History
Built for harness racing in 1826, the mile staged its first auto race in 1903, won by Barney Oldfield. It was a stop on the AAA national championship circuit, hosted NASCAR Grand National races from 1955 to 1957, and from 1972 was home to Super DIRT Week.
The last stock car race was held on Columbus Day weekend 2015 as the state remade the fairgrounds. The track and its 16,000-seat grandstand were demolished in 2016.
Why it matters: One of America's oldest auto racing venues and the longtime home of Super DIRT Week.
Timeline
- 1826
The track was built for harness racing.
- 1903
Barney Oldfield won the first auto race in his Baby Bullet.
- 1955NASCAR Grand National[1]
Three Grand National races were held from 1955 to 1957.
- 1972First Super DIRT Week[1]
Super DIRT Week began; Buzzie Reutimann won the 1972 championship.
- October 2015
The last stock car race was held on Columbus Day weekend 2015.
- 2016
The track and grandstand were torn down.
The site today
| Physical status | Demolished[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
We have not verified what occupies the site today. Know? Tell us, with a source.
Venue facts
| Other names | Moody Mile |
|---|---|
| Location | Syracuse, New York |
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Motorsports, Horse racing |
| Level | AAA, USAC, NASCAR Grand National, AMA, DIRT |
| Opened | 1903[1,3] |
| Last used for sports | October 2015[1,3] |
| Demolished | 2016[1,2] |
| Physical status | Demolished |
| Final capacity | 16,000[1] |
| Capacity notes | 16,000-seat grandstand built in the early 1970s, per Wikipedia. |
| Surface | Dirt[1] |
| Closure | New York State redeveloped the fairgrounds; the grandstand was to be replaced by an equestrian park. |
Documented details
Sources
- Syracuse Mile, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, demolished, events, opened, surface
- Empire Expo Center, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: coordinates, demolished
- Syracuse's Moody Mile hosts its final stock car race, Sports Illustrated (Associated Press). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, opened
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.