Peter "Pete" Corey (October 5, 1929 – August 4, 2000) was a driver of modified stock cars. One of the most popular drivers at Fonda Speedway NY, he claimed the track championship in 1957, 1965, and 1966, and had a total of 50 wins at the venue during his career. Singer Gordy Watson recorded a song about Corey called the Ballad of Number 3, which became a regional hit on country and western radio.[2]
| Pete Corey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Peter J. Corey October 5, 1929 Bennington, VT |
| Died | August 4, 2000 (aged 70) |
| Modified racing career | |
| Debut season | 1949 |
| Car number | 3 |
| Championships | 4 |
| Finished last season | 1973 |
| Championship titles | |
| 1958 NASCAR NY Sportsman Champion[1] 1955 Langhorne National Open | |
Racing career
editPete Corey chipped in with boyhood pal Kenny Shoemaker in 1949 to buy a 1934 coupe and make it into a stock car. They numbered the black racer number 35 to represent the purchase price and began racing at Burden Lake Speedway NY, Carroll's Grove Speedway in Troy NY, Pine Bowl Speedway in Snyders Corners NY, and State Line Speedway in Bennington VT.[3][4] In 1955, Corey was tapped to drive the Bob Mott owned Li'l Yellow No. 3 and went undefeated during the first five weeks of the 1955 season at Fonda, kickstarting a legend.[2]
Early in the 1960 season, a racing accident lead to the amputation of the lower section of Corey's left leg, but he returned to action the next season with a prosthetic limb.[5] His first race back was at Victoria Speedway in Dunnsville NY, and in true storybook fashion, Corey won the feature, and capped an amazing comeback season winning the track's point championship.[2][6]
Pete Corey was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified and the New York State Stock Car Association Halls of Fame.[6][7]
Personal life
editPete Corey enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 14 at the height of World War II. At the age of 15, after a naval doctor discovered his true age, he was honorably discharged. Corey's daughter is former New York State Senator Kathy Marchione.[8]
References
edit- ^ "How 'bout that Cresent Hillbilly!". The Catamount Stadium Website. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Three drivers and promoter elected to NYSSCA Hall of Fame". The Amsterdam Recorder. June 9, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ "Pete Corey takes feature at State Line track". Bennington Banner. August 6, 1955. p. 4. Retrieved December 10, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ Cooley, Joe (May 22, 1959). "Cooley's Corner". The Record (Troy). p. 45. Retrieved December 10, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ Hoefs, Art (April 28, 1961). "Pete Corey to race with artificial limb". The Daily Gazette. p. 24. Retrieved December 10, 2023 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Johnson, Mary Ellen (June 23, 2023). "The track of broken dreams: Victoria Speedway filled with six years of thrills". The Altamont Enterprise. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ "For DIRT racing legends, a long road to Hall of Fame". The Post-Standard. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
- ^ "Peter J. Corey". Town of Halfmoon New York. Retrieved December 10, 2023.