Captured here decades-ago at Connecticut’s “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl in the famed L&M is “Little Bill” Harman. Nickname-aside, there was nothing diminutive in stature about this guy when he got behind the controls of a coupe like this; he was one tough competitor! From humble beginnings at Waterford, he became one of the premier drivers in all of modified racing. Ironically, after spending decades chasing victories all over the country (and Canada), it was at the Speedbowl where he concluded his stellar career in the late-70s. The result of a grinding-crash while wheeling the Joe Zenga-owned Vega, he received serious injuries including a shattered scapula and several broken ribs. Though he thankfully recovered, at only 42-years of age he called-it-a-day leaving us to wonder just how-many more checkers would have waved his way had he continued. Harman was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2004. (Shany Photo, Chris Langer Collection).         

Captured here in a midget at the former Ponta Delgada Motor Speedway in Tiverton, Rhode Island is the late Oscar “Cannonball” Ridlon. Also known as “Ponta Delgada Motor Stadium” and “Tiverton Speedway” the track was built as a 1/5 mile dirt oval around a soccer field debuting in 1939. For the 1941 season, it was paved. Events were held through July 26, 1942 when WW2 intervened. Racing resumed after the war, and continued (on a somewhat inconsistent basis in later years), until the facilities demise in the early-50s. As for Ridlon, he was one of the truly-legendary “characters” within the annals of New England racing history. After a colorful career racing open-wheelers, he became promoter of both the Pines Speedway in Groveland, Massachusetts (also gone now), and New Hampshire’s Hudson Speedway. (Photographer Unknown).                    

Seen here celebrating a modified a victory at Connecticut’s “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl is Stan Spencer. Another of those drivers in the 60-year history of the shoreline oval that we know precious-little about, we believe the photo to be from the 1971 campaign. If anyone has any further information on Stan, feel-free to contact us! (Shany Photo, Chris Langer Collection).    

Here’s one from the old 1/5-miler at Agawam, Massachusetts’ much-missed Riverside Park Speedway. Joe Wilcox was a winner in the early 1970s, his Hudson coupe typical of the great-looking cars campaigned at The Park’ during its glory years under the sanction of the Tattersall family’s United Racing Club. Though he was always in the hunt, Joe’s lone Riverside modified feature victory occurred on the evening of June 12, 1971, making him among the last guys to grab a main event on the old fifth-mile oval. For 1972 the track was expanded to a ¼-miler. Sadly, after 50-years of continuous operation, Riverside was shuttered forever following the conclusion of the 1999 season. (Shany Photo, Chris Langer Collection).               

Here’s an image captured in the early-1970s of a true Icon within the ranks of the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl’s support classes. Extremely-popular and a huge winner, “Big Mike” Daigneault handily scored the 1973 Sportsman Sedan title and endeared himself to the fans with his patriotic red, white & blue “Spirit of 76’” Ford entries. Mike ranks 7^th on his divisions all-time win list with a total of 27 career feature victories. (Shany Photo, Chris Langer Collection).     

Call em’ Daredevils, Sportsman Sedans, Grand Americans, Late Models, or whatever, when it came to “full-fender” racing, this guy was one of the absolute-best. Plainfield, Connecticut’s Ron “Boots” Cote had few equals when in his prime, excelling at a trio of his home-state ovals. At the Speedbowl-alone (as seen here in the early 1970s), he recorded over thirty career-victories and a duo of championships. (Shany Photo, Chris Langer Collection).

That's it for this week. Email me at: foreveryounginct@gmail.com