Tommy Corellis

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Tommy Corellis
BornThomas A. Corellis
(1941-08-18) August 18, 1941 (age 82)
Debut season1955
Championships8
Finished last season1996

Thomas "Tommy" Corellis (born August 18, 1941) is a retired American Dirt Modified racing driver. Corellis captured 8 track championships at the Lebanon Valley Speedway NY during his career, including five consecutive titles from 1971 to 1975.[1]

Racing career[edit]

Tommy Corellis started racing at age 14 at Lebanon Valley, but promptly got expelled. He returned a few years later and became a dominant racer, ultimately winning 83 feature events at the venue.[2] Corellis also competed regularly at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway NY, Devil's Bowl Speedway VT, and Orange County Fair Speedway NY.[3][4][5] He captured both the 1986 and 1987 Independence Day events at the Syracuse Mile.[6]

After surgery to remove a brain aneurism in 1989, Tommy Corellis made multiple return visits to victory lane before permanently handing the keys to his son Donnie in 1996.[7][8] He was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified and the New York State Stock Car Association Halls of Fame.[9][10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Legends return for night of nostalgia at Lebanon Valley". Times Union. August 7, 1919. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  2. ^ Therrin, James (August 18, 2002). "Speedway Reaches Milestone". The Berkshire Eagle. p. C1,C5. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
  3. ^ Hoefs, Art (October 22, 1976). "Hulbert and Corellis seek crown". The Evening News. p. 6B. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Albany-Saratoga Speedway". The Third Turn. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  5. ^ Nelson, John. "Tracks, Series & Organizations – Devils Bowl Speedway". Auto Racing Research Associates. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Hill, John (July 17, 1987). "Corellis successfully defends Dirt title". The Post-Standard. p. C12. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
  7. ^ Boggie, Tom (April 28, 1991). "Corellis shows resiliency on track". The Daily Gazette. p. D10. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Hedger, Ron (May 3, 1996). "Corellis joins elite group at Lebanon". The Daily Gazette. p. D4. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Widner, Noah (May 27, 1998). "A little fame, a lot of spirit at Weedsport". The Post-Standard. p. C6. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via NewspaperArchive.
  10. ^ "NYSSCA unveils new Hall of Fame display". New York State Stock Car Association. February 7, 2005. Retrieved April 13, 2024.