By Kate Bartlett
Bill Catania is an entrepreneur, race car driver, and racing enthusiast who, along with his wife Lisa, purchased the historic 1/3-mile dirt track, Stateline Speedway in Busti, New York, in November 2024. He is invested in the community and focused on upgrading the facility, improving marketing, and increasing fan engagement to ensure the track’s long-term sustainability.
Bill is a third-generation racer, growing up racing with his father, Bill Catania Sr., and grandfather, Marion Catania, in Stateline. He raced first at Eriez Speedway at the age of 17 in the Spectator division, and then moved up to Limited Late Models racing at Eriez and eventually Stateline during the 1998-99 racing seasons. Catania absorbed as much of the experience in the area and even throughout college at Cornell University. He raced nationally in North Carolina in the Pro All Stars Super Late Model Series, and ultimately in the Menard’s ARCA Racing Series between 2013-2015, his last race being the Daytona 200 all while wearing #18. “I’m fortunate to have met a lot of amazing people, from Stateline to the ARCA Series,” explains Bill. “The people and the experiences shaped who I am.”
When he heard the Stateline Speedway was up for sale, he, along with his wife, decided to purchase the track not only as a way to support racing, but to also stay connected to their community in New York. “It certainly wasn’t convenient,” laughs Bill, owning a business and living full time in Orlando*. “It has been a passion project that we’re honored to engage in.”
From its very first race on July 21, 1956, Stateline Speedway became a hub for stock car racing in the region, attracting both local drivers and national talent. Over the decades, it has hosted legendary racers, evolved through track upgrades, and maintained a strong community following. Today, Stateline Speedway remains a cherished venue, blending its rich racing heritage with modern events, keeping the roar of engines alive for new generations of fans.
Bill and Lisa became owners in November of 2024 and continue to promote the track as a regional entertainment venue, enhancing the venue through renovations and improved amenities, such as new lighting, clean facilities, and enhanced concession stands.
Under the ownership of Bill & Lisa Catania, the track underwent major renovations during the 2024-2025 offseason, and again during this past offseason, with upgrades to the track surface, concessions, and the addition of fan Wi-Fi. “We recognized the need to update our facilities to provide the best possible experience to our visitors,” explains Bill – we will never be done. “We partnered with Kinetic to instill Wi-Fi to help our guests stay connected, and we invested in our concessions to increase the diversity and quality of our menu options.” This spring we reshaped the track and added some fresh clay. We had a successful practice session and the drivers seemed to like the multi-groove racing.
Over the past 2 years, Bill and Lisa have tripled the number of events during the Speedway Season and have now turned their attention to adding more concerts and diverse events. Last year, Stateline Speed-way hosted a Monster Truck and Demolition Derby event, both attracting a wide audience. We’re thankful for our loyal fans, but we’re seeking to become a destination venue as well.”
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Stateline Speedway with many exciting events to help commemorate this milestone. The Speedway will host two national events this July: the Rick Briggs Memorial World of Outlaws Late Models presented by Dave Warren Powersports & Golf Carts (top dirt stock car series in the country, July 8th) and High Limit Sprint Car Series (features the fastest cars on dirt, circling the track at 130 miles per hour in less than 14 seconds, July 24). Both events will be nationally televised and are expected to sell out. “We are thrilled and honored to host both events this summer,” explains Bill. “They put on a great show and we’re looking forward to hosting visitors from around the county.” In honor of the 70th anniversary weekend, The Speedway will also host a race night on July 25.
Bill and Lisa are honored to be involved in The Speedway and help continue its legacy. “The raceway is a special place that holds so many of my childhood memories,” explains Bill. “If you told 12-year-old me that I’d own it someday, I’d have never believed it; it was the center of my universe, my ‘Disney World’. While my wife and I own the track, we could never own the legacy behind it. Over the course of 70 years, hundreds of thousands of people have memories here and we’re honored to help ensure this legacy continues. We are stewards of the raceway, and we’re invested in ensuring its long-term sustainability.”
After 3 consecutive rainouts, opening night is looking good for May 16th and it is one of the first tracks to open in the area. For more information, visit statelinespeedway.com and follow on Facebook and YouTube.
(*Catania founded and is the CEO of OneRail, a final mile logistics orchestration solution, as well as M-Dot, a cloud-based digital coupon platform that was acquired by Inmar, Inc in 2011. He also founded RaceFan Inc. in this senior year at Cornell University.)