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08/25/10: It’s Wednesday - Time For More “Old Stuff… Known as “The Old Master” New Jersey native and dirt track specialist Frankie Schneider began his career in 1947 by winning $70 for driving his street car to a seventh place at Flemington Speedway. Schneider is believed to have won at least 750 races in the next thirty years. He routinely raced eight times per week (in several classes), and reportedly scored at least 100 wins in 1958-alone. He won the Langhorne National Open, the country's most noted event for Sportsman and Modified racers in 1954 and again in 1962. Among the many accolades and awards bestowed upon Schneider was being voted “Driver of the Century” by Area Auto Racing News. Until a few seasons-ago, he occasionally campaigned a Modified at Middletown New York’s Orange County Speedway. This ancient image captures a young Paul Richardson early in his career at what we believe (thanks to friend Bruce Cohen), to be Oscar Ridlon’s Pines Speedway which was located in Groveland, Massachusetts (it closed in 1971). Inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2009, it all started for Richardson at The Pines in 1965. The next year, he bought Al Riley’s “Little Princess” cutdown, and won the Hudson (NH), points championship. MORE>> |
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08/18/10: Reader Contributions, Midget Racing Greats, And Even A Little Clowning-Around….. Seen here at New York’s Lancaster Speedway in 1971 is Eastern hotshot Cam Gagliardi. Long a presence in the Modified wars of his region, he was a big winner at places like Lancaster, Albany-Saratoga, and Merritville in naming just a few. Cam actually got his start in the sport at the old Buffalo Civic Stadium in Buffalo, New York which operated from 1933 to 1959. Many of the area’s greatest drivers emerged from the Civic Stadium including Gagliardi, Billy Rafter, Chuck Boos, and Bill Torrisi – all were champions. The late Ray Delisle enjoyed a long and successful run in racing, but it was not without a few rough-spots along the way. Felled by serious injuries sustained in a Waterford Speedbowl crash when his Coupe was hit from-behind and the old-style “jerry can” fuel tank erupting in-flames, he endured a long, painful recovery before returning to the game. In 1964, his career reached its zenith when he waltzed-away with the Speedbowl Modified title wheeling the famed Simons Bros. #9. This image captures Ray and the Simons car during a visit to the dirt of Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York. MORE>> |
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08/11/10: More Hall Of Famers, Etc…… Getting his start at Plainville Stadium in 1965, our friend Ray Miller went on to become one of the greatest of New England Modified racers. Inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2002, this early shot captures him at the Stafford Motor Speedway. Here’s an excerpt from his Hall of Fame biography; “Ray Miller grew up around racecars. His father teamed with Red Lataille to own the #1 Lataille/Miller Offy, which ran out of the Miller's garage in East Granby, CT. Ray's dad ran the ARDC circuit, often racing 7 nights per week, and finished 2nd to Nick Fonoro, Sr. in 1950. Ray's dad raced in the 1940's and '50's. Ray competed from the 1960's into the '80's, and his late son Jay was also a winning Modified racer. Ray graduated from the University of Bridgeport in 1965, and ran his first race that spring, running a Modified at the Plainville Stadium. Over the next decade, he drove for owners Bill Myers and Guy Sweatland. MORE>> |
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08/04/10: Yup, More Old Stuff (Again)….. Here’s a nice shot of the late “Steady Eddie” Flemke following an early-1970’s victory at Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway. Owner Bob Judkins (left), had one of the first Pinto Modifieds in New England, and this is arguably the car that started Modified racing’s “Pinto Revolution.” Flemke was among the first inductees into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame back in 1998, while Judkins was inducted in 2003. Both of these guys contributed a tremendous amount to the sport. Here’s another image of the famous Judkins #2X. This time it’s Connecticut’s Waterford Speedbowl and the guy behind the controls is none-other than Reggie Ruggiero, absolutely one of the best drivers to ever strap-in behind the controls of a Modified stock car. Judkins always had nothing but the most talented chauffeurs wheeling his creations. MORE>> |
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07/28/10: Yet More Archival Offerings…. Known early-on as “The Kid from Fitchburg”, the guy seen here went from wheeling cars like this Camaro at the Massachusetts 1/3-miler known as Seekonk Speedway to winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Talladega 500 during his rookie season in 1981. Ronnie Bouchard began his career at age-14 at the old Brookline Speedway in New Hampshire. Before going Cup’ racing in 1981, he’d scored over 200 victories in the Modifieds, becoming one of the dominate drivers during what many consider to be the most-competitive era of the division. Bouchard was among the first drivers inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998. Like so-many of the racers from his generation, the late Maynard Forrette saw no boundaries in the difference between running on dirt or asphalt. A big winner on both, he’s probably most fondly remembered for his stunning dirt-slingin’ drives on the daunting Syracuse Mile where during the later stages of his career, he often bested competitor’s half-his-age. A master mechanic and innovative car builder, Forrette also ran Northern Speed Supply, a haven for racers seeking to get the most out of their equipment. MORE>> |
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07/14/10: Another Trip In The “Wayback Machine”… Seen here in the 1970’s is New England Modified racing legend Leo “The Lion” Cleary and the Bob Garbarino “Mystic Missile” crew. Cleary and Garbarino were to say the least, major players during the formative years of the sport. Both New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame members, Leo retired from driving in 1993 and Garbarino still fields car on the NASCAR Modified Tour with youthful sensation Bobby Santos III serving as his current chauffer. Here’s another shot of the Garbarino Pinto, this time with Brian Ross as the driver. Ross, who began his career at New York State’s Albany-Saratoga Speedway during the 1960’s (an era in-which the track was an absolute hotbed of action, routinely attracting the best racers in the business), was long a top-driver on the New England Modified circuit recording many victories. He was also known as one of the most innovative car builders of his generation. MORE>> |
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07/14/10: Another Week, Another Page From the Past…. New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer Gene Bergin is captured here during the 1960s in the pits of Massachusetts’ much-missed Riverside Park Speedway. He was among the first HOF inductees back in 1998. From his NEAR HOF biography; Gene Bergin began and ended his career at the Stafford Motor Speedway. He qualified in the first race he entered but was disqualified when it was learned he was only 17 years old in 1949.He returned when he was of age to start a 29 year career competing and winning at all the southern New England race tracks. He was always a hard charger either on dirt or asphalt. He won the 1962 Riverside Park championship and the 1967 Stafford Motor Speedway championship in 67, the first year it was paved. One of his most significant wins was the 1971 Stafford 200. He started on the pole and led every lap to win in Bob Judkins 2X, the first ever NASCAR-legal Pinto-bodied modified. MORE>> |
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07/07/10: Waterford Wanderings….. In a recent conversation with Bruce Cohen of the New England Antique Racers (NEAR), we speculated that the guy who fielded this #21 was perhaps one of the most underrated car owners in New England Modified Racing history. Norm Kies had some of the best drivers in the region wheeling his machines for decades, Hall of Famers like Dennis Zimmerman, George Lombardo, Dick Watson, Bob Potter, etc. It’s indeed an impressive list. In this early 1970s “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl shot, it’s Jerry Lilliquist at the controls, one of the shoreline oval’s premier stars. As a bit of trivia, the correct spelling of this racers first-name was actually “Jari” rather than “Jerry.” It was something that car owners and media of the day never seemed to get correct! MORE>> |
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06/30/10: More Memories & Mysteries…. Admittedly, we don’t know much about this driver, a gentleman by the name of Bernie Deveau. We do know however, that it’s a 1960’s-era image at Connecticut’s “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl, and he’s obviously just grabbed a victory. It could be a Bomber entry from the latter-days of the division, or it could be a Modified – again, we’re not sure. If any readers happen to have some information on this car & driver, please feel-free to contact me. Yet-another shot from the “unknown files.” It’s again the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl, and judging from the “I Like Ike” bumper stickers plastered on the side of this Coupe, it’s the 1950’s. Probably a support-division entry judging by the 6-banger power, we’ve got tons of these types of shots in the “RTT” archives. Every competitor deserves recognition no-matter what the level of accomplishment in the sport, and we’d really like to find-out who these racers are. MORE>> |
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06/23/10: Another Helping Of Racin’ Memories…. Seen here at Stafford Springs during the early-days of his career behind the controls of a positively scary-looking “Cut-Down” is our pal New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, “Wild Bill” Slater. Bill recently relayed to us the story about winning with this Coupe on the old 1/5-miler that previously occupied the infield area of Stafford. Lou Young was the car owner. Notoriously light-weight & dangerous, it took nerves-of-steel to wheel one of these things. The Waterford Speedbowl was one of the first New England tracks to outlaw the “Cut-Downs” when popular Jack Griffin lost his life in one on the evening of August 12, 1954. And here’s another one of “Wild Bill” Slater, this-time at Waterford in 1956 - a year in-which he was crowned track champion with this “Baldy” Simons-owned Coupe. Though he stuck-around the Speedbowl long-enough to claim another title (in the potent Vitari-Bombaci #V-8), his career really took-off upon leaving the local scene. Success was found at Massachusetts’ storied Norwood Arena as-well as Connecticut’s Stafford and Thompson Speedways. He won the 400 mile race at Trenton, New Jersey four times, and is a 2-time winner of the Utica-Rome 400 in New York. His biggest career victory came at the Langhorne Penn. Race of Champions. He drove in The Daytona Permatex 300 four times from 1963 to 66. Bill drove his last race at Stafford in 1969 and then became involved in the promotional side of racing at Stafford and later Thompson. MORE>> |
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06/16/10: Another Week, More Vintage Views….. The “old days” at Connecticut’s Waterford Speedbowl were no-different than what goes on currently at the track fondly referred-to by locals as the “Shoreline Oval.” Quite-frankly, the place has always been a rough n’ tumble affair. This ancient Shany Lorenzent image captures a gaggle of early chauffeurs piled-up on the “sand safety strip” that previously circled the track surface. Note the railroad-tie walls also. The sand was removed in the 1960’s, and the wall was backed-up an Armco barrier in the late-1980’s. Another coupe-era shot from what was then-known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl captures Bob Tatro & crew pitside at the Rt. 85 oval. Typical of the times, Bob’s racer sported a nifty vintage body, stock frame, and probably 99% of the components used in its construction where products of good old-fashioned Yankee ingenuity, rather than a fat-wallet. Sadly, Modified racing has become prohibitively-expensive for many would-be competitors and has also forced many veteran teams out of the sport. It remains a truly-disturbing trend. MORE>> |
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06/09/10: Hall Of Famers, Midgets, And Other Assorted Subject Matter…. Captured here at the former Candlelight Stadium in Bridgeport, CT. during the height of his brilliant career is Raymond “Hully” Bunn, a native of New Britain, Connecticut. First climbing behind the wheel at the late Plainville Stadium in 1949, within two-years he had become one of the premier short-trackers in the country. In 1951, he emerged victorious in the first-ever Race of Champions at the storied Langhorne Speedway in Pennsylvania topping a field of over one-hundred top-notch Modified-Sportsman competitors. Friend & fellow competitor the late Dick Eagan drove relief for him during a segment of the event, a testament to just how grueling the early Langhorne shows were. A frequent winner from coast-to-coast, Bunn retired in 1965 following a serious crash at Lebanon Valley. Both Bunn and Eagan are members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. MORE>> |
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06/02/10: Early Indy & More Short Track Stormers…. This week we start with something different. By now, the world knows that it was Dario Franchitti winning this year’s edition of that great Memorial Day weekend classic, the Indianapolis 500. However, at the conclusion of the first-ever staging of the event on May 30, 1911, it was Ray Harroun taking the checkers. Wheeling a Marmon Wasp engineered by Harry Goetz, his average speed was a blistering 74.602 mph. Ralph Mulford driving a Lozier was second, and in a Fiat, it was young upstart David Bruce Brown notching third. Worth mentioning is the fact that Harroun was the only driver in the race without a riding mechanic and his Marmon also featured the world’s first rear-view mirror. The mirror was enough to satisfy officials that he had a reasonable field of vision without the aid of a mechanic, but in reality it vibrated so-much that it was virtually useless. MORE>> |
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05/26/10: Mordino Has A “Smashing Night” At The Park’ Along With More From The Archives…. This classic shot comes to you from our Webmaster, the honorable Mr. Tom Ormsby. We’ll let him tell the story; “This is the infamous Riverside Park incident involving the late, great Tony Mordino,” states Ormsby. “For whatever reason (I don’t remember), the starter threw him out, and he parked his car on the front straight. Harvey Tattersall then ordered the payloader to haul him off. Tony started the car and kept ramming the front of the payloader in the process absolutely destroying its radiator. Harvey banned-him until he paid for the damage, which I was told, cost around $800 to repair.” Mordino was one of the toughest, most-determined competitors of his generation and his talent resulted in an untold number of checkers during his long, storied career. Truth-be-told, promoter Tattersall needed Mordino, as his name sold a ton of tickets at Riverside. Remember, this was an era before the sport was whitewashed for the masses by the “proper etiquette” of the NASCAR Cup Series. Guys like Mordino made Saturday nights truly-exciting, “Heroes & Villains” were all part of the game! MORE>> |
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05/19/10: Another Week, Another Visit To The Archives… Back in the “old daze”, teams got really-creative when it came to getting to the races. Seen here is the operation of Danbury Fair Racearena car owner, John Spada with his driver Kenny Webb leaning on the car. If you look close in the passenger seat is another outstanding driver, John's brother Gino Spada. Note that the tow-rig is a hearse! Sadly, the Racearena closed at the conclusion of the 1981 season after having been one of the most-successful tracks in New England since 1952. And here we have the Studebaker Hawk-bodied “Flyin’ 5” of New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member, Nathan “Smokey” Boutwell (not-sure of the venue). This guy had a long & distinguished career in a myriad of classes, everything from Midgets, Sprints & Modifieds, to the NASCAR Grand National Series (now known as Sprint Cup). He won championships all-over New England and was a Canadian/American champion as well as annexing the 1960 Empire State title. During one of his best seasons, in 1956 he took an astounding 56 wins. Three-years later he was inducted into the Oilzum Hall of Fame, one of the most prestigious honors of the era. MORE>> |
