement modeifieds. |
 Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock The earliest support divison cars were coupe, too - with less power. Dick Nephew, in #7 couldn't have figured he'd be NASCAR National Sportsman co - Champion by 1961. |
 Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock By the early '60's, support classes were inexpensive late model cars like this. |
 Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock By the mid '60's, Airborne's the late models were NASCAR hobbies, similar to Catamount Flying Tigers. |
 Dick Britain Photo In the early 1970's the class became automatic tranny "Charger" cars, like Devil's Bowl ran. They were comparable to Catamount and T Road's Hurricanes. |
 Bob Mackey Photo via Dave Brown 1972 - 1974 saw Northern NASCAR late model sportsman cars, like the 37 of Joe Thomas, owned by Jimmy Guynup. |
 Denis LaChance Photo The remainder of time until the track went back to dirt seemed to be taken up with AIrborne - specific late models, as Northern NASCAR was becoming too pricey. This is Bernie Griffith. |
 Richard Pratt Photo via Cho Lee By the early '60's, Airborne was at the Once brought back to a third mile dirt track, the cars were typical mid '80's dirt modifieds. Here Dick Nephew, back from retirement, pursues Matt Waite of Vermont. |
 Courtesy of Jim LeClaire During that same era Airborne ran dirt late models, like the 11 of Buck Branham and Billy Fountain's 77. |
 Courtesy of Justin St. Louis During the ACT era, the track would run late models, similar to these of Mike Bruno [22] and Brian Hoar...... |
 Courtesy of Justin St. Louis ..... Tiger Sportsman cars, like local runner Robin Wood [61] and VT's Jason Bonnette [outside]. |
 Courtesy of Justin St. Louis Unique to Airborne, Curley started thes cars out as "B Tigers" and they went on to run for decades as "Renegades". The closest thing to these cars awas Devil's Bowl's "Limiteds". |
 Courtesy of VT Motorsports Mag. From the early '80's to the present, Airborne has had some sort of four cylinder class. |
 Source Unknown After ACT, up to 2016, the track ran DIRT style mods and sportsman mods on the pavement, along with Renegades, Tigers, and four bangers. |
 Courtesy of 360 NItro Site For the last few seasons, the track is actually running dirt mods on acutal dirt ! |
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