Most descriptions of this Poughk

Begun in 1951 and variously called Airport Speedway and Arlington Speedway [by 1953], the track sat on Van Wagner Road. An article in the Poughkeepsie Journal in September of 1962 speaks of an engineer securing a plot of land that "had been used as the speedway" to build a radio station. So, one must assume 1962 was its last season. Either the offer for the land was tremendous or someone's arm got twisted because the track seemed to be going along fine in 1962.

Most descriptions of this Poughkeepsie - based race track of the past mention locating the radio tower for a local radio station and you will have the spot where this track operated. I have never had much information on the track, but it occurred to me that 1.) the track doesn't get all that much attention and 2.) I have enough for a modest page on it. So here goes !

Many pieces in both the Journal and the Kingston Daily Freeman refer to an A. Masicro as running the track, but a man named Carl Sage [the airport manager] apparently began as track operator. The track seemed to be under the sanction of the Eastern Mutual Racing Club [run by Ed Ryan] for a period of time. At some point, it was taken over by the Hudson Valley Racing Association. A 1956 article names Bob Leonarggio as a "Co-promoter". Later on, towards 1960 Carl Watters seems to have been the promoter.

Courtesy of Roger Liller

This cutesy little ad from the municipality of Poughkeepsie's website perhaps the most familiar single artifact
from the track.

From JTRacingmuse.com
A more recent find.

From Historic Aerials.com
An aerial photos shows the track, as it sat on Van Wagner Road in Poughkeepsie.

From Chas Hertica
Another advertisement brings back the confusion on whether the track had multiple names or
whether they just used the airport term to make it easier to find.

CARS OR TEAMS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN PHOTOGRAPHED AT ARLINGTON

From Pam Maurer This shot of Duke Dushensky, was - longest time - the only photo I had of anything at Arlington Speedway.	Bob McDowell Photo From Roger Liller The great Chauncey "Jokko" Maggiacommo, at Arlington.	Henry Ahlfs Photo From Roger Liller and Dave Dykes Well - traveled Hal Mccarty seen at Arlington.	Henry Ahlfs Photo From Chas Hertica Bobby Green, who also raced at many tracks.
Virginia Winne Decker Collection From Chas Hertica Ray Anderson was one of many drivers Arlington shared with Onteora Speedway in Olive Bridge.	From Chas Hertica Maurice "Rebel" Wheatley.	Bob McDowell Photo From Phil Miller The great D.D. "Rebel" Harris, a Poughkeepsie native.	Rose Lovelace Collection From Julie Lovelace Theodore Lovelace.
From Walt Schubert Collection From Roger Liller and Dave Dykes A shot of D.D. Harris in Walt Schubert's car, which was often run at Lebanon Valley.	Bob McDowell Photo From Roger Liller & Chas Hertica Another ride for local boy [and great star] D.D. Harris - the Louis Murasso TCP.	Bob Wilson Collection From Chas Hertica Norm Barger.	Roger Liller Collection From Chas Hertica A ride in t he Givens midget for D.D. Harris. Nice fire suit Duncan.
Bob McDowell Photo From Phil Miller Harry Roosje. Try pronouncing that one.	McDowell Photo via Ken Gypson Stan Disbrow, also famous as a midget driver.	Uncle Art Stuarts' L Valley Book From Chas Hertica A win in the Langhorne qualifier for D.D. Harris.	From Danny Minkler Barry Tripp wins the Duke Washburn Memorial at Rhinebeck. Both drivers did race at Arlington.

From JTRacingmuse.com via Chas Hertica
Action with B52 Ray Anderson, 18 Ben Davis, and 16 Stan Bomba.

McDowell Photo From Phil Miller Ted Seabiscuit	W. Mateer Photo From Joe Grossetti Tom Dressel	McDowell Photo From Sam Barlow Bob Devine	McDowell Photo From Ken Gypson Bud Marl
McDowell Photo From Phil Miller Stan Bomba	Poughkeepsie Journal Photo Bud Hitsman	Bob Mackey Photo From John Rock Steve Danish	McDowell Photo From Phil Miller Billy Boo
Ginny Ross Collection via Dick Hanson Ray "Zero" Brown, also famed as a midget driver.	Ginny Ross Collection via Dick Hanson and Chas Hertica New England's Whitey Brainard.	Chas Hertica Collection Clyde Smith.	McDowell Photo From Phil Miller Doug Benjamin
Morgan Photo See Creds on Photo Stretch Van Steenberg	McDowell Photo From Phil Miller Les Fowler	McDowell Photo From Phil Miller Fred Bilyou	Courtesy of Steve Findley Joe Campanella

From Amy Garrison Dauski via Chas Hertica
1962 Langhorne qualifiers, at least some. Amy got the page for her dad, Doug; but D.D. Harris is seen at the bottom.
Garrison was on another page, for another track.