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05/12/10: Westboro, Riverside, Waterford, Plainville, Etc…. Westboro Speedway in Massachusetts was an ultra-competitive paved ¼-miler that opened in 1947 and sadly, closed its gates forever at the conclusion of the 1985 season. From Midgets to Coupes, and just about everything in-between, Westboro hosted them-all during its long history. This shot from the 1960s captures Joe Cast (46), Big Joe Rosenfeld (44), Deke Astle (2), and, Fred Borden (10), partaking in some typical action under the lights. With its steep (and sometimes treacherous), high banks, the track provided New England fans with some of the fastest speeds in the region during the “Coupe Era.” Originally constructed with an eye on the bustling post-war Midget racing boom, Westboro Speedway could seat eight-thousand fans, and during its heyday the place was routinely-packed. The first-ever event for the facility was in-fact, a Bay State Midget Racing Association show won by Joe Sostilio in his Leader Card Special. However, when the Coupes displaced the Midgets as the main weekly-draw in New England, the fans just kept-coming for action like this. For a more detailed look at the orgins of Westboro, grab a copy of “Hot Cars, Cool Drivers” penned by our pal Lew Boyd and available at www.coastal181.com MORE>> |
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05/05/10: (Yet-More) Modified Memories…. Captured here in the lens of celebrated racing photographer the late Fred Smith is Dave Kotary. A standout racer in the Northeast for many seasons, Kotary got his start in the Modifieds wheeling coupe-bodied creations like the one seen here. Among his many accomplishments was nailing a track championship at New York’s Brewerton Speedway in 1963, a season in-which he won 17 out of 20 events ran. At the time, he was only 20 years-old. Many more triumphs followed at Empire State haunts such as Utica-Rome, Malta, and Shangri-La. The late Kenny Shoemaker was one of the best in the sport, period. To list the number of victories and top car-owners that he drove for during his heyday would simply take more space than this weekly column allows. “The Shoe” is justifiably an inductee of several stock car racing Hall of Fames. Kenny passed-away in 2001 leaving-behind a huge legion of fans and fellow competitors that recall him as one of the most exciting drivers to have-ever graced a Northeastern speedway, dirt or pavement. MORE>> |
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04/28/10: Yet More Stuff From The “Old Daze”…. The car is the potent Allyn Tool & Auto Machine Sprint Car, and the guy seated behind the wheel is New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member Gene Bergin. Though he’s often recalled for his extraordinary career in the Modifieds, the Enfield, CT. native was actually a much-more versatile racer. In addition to his Sprint Car endeavors, he was successful in the NEMA Midgets with wins at Thompson in Aug. 1969 and Aug. 1973 at Lakeville Speedway (aka Golden Spur), in Massachusetts. His NASCAR Grand National (now know as Sprint Cup), career included starts at Darlington and Langhorne in 1956. It was Bergin who helped start the Modified division’s landmark “Pinto Revolution” in 1971 when he wheeled the #2x Pinto of fellow Hall of Famer Bob Judkins to a stunning victory in the 1971 Stafford 200. MORE>> |
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04/21/10: Another Week, Another Dose Of Memories…. Here we have an at-speed shot of the late, legendary Pete Corey. The venue is Pennsylvania’s former Langhorne Speedway, once the site of the “Race of Champions” the nation’s premier event for the Modifieds. Corey was in the twilight of a brilliant career by the time this 1970 image was captured. He’d won the event in 1955 when the famous track still sported a dirt surface. We’ve lately been getting a lot of mail from our friends “Up-North” requesting that we do a little-something on some drivers from their neck of the woods. Seen here with a young fan during the much-heralded “flathead era” is New Hampshire’s Bill George. A former 106 Midway Raceway track champion, he was also a frequent winner at other regional haunts such as Claremont & Legion Bowl. MORE>> |
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04/14/10: Turn The Page (More From The Archives)…… Seen here at one of Stafford Spring Motor Speedway’s early Spring Sizzler events is Paul Radford, certainly one of the Southland’s finest Modified shoes. A native of Ferrum, Virginia, he was a familiar site at major New England Modified events of the 1960’s & 70’s. Radford made one NASCAR Grand National start (known today as the Sprint Cup Series), wheeling Junie Donlavey’s Ford Torino at Martinsville, VA. in 1974. He retired in 1988 at age-56 following a stint in the NASCAR Busch Series. This one captures popular coupe-era star George Rettew celebrating victory at one of the great UNITED events that were once conducted yearly at the big track on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in Massachusetts. As stated here many-times, in the days before NASCAR gained a foothold in New England, the Tattersall family’s United Stock Car Racing Club was THE premier sanctioning body in the Northeast. MORE>> |
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04/06/10: Plainville, Stafford, Thompson, etc…. Here we have a nice color action-shot of Plainville Stadium’s Pud Noble. There was a time at the Stadium’ when it was populated by scads of drivers like the colorful Pud – the place was really rockin’ when this image was captured by Phil Hoyt. It’s only been in recent years that people have realized just how-important Joe Tinty’s little Connecticut ¼-miler really-was. As I’ve stated previously, it was the first track I ever attended after I got my drivers license and was able to stray from my home base of the Waterford Speedbowl. I loved the place along with its colorful drivers and competition that was second-to-none! If there was ever a “King of Plainville Stadium” this guy was the man. See here is Dave Alkas, multi-time champion, and the Stadium’s all-time Modified winner. We ran a shot of this car a few weeks-ago, and our friend and celebrated auto racing writer Bones Bourcier stated that it bought-back a lot of memories (he just-about grew-up at Plainville before moving-on to the national scene). Dave is also one of the guys responsible for the wonderful “Plainville Stadium Reunion” that was staged last-summer – it was a great affair. Fittingly, Mr. Alkas was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2008. MORE>> |
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03/31/10: Yet Another Dose Of Speedbowl History…. Last week we ran a shot of the late Johnny Savage Jr., a past competitor at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. Thanks to regular “Racing Through Time” contributor and friend Mal Phillips, now we can see where it all started for the Savage family. Captured here during a trackside ceremony (not-sure of the occasion), is John Savage Sr. A winner in the Non-Ford division (an early support class), he was an extremely popular racer at the Speedbowl of the 1950’s. And here’s another shot of John Savage Sr., this time lined-up for a Non-Ford feature at the Speedbowl. This is a significant shot not-only because it captures one of Waterford’s true pioneers, but also because of the car. This was one of the first rides campaigned by famed car owner/builder and New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member, Art Barry of Preston, CT. For over fifty-years, Barry creations have been landing in victory lane with drivers like Bob Potter, Leo Cleary, George Summers, Bobby Santos, Ed Flemke, Sr., and Reggie Ruggiero aboard – it’s a long list. That’s 1953 Non-Ford champion Darwin “Bud” Matter and his #99 in the background. MORE>> |
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03/24/10: Down Memory Lane (For Another Week)…. Seen here in the office of the potent Joe Fontana-owned “Flying Eagle” #1 coupe is the late Richard “Moon” Burgess. Simply a terror while wheeling this GMC-powered creation all-over New England during the 1950’s, he accumulated an astounding number of victories during what was really a relatively-brief time span – proof of just how-good this team was. Moon was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2003. One of the founders of the New England Antique Racers (NEAR), the popular stock car racing pioneer passed-away just earlier this month. He’ll be missed by many. So you say you like this website and look-forward to it appearing every Wednesday? If-so, thank this guy, for without his help, “Racing Through Time” would have never appeared in cyberspace. Meet Mr. Tom Ormsby creator of both www.speedwaylinereport.com and www.vintagemodifieds.com as-well as the Webmaster of this site. This “Pure-Plainville” shot captures a young Tommy behind the controls of one of his earliest rides at Joe Tinty’s much-missed little Connecticut ¼-miler. MORE>> |
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03/17/10: Time Travel – “MODIFIED STYLE” Seen here in 1966 celebrating a victory at Owego, New York’s Shangri-La Speedway is the late Bobby Merz. That’s an early-60’s Rambler American body mounted on the rather-radical chassis. Fans of Connecticut’s Waterford Speedbowl may recall “Wild Bill” Scrivener once piloting a #27 American-bodied mount designed by Owen Bowen, though it was more cut-down. Merz and his little AMC experienced a number of triumphs on the ovals of New York State, once a hot-bed of activity for the asphalt Modified-set. And here’s a shot of another AMC-shod creation, this time chauffeured by the legendary Elton Hildreth and captured at Pennsylvania’s late Reading Fairgrounds Speedway. A New Jersey native, Hildreth’s status as one of his regions top dirt racers was a lengthy affair. He of course, also added numerous pavement successes to his portfolio. MORE>> |
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03/10/10: Waterford, Plainville, Rhythm Inn, Etc…. We open this week’s installment with a shot of a guy that accomplished just a thing-or-two in the realm of New England Modified racing. Captured here during the notorious “Cut-Down” era at the Connecticut shoreline’s “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl is our pal “Wild Bill” Slater. The car is one of the Congdon Bros. entries out of Salem, a small burg just up the road from the Bowl’. The team experienced unparalleled success at the track during the early days, enlisting the talents of only the most proficient of Waterford chauffeurs. Slater, a charter member of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame later went-on to national success as the pilot of the famed Vitari-Bombaci V-8. Read more about Bill’s accomplishments at www.near1.com MORE>> |
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03/03/10: Another (Very) Varied Assortment! New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member the late Joe Sostilio is seen here about to push-off in the Frank Curtis Offy at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway in May of 1958. Starting his career during the pre-war era, by 1935, he’d notched the New England Dirt Track Championship for “Big Cars” (precursors of today’s Sprint Cars). Also an exceptional Midget racer, following World War II he became one of the Bay State Midget Association’s star drivers. The early 1950’s found him running the AAA Big Car circuit. Paired with Indy 500 winner Johnnie Parsons, the duo became one of the most-feared teams of their era. Winning the 1953 Eastern Sprint Car Championship, throughout his years with AAA he was considered a standout driver along with fellow topnotch competitors such as Joie Chitwood, Lee Wallard, Bill Holland, and Tony Bettenhausen. It’s estimated that Sostilio scored over 300 career victories in Midgets and Big Cars, as well as many Stock Car triumphs. MORE>> |
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02/24/10: More Waterford Wanderings (And One From Plainville)…. Deservedly-so, much has been written about the driver known as the “Crafty Redhead”, New England Hall of Famer Melvin “Red” Foote. Often lost in the mix is the memory of his brother Russ Foote, who was an accomplished racer in his own-right. In this rather tattered vintage image, Russ is captured pit-side at the Waterford Speedbowl of the 1950’s. Russ claimed one Waterford Modified victory in 1959 during a career that was substantially-shorter than that of his more-celebrated sibling. Russ retired after sailing out of the ballpark in dramatic fashion during the shoreline oval’s 1963 season, while his brother’s last event came at Langley Field, Virginia in 1980. MORE>> |
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02/17/10: Pavement Pounders & Denizens of Dirt…. Captured here piloting a Studebaker Lark-bodied creation following a victory at the former Westboro Speedway in Massachusetts on May 17, 1968 is the late Don Dionne. He was particularly successful up the road at the Seekonk Speedway where he was a long time fan favorite capturing over thirty-wins during a career spanning nearly 3-decades. He won his first show at the “Cement Palace” on September 23, 1967 in the B division. His final feature victory came on July 15, 1989, wheeling John Tyler's Sound Marine Special. His first championship came in 1970 in the B division. In 1979 he became the very-first Seekonk Pro Stock Champion, driving for the Manfredo Brothers, and repeated the feat in 1981. Sadly, we lost Don at age-70 on Tuesday, January 5. MORE>> |
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01/27/10: Pavement Pounders & Denizens of Dirt…. Seen here in August of 1978 at Connecticut’s Waterford Speedbowl is Street Stock competitor Bob Seller. Among the earliest of drivers to sign-up when the late Harvey Tattersall Jr. introduced the division in late-1977, Seller was a top competitor in this Mopar entry for a number of seasons. In recent years, the family has focused on their involvement with the New England Antique Racers (NEAR) where Bob serves as Vice President and campaigns a vintage Pinto Modified. Get-well wishes go-out to Bob who’s lately been a bit under-the-weather. Captured in the lens of John Grady following a coupe-era victory at Vernon, New York’s Utica-Rome Speedway is a youthful Gary Reddick. One of the top-drivers of his time, Reddick was not-unlike many of his contemporaries, equally talented on both dirt and pavement. Utica-Rome was once a hotbed of action for the best of the asphalt-set, with guys like Evans, Cook, Bodine, Charland, Troyer, etc. competing on a weekly basis. Originally opened in 1961 as a 1/3-mile paved oval, it was revamped to its present 5/8-mile dirt configuration in 1979. Remaining one of the most-successful dirt venues in the Northeast, Utica-Rome’s 49th season opener goes-green on April 18. MORE>> |
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01/20/10: Pavement Pounders & Denizens of Dirt…. New England Modified racing has produced many heated rivalries over the years, but it’s also resulted in a lot of lasting friendships. The late George Pendergast and New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member Billy Harman (middle) were buddies for-sure, and on this night when George scored a victory, he was there to help his pal celebrate the occasion. Pendergast is fondly-recalled as being one of the sports true “characters”, but as this shot shows, he was no slouch behind the wheel either! Harman, who’s recuperating from recent shoulder-surgery, is expected to be at this year’s Hall of Fame inductions later this month on Jan 31. Go to www.near1.com for more details on the event. Seen here during the 1950s behind the controls of a Plymouth coupe, the late Ray Delisle was one of the earliest of stars at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. After recovering from serious injuries sustained in a fiery crash, he returned in 1964 to claim the Modified championship piloting the potent Simons Excavating #9. His last Waterford checker scored in 1965, he notched a career-total of 24 victories in both Modified and Non-Ford competition. In 2000 Delisle was voted one of the shoreline oval’s “50 Favorite Drivers” as part of the track’s 50th Anniversary celebration. MORE>> |
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01/13/10: More “Mod Squad” Memories (Minus Pete, Link & Julie)… Seen here at Waterford in the 1970’s is New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer and pal of your author, Bob Potter. Responsible for hundreds of victories and scads of championships at Waterford, Thompson and Stafford, few drivers from this region had more of an impact on the sport for as long as this guy did. A local kid with humble beginnings in the Speedbowl’s Bombers, he emerged to become one of the real movers & shakers in the Modified class, doing-so for close to 4-decades. The car is the potent Art Barry-wrenched Capri, and the duo was virtually unbeatable during their pairing at the shoreline oval. Barry by-the-way is also a member of the Hall of Fame. They were a true “dream team.” And the Hall of Famers continue; This is Leo Cleary, aptly nicknamed “The Lion” owing to his fearless style behind the wheel of “ground-pounders” like this wild little Mustang-bodied creation. It was more than one chauffer that became uneasy when they had a mirror-full of Cleary – he was one tough competitor. Leo competed at the Medford Bowl, Lonsdale, Norwood, Catamount, and Westboro. Among active tracks, he raced at Thompson, Seekonk, Stafford, Martinsville, Oswego and Waterford, along with several others. MORE>> |
