If you've ever wondered where the Monte Carlos and Trans Ams of your youth have gone, head to the Accord Speedway on a Friday night - you'll find them racing it out on a classic dirt short track for bragging rights and some cash.

The quarter-mile speedway, mostly dormant during the week (there are some Wednesday practice nights) turns into a beehive of activity on Friday afternoons, as trucks hauling car trailers of all sizes, shapes, and colors start heading up Whitfield Road for an evening of racing.

Whitfield Road in Accord is an unlikely place for a racetrack, but the Speedway has been there for years, providing entertainment for drivers and spectators for more than three decades (there was a hiatus from '88 to '92).  Karen Hoover, of Jake's Auto Body in High Falls (which sponsors three drivers and hosts an annual feature night at the track), has not only gone to the Speedway all her life, but says Jake's supports it because, "It's part of the community and a great family night out."

It has also been the object of ongoing legal battles and efforts to stop its operation as neighbors - some new arrivals, some long-term residents - try to eliminate the noise, dust and race-related traffic that are a regular part of Friday nights in Accord from April through October.

In fact the Speedway is a perfect metaphor for the way many Hudson Valley communities have grown and changed: as more and more people have come to the area for its country atmosphere and rural charms they have often become selective about which attributes they would like to keep and which they would like to make disappear.  The dirt track is on the list of unwanted local charms for a vocal group of mostly weekenders that also includes some full-time residents.

But what are they fighting?  It all depends on who you talk to.

An evening spent at the racetrack is unlike anything else you'll find in Ulster County.  Aside from the hubbub, there's something rather timeless about it.  About 125 vehicles compete in seven different classes (each class has at least one heat and then a feature race).  Many of the cars date from the '70s and '80s (some are even older); seeing the cars is sort of like running into old friends without realizing you had missed them.  When was the last time you saw an AMC Gremlin?

On a night with good weather, a few thousand people pay anywhere from $1 (for children under 12 - and there are plenty) to $12 for adult admission for a chance to sit in the bleachers and experience the close racing comprised of short bursts of speed connected by four-wheel skids around the tight turns.  The dust kicked up by the cars can be impressive, as well.