“Top Cat” Tommy Corellis Returns In The Leto #50 At Lebanon Valley Speedway with the MVVDMS
COLUMN BY: Laurie Fallis / WEST LEBANON, NY – Get ready Race Fans, Yes, 84 year old racings legend, Tommy Corellis will be returning once again behind the wheel of a race car with the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series at the track that he has glorified his racing career, Lebanon Valley Speedway on Saturday, May 9th for the series Joe Leto and Austin Dickerman Memorial.
Tommy will be piloting the Terry Graves Joe Leto #50 Gremlin which will be competing in the MVVDMS Mystique Division for the Leto/Dickerman Mystique Challenge.
The Racing Memories will certainly come back alive for the 8 time Lebanon Valley Speedway Champion and the many fans in the racing world to enjoy at the “High Banks” where Corellis was king for many years and every Saturday night.
Terry Graves and his son Andy built there beautiful piece over the winter, there goal was doing a a Kenny Shoemaker #50 Joe Leto tribute car. That they did with the help of Melissa Shoemaker, (The Shoes daughter) The series new of this build but was not sure what tribute he was building. When confirmed it was the leto #50, how fitting, like it was ment to be, to reach out to Corellis and ask if he would like to be a part of our car show and sign autographs, being he was the driver for Leto #50 at Lebanon Valley in the 70″s. He graciously said yes and excited to do it.
In honor of the other iconic car owner down MVVDMS “Vintage Alley” Marty Kelly Jr represented his racing hero with his Butch Jelly #357 representing as well Austin Dickerman. Kelly will have the “Jelly Wagon” in the Mystique Division at “The Valley.”
Ed Delmolino also drove the Dickerman #357 that seen Corellis and Delmolino split the victories in a year in the Modified Division, while the car owners bet in who would beat who. Betting more then the actual purse on what driver would finish ahead of the other.
Going back to over the winter The wheels begun to spin from Al Kugler on having a two race challenge at Lebanon and Fonda remembering two of racings iconic car owners of the 70’s, a Joe Leto/Austin Dickerman Mystique Challenge was evolved and will take place at Lebanon Valley on Saturday, May 9th and Fonda Speedway Friday, September 18th.
As expected it was a great turn out as fans came to see their racing legend and hero. The opportunity was given to him if would like to pilot the #50 for the Leto/Dickerman Mystique Challenge and with no hesitation the 84 yr old racing legend said he would.
Tommy Corellis is one of the true legends of Northeast dirt modified racing, especially synonymous with Lebanon Valley Speedway, which makes his return in the MVVDMS Leto/Dickerman Mystique Division even more meaningful.
Tommy is thrilled to once again wheel at the track that was so good to him. His last adventure behind the wheel came in 2019 when he climbed in the Carl Cram #57 Coupe for Lebanon Valley Legends Night. Prior to that it had been over 20 yrs of before racing.
Tommy was known as a hard charger and crowd favorite, he was described as a “seat-filler”, as fans came to watch him race, sounds familiar with the other driver that drove the #50 Leto car at Fonda Speedway, ‘The Shoe” Kenny Shoemaker.
Tommys Nickname was “Top Cat”, Corellis was known for,
Aggressive, fearless driving
Ability to win in different types of equipment
Intensity that made him either loved or feared on the track
Stories from competitors highlight how tough he was—he wasn’t afraid to mix it up physically or mentally on the track.
Tommy would race until the mid 90’s passing the torch to his son Donnie.
Corellis remains a Lebanon Valley legend, he still at his age remaining active as he is still putting in his blood, sweat and having a good time. You can see him getting the race track in great shape or working on equipment, Tommy is still the “Top Cat” at his beloved speedway.
Seeing Tommy Corellis drive again,especially in the Leto/Dickerman Mystique Division, is a full-circle moment:
His presence represents exactly what MVVDMS stands for:
– preserving the legends
– honoring the history
– bringing fans back to the golden era
It started with a dream by Terry Graves to build the #50 Joe Leto car. It’s a amazing opportunity that will have Tommy Corellis once again being “THE TOP CAT”
Back Behind the Wheel of the Iconic #50
DON’T MISS IT
A rare chance to see a true legend back in action
in one of the most iconic numbers in Valley history
