OUTSTANDING SLATE SET FOR NOVEMBER’S RACING MEMORIES PROGRAM
The 2025 edition of the Saratoga Automobile Museum’s popular Racing Memories program (formerly Lost Speedways) is set for Saturday, November 29th with an all-star slate of topics.
“We’ll have six segments that I’ll kick off with a bit titled “The Good Old Days Weren’t All That Good,” said organizer Ron Hedger. “We received a thumb drive from the family of George Lester, a former track photographer at the Fonda Speedway alongside Russ Bergh, that has some terrific but scary shots from the 1950’s and early 60’s. The photos should trigger a lot of memories for old-timers and we thank Don Lester for sending them along.”
Paul Malecki will follow with a program focusing on Altamont Speedway and “Grandpa” Henry Gritzbach, long known as the area’s second-best sprint car driver during Altamont’s storied history.
Round three will find veteran Area Auto Racing News columnist John Snyder recalling highlights of his favorite event, the Eastern States 200 at the Orange County Fairgrounds Speedway in Middletown.
Hedger will then return with an interview session with Paul Montenaro, longtime operator of the Dodge City Go-Kart track. Montenaro will outline the track’s over 50-year history and recall the many modified racers who started their careers on the Dodge City oval.
The interview theme will then continue with a look back at the SCCA career of recently retired racer and car owner Tom Campbell, whose race cars ranged from big bore Corvettes to Spec Miatta’s. Tom was also a national leader of the SCCA and can offer an insider’s perspective on the nation’s leading road racing organization.
The final segment of Racing Memories 2025 will pick up where last year’s program left off, looking at the early dirt era at Albany-Saratoga Speedway once the asphalt oval was covered with dirt.
“Kenny Tremont Jr. will lead our panel on the transition to dirt at Malta, with former drivers Dave Leckonby and Don Scarborough also set to participate,” said Hedger. “We expect to add another driver or two to the panel before the show goes green, so the discussion focusing on Gremlins, drag tires and heroes of the day should be a great wrap-up to another fine program.”
Prior to the presentations, set for 11:45 am, memorabilia including a pair of karts from Dodge City will be on display from the museum’s 10 am opening. A new feature this year will be “Hot Laps,” a slide show on multiple drivers and topics put together by racing historian Ken Parrotte that will run prior to the formal presentations.
As always, the “Saturday after Thanksgiving” event is free to museum members with others paying the normal museum admission charge.