Joseph "Joe" Donahue (August 25, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was a pioneering driver of Dirt Modified stock cars. In 1957, Donahue won every race but one at Glen Aubrey Speedway NY and the track championship.[2]
| Joe Donahue | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph E. Donahue August 25, 1926 Binghamton, New York |
| Died | April 30, 2007 (aged 80)[1] |
| Modified racing career | |
| Debut season | 1948 |
| Championships | 11 |
| Finished last season | 1971 |
Racing career
editFollowing his service in World War II, Joe Donahue started out racing stock cars, winning his first feature in 1949 at the Drive-in Speedway in Doty Hill PA.[2] He also competed successfully at Langhorne Speedway PA, Shangri-La Speedway NY, and VFW Raceway at the Bradford County Fairgrounds PA.[3][4]
Over his career, Donahue won four track championships at Five Mile Point Speedway, a second title at Glen Aubrey, two at Susquehanna Speedway PA, and a single title at Midstate Speedway NY.[2][5][6] Joe Donahue was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame 2020.[2][7]
References
edit- ^ "Joseph Donahue Obituary". Press & Sun-Bulletin. May 2, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2023 – via Legacy.com.
- ^ a b c d Swanson, Buffy (May 26, 2020). "'Irish Joe' Donahue was a pioneer driver". The Citizen (Auburn, New York). Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "Joe Donahue-Career Results by Series". The Third Turn. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "Stock car racing resumes tonight at VFW Raceway". The Daily Review. May 3, 1958. p. 10. Retrieved September 18, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ "Joe Donahue cops feature; Stoshal out". Endicott Daily Bulletin. September 3, 1957. p. 24. Retrieved September 18, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ "Friar, Donahue win at Midstate". Oneonta Star. May 27, 1968. p. 19. Retrieved September 18, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ "Joe Donahue Entering NE Modified Hall Of Fame". Speed Sport. May 7, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2023.