Southern Tier Speedworld: A Show You Have To See

Column By: JOHN ZACHARY / RPW – BINGHAMTON, NY – Early March in upstate NY is always a tough time of year for racers and their fans. One day the weather feels like spring and the next it feels like a mid winter day. Well today was like a winter day in Binghamton, NY. With the temperature struggling to hit 20 degrees, fans from Central NY visited the warm Oakdale Mall for a little racing fix.

Above James Cornell’s beautiful “In honor of Chuck Akulis” car

Racers, and track promoters gathering the mall to display their new rides, and track schedules for the fast approaching race season. Five-mile Point, Thunder Mountain, Outlaw Speedway, Afton, and Skyline Raceway are just a few of the tracks that excited fans will see as they stroll through the mall in Binghamton, NY. Each promoter has schedules, and cars on display to show the fans what can be expected during their season.

This show lets me see a lot of cars that I do not normally see during the season. The Southern Tier has some great tracks that produce good racing on a weekly basis. Not only does this show cater to race fans, but it also brings awareness to the casual shopper at the mall doing some shopping. The Oakdale mall is a beautiful mall that is full of stores and places to grab a bite to eat.

As I walked around the mall I noticed how many nice cars there were on display, and how much work is put into these machines over the winter months. It was good to get out and see some race cars, and chat with some old friends on a cold day. I would have loved been able to smell some race fuel or even hear the wonderful sound of a tuned race engine, but those days will be here soon enough.