Many race tracks have come and gone during more than 100 years of auto racing. One with a short but interesting story is Dexter Park.
One doesn’t think of New York City as a mecca of speed, but the city had its heyday. The Sheepshead Bay board track, Cross Bay Speedway, Kingsbridge Armory, Weissglass Speedway and the Polo Grounds were among the facilities that hosted auto racing.
The other track was Dexter Park. Built in the 1800s as a horse track, it was named after a popular steed of its day, Dexter. The track was located in Queens County, just one block from the Brooklyn border.
In the 20th century, it was converted into a baseball stadium. Babe Ruth, in an exhibition game, homered off Dazzy Vance. Later a semi-pro team, the Bushwicks, named for the nearby Brooklyn neighborhood, made Dexter Park its home. Hall of Fame New York Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto got his first paychecks there.
With the demise of the baseball team, it was pondered what to do with the stadium. Auto racing was the choice. In 1950, a one-third-mile paved track was erected. It was a one-of-a-kind track. To fit the previous baseball configuration, the track had a very sharp “home plate” turn.
Franklin K. Lane High School was located on Dexter’s southern border, while a cemetery adjoined to the north.
Midget races were the original plan, but in 1951, midget racing was on a downslide.
Jake Kedenburg was promoting stock cars at Freeport Speedway on Long Island and he was brought in to run the shows.
They ran modifieds on Tuesdays and the more popular non-Fords were booked for Thursdays. The latter turned out to be a big success with crowds of more than 5,000 enjoying the action. Since the purse was declared by 40 percent of the gate, a semi-final winner would go home with more money than feature victors at most tracks.
Another part of Dexter Park was a huge hill to line up to the sign in booth. Early racers who mostly flat towed to the track had their passenger cars damaged as they left Dexter going downhill and having the stock car crash into them. Most piled old tires around their ropes and chains after their first visit.
Dexter Park was a hot bed briefly. In 1955, word came that the track was sold. The last modified race was won by Jim Hendrickson, who 22 years later won the last modified main at Freeport.
Running for less than five years, Dexter Park hosted some great spirited racing.
The track closed with little fanfare. The only memory left is the street by the apartment building that replaced it — Dexter Court.