MEMORIES

UNITY RACEWAY

 

 

 

 

 

Billed as the oldest auto race track in Maine, Unity Raceway held its first auto race in the fall of 1948. Rain prevented the first race program from being completed and the raceway, a converted fairgrounds horse track, opened for good in the spring of 1949. Ed Knowles owned and promoted the raceway from 1948 until son Bob took over in 1960. The covered grandstands, a common fixture at fairgrounds horse tracks, still stands at Unity. Now owned by Ralph Nason, Unity Raceway converted from a dirt racing surface to an asphalt surface in the late 1960's.  

 

An early to mid-1950's Unity Raceway poster. Note the style of the "stock cars" and the absence of the starting time and the price of admission.

 

Unity Raceway's covered grandstand set it apart from other tracks in Maine and the covered grandstand still stands today.

 

Racing action from the early 1950's. Notice the covered headlights and the tow bar on the car at the left.

 

This car was in better shape when it arrived at the track and, yet, the driver is smiling. Notice the wire heel on the rear.

 

The flagmen typically flagged the races on the track in the early years...and, sadly, several flagmen were fatally injured after being struck by an errant race car.

 

This board fence kept the race cars in the track and off the adjacent road - sometimes.

 

The race cars are lined up for the feature race. It was common in the 1950's for trucks (#F80) and cars to race together. Note the packed grandstands.

 

The sedan in the middle straddles the dirt embankment. Notice the house across the road and the people standing on their front porch.

 

This photo depicts the wide variety of race cars. The car (#8) at the left is Dave Darveau, a Maine racing legend.

 

More racing action. Dust was a major problem at all dirt tracks until track owners began "wetting" the track with used motor oil.

 

In the 1960's, Unity Raceway had a division limited to in-line six-cylinder motors. Arthur Arseneault #85 and Al Robinson #62.

 

Three-wide racing was common. The car (#V1) on the right is driven by the late Keith Fuller. Notice the length of Fuller's car and  how far the radiator sits behind the front wheels.