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Northern New York's Best Clay Surface

Fort Covington is a New York town on the Canadian border that was named after a War of 1812 era blockhouse that was built there around 1812 to shelter wounded soldiers. The track, located along NY Route 37, is often erroneously said to sit partly in Canada. While close to the border, it is not ON the border. One turn wafinals so close to the Little Salmon River, however, that an errant car could easily go right in [ala Fonda Speedway, another NY track also begun in 1953]. Pat Hotte was the final and most memorable promoter.

Photobucket - Possibly a Half Fast Video Photo
This aerial of the remains of the track show how close turn two was to the Little Salmon river.
Route 37 is in the foreground. The long white object was a flea market building, put there later.

Fort Covington Sun Advertisements

Courtesy of Jean-Louis Rousselle
When the track was coordinating with the track in Maxville, ON.

Canton Commercial Advertiser Ad
This must have been when the track was fairly new, considering the small size of the cash prize.

EARLIER ENTRIES

Courtesy of Rick Reome Jackie Peterson, two - time track champ, with the Dutcher Construction D8, which he would have driven there before the track titles. [maybe 1954]	Courtesy of Doug Fetterly Allen Shirley [in car], brother Paul at right, and their car owner.	Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Massena's Al Pike, at speed with the Darryl Cloce 21 out of Potsdam.	Courtesy of Ken Premo An early Reome car C2.
Courtesy of Dawn Borgeest Bill Borgeest gets checkers in an early Floyd Geary car.	Courtesy of Bill Borgeest, Jr Malone's Buster Santimaw.	Courtesy of Bill Borgeest, Jr Malone's Buster Santimaw, on a less productive evening.	Courtesy of Doug Fetterly The great Buck Holliday, of Waddington with an earlier Floyd Geary C38 .
Courtesy of Jean-Louis Rousselle Cornwal Ontario's Cliff Merpaw.	Courtesy of Jean_Louis Rousselle Marcel Simard, Montreal.	Courtesy of Jean_Louis Rousselle Marcel Simard, Montreal. Likely, an earlier car.	Courtesy of the Peterson Collection Jackie Peterson, then racing out of Massena, with his 1957 car - sponsored by Bodah's Diner of Massena .
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Chris Companion Future NASCAR National Sportsman Champion Bill Wimble, from Lisbon with the Gaylord Rowe 26. He may have also driven the Cloce 21 at Ft. Cov.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Dick Goodell, Mooers Forks, NY - with Gaylord Rowe's T-880 [another former Wimble ride].	Russ Bergh Photo Courtesy of Mike Russo Madrid's Dick Woodley with another Floyd Geary rocket ship.	Bob Mackey Photo Ernie Reid, of Massena, with one of his earlier cars.
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Peterson Collection Mid '50's track champions Jackie Peterson [lft] and owner George Palmetier.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Howard Rock, from Plattsburgh.	Courtesy of Rick Parry Mark Bodah, Massena.	Courtesy of Doug Fetterly Sterling Holliday, of Waddington with brother, Buck [left] and reknowned car builder Floyd Geary [rt] .
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Shorty Carmichael, from Plattsburgh.	Courtesy of Bill Borgeest, Jr Roger Craig wins one for the Floyd Geary team.	Bob Mackey Photo via Ardyce Blohm George Bridges, Plattsburgh.	Bob Mackey Photo via Ardyce Ritchie Blohm Wilmington's Rod Ritchie [32] certainly ran the Fort [as he is in the news article about saving Bunn Reid there] and Henry Jarvis [right] may have tried it.
Mike Dickenson Memorial Library Photo Guy "Shorty" Robinson, Lake Placid, NY.	Bob Mackey Photo via Ardyce Blohm Rusty Reid, Plattsburgh.	Bob Mackey Photo via Ardyce Blohm Bunn Reid, Plattsburgh.he was seriously injured at the track in 1956.	Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Wally Russewll [13], Plattsburgh and Don Smith [88] Plattsburgh.
Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Charles "Bud" Besore, Massena.	Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock RJeep Herbert of Schenectady with the Henry Caputo 11.	Bob Mackey Photo via Rick Reome Jim Patten, Massena.	Shirley Family Collection Paul Shirley, Massena.
Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Harlan "Red" Dooley, Burlington, VT.	Bob Mackey Photo via Ardyce Blohm Paul Green, Norwood. Photo via Phil Gevry Rene Boileau,with Emil Gevry.	Bob Danough Collection Clarence Williams, Potsdam.	Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Leonard "Big Leonard" Barcomb, Ellenburgh Ctr.

via Craig Revelle

From Ken Premo
Some Fort Covington - related items from Constable, NY.

