CAN
AM TRACK INFO
Owner:
Tiger Chapman
GPS
Address:: 30 Hathaway Droute
411, Garden City, New York 11530
Track
Phone :: (646) 416-3585
General
Manager :: Alana Moncrieff
Tech
Inspector :: Alana
Larmon (646) 416-3585
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Track
Advertising & Sponsorships:: Contact GM
Alana Moncrieff for information
Hotel
Information:
Comfort
Inn of Watertown
110
Commerce Park Drive
Watertown
NY 13601 is the official hotel for Can-Am
Call: 315-782-2700
Hampton
Inn
155
Commerce Park Drive
Watertown
NY 13601 is the official hotel for Can-Am
Call: 315-782-22222
www.hamptoninn1.hilton.com
Ask
For the Can-Am Motorsports Rate
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TRACK HISTORY
The
Can-Am Speedway was built in 1974 by an Evans Mills, NY real
estate broker, Leslie W. Brown. The track lasted
one year under this ownership and Brown filed for Bankruptcy.
Early
in 1975, a group of Watertown NY investors purchased the track,
that consisted of Bob Thurston Sr., Douglas Atkinson, and Thomas
Coughlin. This partnership lasted for several seasons.
In 1981, Bob Thurston Sr. bought out Mr. Atkinson and Mr.
Coughlin, and became the sole owner.
The
Thurston family continued to own the track during
the glory years of the 80's and 90's. Thurston was
responsible for bringing Can-Am under the DIRTcar racing banner
during the winter of 1982-83. The Thurston family did a
remarkable job with the speedway, even after the rebuilding of
the VIP towers after a vicious storm hit the track in
1995. The Thurston's faced some pretty tough decisions at
the time, but decided to repair the damage. With the help
of many people around the racing community, the track was
back up and running in just three weeks. The Thurston
family owned the speedway until the late in the 2000 season.
John
Wight, of Baldwinsville, NY purchased the track in
the summer of 2000. Wight had big plans for the speedway,
and introduced the Big Block Modifieds as the top class at the
speedway. Wight continued ownership of the speedway, even
though attendance and car counts were down from previous
seasons. Wight also owned and sponsored cars driven by
Billy Decker, Pat Ward and Pat O'Brien. Wight would
eventually sell the track to
Charlie and Billy Caprara from the F.X. Caprara car companies
late in the 2003 season. Wight would continue to me a
major player in racing, increasing ownership of World Of Outlaw
late model cars, as well as a Big Block Modified team still
consisting of Decker, Ward, O'Brien, and now Larry, Wight, his
son.
Caprara's
ownership of the Can-Am Speedway would see several changes to
the speedway. The track would
now be known as Caprara Bros. Can-Am Motorsports Park. The
Caprara's would also operate the Thunder
Alley Speed Park, which is just a few miles down the road
from Can-Am.
The
Caprara's continued to own Can-Am through the end of the 2009
season. Just a couple of months into the off season, the trackwas
sold time long time racer, and Rochester businessman Tiger
Chapman. Chapman was originally from nearby Cape Vincent,
New York, and still has a home in the town.
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