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TIOGA Motorsports Park 1991–2005

Shangri-La Speedway was a speedway in Owego, New York. It was a half-mile (0.8 km) oval race track facility. Over a span of fifty years, Shangri-La hosted automobile races of various kinds, AAA Championship Cars, stock cars, Modifieds, Supermodifieds, and supporting classes. Shangri-La's weekly racing was widely considered among the best in the sport during several different periods, including years when nine-time NASCAR National Modified Champion Richie Evans and six-time NASCAR National Modified Champion Jerry Cook were regulars. The facility also included an eighth-mile (0.2 km) drag strip and a tenth-mile oval track for microds (a type of wooden-bodied go-kart raced in many clubs in upstate New York). Its formal name was changed to Shangri-La Motor Speedway (in use from 1979 to 1991) and to Tioga Motorsports Park (in use from 1992 to 2005), but most racers and fans still referred to it as "Shangri-La".

Track history

Shangri-La Speedway was opened in 1946 by Bill Owen who planned and built the track with help of family members; was re-opened in 1959 by a group of area drag racers; and was re-opened in 1962 by Fran Gitchell. It was closed in 1956 due to neglect and small crowds; was closed in 1959 after a few drag events; and was finally closed for good after 2005 to allow gravel mining from the property. The track itself is all gone and all grandstands and buildings have been demolished.

A replacement track in nearby Tioga Center, known as Shangri-La II Motor Speedway, opened in 2009 and closed after an abbreviated 2015 season.

Photo gallery

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  Start of final races in 2005
  

  
  

  
  


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  TIOGA Motorsports Park sign.
  

  
  

  
  


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  TIOGA Motorsports Park buildings.
  

  
  

  
  


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  Shangri-La Speedway (former parking area).
  

  
  

  
  


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  Shangri-La Speedway (outside area).
  

  
  

  
  

Weekly featured division and sanctioning body

• 1946–48: ESRA (Eastern States Racing Association) Sprints


• 1949: ESRA Sprints and unsanctioned Stock Cars


• 1950–56: unsanctioned Stock Cars


• 1959: NASCAR drag racing


• 1962–64: unsanctioned Supermodifieds and Modifieds


• 1965–72: unsanctioned Modifieds


• 1973–75: NASCAR Modifieds


• 1976–78: NEARA (Northeast Auto Racing Association) Modifieds


• 1979–2000: NASCAR Modifieds


• 2001–2005: unsanctioned Modifieds

Visits by major touring series

• 1946–48: AAA Championship Cars, AAA Sprint Cars


• 1970: All-Star Racing League


• 1979–91: ISMA (International SuperModified Association) Supermodifieds


• 1987–88: American IndyCar Series
  


• 1987–88, 1995–97: NASCAR Busch Grand National North
  


• 1985–89, 1994: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
  

Track regulars who went on to Cup racing

• Geoff Bodine


• Brett Bodine


• Todd Bodine


• Jimmy Spencer

References

• "Through the Years at Shangri-La: The Final Chapter". Monnat, Michael E. Gater Racing News, August 26, 2005.


• Bourcier, Bones. RICHIE!: The Fast Life and Times of NASCAR's Greatest Modified Driver (1st ed., 2004). Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA: Coastal 181. .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
  ISBN 0-9709854-6-0.


• Mark Southcott, NYRaceZone.com

External links

• Official Website


• Shangri-La II official website


• Oswego Speedway page at racing-reference.info

Coordinates: 42°05′36″N 76°16′58″W / 42.0933°N 76.2828°W / 42.0933; -76.2828