ISLIP  SPEEDWAY   -   ISLIP  NY

This was a tiny 2/10 mile paved oval race track.  It is the smallest track to ever host a NASCAR Cup race.  In 1954 NASCAR's Modified Series raced here, and in 1955 their Midget division was added.  The NACSAR Midgets raced here through 1959, while the Modifieds run here until the tracks closing.  A Guy named Johnny Coy tore this place up in the Midget division.  After a single win here in 1955, he won five time in 1956, he added seven wins in 1957, and six more in 1958.  In 1957, Coy was runner-up in the race for the NASCAR Midget title; but in 1958 he really got things going his way as he won 14 of the 25 Midget races that NASCAR held; and he finally claimed the

NASCAR Midget Championship.  The Cup cars of NASCAR first came to Islip in 1964.  They would race 300 laps around the tight little paved oval.  Ford drivers Billy Wade would win the race by over a lap with Ned Jarret second and Richard Petty third.  It would be Wade's third Cup series win in a row.  He would also win the next race becoming the first drivers to win four Cup events in a row.  Marvin Panch would win the following year as he bested Dick Hutcherson by over a lap.  A young Bobby Allison would win his second ever career Cup race here in 1966 as he beat James Hylton by two laps.  1967 saw Richard Petty get the win here, as once again James Hylton would finish second.  The 1969 edition of the race was a more exciting race than those in the past.  Bobby Allison would win for 

Johnny Coy - 1958 NASCAR Midget Champion

the second time here, as he held off David Pearson by six car lengths. NASCAR skipped racing here the next two years; but would be back in 1971.  This would be the final Cup race at the track. The race was scheduled for 250 laps, but the checkered flag flew at lap 230 due to a scoring error (How do you miscount 20 laps??).  Anyway, when the checkered flew Richard Petty was leading, and was two laps in front of Friday Hassler.  NASCAR stopped coming to Islip speedway when the organization axed all races shorter than 250 miles from its schedule.  Islip Speedway is credited with hosting the first demolition derby, which took 

place in 1958.  Larry Mendelsohn came up with the idea after noticing that spectators enjoyed watching the cars crash.  The ABC television show Wide World of Sports broadcasted demolition derbies that took place at Islip Speedway in the early 1960s.  In 1962, a Figure 8 track was added.  The Figure 8 course shared the north and south turns with the oval and crisscrossed using lanes paved through the infield.  The first Figure 8 race was held on August 11, 1962.  The popular Figure 8 class became a regularly featured division from the time of its inception until the track's final date of operation September 8, 1984.  In 1964, track promoter Larry Mendelsohn conceived the idea of hosting the first "Figure 8 World Championship" event and sold his idea to ABC-TV, who would film the daytime event for broadcast at a later date on their popular Saturday afternoon television show, ABC's Wide World of Sports. To 

draw out-of-town competitors, Mendelsohn would guarantee a starting spot in the feature event to all Figure 8 division track champions who would travel to Long Island and represent their home track, hoping to claim the title of "World Champion". The remaining starting positions were determined through heat races.

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