Wannamaker Photo See Creds on Photo Larry Shurter	Morgan Photo From Donna K. Mateer and Joe Grossetti Duke Southern	Morgan Photo From Donna K. Mateer and Joe Grossetti Doug Garrison, with a car typical of the area and year in his career.	Morgan Photo From Donna K. Mateer and Joe Grossetti Huck Spaulding, with a car typical of the area and year in his career.
Flemke.com Website Chauncey "Jokko" Maggiacommo, with his "Calfiornia Comet" car which was mentioned in one of the Arlington article I read.	N. E. Vintage Modified Photo Ed Gauvin	McDowell Photo From Phil Miller Pinky Disbrow	Danbury Racearean Site Photo Bob Riley, with a later car.

Poughkeepsie Joournal Photo
A poor but significant photo of three drivers who would all go on to be leading figures at Lebanon Valley later.

Doug Dulgarian Coll. via Chas Hertica
Jake Rassiga's former DD Harris
AAA car.

Poughkeepsie Journal 1951 Advertisement	Poughkeepsie Journal 1952 Advertisement	Poughkeepsie Journal 1953 Advertisement	Kingston Daily Freeman 1954 Advertisement	Kingston Daily Freeman 1955 Advertisement
Poughkeepsie Journal 1956 Advertisement	Poughkeepsie Journal 1957 Advertisement	Poughkeepsie Journal 1958 Advertisement	Poughkeepsie Journal 1959 Advertisement	Poughkeepsie Journal 1960 Advertisement
	Poughkeepsie Journal 1961 Advertisement	Poughkeepsie Journal 1962 Advertisement

Courtesy of Roger Liller

Courtesy of Roger Liller
This article mentions some very prominent names in early '50's stock car racing. Fred Sheppard and Steve Danish, once partners, are included although
I doubt the track was a regular stop for Danish. Ed Ryan had attracted Danish, Sheppard, Fiske, Langlois, and Roberts, all drivers he also had
at Stateline Speedway. Spaulding was a top dog at Pine Bowl and Rhinebeck. Tom Dressel became a top driver at Lebanon Valley.

SOME SIGNIFICANT CLIPPINGS FROM VARIOUS YEARS

Poughkeepsie Journal Eastern Mutual Racing Club would end up sanctioning the track for a while. This was 1951, in the midst of NY's crackdown on racing. The track would suffer outrage from townspeople through until at east June.	Poughkeepsie Journal An April article. The flap continued through May.	Rochester Democrat and Chronicle May 15, 1951. Sage would stage the first show but have to postpone the next one.	Poughkeepsie Journal A July 3 article. The track apparently weathered the state crackdown and bitchy townspeople.	Poughkeepsie Journal April, 1952. Ready for another season.
Kingston Daily Freeman August 11, 1952. Ready for another Track turns it up a notch with Harvey Tattersall's "Grand National" division, in addition to the regular races.	Kingston Daily Freeman September, 1952. Certain drivers began to establish themselves at the track; there were two of them. D.D. Harris was another.	Poughkeepsie Journal Part 2 of this 1953 article shows some of the big names at Arlington that year.	Poughkeepsie Journal Part 2 of this 1954 article shows some of the big names at Arlington that year. Notice it's mostly different than the previous one.	Kingston Daily Freeman 1955 was the year that Arlignton put a series of large different weekly ads in the Kingston paper. This is very similar to what Burden Lake Speedway did one year in their history - those being in the Troy Times Record.
Kingston Daily Freeman 1955 was the year that Arlignton put a series of large different weekly ads in the Kingston paper. Here is another.	Poughkeepsie Journal 1955 saw some new faces in Victory Lane. Besides Sabato, Herron was another.	Poughkeepsie Journal 1955 saw some new faces in Victory Lane. Bud Hitsman may have been another.	Poughkeepsie Journal 1956 apparently was not a high water mark. An article about the track office being burlarized was one of the few I could find. The track did have a date with the short - lived NASCAR midget division.	Poughkeepsie Journal By 1957, Bud Hitsman may have been the hot item at Arlington. Sparse coverage.
KIngston Daily Freeman 1957 saw the track stage a very presumptuous - named 150 Lapper. it would be won by Joe Campanella and was a disappointment.	Poughkeepsie Journal 1958 appears to have been much like 1957.	Poughkeepsie Journal In 1959 it appears that the track was sharing cars with Lebanon Valley. Nothing formal.	Poughkeepsie Journal Opening 1959 under promotion of Carl Watters.	Poughkeepsie Journal Going with the new go-kart craze sweeping the Northeast.
Poughkeepsie Journal In 1960, Rassiga, MItchell and Turene are some new names in VIctoy Lane.	Poughkeepsie Journal Langhorne qualifier, like so many other tracks ran in September.	Poughkeepsie Journal 1961 End of track can be seen.	Poughkeepsie Journal Harris wins Langhorne qualifier, both in 1961 and 1962	Poughkeepsie Journal Last program ever at track was racing and a massive demo derby [100 cars].