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01/06/10: Reliving The Past On A Snowy New England Weekend… Opening this week’s edition of “Racing Through Time” is a 1974 pit-side shot of Nels Wohlstrom, a top-flight Modified driver at what was then known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. He was a close-associate of fellow racer and multi-time winner Mike Beebe, this car having originated at that teams shop in the Connecticut River Valley area. A popular Bowl’ chauffer and graduate of the Sportsman Sedan class, Wohlstrom notched a bevy of fine finishes while behind the controls of this wild-looking little number at Waterford and Thompson. Not everyone utilized pre-war tin as a style palette during those halcyon days of the much-heralded “Coupe Era”. Seen here in a Chevy II-bodied mount is Montville, CT. speedster Donnie Bunnell. A Speedbowl Superstar throughout the 1970’s (the era in-which this image was captured), the popular Bunnell was known as a steady and sportsman-like chauffer. Perhaps his biggest moment in the sun was a stunning victory in the 1976 UNITED-sanctioned “Bicentennial 200”, then the longest-ever event staged at the shoreline oval. Note the “Psychedelic” numbers – a sign of the times! MORE>> |
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12/30/09: Speedbowl Memories (Plus One From Stafford)… We open this week with a shot of a pioneering figure in the history of what was then-known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl, John “Cannonball” Baker. This hulking “Coach” entry was but-one in a succession of #314 creations that Baker campaigned at Waterford from the 1950’s until his final drive in 1974. In later years, he was one-half of a family team that also included his son, aptly-nicknamed “Musketball.” Though his career was reasonably-brief by conventional standards, this guy had a huge-impact on the early history of the Speedbowl. Twice a Modified titlist (1952 & 62), Dick Beauregard’s flamboyant driving-style won-over a legion of fans, along with a few detractors. A true “stand-on-the-gas” competitor, his retirement in 1962 after only a decade yielded 62 victories in both Modified & Non Ford competition. This shot captures him shortly before he hung-up his helmet, quite-fittingly retiring as a champion. The driver to the right with the big-grin is none-other than New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer and pal of yours-truly, “Little Bill” Harman. MORE>> |
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12/23/09: More Faces From The Past (And Happy Holidays To All!)…. This week we start with another vintage Midget image from the late Cherry Park Speedway in Avon, CT. Indiana native and World War II veteran Ted Klooz was a standout driver during the division’s busy post-war period and like many of the racers of his era, traveled extensively. We believe this image captured during the 1947 campaign to be from an ARDC show. Sadly, the 24 year-old Klooz lost his life in a grinding crash later that season at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway during a Consolidation Midget Racing Association event. The late Pete Corey (aka “The Crescent Hillbilly”), was simply one of the best racers of his generation. When he lost his left leg in a horrible 1959 crash at Fonda, his comeback elevated him from hero to legend. The fact that his car had to be equipped with a hand brake after he lost his leg seemed almost immaterial. Corey actually began his career as a motorcycle racer switching to stockcars in the late 1940s. He won sporadically in the early '50s and then landed a ride with famed Schenectady, New York car owner Bob Mott in 1955. It proved to be a career-move that made him the hottest driver in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Seen here with an injected Mustang modified sponsored by longtime supporter Jimmy Bosco of Commercial Tire, Corey retired in 1973. MORE>> |
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12/16/09: Faces From The Past (Continued)….. We open this week’s column with an action-shot from the former Cherry Park Speedway located in Avon, Connecticut. A truly-picturesque facility (complete with an old-time covered grandstand), Cherry Park opened in 1882 as a horse track and in 1933 began presenting auto racing on the original half-mile dirt circuit. Closed for the war-years, it reopened in 1946 as a fifth-mile, being paved shortly thereafter. A hotbed of action for the Midgets, it also hosted the then-new stock cars. It lay dormant from 1954 to 1959 when it was razed for development. Seen here are early Midget racing standouts Dee Toran, George Rich, Bert Brooks, and Len Duncan. Here’s a dramatic 70’s-era Seekonk action-shot of a pair of New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame members. That’s George Summers in the #31 leading Ronnie Bouchard in the #35. Seekonk remains one of the most historically-significant ovals on the East Coast, having first opened its gates on May 30, 1946. The tradition continues today, as the Vendetti family readies for another season of competition in 2010 at the Massachusetts oval affectionately-known as the “Cement Palace.” MORE>> |
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12/09/09: Yet Another Helping Of “Old Stuff”… Here’s another pick from our webmaster Tom Ormsby’s vast archive of images. The date is April 10, 1966, and the location is the late Riverside Park fifth-miler in Agawam, Massachusetts. Seen in this paddock-area shot are three of most famous names in New England Modified racing history. From left-to-right are Rene “The Champ” Charland, Jerry Humiston, and Dick Dixon. This trio of talent was responsible for scads of victories and championships in what many consider to be the true “golden era” of racing in the Northeast. A Stafford picture from Mr. Ormsby’s collection, this one captures veteran the late Freddie Colossa. A unique ride in that it was campaigned during a time when coupes and coaches remained standard-fare at New England’s Modified racing haunts, the full-bodied Chevy II tin was “different” to say the least. Historically-astute readers will recognize the name of the car’s owner; it was none-other than one “Moneybags” Moe Gherzi, a star-performer in the early days of our sport, and also the long-time Race Director at Plainville Stadium. MORE>> |
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12/02/09: A National Champion Passes, And More Memories From The Past... The Northeastern racing community lost a real treasure when the great Ernie Gahan passed-away at age-82 on Thanksgiving evening. Gahan’s 28-year racing career started during the post-war stock car racing boom of 1948 at New Hampshire’s Dover Speedway. By the time he’d hung-up his helmet in the 1970’s, he’d amassed over 300 career victories. Perhaps his greatest achievement in the sport was being the first New Englander to win a NASCAR National Modified championship in 1966. He was equally successful on both dirt and asphalt. He won a record 21 features on the old dirt at Stafford Speedway in the late 50’s and early 60’s. He had eleven starts in Grand National (now Sprint Cup), series competition, recording two top-ten finishes, one of which was in the 1962 Daytona 500. In 1963 Gahan was credited with saving the life of Marvin Panch by pulling him out of a burning race car at Daytona. MORE>> |
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11/25/09: More Memorable Moments From The Past….. Few early Modified teams were more professional than that of “Wild Bill” Slater and his Bob Vitari & Vic Bombaci-owned #V-8. During an era in which the sport was still more than a little “rough-around-the edges”, these guys really shined. Their equipment was never-less than immaculate, and the driver and crew were always neatly-attired. This shot captures an early version of the #V-8 at a UNITED-sanctioned Eastern States event in Springfield, Massachusetts during the 1959 season. Slater, Vitari, and Bombaci are all members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. Another great shot of the legendary “Wild Bill” Slater-driven #V-8 team. Like mentioned-above, these guys simply epitomized professionalism during the early days of Modified racing in New England. As seen here, even the team’s hauler was a spiffy-looking unit. You have to wonder just how-many victories these two coupes were responsible-for, as Slater was definitely in his prime when this image was captured. MORE>> |
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11/18/09: Lakeville, West Haven, and More….. The late Tony Mordino is seen here following another memorable victory. It’s thanks to the diligence of people like RTT Webmaster Tom Ormsby that images like this gem still exist. He was one of the first guys to bring the history of New England’s glorious racing past to the masses via the internet. This photo remains one of his favorites, and I’ll let him explain the reason for all the extra smiles in this ancient West Haven Speedway shot. “The #78 which was owned by Bucky Membrino and driven by Tony Mordino lost a wheel on the last lap of a feature. Jap Membrino pushed the car over the finish line with the wheel off and Tony won the race. If I recall the story right, UNITED’s Harvey Tattersall then made a rule that a car had to finish the race under its own power!” Along with the crew is (L-R), Jap, Bucky, and Tony. MORE>> |
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11/11/09: Hall of Famers & More….. During its sixties-era heyday, the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl routinely played-host to capacity crowds and some of the best racing in New England. This victory lane shot captures the late Marvin Chase along with New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer Bob Potter (check-out Bob’s fancy “driving boots” and celebratory cigar). Potter of-course, became a multi-time champion with close-to 100 victories at the shoreline oval in addition to many Stafford and Thompson accomplishments. Chase enjoyed a long career as one of the area’s top drivers. The Speedbowl will reportedly open again in 2010, celebrating its fifty-ninth consecutive-season of operation. Seen here during the early days of his career is Paul Richardson, who like the aforementioned Bob Potter is a member of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. It all started in 1965 at Oscar Ridlon’s Pines Speedway in New Hampshire. The next year, he bought Al Riley’s “Little Princess” cutdown, and won the Hudson (NH), points championship. Moving to the Super Modifieds during the early years of NESMRA, he became a superstar in the division, and is 5th on the all-time winners list. He was also a winning Modified driver. Nicknamed “Ricochet” for his thrilling driving style, he completed his career driving in the BUSCH East division. MORE>> |
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11/04/09: Confessions Of A “Racing Packrat” (Or Stuff I Forgot I Had….) We start this week’s column with an early-career shot of a guy that was both a top competitor at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl and also a trendsetter in defining the “look” of Modified stock cars in the years following the “Coupe Era”. Seen here in an early “M” Coupe is Seabury Tripler. Along with talented fabricator the late Owen Bowen, “Trip” introduced New England’s first-ever Pinto-bodied Modified at Waterford on opening day of 1971. The event scantly pre-dated NEAR Hall of Famer Bob Judkins’ debut of his Pinto, which became the first NASCAR-legal mount sporting the then-new Ford subcompact tinwork. aptured here on the old Riverside Park fifth-mile in Agawam, Massachusetts is Ronnie Wycoff. Starting his racing career in Florida, he joined the Sportsman ranks at Plainville Stadium after moving North in 1959. Success in the Modifieds quickly-followed, with wins at an assortment of New England speedplants. Included in those victories are multi-time triumphs in UNITED’s “Riverside 500” events, once a benchmark of the Northeastern racing season. MORE>> |
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10/27/09: Another Weekly Peek Into The Past…. Seen here at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl of the 1960’s is a young Tommy Mactino. A rather infrequent visitor to the shoreline oval, Tommy was a star at the UNITED-sanctioned West Haven Speedway. Also referred to as “The Rock” owing to it’s close proximity to the old Savin Rock Amusement Park, it was a paved 1/5 mile oval located on the waterfront in West Haven, Connecticut. The track was somewhat unusually shaped, built around a baseball diamond named Donovan Field (after "Wild Bill" Donovan, a manager of the NY Yankees). Many of New England’s finest Modified drivers called West Haven home at one time. Billy Greco, Johnny Cambino, Danny Gaudiosi, Sal Dee, and Danny Galullo are just a few. A victim of urban renewal, the track closed in 1967. MORE>> |
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10/21/09: Yet More Modifieds – 1970’s Style! We start this week’s installment with a photo of the fellow that’s not-only responsible for bringing you my weekly “Racing Through Time” endeavors, but also the site that’s become perhaps the most-popular spot on the Internet for keeping-abreast of the latest New England racing news. Seen here during his days as a young Modified driver is “Tommy” Ormsby, the guy behind www.speedwaylinereport.com and of course, the historically-rich www.vintagemodifieds.com Tom ran weekly at The Stadium’ for years, and was a well-liked and respected member of the “Plainville Gang”. Fortunately for-us, he took-up computers after leaving racing, his first endeavor being the Vintage Modifieds site which he started a number of years-ago. Now residing in Florida, Tom also stays active with the New England Antique Racers (NEAR), serving as the clubs webmaster www.near1.com Busy guy, that Mr. Ormsby! MORE>> |
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10/14/09: Yet Another Dose of Racin’ Remembrances…. This “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl shot has been languishing in the files for what seems like eons. A gift from my friend the late Dan Pardi, I’ve been hesitant to run-it as I have no-clue as to the identity of this 1950’s-era Bomber pilot. Purely because it’s a kinda’ neat-looking car (a Hudson perhaps?), I decided to publish-it. Check-out the skinny whitewall on the left-front and the turn-signal located on the top of the trunk (evidence of it being flat-towed to the track?). The driver’s rudimentary safety-equipment includes a Cromwell helmet (the drivers often referred to these leather-sided Brit-inspired gems as Brain Buckets”), and a short-sleeved shirt. If any readers know this racers identity, please don’t hesitate to contact me! MORE>> |
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10/07/09: Turning Back The Clock On Plainville Stadium Part II Captured here during June of 1977 is journeyman Stadium’ competitor, Larry Babbit. This car was wheeled by Bill Harris (note the “Bill or Larry” on the roof, no-doubt a nod the duo’s racing partnership), at the Waterford Speedbowl to many a fine-finish during the earlier-years of the era. When Harris was at the shoreline oval, the neat little Coupe wore a gleaming-white coat of paint and carried the #17. And here we have one Jimmy "Doc" Robinson ready to take the green in 1973. Typical of the rides of the time, Robinson’s pre-war Coupe sported a stock production frame, and components that were the result of the builder’s ingenuity and a lot of long-evenings in the garage. Not a lot of “store-bought” stuff on this car, and it certainly was a more-affordable sport for the “average-guy” back-then. Also note the mufflers – Plainville was among the first tracks in the region to mandate the sound-suppressing devices. MORE>> |
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09/30/09: Mods, Midgets, Supers, Grand Americans, etc. Captured here celebrating an early-70’s Seekonk victory with Sandy of the infamous “Wally Salleba Girl Watchers Club” is 1970 NASCAR National Modified Champion, the late Fred DeSarro. In one of the most publicized “driver-switches” in New England Modified racing history. DeSarro left the Sonny Koszella “Woodchopper Special” team in 1971 to join forces with the late Len Boehler. Bugs Stevens, who’d nailed three NASCAR National Championships with Boehler, went-with Kozella. DeSarro remained a premier New England Modified racer until passing-away in November of 1978 from injuries sustained at the Thompson Speedway. DeSarro, Boehler, Stevens, and Kozella are all members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. MORE>> |
