Ron Ford recently announced that he’ll take over as co-promoter of Skyline Raceway Motorsports Park in Virgil, New York. He had promoted nearby Afton Motorsports Park for the past eight years before the fair board let him go.
“Brad Smith, who owns Skyline, had a tough season, while Afton Motorsports Park had a great season,” Ford said. “Brad welcomed me. He gave me a place to go and a chance to bring his track back to the glorious history it is famous for.”
Ford will reintroduce modifieds to Skyline. The division will allow a wide variety of modifieds to run in it, including big-block, open 358, and crate sportsman modifieds. Ford is also brining with him American Racer tires.
“I never knew how well I was liked,” said Ford. “The response for bringing the modifieds to Skyline Raceway has been overwhelming and reassuring.”
Ford hopes to draw modifieds from a variety of places.
“We will absolutely get cars from Afton Motorsports Park,” said Ford. “With Five Mile Point Speedway [in Kirkwood, New York] closing, we’ll get cars from there. We are working with Penn Can Speedway in nearby Susquehanna, Pennsylvania — they race on Friday nights. We will be on the same page with Penn Can Speedway and will have the same rules. Racers will be able to run two nights without making any changes to their cars. If you win at Penn Can, you won’t have to pay to get in at Skyline. If you win at Skyline, your entry is free the next Friday at Penn Can.”
Ron Ford said they’re still working out remainder of the details for next year at Skyline Raceway Motorsports Park. Expect the track to announce its 2024 schedule as the season gets closer.
“We are excited for the new season,” said Ford. “It is too early to say what we are working on, but there will be more exciting announcements coming.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
