Kenny Shoemaker

Kenny Shoemaker
Born	Kenneth N. D. Shoemaker September 7, 1929 Schaghticoke, New York
Died	March 22, 2001(2001-03-22) (aged 71)
Motorsport career
Debut season	1949
Wins	150+
Finished last season	1978
Championship titles
1958 NASCAR NY Sportsman Champion[1]

Kenneth "Kenny" Shoemaker (September 7, 1929 - March 22, 2001) was an American dirt modified racing driver. Known as "The Shoe", he was a hired gun who piloted 78 different cars to over 150 wins, usually at venues within driving distance of his home because of his full time job.[2][3]

Racing career

Kenny Shoemaker chipped in with boyhood pal Pete Corey 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.[4] During his career he competed successfully at the renowned tracks of the northeast, including Albany-Saratoga Speedway NY, Fonda Speedway NY, Langhorne Speedway NY, Monroe County Fairgrounds NY, the Syracuse Mile NY, Utica-Rome Speedway NY, and Victoria Speedway, NY.[1][2][5][6]

Kenny Shoemaker was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified and the New York State Stock Car Association Halls of Fame.[1][4]

References

1. Boggie, Tom (April 2, 1993). "Shoemaker enters Dirt Hall of Fame". The Daily Gazette. p. D6. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via Google Books.
2. "Ken Shoemaker Career Results". The Third Turn. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
3. Boyd, Lew; Shoemaker, Kenny (2000). They Called Me the Shoe. Coastal 181. ISBN 097098541X.
4. "Three drivers and promoter elected to NYSSCA Hall of Fame". The Amsterdam Recorder. June 9, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
5. "Shoemaker wins feature at Victoria". The Record (Troy). August 23, 1965. p. 15. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
6. "Kenny Shoemaker grabs feature Albany Saratoga". The Post-Star. July 16, 1966. p. 8. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.