Charles "Chuck" Akulis (born January 6, 1940) is a retired American Dirt Modified racing driver. Akulis had a 9-year winning streak at the Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, NY (1977–1985), and captured 14 track championships at the venue during his career.[2][3]
| Chuck Akulis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles H. Akulis January 6, 1940 |
| Retired | 2000 |
| Debut season | 1960 |
| Modified racing | |
| Car number | 3 |
| Championships | 28[1] |
| Wins | 200+ |
Racing career
editChuck Akulis' first time on a racetrack was a 1960 "greenhorn" event at Penn Can Speedway in Susquehanna PA. Competing with other beginners in a car borrowed from his brother-in-law, Akulis ended his race with a wreck. He went on to be a regular winner at Penn Can, competing at the speedway until 2000, and winning 9 track championships[4][5][6]
Akulis also competed at Nazareth Speedway PA and the renowned tracks of Central New York including Afton Motorsports Park, Brewerton Speedway, Canandaigua Speedway, Midstate Speedway in Morris, Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge NY, and Weedsport Speedway.[2][7][8][9] He was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified and the New York State Stock Car Association Halls of Fame.[1][3][10]
References
edit- ^ a b Stevens, Kevin (February 20, 2020). "Greater Binghamton Sports Hall of Fame induction class, dinner speaker revealed". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Henderson, Dave (August 6, 1983). "Akulis closes in on title". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Widner, Noah (May 27, 1998). "Hall of Fame honor recognizes Akulis". Syracuse Herald-Journal. p. D5. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ "Akulis wins mid season title at Penn-Can". The Wayne Independent. August 6, 1970. p. 14. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ Akulis, Chuck (December 28, 2023). "Chuck Akulis talks about his start in racing" (Interview). Interviewed by Doug Elkins. Elkins Video Productions. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Voorhees, Fred. "Tracks, Series & Organizations - Penn Can Speedway". Auto Racing Research Associates. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "Akulis wins mod feature at RW after 9-car crash". The Citizen. June 27, 1976. p. 14. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ O'Brien, Dick (April 6, 1987). "DIRT opener run in spite of foul weather". Syracuse Herald-Journal. p. C6. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ Voorhees, Fred. "ARRA - Cars, Drivers & Events - Chuck Akulis". Auto Racing Research Associates. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Meade, Luke (October 19, 2022). "Five Mile Point Speedway to host final". WBNG-TV. Retrieved April 11, 2024.