Shangri-La was primarily a “Big Car” track from its inception on July 28, 1946.  Stock cars were not tried until the dates shown below.  Both classes shared the track on various dates prior to its first closing in 1956.  The Eastern States Group sanctioned the first two shows in 1949 then the local stock cars took over with both local sanctioning bodies; the Finger Lakes Racing Association and the Southern Tier Stock Car Club sanctioning the shows. The track also had to deal with the Sunday Blue Laws for a time and one of its promoters event went to jail for a short period of time because of it.

  NASCAR sanctioned the Stock Cars in 1952 and 1953 but the results were shaky at best but on the positive side were two drivers who make a niche at Shangri-La in the years to come, namely Nolan Swift and Dutch Hoag.  It also played host to a Grand National Event on July 4, 1952 won by Tim Flock in which a number of local stock car drivers participated in.

  The Southern Tier Jalopy Association was around for about a year, starting in the summer of 1955, with a huge mish-mosh of cars from all over the area bringing with them a variety of drivers both experienced and not so much, but one of the drivers who did race back then wrote his name in the Shangri-La record books in the days that followed by becoming overwhelming winner in the support divisions down through the years…even claiming a couple of Modified wins along the way. That’s none other than Jim Zacharias.

  Putting this list together has been a labor of love……for I spent a lot of time at the track.  It seems like forever, but it was definitely my home track.  For the record, what follows is still…I don’t think…100% complete and I don’t think it ever will be.  But it was a lot of fun trying to put this puzzle together.  One major acknowledgement goes here for without it, part of whats here wouldn’t be.  In doing research for the upcoming book on the tracks history, local racing historian Dr. Gary George traveled to the local Historical Society where records of the jalopy races were found.  Gary passed away this past December from Covid 19, but the inspiration for both the book and this list will live on.  Thanks A.J.!

Mike Monnat