SOUTH PLATTSBURGH -- The roar of the engines meant one thing: Airborne Speedway was open for the 57th year.

The opening day featured much excitement, including the race of the day -- a 50-lap modified event won by Patrick Dupree of Saranac Lake.

The raceway now has an improved far straight away with billboards pushed back and a new sand pit to slow down the cars.

The new grandstand was filled on the front straight away, and much of the first turn was filled as well.

"The track looks great today," Whelen driver Steve Park said. "It is great to see everyone out and all the fans here tonight."

Park was up for the day to see several friends and watch the Modified feature race and some testing of a Tony Stewart car in between races.

The smell of fried dough, hamburgers and other goodies moved over the crowd in between races.

The featured race was all the buzz though as it kicked off the season at Airborne.

The 50-lap modified division had a lot of excitement in it, but Dupree, in the No. 24 Outback car, led from start to finish.

Dupree, who won five races last season, started the 2008 campaign off well winning the Econo-Lodge 50 by five car lengths.

"It really helped starting out in front," Dupree said. "We were fast tonight.

"We have done a lot of testing to get into this position."

Dupree had to forgo the normal victory lap with the checkered flag with transmission problems.

There were just three cautions throughout the race with the first coming on the second lap after a three-car pile up between turns three and four.

The No. 3 car took a hard spill late in the race as it clipped another car and went skidding into the wall off turn four.