Riverhead Raceway before Riverhead Raceway

[DAN D.]

being this is Nostalgia area of the forum... for Nostalgia reasons does anyone know what the land was used for prior to Riverhead being built there? and what year was riverhead built? did it start out dirt? just curious.

[Captain History]

Hmmmm

[Jeff T]

I believe the track was built in built in 1951 or 1952. I also believe it was dirt for the first 2 seasons, but I could be wrong.

[310fig8]

Reading Walt Johnstons post, it looks to me that a mall was torn down to build a racetrack!!!!!!! This was well before the more popular trend of today where you tear down a racetrack to build a mall LOL.

[DAN D.]

I am not shure. but I think that it is WJ's sense of humor ?? who knows I am not a Kreskin? Do you really think he was for real when he replied that way ?? Hey Walt whats the story ?were you for real? LOL

[310fig8]

Ahhhhh Walt
Wrong holiday, It's Halloween not April Fools day.
Hope to see you at the Turkey Derby.

[310fig8]

Atlantic City?

[art11758]

This is before my time, but here's a link to a series of pictures put together to give you a view of the 'head in 1952. I've posted links to this site before, just never to a specific picture. It's a fun site to get "lost" in for a while.
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/1752/wes.html
Actually you need to click on the purple "enter here" to get to the picture I was trying to link to.

[310fig8]

Ok Walt you have a great winter then. I will see you somewhere in the spring i'm sure

[RGeeProductions]

Here is the picture Art was referring to. I cut it apart and tried to seam it together the best I could. Picture from the William E. Stock Collection...

[broz]

Thanks for getting us back on "Topic" Rgee
Nice work on the photo too!
Looked so much bigger back then.
My Grandfather helped set those wooden posts you see holding up the guardrail. My Grandmother always told me stories about the wives sitting in the trucks on the track shining the headlights up to the guardrail areas. Apparently they would work on the track well into the night. They were ALL passionate about racing and were determined to get the track up and running.

[Old Man]

Before it was a race track it was a big piece of swamp land when Harry Rambo and John Evers decided to put a track there. The grandstand seats in the picture came from the old Riverhead baseball stadium which was where the high school is now. Broz, Little A is right,it was a lot of hard work putting the poles in for the guardrails. Each hole was dug by hand with long handle telephone co. shovels. A lot of trees had to be cut down first and there was no chain saws back then. And being it was a dirt track and wooden guardrail it was a constant job keeping a fence up. I know cause my dad,myself and two of my brothers heloed Harry,John,The Nose and a few others put the thing up. But as you all can see it was well worth it to this day. :appla

[fisherman]

the track was also a junkyard the guy chris young worked for at the exxon staion onrte58 owed the land

[maestri fan 1]

looks like some things haven't changed... that light pole is still there... haha