LATER ENTRIES

John Grady Photo Ladabouche Collection Jean-Guy Chartrand, Montreal. With an earlier version of the 901.	Courtesy of Craig Revelle Bob Ziegler, of Boonville with an earlier car.	Courtesy of Craig Revelle Dick Ziegler, Bob's brother, may have also tried Fort Covington.	Courtesy of Peterson Collection Jackie Peterson definitely ran the Fort with this Shirley Wallace 1NY.
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Charlie Trombley, Mooers Forks neighbor to Dick Nephew and Dick Goodell, may have run this earlier version of a Paul Conover - wrenched car at the Fort.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Bob Trombley, shown here with an" early ride, may have also tried Ft. Covington.	Bob Mackey photo Courtesy of John Rock Mack Miller, from Ellenburgh Depot.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Harry Provost, Cadyville, NY
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Mike Watts, Sr. Frank Provost [right] also drove at many tracks his brother did.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Canfield Ernie Reid drove many cars at Ft. Covington. This Bert Ratigan Studebaker ........	Bob Mackey Photo Cavalcade of Auto Racing .....this former Vic Wolfe car which was also driven by Dick Bruce ........	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Canfield ....and this Harold Healey 70 [another former Wolfe car].
Nephew Family Photo 1961 NASCAR National Sportsman Champion Dick Nephew would have brought at least some of his famous red 6's to the track....	John Grady Photo Courtesy of John Grady ....but he also would have driven this car, built by a son-in-law who lived near the track. [Check out the "Massena" on the rear quarter.]	Courtesy of Craig Revelle Carl Murdock, Cornwall, ON.	Courtesy of Wes Moody Bernie Kentile, Saranac Lake,NY.
Courtesy of Jean-Louis Rousselle This car was driven by a number of local drivers including Babe Miller.	Source Unknown This grainy old Saranac Lake newpaper photo shows Bernie Kentile with the car he was nearly unbeatable in.	From Worthpoint Watertown regular Norm Jones did race, at least some, at Fort Covington.	Source Unknown Massena's Dale Beaulieu, with a late model Chevy.
Courtesy of Jean-Louis Rousselle Don Walters, Potsdam.	Courtesy of Jean-Louis Rousselle Cliff Merpaw, Cornwall, ON. Newer car; same sponsor.	Courtesy of Jean-Louis Rousselle Ovide Doiron, Alexandria, ON.	From the Massena Observer Massena's Paul Phelixm with a Cadet Classcar.
Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Wes Moody, Saranac Lake, NY.	Courtesy of Jean-Louis Rousselle Ronnie White, Ogdensburg, NY.	Courtesy of Jean-Louis Rousselle Tom Jock, Akwesasne.	Courtesy of Pascal Cote Marcel Simard, Montreal, QC .
Courtesy of Tom Neff J3 Jackie Curran, Potsdam. [Shown at Saranac Lake Speedway with other Ft. Covington drivers like M1 Mack Miller, 6 Dick Nephew, and B100 Harry Provost].	Courtesy of Craig Revelle Paul Whitmarsh.	John Grady Photo Gaston Desmarais, Tupper Lake.	Bob Frazier Photo Courtesy of Norm Vadnais Charlie Draper, Wilmington.
Courtesy of Craig Revelle Chubby LeRoux, Saranac Lake.	Courtesy of Linda Gravel via Pascal Cote Lucien LaLonde, Montreal.	Source Unknown Dick Bruce, Peru, NY A former Vic Wolfe car also driven by Ernie Reid.	Source Unknown Jean-Guy LaJeunesse, Montreal
Christian Ti-Gaz Genest via Pascal Cote Jacques Theoret, with a car much later than Ft. Covington.	Christian Ti-Gaz Genest via Pascal Cote Pierre Metivier, Valleyfield, ON.	Courtesy of Wes Moody The 10-10 was listed at Ft. Covington as driven by Mark Selby. I don't know him. This is 10-10 owner Mike Suraske [right] with one of his cars	Paul Pleau via Pascal Cote Medor Viau, Car 112, from Ste Etienne, QC.
Courtesy of Bill Tierson. NY legend [and wild man] Chuck Mahoney, who was running Watertown late in his career, may have tried the Fort. He'd fit right in.	Rushlaw Collection via Tom Hopsecker Saranac Lake Speedway's almost unbeatable John Rushlaw, invaded Ft. Covington.	Courtesy of Wes Moody Jim Hoyt, Saranac Lake.	Bob Mackey Photo via Ardyce Blohm Dick Manning's 711 from Chateaugay, NY.
Bob Mackey Photo via Mike Watts, Sr Don Smith, Plattsburgh, NY.	Bob Mackey Photo via Ardyce Blohm Al Patterson, Lake Placid, NY.	From Dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD's Fort Covington driver Sonny Sawyer's 21 chases the 11 of Clarence {jr] Bruno - who might have also run the Fort.	Bob Mackey Photo via Ardyce Blohm Rod Ritchie, Wilmington, NY.
Photo via Jean-Louis Rousselle Don Oney, West Stockholm	Photo via Phil Gevry Rene Boileau, Rigaud, QC.	Photo via Jean-Louis Rousselle Don Walters, Potsdam	Photo via Jean-Louis Rousselle Ernie Reid and Ft. Covington mayor, Alfred Laraby.

