Shangri-La Speedway


Shangri-La Speedway was a speedway in Owego, New York. It was a half-mile 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 drag strip and a tenth-mile oval track for microds. Its formal name was changed to Shangri-La Motor Speedway and to Tioga Motorsports Park, but most racers and fans still referred to it as "Shangri-La".
The speedway hosted one NASCAR Cup Series event in 1952 and the race was won by Tim Flock.

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

Weekly featured division and sanctioning body