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Painesville Speedway has been in continuous operation as an oval track and figure eight track since the early 1950’s.

We would like to appeal to all fans and drivers - If you have any older photos (70’s or older), any other memorabilia or details, we would like to scan them or interview you for publication on this website. Please CONTACT US for details.

Special thanks to Daniel Chervenak for these comments about Painesville Speedway's history:

Johnny Ray who is deceased now, used to race rat racers at sport stocks there. His last car was a 57 Chevy.

You had a class at one point called Hurricanes where they used 6 cylinder full sized hardtops or convertibles in the 60's.

Then they had the Pony car class which consisted of: Camaro's, Mustang', Challenger's, etc.
with drivers such as: Bob Burt, Lanny Laughlin, Bob Smelcer, Ray Thomas.

Before sportsman, they were called sport stocks and Bob Fatica is the only one left who raced them then and now. He first started in spectator stocks and then moved into sport stocks in the late 70's when they created that class.

Some of those drivers have been: Jim Sharpe, Marc Colegrove, Mark Ungar, Joe and Denny Vargo, Mickey Caranci, Leroy Caranci, Dan Fults (First 4 time sportsman Champ), Kenny Bender (First 4 in a Row Champ), Mayo Spence, Dale March, Jim Cohagen, Gordon Allen, Dave Lawson, Giselle Evola, Denise Williams, Stu Martin III, Alonzo Henderson.

From '73 to '79 you had a class called superstock which would later evolve into super latemodels that ran in what was called the Russ Rubino Buckeye World Series of Racing that would include Painesville Speedway, Lorain Speedway and Cloverleaf Speedway.

Super Latemodel Drivers: Rusty Adams (First 3 in a row Champ at Painesville), Kenny Adams, thingy Adams, Muttly Kurkowski (1983 ASA Rookie of the Year), Terry Adams, Glen and Marc Bolen, Denny Vargo, Bill Neubert, Brian Volk, Bill Dave (Not Billy Davis).

You've also had some great figure 8 racers: Spyron Figure 8 Team (Usually about 6 to 8 cars),
Track Patrol (The Mason Brothers), Big Daddy Fade, Kyle and Bubba Matttson, George Puskas, Herbie Reynolds (Greatest Figure 8 Racer Ever), Jeff and Craig Marvin, Jeff Kokish, Kenny Bender, Ray Fairbanks, Of course the Infamous Joe March (Also Good), Bill Lett Jr. (Now in North Carolina building Street Stocks, racing and in a Stock Car Racing magazine article).

Some other notable:
Jeff Hooker who went to race in Winston Cup, raced there.
Kenny Adams would go on and race in ASA
Muttly Kurkowski of course in ASA

These are just some of the tid bits about the track. It would be great to have an Oldtimers Night to remember some of these guy's before they all pass.


Other drivers in Rat Racer or sport stock: Ray Kieran Sr., Gary Ahola, Joe Caranci, Jim Taylor, Jim VanGunten Sr., Jay Kovacs, Larry and Mike Winters (Shifters Dad). Slow John Marcuson,
Bill Serles (Great local Black Racer), Herb Gindelsberger, Jake Walker, Jimmy Lewis, Gary May, thingy and Rich Krotz, Tony Delillo, thingy Arnold, Don Fitzgerald, etc.