Courtesy of Petereson Collection
Many errors in this one. Peterson was from Massena; Hollidays were Buck and Sherwood; Wimble is misspelled; NASCAR, too.
Apparently the hobbies were a new class, and most of the entrants were Airborne cars.

Source Unknown
This Canadian article gives a mountain of information in a small space.

Both From Ardyce Ritchie Blohm
These compilations describe cicumstances around the bad Bunn Reid accident at Fort Covington in 1956.

FORT COVINGTON REMAINS PHOTOS

Speedway and Road Racing History.com Photo Remnants of the bleachers, probably taken in the 1990's.	Speedway and Road Racing History.com Photo Remnants of a fence, probably taken in the 1990's.	Speedway and Road Racing History.com Photo Remnants ofwhat looks like a concession stand, probably taken in the 1990's.	Speedway and Road Racing History.com Photo One of the turns, probably taken in the 1990's.
Bill Hoffnagle Photo Remnants of the bleachers, taken in the early 2000's.	Bill Hoffnagle Photo Remnants of the RR ties, taken in the early 2000's.	Bill Hoffnagle Photo The frontstretch, taken in the early 2000's.	Bill Hoffnagle Photo Remnants of the bleachers, from a different angle - taken in the early 2000's.
Photo by Bob Hibbert Looking out at turn one from the bleachers area - turns left. Time of photo unknown. My guess is that these are older than the other two sets. There is much more left of the facility.	Photo by Bob Hibbert An old beverage can. Time of photo unknown.	y Photo by Bob Hibbert An old glass beer bottle. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Looking up toward spectator area from track. Time of photo unknown.
Photo by Bob Hibbert An oabandoned truck body - likely off turn two. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Turn one, looking towards the river. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Banking for one of the turns. Probably 2. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Looking down backstretch. Time of photo unknown.
Photo by Bob Hibbert Looking at turn three. No idea what the building was. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Said to be backstrech birm. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert A sawed - off light pole. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Maybe a caution light pole. Time of photo unknown.
Photo by Bob Hibbert Turn three fence and wall posts. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Turn three fence. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Turn 3 wall posts or RR ties. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Said to be turn four towards the wall. Time of photo unknown.
Photo by Bob Hibbert The flea market building near turn three. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Turn four, looking down frontstretch. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Turn four, looking down frontstretch. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Behind one section of bleachers. Time of photo unknown.
Photo by Bob Hibbert Possibly remnants of the flag stand. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Nails in the poles that supported the wall. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Fencing seen from inside the concession stand. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Might be remains of the bathroom building. Time of photo unknown.
Photo by Bob Hibbert The floor to an unknown building. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Hot dog ? Concession stand, looking out. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Another view of the concession stand. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert The end of the turn four bleachers. Time of photo unknown.
Photo by Bob Hibbert Turn four bleachers. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert The foundation for the turn four stands. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert The entrance to the track grounds. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert The gate for the entrance. Time of photo unknown.
	Photo by Bob Hibbert Turn one bleachers. Time of photo unknown.	Photo by Bob Hibbert Turn four bleachers, looking from track. Time of photo unknown.