// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Cliff Kotary? A cliffhanger storyteller.
| Cliff Kotary | |
|---|---|
| Born | Clifford L. Kotary November 8, 1919 |
| Died | December 27, 2010 (aged 91)[1] |
| Retired | 1968 |
| Debut season | 1948 |
| Modified racing career | |
| Car number | 60x, 90, 188 |
| Wins | 300+ |
| Championship titles | |
| 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 New York State Fair Champion | |
Clifford Kotary (November 8, 1919 – December 27, 2010) was an American dirt modified racing driver who accounted for over 300 feature victories. He won an unprecedented six straight New York State Fair Labor Day Championships.[2]
Racing career
[edit]Kotary began his racing career at Bennett's Field in North Utica, New York in 1948. He competed successfully at the renowned tracks throughout New York, Vermont, and Canada, including Fonda Speedway New York, Kingston Speedway Ontario, Maple Grove Speedway (Waterloo) New York, Monroe County Fairgrounds New York, State Line Speedway (Bennington) Vermont, and the Watertown Speedway New York.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
In 1960, Kotary won the first of six straight New York State Fair championship events at the Syracuse Mile. His attempt for a seventh Labor Day victory in 1966 ended while he was leading with four laps remaining and the engine broke.[2][9]
Kotary was inducted into the Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, the New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame and the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame.[2]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Clifford Kotary Obituary". The Post-Standard. Syracuse NY. December 29, 2010. p. 9. Retrieved November 9, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- 1 2 3 4 Mosher, Ron (December 30, 2010). "Cliff Kotary, former driver, dies at 91". Observer-Dispatch. Utica NY. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ↑ Wade, Bob (July 25, 1957). "Sports Beat". Daily Messenger. Canandaigua NY. p. 6. Retrieved November 9, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ↑ "50 lap race on schedule". The Daily Star. Oneonta NY. August 24, 1957. p. 8. Retrieved November 9, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ↑ "Simek photo". The Daily Gazette. Schenectady NY. October 22, 1957. p. 19. Retrieved November 9, 2023 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Kotary back at track, wins feature 2nd time". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Ontario, Canada. September 5, 1959. p. 10. Retrieved November 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Kotary wins fourth feature, sets record for 10 miles". Watertown Daily Times. NY. September 8, 1959. p. 14. Retrieved November 9, 2023 – via NNY 360Archives.
- ↑ Shaw, David L. (July 10, 2021). "Memories of Maple Grove — The speedway, not the cemetery". Finger Lakes Times. Geneva NY. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ↑ "Kotary defends title: Stock cars vie in title race". The Post-Standard. Syracuse NY. September 6, 1965. p. 20. Retrieved November 9, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