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09/23/09: Turning Back The Clock On Plainville Stadium... Captured here in the 1970’s at the former Danbury Fair Racerena is the popular Gino Spada. Starting his racing career at Plainville during the late-sixties, he later concentrated on the tough SNYRA-sanctioned Danbury becoming a multi-time winner and a consistent front-runner. Also venturing-out to the various NASCAR haunts of the day such as Stafford & Thompson, Spada was always a threat to triumph wherever he competed. As the longtime proprietor of Red Barn Radiator in Berlin, CT. he supplied a legion of competitors with the best in racing-radiators. In later-years, he became involved with the Northeastern Midget Racing Association (NEMA), owning the car chauffeured by his son Tommy (a real family-affair, his daughter Cassandra served as the team’s crew-chief). Sadly, Gino passed-away just last-weekend following a battle with cancer. “RTT” offers the Spada family sincere condolences on their loss. MORE>> |
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09/16/09: “Like A Box of Chocolates, You Never Know What You’re Going To Get…….” Seen here in the sixties at the late Plainville Stadium during his reign as a New England Modified standout, Dennis Zimmerman parlayed his Coupe experience into a successful career on the USAC Indy Car circuit. A self-professed “student” of the late, great, Ed Flemke Sr., he conquered storied eastern Modified haunts such as Norwood, Riverside Park, Plainville, and Waterford before taking-on the ovals of the South, where his accomplishments netted a pair of NASCAR State Sportsman titles. After a stint in URC Sprint Car competition it was on to Indy Cars, then the absolute pinnacle of American motorsport. Zimmerman continued his success in the Indy Cars, qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 in 1971 & 1972. His best finish in the May extravaganza was eighth, a feat earning him honors as the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. This image captures him at Pocono’s Schaefer 500 on July 3, 1971 with the Fiore Racing Enterprises Offy. Starting 17th, he finished 24th after a clutch-failure felled the team after only eighty-eight circuits (the late Mark Donahue won). A 2001 inductee of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Zimmerman departed the sport in 1974 following an event at Long Island’s Islip Speedway where ironically, he was wheeling a car owned by his “teacher” and fellow NEAR Hall of Famer, the late Ed Flemke Sr. Emerging from retirement just this season, Dennis has recently been competing in the Sprint class at Whip City Speedway in Westfield, MA. MORE>> |
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09/09/09: A Racing Flashback - Speedbowl-Style! As one of the real heavy-hitters in the early days of the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl, the late Charlie Webster had a large & very-loyal fan base. Amassing a career total of seventy-three feature victories in both Non-Ford and Modified competition, Webster was a champion in both classes (3 Non-Ford titles, and 1 Modified crown). Like fellow Bowl’ standout and New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer Don Collins, Charlie retired from driving at the dawn of the seventies, thus ending the career of one of Waterford’s finest chauffeurs. This shot captures him in a Non-Ford division entry during the early-fifties. Charlie’s son Eric went-on to a winning career in racing, and now serves on the staff at the Speedbowl. Like Webster, the late Ray Delisle was there from the start, and was winning early in his Waterford career. Felled by serious injuries sustained in a Speedbowl crash when his Coupe was hit from-behind, his old-style “jerry can” fuel tank erupting in-flames, Delisle endured a long, painful recovery before returning to the game. In 1964, his career reached its zenith when he waltzed-away with the Modified title wheeling the famed Simons Bros. #9. MORE>> |
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09/02/09: Yet Another Weekly Slice Of Racing History….. A personal glimpse into the past; Back in the days when popular Speedbowl coupe-era star Joe Coullard housed his racer on the corner of Clark Lane and Fog Plain Road in Waterford, the little guy you see behind the wheel used to beg his parents to stop for a visit whenever they were in the area. Joe being the dutiful host, would let the youngster get behind the wheel and dream of the day when he’d be just like his pal Joe, going-around in circles on the track that was then known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. A few years down-the-road, little Gary Welch got his chance…. And here’s Gary Welch all grown-up and about to take his early Daredevil entry out for a spin on the 1/3-mile tarmac of the Bowl’. The car had formally been wheeled by his cousin Paul Jutila, and was owned by Bob Hayes who worked with Welch at East Lyme Chevron. Typical of the times, it was almost completely-stock save for a few rudimentary safety appointments. Somewhat novel by Waterford-standards, it was a Ford product amidst a field that was overwhelmingly populated by General Motors entries (save for the ultra-successful Gada team). The firesuit he’s wearing is one of the old single-layer Drag-All numbers that were so-popular then. Years-later your author was gifted with the suit by Welch (a long-time family friend), and used it in his brief & unspectacular Street Stock career in the late-70’s. Ironically, our car was a former Paul Jutila mount. MORE>> |
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08/19/09: More Racing Personalities From The Past….. By the time this Waterford Speedbowl paddock image was captured in August of 1978, Rod Tulba was already an experienced-hand at the “circle-game”. Years-before as a youngster, he’d entered competition in the Daredevil class as a close associate of the Gada team. This Vega was part of a multi-car team fronted by Paul Giguere (seated on tire), who also fielded entries in the Street Stock class. Tulba went-on to become a winning Modified shoe, recording a pair of victories at the shoreline oval in 1981. What has to be written about this guy? If you’re at-all familiar with New England racing history, than you should already know a little about the career of Gene Bergin. A member of the first class inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998, Bergin excelled in everything from Modifieds, to Midgets and Sprint Cars. Starting his career in 1949 at the Stafford Motor Speedway, he remained one of our regions top-drivers for over three-decades. This shot captures him following a win at the Waterford Speedbowl on July 9, 1977 where for a brief-time that season, he was a weekly regular in the “Smittys” #11 Pinto. MORE>> |
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08/12/09: More Lakeville Dirt, And Fowler Takes A Flyer… They appeared on the scene at the Waterford Speedbowl during the early years of what was known as the “Daredevils”, a class developed in the sixties to replace a floundering Bomber division. The three gentleman you see here are (left to right), Larry "Insta” Gada, Chris “Wally” Gada, and Bob “Allie” Gada, and yes, this is the brother-act responsible for starting what became no-less than a racing dynasty at the shoreline oval. There’s now a second and third generation of the family winning at the Bowl’. In looking back at the history of the Daredevils, you’d be hard-pressed to find three more popular chauffeurs than these guys, and during the real heyday of “fendered” racing at the Bowl’ they were all winners. One thing setting the Gada boys apart from the rest of the field was their penchant for running FORD products within a field that was overwhelmingly populated by machines of the General Motors-variety. Novel nicknames-aside, rest assured that Mrs. Gada’s boys were true “stand-on-the-gas” racers with the trophies and championships to prove-it. Also captured in this shot is car owner and future Speedbowl Street Stock champion, Ed Reed Sr. MORE>> |
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08/05/09: New England Dirt Trackin’, Hall of Famers, etc.. Captured here during the height of his brilliant racing career is one Raymond “Hully” Bunn, a native of New Britain, Connecticut. First climbing behind the wheel at the late Plainville Stadium in 1949, within two-years he had become one of the premier short- trackers in the country. In 1951, he emerged victorious in the first-ever Race of Champions at the storied Langhorne Speedway in Pennsylvania topping a field of over one-hundred top-notch Modified-Sportsman competitors. A frequent winner from coast-to-coast, he retired in 1965 following a serious crash at Lebanon Valley. Bunn was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2001. Massachusetts’ glorious Lakeville Speedway! Seriously, the old girl would have never aced a beauty contest or rated highly in a poll of the nation’s premier dirt-tracks, but more than one New England racer will tell you that the place was just tons of fun! Originally opening in the late 1920’s, the facility underwent a number of name-changes during its long history – Middleborough Fairgrounds, Camp Joe Hooker Raceway, Golden Spur Speedway, and lastly, Lakeville Speedway. A half-miler located near the Middleboro/Bridgewater area with a tricky oil-soaked dirt surface, it was a career-springboard for some pretty-notable racers, and also served as a Sunday playground for many of our regions top-pavement shoes. MORE>> |
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07/29/09: Mixing-It-Up MODIFIED Style! Pictured here in the fifties at New York State’s Empire Raceway (AKA Menands Speedway), is the late, great Dick Dixon with his signature 8-ball Coupe. Dixon was one of New England’s brightest racing stars particularly within the once-mighty United Stock Car Racing Club. A standout Modified competitor, he was also extremely successful within the ranks of United’s Grand American Late Model division, where one season he captured thirteen of fifteen scheduled events. While still very-much in his prime, he perished in a grinding Thompson Speedway crash during the 1967 season. Dixon was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2004. As for Empire Raceway, it was a ¼-mile paved affair located near Troy, which closed at the conclusion of the 1961 season to make-way for development of a shopping plaza. MORE>> |
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07/22/09: More Weekend Warriors (New England-Style)… Rhode Islander Fred DeSarro was one of the truly-gifted racers of his era. Seen here following a victory in the Sonny Koszella “Woodchopper Special” he was a top New England Modified shoe for what seemed like eons. The racing media had a field day with the much-publicized “driver-switch” in 1971 when the great Bugs Stevens took the wheel of Koszella’s car, and Fred climbed aboard Bugs’ vacated Lenny Boehler “Ole’ Blue”. Truth-be-told, there were no hard-feelings. Fred and Bugs were great friends and remained-so until Fred’s death following a tragic 1978 Thompson Speedway crash. Both are members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, as are Boehler and Koszella. Few drivers of the much-heralded “Coupe Era” were more traveled than New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, Billy Harman. Growing-up in the shoreline community of New London, Ct. it was only natural for the speed-crazed young kid to get-involved with the happenings at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. After many successes in his backyard, Harmon took to the road, maintaining a hectic schedule that rewarded him accolades at venues from coast-to-coast. In later-years, “Little Bill” centered his efforts closer-to-home again, experiencing several triumphs at local tracks in this car, the “Coventry Racing Enterprises” entry. MORE>> |
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07/08/09: Vintage Thoughts On A Holiday Weekend…. Captured here at Stafford in an absolutely classic-looking coupe during the early days of his career is Ed Flemke Jr. With a father like NEAR Hall of Famer the late, great “Steady Eddie”, this youngster had some mighty-big shoes to fill, and thus-far, he’s done a darned good job of carrying-on the family racing heritage. A veteran of the NASCAR Modified Tour, Flemke Jr. won the title in 2002 after years of coming close. Much like his late father, Ed Jr. is viewed by many as a steady-shoe, utilizing experience to his advantage when required While following what looked to be a wreck-in-the-making, Flemke wisely used his head (and saved his equipment), in averting disaster when the leaders tangled on the last-lap at this years New England 100 at New Hampshire, finishing a fine-second to Donnie Lia. Few did more-with-less than Ernie Gahan did during his twenty-eight year career as one of the nation’s top Modified drivers. Virtually a one-man show for a good part of his career, the winner of the 1966 NASCAR National Modified Championship started racing in the 1940’s at New Hampshire’s old Dover Speedway. Well-before the days of the much-heralded “Eastern Bandits” he won over three-hundred features on a well-traveled road that stretched from his home state of Maine, to the coast of Florida. A multi-time NASCAR Grand National (now the Nextel Series), starter, his resume also includes two top-10 finishes, one in the Daytona 500. MORE>> |
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07/01/09: Varied Assortment Part III….. Pictured here is the late Russ McLean, the 1969 Sportsman-Modified champion at the much-missed UNITED-sanctioned Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Mass. Fondly-recalled as a very popular racer amongst both fans and competitors. His lone feature victory occurred on the evening of April 17, 1971 in the car seen here. Utilizing a dose of tongue-in-cheek humor during what was perhaps a less politically-correct era, note that McLean’s sanitary little Coupe was christened “The Other Woman”. Few drivers got-around more than my old friend, New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, “Wild Bill” Slater. In addition to being a master at the most notable of Modified haunts, he also excelled on the high-banks of the NASCAR super-speedways. He’s seen here taking a break for a cold drink during one of his yearly Daytona sojourns. Note the absence of a fire suit and the rudimentary safety appointments on Bill’s Chevrolet. The cars were truly closer to stock back-then, and were more than a handful to navigate at the speeds these guys were eclipsing. MORE>> |
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06/24/09: Waterford Vets Worthy of Mention, Dirt Track Stormers, & Racing from “Across the Pond”…. Pictured here celebrating his first-ever victory at the 1/3-miler known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl on September 7, 1974 is a young Mark LaJeunesse. It was future champion Jerry Pearl that he’d out-dueled to the checkers in one of the seasons more hotly-contested features. Starting his career as a kid in the Quarter Midgets, LaJeunesse jumped right-into the Modifieds upon returning from armed forces service in Vietnam during the early-seventies. Though his first ride was an updated ex-Freddie Doolittle creation, subsequent machines were all self-designed and exquisitely hand-crafted at the team’s modest shop in Norwich, CT. Chief-wrench on the family team was father Al (kneeling, third-from-left), who’d been working on race cars for decades, most notably the ride of family relative and famed Waterford shoe, “Dirty Dick” Beaureguard. LaJeunesse called Waterford home for three-decades, scoring the United Stock Car Racing Club’s 1975 Sportsman-Modified title, and nearly twenty feature victories including the 2000 Budweiser Modified Nationals. Another son of the “Rose City” won that night too, as “Big Mike” Daigneault annexed the Sportsman Sedan main event. LaJeunesse and Daigneault are but two of a large group of great drivers from nearby Norwich that called the Speedbowl home for many years. MORE>> |
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06/17/09: This Week, It’s “A Little Bit Of Everything…..” This guy is a Hall of Fame member of the following; The New York Stock Car Association, Fonda Speedway, Dirt Motorsports, Eastern Press Association, and of course, was a 2002 inductee of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. He’s also a member of Daytona's Living Legends of Auto Racing – no minor accolade. Pictured here during a coupe-era outing in his signature # 33, the career of the much-celebrated Bill Wimble began during the early-fifties in New York State. The winner of the 1960 NASCAR National Sportsman Championship, like many of his contemporaries he maintained a super-hectic schedule. During 1967-alone, Wimble competed every weekend at three New York tracks, Utica-Rome, Albany-Saratoga, and Fonda. Amazingly-enough, he was crowned track champion at all of them! Also a force to be reckoned-with in Connecticut, Wimble was particularly-successful on the former dirt-surface of the Stafford Springs Motor Speedway. MORE>> |
