MEMORIES_Kennebunk

History records auto racing events were held at the Kennebunk Fairgrounds in 1936 but it is unclear how many racing events were run on the half-mile dirt track or if any races were held after 1936. The Maine Turnpike Maintenance Garage now sits on the site of the old Kennebunk Fairgrounds.

The above picture and article is the courtesy of Wayne Hartford. He found both in an issue of The Sanford Tribune & Advocate newspaper for July 9, 1936. The type of race car in the picture was commonly referred to as a "big car". No where in the article does it state the name of the organization that sponsored the race at Kennebunk Fairgrounds. However, in the 1930's and 1940's an organization based in Massachusetts called the Bay State Motor Racing Association promoted racing events throughout New England including Maine, particularly at the Lewiston Fairgrounds in 1949. It is believed this organization promoted the race(s) at Kennebunk Fairgrounds in 1936 and the Cumberland Fairgrounds in 1937. Another possibility is the Triple A (AAA) organization, the forerunner of the United States Auto Club (USAC), which sanctioned racing events all over the country including in New England. For a larger image of the above picture and story, click the photo.