LITTLE VALLEY — Little Valley Speedway, the half-mile dirt oval located at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds, will be shuttered in 2018, ending a 20-year run.

A number of factors led track officials to make the decision to suspend operations, the chief one being dwindling car counts in its signature division, the Super Late Models.

In the past, it was not uncommon to have fields of 25-30 cars and occasionally higher. That number has shrunk to 14-18 cars on any given night, and the speedway crowds have also shrunk along with car counts.

Finding dates to race have also become a challenge at the busy facility, which hosts a number of horse shows in addition to the Cattaraugus County Fair. Added to these considerations is the curse of the weatherman, which has seen more than half of the track’s shows rained out in recent years. As of now, the board will evaluate its options and the tenor of the sport through 2018 before making a decision on whether to re-open in 2019.

Track officials wish to thank all the race teams, sponsors, and fans for their support over the last 20 years.