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06/10/09: Hudsons, Non-Fords, and a Speedbowl Legend… We begin this week’s column with an ancient image of a car manufactured by a company that was once a major-player in the world of stock car racing both locally, and in the big leagues. The late Hudson Motor Company produced some of the most popular automobiles in America, and was particularly successful in the early days of NASCAR with their “Fabulous Hudson Hornet”. This shot captures one of Hudson’s products closer to home at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl of the fifties. The driver is the great Benny Derosier and the car was owned by Chester, Connecticut’s Barney Tiezzi. Barney’s son Joe later carried-on the family tradition becoming one of our region’s top drivers. Note the license plate & light on the roof-post, an indication that the car may have been flat-towed. Back-then, trailers were considered a luxury for some teams. The late “Moneybags” Moe Gherzi was one of the guys defined our sport during its infancy. Already an established star when this shot was captured in the lens of Shany Lorenzent, he was one of the most-prolific winners in early “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl action. MORE>> |
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06/03/09: Cut-Downs, Daredevils, and “Dirty Dick”….. We open this week’s edition of RTT with a classic “cut-down” era Speedbowl image of Sparky Belmont. As one of the premier racers of his time, Belmont (real name Michael Belmonti), was a winner and huge crowd-draw at New England venues such as Riverside Park, Waterford, West Haven, and the track where he experienced his greatest degree of success, Joe Tinty’s Plainville Stadium. Starting his career during the post-war Midget racing boom, he soon found his niche in the stock cars. It was after winning a 100-lap contest at Plainville in 1969 that Sparky suffered a fatal heart-attack, thus ending the life and career of one of our region’s most colorful early competitors. Think today’s Ted Christopher is aggressive? This guy would make him look like a choirboy! Dick Beaureguard (AKA “Dirty Dick”), was one of the real heavies in early competition at what was then-known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. Seen here behind the controls of one of the premier rides of the day, the Condgon #76, he was known as a “no-holds-barred” driver, the kind of guy that struck-fear into the minds of even the most seasoned of his fellow racers. MORE>> |
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05/27/09: And Yet More Images From The Past….. The late Harvey Vallencourt was a pioneer on the New England Modified circuit that became an unfortunate statistic in a sport that can sometimes reveal a cruel side. Starting his career at the old West Haven Speedway, Harvey was known as a proficient chauffer enjoying many successes over the years. Sustaining severe head-injuries in a seemingly minor crash at Plainville Stadium in the mid-seventies, he was confined to a hospital bed for almost a decade before his passing from injuries received in the accident. The popular Vallencourt is seen here with starter Billy Dunn after a Plainville triumph decades-ago. Another driver that experienced early success at the old West Haven Speedway was this guy, the late Pete Brockett Sr. Spending over three-decades behind the controls of a Modified, his later efforts were centered-on the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl where he also became a winner. His ride known as “Brockett’s Rocket”, Pete was always a crowd-favorite at the joint known as the “shoreline oval”. MORE>> |
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05/20/09: More Tales From The “Good Old Days”... It’s Wednesday evening July 15, 1978 at Joe Tinty’s Plainville Stadium, and having a smoke while waiting for the night’s race card to unfold is second-generation driver Richie Galullo. The Stadium’s open-comp shows routinely drew stellar fields, and young Galullo was on the top of his game. The “cent sign” Vega one of the premier rides of the day. Nicky Porto’s career can be traced back to the heyday of the Tattersall racing dynasty known as UNITED – once the top sanctioning body in the Northeast. When Steve Kennedy shot this image, he was wheeling this ex-Tony Dadio Coupe at Plainville Stadium. Porto was one of the premier drivers of his era at the Stadium and was no-doubt a contender when captured on film here, June 29, 1977. Seen here at the Stadium is an interesting shot of a driver that unfortunately, is filed under the “Unknown” category. As Steve Kennedy notes, it looks suspiciously like a dirt car which would not have been uncommon in an era before such specialization in car construction. At Plainville, you never-knew who was going to pull into the pits for the open shows. This image was recorded in July of 1973, and if anyone knows the details, please feel-free to contact me! MORE>> |
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05/13/09: Yet Another Varied Assortment….. Few Modified drivers have had more of an impact on the local racing scene over the years than this fellow, New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, Bob Potter. Starting his career in the early-sixties at Waterford, the Taftville, Ct. native captured his first Modified checker in 1965 with an estimated 140 feature wins to follow along with multiple championships at Thompson, Stafford, and of-course, the Speedbowl. Never officially retired, Bob is seen here at the Bowl’ in June of 1979, a year in which he scored a convincing victory in the prestigious UNITED-sanctioned Waterford 200. Won by invader Marty Radewick and serving as the opening event for 1980, “Blast-Off” was a 100-lap Modified grind that drew a stellar field to the Speedbowl, and among those mixing it-up with the locals was the pride of Long Island, the late “Chargin’ Charlie” Jarzombek. Seen here in one of his familiar #1 machines, he was an infrequent visitor to the shoreline oval, but always ran well when he ventured-out to 1080 Hartford Road. Tragically, Charlie lost his life in a crash at Martinsville, VA. in the spring of 1987. He was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2004. MORE>> |
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05/06/09: With last week’s passing of New England Modified Great Billy Schulz, we loose yet another piece of the puzzle that represents the history of our sport. Schulz was one of the top-drivers at the much-missed Norwood Arena, and also excelled at many other regional venues including Seekonk Speedway, and Thompson Speedway. He was the founder and operator of Country Club Auto Body in Norton MA., running the business for 40 years until recently retiring. Billy is seen here celebrating a Norwood Arena win on July 5, 1969. Captured here in May of 1978 is Speedbowl Street Stock competitor Scott Porier. Driving for Jay Stuart (who later became a fine competitor in his own right), Porier scored three victories on his way to a second-place finish in the season standings, a scant 7-points behind titlist Ed Reed Sr. Started in 1977 by United’s Harvey Tattersall Jr., the Street Stocks were a wildly-popular division boasting full-fields and a slam-bang program. Not to be confused with today’s hybrid class, with the exception of safety features these things were truly-stock, boasting factory chassis and bias-ply 78-series passenger tires. MORE>> |
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04/29/09: Covering All The Bases….. Like so-many of the racers from his generation, the late Maynard Forrette saw no boundaries in the difference between running on dirt or asphalt. A big winner on both, he’s probably most fondly remembered for his stunning dirt-slingin’ drives on the daunting Syracuse Mile where during the later stages of his career, he often bested competitor’s half-his-age. A master mechanic and innovative car builder, Forrette also ran Northern Speed Supply, a haven for those racers seeking to get the most out of their equipment. This shot is believed to be from Utica-Rome. By the 1976 season when this shot was captured at Plainville Stadium, most New England Modified racers had bid-goodbye to the traditional stylings of the old coupes and coaches. At Joe Tinty’s ¼-miler however, they could still be captured in-action probably more than at any track in our region. That’s Fred Murtha in a neat little 3-window entry lining-up next to our friend, Larry Lafayette. According to our Webmaster Tom Ormsby who ran a lot of laps with Murtha, the car was a real-looker. MORE>> |
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04/22/09: Waterford, Riverside, Islip, Plainville, And More! The 1978 season at Waterford was one of the most successful campaigns in the tracks history, as Dick Williams of the Coastal Racing Association stepped-in to lease and promote the facility following a less-than-stellar multi-year run by Harvey Tattersall’s United Stock Car Racing Club. Pictured here in May of that year is veteran Modified campaigner Larry Lafayette. Starting his career in the early-60’s, the personable Lafayette was a fixture on the New England circuit for more than three-decades. He now resides in Port Charlotte, Florida. New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member Dave Alkas so-dominated the proceedings at his home track during the 70’s, trade-paper scribes began referring to him as “The King of Plainville Stadium”. Never an easy-place to conquer with its tight-turns and ultra-competitive fields, Alkas teamed with owner Roland Cyr to capture five championships and is the track’s all-time winner. This shot captures during the waning-years of The Stadium in July of 1978. MORE>> |
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04/19/09: Another Varied Slice Of Racin’ History…. The year is 1972 and that’s our webmaster, a young “Tommy” Ormsby taking the low-road to avoid a spinning Danny Gaudiosi in one of the famed Sharkey coupes. The venue of course, is the much-missed Plainville Stadium. Ormsby relates that the shot was captured shortly after a rebuild of his car, which was demolished following a trip through the wall and into the pits a few weeks-before. “We changed the color and number (it had formally been a blue # V-O), hoping that it would bring better luck. I’m pretty-sure this was an open-show, as I don’t recall any full-bodied cars like the Chevelle seen here running with us weekly, but it was 37 years ago.” stated Ormsby recently. In the background is the Plainville Drive-In screen and the Sunoco station on then Rt. 72 (now 372), and Crooked St. MORE>> |
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04/08/09: Spring Cleaning In The Archive Room…… Yeah, I know, we’ve ran shots of this car before (humor-me, it’s a personal favorite). It’s the early-seventies, and that’s Seabury Tripler flanking the Speedbowl’s infamous “Racin’ Rambler.” As reported here in an earlier column, Chuck Bowen, son of legendary fabricator Owen Bowen, is in the final stages of completing a replica of this car as a tribute to his late father. Owen worked his magic on the tinwork of an early-60s Rambler American to come-up with one of the most recognizable cars ever-ran at the shoreline oval. The list of legendary chauffeurs that wheeled Fred Beaber-owned checkerboard 716 creations is a lengthy affair. During one of the longest associations with Waterford of any car-owner in the track’s history, the victories came frequently. In this late-sixties image, Jerry Glaude had one of his rare off-nights, balling-up the front suspension on Freddie’s little coupe. MORE>> |
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04/01/09: More “Old Bowl” Plus a Snippet of Plainville Fenders…. As a close associate of the Gada clan, Rod Tulba began his Speedbowl career hustling Daredevil division entries around the shoreline oval. In later years he advanced to the Modifieds as captured in this image from August of 1978. Team members Paul Guigure (seated on right-front), and Steve Scovish (left), were also competitors in the Street Stock class. At the time, the track was owned by Harvey Tattersall Jr. of United fame, but had been leased to Dick Williams and his Coastal Racing League. Tulba returned to the track in later years as a winner in the “Heroes of The Bowl” events once held in conjunction with Nostalgia Weekend. MORE>> |
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03/25/09: Speedbowl Memories Sprinkled With A Few Hall Of Famers…. First on this week’s agenda is a shot of Billy “Gramps” Greco. A New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, he was an absolute master of the short oval, honing his skills at tight little joints like the late West Haven Speedway and the much-missed 1/5-miler at Riverside Park. A darling of the old Harvey Tattersall-led United circuit (once the most influential sanctioning group in New England), in later-years he also became a winner at the ultra-competitive Danbury Fair Racarena. He’s seen here at Riverside Park in his familiar # 43. Billy’s as popular today as he ever-was, and can really enlighten you on the history of the sport. If you get a chance to chat with him, please do! MORE>> |
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03/18/09: The Late “Stub” Fadden at Catamount Along With More Bowl’ Memories…. This photo from the collection of the late (and much-missed), Danny Pardi captures Stanley “Stub” Fadden during year-ten of what was one of the most brilliant careers in all of New England auto racing. A member of the prestigious New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, among his accomplishments was championships at Thunder Road and Catamount Stadium in Vermont, and Mount Lauier, Quebec. “Stub” also scored a pair of “Milk Bowl” victories at Thunder Road. Though early record-keeping wasn’t what it is today, it’s estimated that he scored over 250-victories in a career that spanned three-decades. Here he’s seen in 1970 at “The Home of the Brave”, the late Catamount Stadium. As noted earlier, Fadden passed-away just last week at the age of 75. MORE>> |
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03/11/09: When Coupes Ruled In New England….: The shot is from the 1964 season. The driver is Wayne Wilkinson. The body was I think, a '35 Pontiac? The car was owned by Dave and Jesse Hill (Leo's brothers) and Deke Bromley. They ran about 3/4 of the season before it was destroyed after Lou Toro and Wayne had a shoving match that ended up with the #6 slamming hard into the pit gate bulkhead. Here’s a shot from 1965. This car was actually built right-after the crash with Toro, but was not completed until the start of the next season. That's Joe McNulty behind the wheel. Once-again, the owners were by Dave and Jesse Hill, along with Deke Bromley. At the conclusion of the season, Dave and Deke got out of the racing game but Jesse hung-around for a couple of more years with the car in the next picture. MORE>> |
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03/04/09: The “Racin’ Rambler” Makes A Return, And Other Vintage Topics: Chuck Bowen, son of celebrated Speedbowl car builder and driver the late Owen Bowen (see his profile in last week’s installment), contacted me recently to report that he’s in the process of replicating a car that was crafted by his father and driven to much Speedbowl success by the late “Wild Bill” Scrivener. Chuck had been searching for the “Racin’ Rambler” for quite some-time, and finally hit pay-dirt via placing an ad in the NEAR newsletter. The former owner had already started the project, so Chuck has a great canvas to work-with. It’s seen here in its present-state. His plans are to finish the car and campaign it with NEAR as a tribute to both his dad, and “Wild Bill” who scored his final Waterford career victory with the car on Easter Sunday of 1974. MORE>> |
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02/25/09: The Connecticut Valley Rocket Plus More Speedbowl Greats! “Wild Bill Slater” aka “The Connecticut Valley Rocket” was among the first drivers inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998, and for good reason. Starting his career in the early-50’s, few can claim more accomplishments in the sport. Multiple championships, a much-coveted Langhorne victory, and a long reign as one of Modified racings most-respected officials are all part of the Slater legacy. This Stafford shot is believed to be from 1968, a period in which Bill had assumed the V-8 racing operation from his former car owners, the famed duo of Vitari & Bombacci. MORE>> |
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02/12/09: A Couple of Dirt Track Legends and Some Speedbowl Greats…. This week it’s a mix-of-sorts, a combo of Speedbowl veterans along with a dash of those who plied their trade on the Northeastern dirt circuit. Enjoy! Another of the Speedbowl’s steady competitors from the Connecticut River Valley region, Tucker Reynolds Sr. ran this neat little Coupe in early-70’s action. Note the use of a street-rated tire on the left front wheel and the homemade headers – both hallmarks of an era when builders truly did it on their own, rather than relying on the thickness of their wallet. Reynolds’ son Tucker Jr. made quite a splash a few years-ago, developing into a winning and extremely popular SK driver. MORE>> |
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02/11/09: With the Waterford Speedbowl facing an uncertain future, this week we present an assortment of vintage images from the Eastern Connecticut third-miler known as “The Action Track”. Opening in the spring of 1951 with advance-publicity billing it “New London Speedway”, financial issues have made it a tough-go for the historically-rich speed plant in recent years. Hopefully, the gates will again swing- open in the spring to present shoreline fans with their fifty-ninth consecutive season of racing at the Bowl’. Early in 1976 former Sportsman division chauffer Paul “Hawk” Fugener debuted this rather unorthodox-looking American Motors AMX-bodied Modified. His second-season in the Bowl’s headlining division, Fugener’s rookie entry was a much-more conventional Coupe. That machine eventually ended-up in the hands of another competitor to be campaigned at the Danbury Fair Racarena under the banner of the Southern New York Racing Association. “Hawk” ran an abbreviated sophomore year, soon fading from the scene entirely. MORE>> |
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02/04/09: Speedbowl Hot-Shoes Invade The Konk’: As the long-time staff photographer at Seekonk Motor Speedway, Johnny Mercury provided fans with timeless images from the track lovingly known as “The Cement Palace”. Captured here are some of his shots taken during one of the Konks’ great open shows of 1971. Of particular interest to historically-inclined Waterford Speedbowl fans is the amount of shoreline oval heavy-hitters that made the trek in hopes of grabbing some of D. Anthony Venditti’s generous purse. Seen here leading the pack in his trend-setting Pinto is the Speedbowl’s Seabury Tripler. This car arguably set the standard for the “modern-era” of Modifieds, pre-dating the Judkins #2X which is widely-acknowledged as the first-ever NASCAR-legal Pinto. MORE>> |
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01/28/09: Stacking Em’ Up At Danbury: It started like any other Saturday night at Connecticut’s storied Danbury Fair Racearena. A capacity crowd was present and a paddock area brimming with the flathead-powered Coupes & Coaches of the Southern New York Racing Association were ready to do-battle on the demanding third-mile oval. hroughout its acclaimed history, the Racearena was known for fierce competition amongst the members of its closed-club sanctioning body. The joint is also recalled for some bone-jarring crashes, and the evening of August 11, 1962 provided patrons with motorized mayhem of the extreme variety. Following a lap-5 restart, leader Bill Adams lost a wheel heading into the front-chute triggering a crash that claimed a staggering fourteen of his fellow competitors. MORE>> |
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01/21/09: When the New London-Waterford Speedbowl opened to the public in 1951, the racing surface consisted of a crushed bluestone concoction that was trucked-in from the Millstone Point area of town. Contrary to what’s been written, the track was never comprised of clay or dirt. In short-order, pavement took the place of the dusty original surface. This image captures what was known as the “Sand Safety Strip” that was in-place until the 1960’s. It was originally devised as a safety feature to help slow-down errant racers before decent into the infamous railroad-tie wall. Unfortunately, ever-increasing speeds over the years had just the opposite-effect. Once a competitor got a wheel into the “sand”, it almost always yielded disastrous results. MORE>> |
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01/14/09: When the late Bobby Santos joined-forces with Preston, CT. car owner Art Barry, it was pure Modified Magic. Captured here in one Barry’s famous “Stump Jumper” Coupes during the much-heralded big-block era, the formidable duo won from coast-to-coast. Some years-ago, Barry noted that his former driver was particularly successful at the divisions Northern haunts, once annexing 7 features-in-a-row at New Hampshire’s Claremont and Monadnock Speedways. This particular car had a long, successful life after leaving the Barry shops. It served as a winning platform for both the late Ed Yerrington Sr. and later Mark LaJeunesse, the latter earning his first of many Speedbowl triumphs with the little Coupe in September of 1974. Master car-builder Barry joins his friend and former chauffer as a member of the New England Auto Racing Hall Of Fame later this month on January 25th. See www.near1.com for details on this year’s HOF inductions. MORE>> |
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01/07/09: Connecticut’s West Haven Speedway-West Haven Speedway (AKA ”Savin Rock” for its close proximity to amusement park of the same name), started life in 1935 as a 1/5-mile dirt oval. The track was constructed within the confines of Donovan Field, a baseball coliseum named in honor of “Wild Bill” Donovan, a popular early manager of the New York Yankees. The following season saw the track paved, continuing in that configuration until the gates closed during the war-years. During its formative era, West Haven was celebrated as a top venue for the wildly-popular Midgets, once the “Road to Indy” for any driver aspiring to advance to the big-leagues of racing. Open cockpit Maestros such as Bill Schindler, Johnny Thomson, Ted Tappet, and the Brothers Rice, George and Johnny, bought capacity crowds to the track located close to the warm sea breezes of the Connecticut shore. MORE>> |
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01/04/09: Eddie Bunnell garnered the 1966 Bomber championship at what was then-known as the “New London-Waterford Speedbowl”. Active until the mid-1980’s he became a proficient Modified shoe, recording many fine finishes during his tenure in the Bowl’s headlining division. This rather rare image catches him at-speed in a car that’s probably unfamiliar to most Waterford fans (at least in this livery). Known for fielding their own cars, on this occasion in 1980 the Bunnell team utilized one of the # 110 coupes made famous a few years earlier by Bob Potter. The car is presently restored back to its original state and campaigned on the NEAR vintage circuit. MORE>> |
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05/12/10: Westboro, Riverside, Waterford, Plainville, Etc…. Westboro Speedway in Massachusetts was an ultra-competitive paved ¼-miler that opened in 1947 and sadly, closed its gates forever at the conclusion of the 1985 season. From Midgets to Coupes, and just about everything in-between, Westboro hosted them-all during its long history. This shot from the 1960s captures Joe Cast (46), Big Joe Rosenfeld (44), Deke Astle (2), and, Fred Borden (10), partaking in some typical action under the lights. With its steep (and sometimes treacherous), high banks, the track provided New England fans with some of the fastest speeds in the region during the “Coupe Era.” Originally constructed with an eye on the bustling post-war Midget racing boom, Westboro Speedway could seat eight-thousand fans, and during its heyday the place was routinely-packed. The first-ever event for the facility was in-fact, a Bay State Midget Racing Association show won by Joe Sostilio in his Leader Card Special. However, when the Coupes displaced the Midgets as the main weekly-draw in New England, the fans just kept-coming for action like this. For a more detailed look at the orgins of Westboro, grab a copy of “Hot Cars, Cool Drivers” penned by our pal Lew Boyd and available at www.coastal181.com MORE>> |
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05/05/10: (Yet-More) Modified Memories…. Captured here in the lens of celebrated racing photographer the late Fred Smith is Dave Kotary. A standout racer in the Northeast for many seasons, Kotary got his start in the Modifieds wheeling coupe-bodied creations like the one seen here. Among his many accomplishments was nailing a track championship at New York’s Brewerton Speedway in 1963, a season in-which he won 17 out of 20 events ran. At the time, he was only 20 years-old. Many more triumphs followed at Empire State haunts such as Utica-Rome, Malta, and Shangri-La. The late Kenny Shoemaker was one of the best in the sport, period. To list the number of victories and top car-owners that he drove for during his heyday would simply take more space than this weekly column allows. “The Shoe” is justifiably an inductee of several stock car racing Hall of Fames. Kenny passed-away in 2001 leaving-behind a huge legion of fans and fellow competitors that recall him as one of the most exciting drivers to have-ever graced a Northeastern speedway, dirt or pavement. MORE>> |
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04/28/10: Yet More Stuff From The “Old Daze”…. The car is the potent Allyn Tool & Auto Machine Sprint Car, and the guy seated behind the wheel is New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member Gene Bergin. Though he’s often recalled for his extraordinary career in the Modifieds, the Enfield, CT. native was actually a much-more versatile racer. In addition to his Sprint Car endeavors, he was successful in the NEMA Midgets with wins at Thompson in Aug. 1969 and Aug. 1973 at Lakeville Speedway (aka Golden Spur), in Massachusetts. His NASCAR Grand National (now know as Sprint Cup), career included starts at Darlington and Langhorne in 1956. It was Bergin who helped start the Modified division’s landmark “Pinto Revolution” in 1971 when he wheeled the #2x Pinto of fellow Hall of Famer Bob Judkins to a stunning victory in the 1971 Stafford 200. MORE>> |
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04/21/10: Another Week, Another Dose Of Memories…. Here we have an at-speed shot of the late, legendary Pete Corey. The venue is Pennsylvania’s former Langhorne Speedway, once the site of the “Race of Champions” the nation’s premier event for the Modifieds. Corey was in the twilight of a brilliant career by the time this 1970 image was captured. He’d won the event in 1955 when the famous track still sported a dirt surface. We’ve lately been getting a lot of mail from our friends “Up-North” requesting that we do a little-something on some drivers from their neck of the woods. Seen here with a young fan during the much-heralded “flathead era” is New Hampshire’s Bill George. A former 106 Midway Raceway track champion, he was also a frequent winner at other regional haunts such as Claremont & Legion Bowl. MORE>> |
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04/14/10: Turn The Page (More From The Archives)…… Seen here at one of Stafford Spring Motor Speedway’s early Spring Sizzler events is Paul Radford, certainly one of the Southland’s finest Modified shoes. A native of Ferrum, Virginia, he was a familiar site at major New England Modified events of the 1960’s & 70’s. Radford made one NASCAR Grand National start (known today as the Sprint Cup Series), wheeling Junie Donlavey’s Ford Torino at Martinsville, VA. in 1974. He retired in 1988 at age-56 following a stint in the NASCAR Busch Series. This one captures popular coupe-era star George Rettew celebrating victory at one of the great UNITED events that were once conducted yearly at the big track on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in Massachusetts. As stated here many-times, in the days before NASCAR gained a foothold in New England, the Tattersall family’s United Stock Car Racing Club was THE premier sanctioning body in the Northeast. MORE>> |
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04/06/10: Plainville, Stafford, Thompson, etc…. Here we have a nice color action-shot of Plainville Stadium’s Pud Noble. There was a time at the Stadium’ when it was populated by scads of drivers like the colorful Pud – the place was really rockin’ when this image was captured by Phil Hoyt. It’s only been in recent years that people have realized just how-important Joe Tinty’s little Connecticut ¼-miler really-was. As I’ve stated previously, it was the first track I ever attended after I got my drivers license and was able to stray from my home base of the Waterford Speedbowl. I loved the place along with its colorful drivers and competition that was second-to-none! If there was ever a “King of Plainville Stadium” this guy was the man. See here is Dave Alkas, multi-time champion, and the Stadium’s all-time Modified winner. We ran a shot of this car a few weeks-ago, and our friend and celebrated auto racing writer Bones Bourcier stated that it bought-back a lot of memories (he just-about grew-up at Plainville before moving-on to the national scene). Dave is also one of the guys responsible for the wonderful “Plainville Stadium Reunion” that was staged last-summer – it was a great affair. Fittingly, Mr. Alkas was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2008. MORE>> |
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03/31/10: Yet Another Dose Of Speedbowl History…. Last week we ran a shot of the late Johnny Savage Jr., a past competitor at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. Thanks to regular “Racing Through Time” contributor and friend Mal Phillips, now we can see where it all started for the Savage family. Captured here during a trackside ceremony (not-sure of the occasion), is John Savage Sr. A winner in the Non-Ford division (an early support class), he was an extremely popular racer at the Speedbowl of the 1950’s. And here’s another shot of John Savage Sr., this time lined-up for a Non-Ford feature at the Speedbowl. This is a significant shot not-only because it captures one of Waterford’s true pioneers, but also because of the car. This was one of the first rides campaigned by famed car owner/builder and New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member, Art Barry of Preston, CT. For over fifty-years, Barry creations have been landing in victory lane with drivers like Bob Potter, Leo Cleary, George Summers, Bobby Santos, Ed Flemke, Sr., and Reggie Ruggiero aboard – it’s a long list. That’s 1953 Non-Ford champion Darwin “Bud” Matter and his #99 in the background. MORE>> |
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03/24/10: Down Memory Lane (For Another Week)…. Seen here in the office of the potent Joe Fontana-owned “Flying Eagle” #1 coupe is the late Richard “Moon” Burgess. Simply a terror while wheeling this GMC-powered creation all-over New England during the 1950’s, he accumulated an astounding number of victories during what was really a relatively-brief time span – proof of just how-good this team was. Moon was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2003. One of the founders of the New England Antique Racers (NEAR), the popular stock car racing pioneer passed-away just earlier this month. He’ll be missed by many. So you say you like this website and look-forward to it appearing every Wednesday? If-so, thank this guy, for without his help, “Racing Through Time” would have never appeared in cyberspace. Meet Mr. Tom Ormsby creator of both www.speedwaylinereport.com and www.vintagemodifieds.com as-well as the Webmaster of this site. This “Pure-Plainville” shot captures a young Tommy behind the controls of one of his earliest rides at Joe Tinty’s much-missed little Connecticut ¼-miler. MORE>> |
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03/17/10: Time Travel – “MODIFIED STYLE” Seen here in 1966 celebrating a victory at Owego, New York’s Shangri-La Speedway is the late Bobby Merz. That’s an early-60’s Rambler American body mounted on the rather-radical chassis. Fans of Connecticut’s Waterford Speedbowl may recall “Wild Bill” Scrivener once piloting a #27 American-bodied mount designed by Owen Bowen, though it was more cut-down. Merz and his little AMC experienced a number of triumphs on the ovals of New York State, once a hot-bed of activity for the asphalt Modified-set. And here’s a shot of another AMC-shod creation, this time chauffeured by the legendary Elton Hildreth and captured at Pennsylvania’s late Reading Fairgrounds Speedway. A New Jersey native, Hildreth’s status as one of his regions top dirt racers was a lengthy affair. He of course, also added numerous pavement successes to his portfolio. MORE>> |
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03/10/10: Waterford, Plainville, Rhythm Inn, Etc…. We open this week’s installment with a shot of a guy that accomplished just a thing-or-two in the realm of New England Modified racing. Captured here during the notorious “Cut-Down” era at the Connecticut shoreline’s “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl is our pal “Wild Bill” Slater. The car is one of the Congdon Bros. entries out of Salem, a small burg just up the road from the Bowl’. The team experienced unparalleled success at the track during the early days, enlisting the talents of only the most proficient of Waterford chauffeurs. Slater, a charter member of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame later went-on to national success as the pilot of the famed Vitari-Bombaci V-8. Read more about Bill’s accomplishments at www.near1.com MORE>> |
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03/03/10: Another (Very) Varied Assortment! New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member the late Joe Sostilio is seen here about to push-off in the Frank Curtis Offy at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway in May of 1958. Starting his career during the pre-war era, by 1935, he’d notched the New England Dirt Track Championship for “Big Cars” (precursors of today’s Sprint Cars). Also an exceptional Midget racer, following World War II he became one of the Bay State Midget Association’s star drivers. The early 1950’s found him running the AAA Big Car circuit. Paired with Indy 500 winner Johnnie Parsons, the duo became one of the most-feared teams of their era. Winning the 1953 Eastern Sprint Car Championship, throughout his years with AAA he was considered a standout driver along with fellow topnotch competitors such as Joie Chitwood, Lee Wallard, Bill Holland, and Tony Bettenhausen. It’s estimated that Sostilio scored over 300 career victories in Midgets and Big Cars, as well as many Stock Car triumphs. MORE>> |
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02/24/10: More Waterford Wanderings (And One From Plainville)…. Deservedly-so, much has been written about the driver known as the “Crafty Redhead”, New England Hall of Famer Melvin “Red” Foote. Often lost in the mix is the memory of his brother Russ Foote, who was an accomplished racer in his own-right. In this rather tattered vintage image, Russ is captured pit-side at the Waterford Speedbowl of the 1950’s. Russ claimed one Waterford Modified victory in 1959 during a career that was substantially-shorter than that of his more-celebrated sibling. Russ retired after sailing out of the ballpark in dramatic fashion during the shoreline oval’s 1963 season, while his brother’s last event came at Langley Field, Virginia in 1980. MORE>> |
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02/17/10: Pavement Pounders & Denizens of Dirt…. Captured here piloting a Studebaker Lark-bodied creation following a victory at the former Westboro Speedway in Massachusetts on May 17, 1968 is the late Don Dionne. He was particularly successful up the road at the Seekonk Speedway where he was a long time fan favorite capturing over thirty-wins during a career spanning nearly 3-decades. He won his first show at the “Cement Palace” on September 23, 1967 in the B division. His final feature victory came on July 15, 1989, wheeling John Tyler's Sound Marine Special. His first championship came in 1970 in the B division. In 1979 he became the very-first Seekonk Pro Stock Champion, driving for the Manfredo Brothers, and repeated the feat in 1981. Sadly, we lost Don at age-70 on Tuesday, January 5. MORE>> |
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01/27/10: Pavement Pounders & Denizens of Dirt…. Seen here in August of 1978 at Connecticut’s Waterford Speedbowl is Street Stock competitor Bob Seller. Among the earliest of drivers to sign-up when the late Harvey Tattersall Jr. introduced the division in late-1977, Seller was a top competitor in this Mopar entry for a number of seasons. In recent years, the family has focused on their involvement with the New England Antique Racers (NEAR) where Bob serves as Vice President and campaigns a vintage Pinto Modified. Get-well wishes go-out to Bob who’s lately been a bit under-the-weather. Captured in the lens of John Grady following a coupe-era victory at Vernon, New York’s Utica-Rome Speedway is a youthful Gary Reddick. One of the top-drivers of his time, Reddick was not-unlike many of his contemporaries, equally talented on both dirt and pavement. Utica-Rome was once a hotbed of action for the best of the asphalt-set, with guys like Evans, Cook, Bodine, Charland, Troyer, etc. competing on a weekly basis. Originally opened in 1961 as a 1/3-mile paved oval, it was revamped to its present 5/8-mile dirt configuration in 1979. Remaining one of the most-successful dirt venues in the Northeast, Utica-Rome’s 49th season opener goes-green on April 18. MORE>> |
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01/20/10: Pavement Pounders & Denizens of Dirt…. New England Modified racing has produced many heated rivalries over the years, but it’s also resulted in a lot of lasting friendships. The late George Pendergast and New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member Billy Harman (middle) were buddies for-sure, and on this night when George scored a victory, he was there to help his pal celebrate the occasion. Pendergast is fondly-recalled as being one of the sports true “characters”, but as this shot shows, he was no slouch behind the wheel either! Harman, who’s recuperating from recent shoulder-surgery, is expected to be at this year’s Hall of Fame inductions later this month on Jan 31. Go to www.near1.com for more details on the event. Seen here during the 1950s behind the controls of a Plymouth coupe, the late Ray Delisle was one of the earliest of stars at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. After recovering from serious injuries sustained in a fiery crash, he returned in 1964 to claim the Modified championship piloting the potent Simons Excavating #9. His last Waterford checker scored in 1965, he notched a career-total of 24 victories in both Modified and Non-Ford competition. In 2000 Delisle was voted one of the shoreline oval’s “50 Favorite Drivers” as part of the track’s 50th Anniversary celebration. MORE>> |
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01/13/10: More “Mod Squad” Memories (Minus Pete, Link & Julie)… Seen here at Waterford in the 1970’s is New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer and pal of your author, Bob Potter. Responsible for hundreds of victories and scads of championships at Waterford, Thompson and Stafford, few drivers from this region had more of an impact on the sport for as long as this guy did. A local kid with humble beginnings in the Speedbowl’s Bombers, he emerged to become one of the real movers & shakers in the Modified class, doing-so for close to 4-decades. The car is the potent Art Barry-wrenched Capri, and the duo was virtually unbeatable during their pairing at the shoreline oval. Barry by-the-way is also a member of the Hall of Fame. They were a true “dream team.” And the Hall of Famers continue; This is Leo Cleary, aptly nicknamed “The Lion” owing to his fearless style behind the wheel of “ground-pounders” like this wild little Mustang-bodied creation. It was more than one chauffer that became uneasy when they had a mirror-full of Cleary – he was one tough competitor. Leo competed at the Medford Bowl, Lonsdale, Norwood, Catamount, and Westboro. Among active tracks, he raced at Thompson, Seekonk, Stafford, Martinsville, Oswego and Waterford, along with several others. MORE>> |
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01/06/10: Reliving The Past On A Snowy New England Weekend… Opening this week’s edition of “Racing Through Time” is a 1974 pit-side shot of Nels Wohlstrom, a top-flight Modified driver at what was then known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. He was a close-associate of fellow racer and multi-time winner Mike Beebe, this car having originated at that teams shop in the Connecticut River Valley area. A popular Bowl’ chauffer and graduate of the Sportsman Sedan class, Wohlstrom notched a bevy of fine finishes while behind the controls of this wild-looking little number at Waterford and Thompson. Not everyone utilized pre-war tin as a style palette during those halcyon days of the much-heralded “Coupe Era”. Seen here in a Chevy II-bodied mount is Montville, CT. speedster Donnie Bunnell. A Speedbowl Superstar throughout the 1970’s (the era in-which this image was captured), the popular Bunnell was known as a steady and sportsman-like chauffer. Perhaps his biggest moment in the sun was a stunning victory in the 1976 UNITED-sanctioned “Bicentennial 200”, then the longest-ever event staged at the shoreline oval. Note the “Psychedelic” numbers – a sign of the times! MORE>> |
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12/30/09: Speedbowl Memories (Plus One From Stafford)… We open this week with a shot of a pioneering figure in the history of what was then-known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl, John “Cannonball” Baker. This hulking “Coach” entry was but-one in a succession of #314 creations that Baker campaigned at Waterford from the 1950’s until his final drive in 1974. In later years, he was one-half of a family team that also included his son, aptly-nicknamed “Musketball.” Though his career was reasonably-brief by conventional standards, this guy had a huge-impact on the early history of the Speedbowl. Twice a Modified titlist (1952 & 62), Dick Beauregard’s flamboyant driving-style won-over a legion of fans, along with a few detractors. A true “stand-on-the-gas” competitor, his retirement in 1962 after only a decade yielded 62 victories in both Modified & Non Ford competition. This shot captures him shortly before he hung-up his helmet, quite-fittingly retiring as a champion. The driver to the right with the big-grin is none-other than New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer and pal of yours-truly, “Little Bill” Harman. MORE>> |
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12/23/09: More Faces From The Past (And Happy Holidays To All!)…. This week we start with another vintage Midget image from the late Cherry Park Speedway in Avon, CT. Indiana native and World War II veteran Ted Klooz was a standout driver during the division’s busy post-war period and like many of the racers of his era, traveled extensively. We believe this image captured during the 1947 campaign to be from an ARDC show. Sadly, the 24 year-old Klooz lost his life in a grinding crash later that season at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway during a Consolidation Midget Racing Association event. The late Pete Corey (aka “The Crescent Hillbilly”), was simply one of the best racers of his generation. When he lost his left leg in a horrible 1959 crash at Fonda, his comeback elevated him from hero to legend. The fact that his car had to be equipped with a hand brake after he lost his leg seemed almost immaterial. Corey actually began his career as a motorcycle racer switching to stockcars in the late 1940s. He won sporadically in the early '50s and then landed a ride with famed Schenectady, New York car owner Bob Mott in 1955. It proved to be a career-move that made him the hottest driver in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Seen here with an injected Mustang modified sponsored by longtime supporter Jimmy Bosco of Commercial Tire, Corey retired in 1973. MORE>> |
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12/16/09: Faces From The Past (Continued)….. We open this week’s column with an action-shot from the former Cherry Park Speedway located in Avon, Connecticut. A truly-picturesque facility (complete with an old-time covered grandstand), Cherry Park opened in 1882 as a horse track and in 1933 began presenting auto racing on the original half-mile dirt circuit. Closed for the war-years, it reopened in 1946 as a fifth-mile, being paved shortly thereafter. A hotbed of action for the Midgets, it also hosted the then-new stock cars. It lay dormant from 1954 to 1959 when it was razed for development. Seen here are early Midget racing standouts Dee Toran, George Rich, Bert Brooks, and Len Duncan. Here’s a dramatic 70’s-era Seekonk action-shot of a pair of New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame members. That’s George Summers in the #31 leading Ronnie Bouchard in the #35. Seekonk remains one of the most historically-significant ovals on the East Coast, having first opened its gates on May 30, 1946. The tradition continues today, as the Vendetti family readies for another season of competition in 2010 at the Massachusetts oval affectionately-known as the “Cement Palace.” MORE>> |
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12/09/09: Yet Another Helping Of “Old Stuff”… Here’s another pick from our webmaster Tom Ormsby’s vast archive of images. The date is April 10, 1966, and the location is the late Riverside Park fifth-miler in Agawam, Massachusetts. Seen in this paddock-area shot are three of most famous names in New England Modified racing history. From left-to-right are Rene “The Champ” Charland, Jerry Humiston, and Dick Dixon. This trio of talent was responsible for scads of victories and championships in what many consider to be the true “golden era” of racing in the Northeast. A Stafford picture from Mr. Ormsby’s collection, this one captures veteran the late Freddie Colossa. A unique ride in that it was campaigned during a time when coupes and coaches remained standard-fare at New England’s Modified racing haunts, the full-bodied Chevy II tin was “different” to say the least. Historically-astute readers will recognize the name of the car’s owner; it was none-other than one “Moneybags” Moe Gherzi, a star-performer in the early days of our sport, and also the long-time Race Director at Plainville Stadium. MORE>> |
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12/02/09: A National Champion Passes, And More Memories From The Past... The Northeastern racing community lost a real treasure when the great Ernie Gahan passed-away at age-82 on Thanksgiving evening. Gahan’s 28-year racing career started during the post-war stock car racing boom of 1948 at New Hampshire’s Dover Speedway. By the time he’d hung-up his helmet in the 1970’s, he’d amassed over 300 career victories. Perhaps his greatest achievement in the sport was being the first New Englander to win a NASCAR National Modified championship in 1966. He was equally successful on both dirt and asphalt. He won a record 21 features on the old dirt at Stafford Speedway in the late 50’s and early 60’s. He had eleven starts in Grand National (now Sprint Cup), series competition, recording two top-ten finishes, one of which was in the 1962 Daytona 500. In 1963 Gahan was credited with saving the life of Marvin Panch by pulling him out of a burning race car at Daytona. MORE>> |
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11/25/09: More Memorable Moments From The Past….. Few early Modified teams were more professional than that of “Wild Bill” Slater and his Bob Vitari & Vic Bombaci-owned #V-8. During an era in which the sport was still more than a little “rough-around-the edges”, these guys really shined. Their equipment was never-less than immaculate, and the driver and crew were always neatly-attired. This shot captures an early version of the #V-8 at a UNITED-sanctioned Eastern States event in Springfield, Massachusetts during the 1959 season. Slater, Vitari, and Bombaci are all members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. Another great shot of the legendary “Wild Bill” Slater-driven #V-8 team. Like mentioned-above, these guys simply epitomized professionalism during the early days of Modified racing in New England. As seen here, even the team’s hauler was a spiffy-looking unit. You have to wonder just how-many victories these two coupes were responsible-for, as Slater was definitely in his prime when this image was captured. MORE>> |
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11/18/09: Lakeville, West Haven, and More….. The late Tony Mordino is seen here following another memorable victory. It’s thanks to the diligence of people like RTT Webmaster Tom Ormsby that images like this gem still exist. He was one of the first guys to bring the history of New England’s glorious racing past to the masses via the internet. This photo remains one of his favorites, and I’ll let him explain the reason for all the extra smiles in this ancient West Haven Speedway shot. “The #78 which was owned by Bucky Membrino and driven by Tony Mordino lost a wheel on the last lap of a feature. Jap Membrino pushed the car over the finish line with the wheel off and Tony won the race. If I recall the story right, UNITED’s Harvey Tattersall then made a rule that a car had to finish the race under its own power!” Along with the crew is (L-R), Jap, Bucky, and Tony. MORE>> |
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11/11/09: Hall of Famers & More….. During its sixties-era heyday, the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl routinely played-host to capacity crowds and some of the best racing in New England. This victory lane shot captures the late Marvin Chase along with New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer Bob Potter (check-out Bob’s fancy “driving boots” and celebratory cigar). Potter of-course, became a multi-time champion with close-to 100 victories at the shoreline oval in addition to many Stafford and Thompson accomplishments. Chase enjoyed a long career as one of the area’s top drivers. The Speedbowl will reportedly open again in 2010, celebrating its fifty-ninth consecutive-season of operation. Seen here during the early days of his career is Paul Richardson, who like the aforementioned Bob Potter is a member of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. It all started in 1965 at Oscar Ridlon’s Pines Speedway in New Hampshire. The next year, he bought Al Riley’s “Little Princess” cutdown, and won the Hudson (NH), points championship. Moving to the Super Modifieds during the early years of NESMRA, he became a superstar in the division, and is 5th on the all-time winners list. He was also a winning Modified driver. Nicknamed “Ricochet” for his thrilling driving style, he completed his career driving in the BUSCH East division. MORE>> |
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11/04/09: Confessions Of A “Racing Packrat” (Or Stuff I Forgot I Had….) We start this week’s column with an early-career shot of a guy that was both a top competitor at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl and also a trendsetter in defining the “look” of Modified stock cars in the years following the “Coupe Era”. Seen here in an early “M” Coupe is Seabury Tripler. Along with talented fabricator the late Owen Bowen, “Trip” introduced New England’s first-ever Pinto-bodied Modified at Waterford on opening day of 1971. The event scantly pre-dated NEAR Hall of Famer Bob Judkins’ debut of his Pinto, which became the first NASCAR-legal mount sporting the then-new Ford subcompact tinwork. aptured here on the old Riverside Park fifth-mile in Agawam, Massachusetts is Ronnie Wycoff. Starting his racing career in Florida, he joined the Sportsman ranks at Plainville Stadium after moving North in 1959. Success in the Modifieds quickly-followed, with wins at an assortment of New England speedplants. Included in those victories are multi-time triumphs in UNITED’s “Riverside 500” events, once a benchmark of the Northeastern racing season. MORE>> |
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10/27/09: Another Weekly Peek Into The Past…. Seen here at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl of the 1960’s is a young Tommy Mactino. A rather infrequent visitor to the shoreline oval, Tommy was a star at the UNITED-sanctioned West Haven Speedway. Also referred to as “The Rock” owing to it’s close proximity to the old Savin Rock Amusement Park, it was a paved 1/5 mile oval located on the waterfront in West Haven, Connecticut. The track was somewhat unusually shaped, built around a baseball diamond named Donovan Field (after "Wild Bill" Donovan, a manager of the NY Yankees). Many of New England’s finest Modified drivers called West Haven home at one time. Billy Greco, Johnny Cambino, Danny Gaudiosi, Sal Dee, and Danny Galullo are just a few. A victim of urban renewal, the track closed in 1967. MORE>> |
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10/21/09: Yet More Modifieds – 1970’s Style! We start this week’s installment with a photo of the fellow that’s not-only responsible for bringing you my weekly “Racing Through Time” endeavors, but also the site that’s become perhaps the most-popular spot on the Internet for keeping-abreast of the latest New England racing news. Seen here during his days as a young Modified driver is “Tommy” Ormsby, the guy behind www.speedwaylinereport.com and of course, the historically-rich www.vintagemodifieds.com Tom ran weekly at The Stadium’ for years, and was a well-liked and respected member of the “Plainville Gang”. Fortunately for-us, he took-up computers after leaving racing, his first endeavor being the Vintage Modifieds site which he started a number of years-ago. Now residing in Florida, Tom also stays active with the New England Antique Racers (NEAR), serving as the clubs webmaster www.near1.com Busy guy, that Mr. Ormsby! MORE>> |
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10/14/09: Yet Another Dose of Racin’ Remembrances…. This “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl shot has been languishing in the files for what seems like eons. A gift from my friend the late Dan Pardi, I’ve been hesitant to run-it as I have no-clue as to the identity of this 1950’s-era Bomber pilot. Purely because it’s a kinda’ neat-looking car (a Hudson perhaps?), I decided to publish-it. Check-out the skinny whitewall on the left-front and the turn-signal located on the top of the trunk (evidence of it being flat-towed to the track?). The driver’s rudimentary safety-equipment includes a Cromwell helmet (the drivers often referred to these leather-sided Brit-inspired gems as Brain Buckets”), and a short-sleeved shirt. If any readers know this racers identity, please don’t hesitate to contact me! MORE>> |
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10/07/09: Turning Back The Clock On Plainville Stadium Part II Captured here during June of 1977 is journeyman Stadium’ competitor, Larry Babbit. This car was wheeled by Bill Harris (note the “Bill or Larry” on the roof, no-doubt a nod the duo’s racing partnership), at the Waterford Speedbowl to many a fine-finish during the earlier-years of the era. When Harris was at the shoreline oval, the neat little Coupe wore a gleaming-white coat of paint and carried the #17. And here we have one Jimmy "Doc" Robinson ready to take the green in 1973. Typical of the rides of the time, Robinson’s pre-war Coupe sported a stock production frame, and components that were the result of the builder’s ingenuity and a lot of long-evenings in the garage. Not a lot of “store-bought” stuff on this car, and it certainly was a more-affordable sport for the “average-guy” back-then. Also note the mufflers – Plainville was among the first tracks in the region to mandate the sound-suppressing devices. MORE>> |
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09/30/09: Mods, Midgets, Supers, Grand Americans, etc. Captured here celebrating an early-70’s Seekonk victory with Sandy of the infamous “Wally Salleba Girl Watchers Club” is 1970 NASCAR National Modified Champion, the late Fred DeSarro. In one of the most publicized “driver-switches” in New England Modified racing history. DeSarro left the Sonny Koszella “Woodchopper Special” team in 1971 to join forces with the late Len Boehler. Bugs Stevens, who’d nailed three NASCAR National Championships with Boehler, went-with Kozella. DeSarro remained a premier New England Modified racer until passing-away in November of 1978 from injuries sustained at the Thompson Speedway. DeSarro, Boehler, Stevens, and Kozella are all members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. MORE>> |
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09/23/09: Turning Back The Clock On Plainville Stadium... Captured here in the 1970’s at the former Danbury Fair Racerena is the popular Gino Spada. Starting his racing career at Plainville during the late-sixties, he later concentrated on the tough SNYRA-sanctioned Danbury becoming a multi-time winner and a consistent front-runner. Also venturing-out to the various NASCAR haunts of the day such as Stafford & Thompson, Spada was always a threat to triumph wherever he competed. As the longtime proprietor of Red Barn Radiator in Berlin, CT. he supplied a legion of competitors with the best in racing-radiators. In later-years, he became involved with the Northeastern Midget Racing Association (NEMA), owning the car chauffeured by his son Tommy (a real family-affair, his daughter Cassandra served as the team’s crew-chief). Sadly, Gino passed-away just last-weekend following a battle with cancer. “RTT” offers the Spada family sincere condolences on their loss. MORE>> |
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09/16/09: “Like A Box of Chocolates, You Never Know What You’re Going To Get…….” Seen here in the sixties at the late Plainville Stadium during his reign as a New England Modified standout, Dennis Zimmerman parlayed his Coupe experience into a successful career on the USAC Indy Car circuit. A self-professed “student” of the late, great, Ed Flemke Sr., he conquered storied eastern Modified haunts such as Norwood, Riverside Park, Plainville, and Waterford before taking-on the ovals of the South, where his accomplishments netted a pair of NASCAR State Sportsman titles. After a stint in URC Sprint Car competition it was on to Indy Cars, then the absolute pinnacle of American motorsport. Zimmerman continued his success in the Indy Cars, qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 in 1971 & 1972. His best finish in the May extravaganza was eighth, a feat earning him honors as the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. This image captures him at Pocono’s Schaefer 500 on July 3, 1971 with the Fiore Racing Enterprises Offy. Starting 17th, he finished 24th after a clutch-failure felled the team after only eighty-eight circuits (the late Mark Donahue won). A 2001 inductee of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Zimmerman departed the sport in 1974 following an event at Long Island’s Islip Speedway where ironically, he was wheeling a car owned by his “teacher” and fellow NEAR Hall of Famer, the late Ed Flemke Sr. Emerging from retirement just this season, Dennis has recently been competing in the Sprint class at Whip City Speedway in Westfield, MA. MORE>> |
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09/09/09: A Racing Flashback - Speedbowl-Style! As one of the real heavy-hitters in the early days of the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl, the late Charlie Webster had a large & very-loyal fan base. Amassing a career total of seventy-three feature victories in both Non-Ford and Modified competition, Webster was a champion in both classes (3 Non-Ford titles, and 1 Modified crown). Like fellow Bowl’ standout and New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer Don Collins, Charlie retired from driving at the dawn of the seventies, thus ending the career of one of Waterford’s finest chauffeurs. This shot captures him in a Non-Ford division entry during the early-fifties. Charlie’s son Eric went-on to a winning career in racing, and now serves on the staff at the Speedbowl. Like Webster, the late Ray Delisle was there from the start, and was winning early in his Waterford career. Felled by serious injuries sustained in a Speedbowl crash when his Coupe was hit from-behind, his old-style “jerry can” fuel tank erupting in-flames, Delisle endured a long, painful recovery before returning to the game. In 1964, his career reached its zenith when he waltzed-away with the Modified title wheeling the famed Simons Bros. #9. MORE>> |
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09/02/09: Yet Another Weekly Slice Of Racing History….. A personal glimpse into the past; Back in the days when popular Speedbowl coupe-era star Joe Coullard housed his racer on the corner of Clark Lane and Fog Plain Road in Waterford, the little guy you see behind the wheel used to beg his parents to stop for a visit whenever they were in the area. Joe being the dutiful host, would let the youngster get behind the wheel and dream of the day when he’d be just like his pal Joe, going-around in circles on the track that was then known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. A few years down-the-road, little Gary Welch got his chance…. And here’s Gary Welch all grown-up and about to take his early Daredevil entry out for a spin on the 1/3-mile tarmac of the Bowl’. The car had formally been wheeled by his cousin Paul Jutila, and was owned by Bob Hayes who worked with Welch at East Lyme Chevron. Typical of the times, it was almost completely-stock save for a few rudimentary safety appointments. Somewhat novel by Waterford-standards, it was a Ford product amidst a field that was overwhelmingly populated by General Motors entries (save for the ultra-successful Gada team). The firesuit he’s wearing is one of the old single-layer Drag-All numbers that were so-popular then. Years-later your author was gifted with the suit by Welch (a long-time family friend), and used it in his brief & unspectacular Street Stock career in the late-70’s. Ironically, our car was a former Paul Jutila mount. MORE>> |
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08/19/09: More Racing Personalities From The Past….. By the time this Waterford Speedbowl paddock image was captured in August of 1978, Rod Tulba was already an experienced-hand at the “circle-game”. Years-before as a youngster, he’d entered competition in the Daredevil class as a close associate of the Gada team. This Vega was part of a multi-car team fronted by Paul Giguere (seated on tire), who also fielded entries in the Street Stock class. Tulba went-on to become a winning Modified shoe, recording a pair of victories at the shoreline oval in 1981. What has to be written about this guy? If you’re at-all familiar with New England racing history, than you should already know a little about the career of Gene Bergin. A member of the first class inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998, Bergin excelled in everything from Modifieds, to Midgets and Sprint Cars. Starting his career in 1949 at the Stafford Motor Speedway, he remained one of our regions top-drivers for over three-decades. This shot captures him following a win at the Waterford Speedbowl on July 9, 1977 where for a brief-time that season, he was a weekly regular in the “Smittys” #11 Pinto. MORE>> |
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08/12/09: More Lakeville Dirt, And Fowler Takes A Flyer… They appeared on the scene at the Waterford Speedbowl during the early years of what was known as the “Daredevils”, a class developed in the sixties to replace a floundering Bomber division. The three gentleman you see here are (left to right), Larry "Insta” Gada, Chris “Wally” Gada, and Bob “Allie” Gada, and yes, this is the brother-act responsible for starting what became no-less than a racing dynasty at the shoreline oval. There’s now a second and third generation of the family winning at the Bowl’. In looking back at the history of the Daredevils, you’d be hard-pressed to find three more popular chauffeurs than these guys, and during the real heyday of “fendered” racing at the Bowl’ they were all winners. One thing setting the Gada boys apart from the rest of the field was their penchant for running FORD products within a field that was overwhelmingly populated by machines of the General Motors-variety. Novel nicknames-aside, rest assured that Mrs. Gada’s boys were true “stand-on-the-gas” racers with the trophies and championships to prove-it. Also captured in this shot is car owner and future Speedbowl Street Stock champion, Ed Reed Sr. MORE>> |
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08/05/09: New England Dirt Trackin’, Hall of Famers, etc.. Captured here during the height of his brilliant racing career is one Raymond “Hully” Bunn, a native of New Britain, Connecticut. First climbing behind the wheel at the late Plainville Stadium in 1949, within two-years he had become one of the premier short- trackers in the country. In 1951, he emerged victorious in the first-ever Race of Champions at the storied Langhorne Speedway in Pennsylvania topping a field of over one-hundred top-notch Modified-Sportsman competitors. A frequent winner from coast-to-coast, he retired in 1965 following a serious crash at Lebanon Valley. Bunn was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2001. Massachusetts’ glorious Lakeville Speedway! Seriously, the old girl would have never aced a beauty contest or rated highly in a poll of the nation’s premier dirt-tracks, but more than one New England racer will tell you that the place was just tons of fun! Originally opening in the late 1920’s, the facility underwent a number of name-changes during its long history – Middleborough Fairgrounds, Camp Joe Hooker Raceway, Golden Spur Speedway, and lastly, Lakeville Speedway. A half-miler located near the Middleboro/Bridgewater area with a tricky oil-soaked dirt surface, it was a career-springboard for some pretty-notable racers, and also served as a Sunday playground for many of our regions top-pavement shoes. MORE>> |
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07/29/09: Mixing-It-Up MODIFIED Style! Pictured here in the fifties at New York State’s Empire Raceway (AKA Menands Speedway), is the late, great Dick Dixon with his signature 8-ball Coupe. Dixon was one of New England’s brightest racing stars particularly within the once-mighty United Stock Car Racing Club. A standout Modified competitor, he was also extremely successful within the ranks of United’s Grand American Late Model division, where one season he captured thirteen of fifteen scheduled events. While still very-much in his prime, he perished in a grinding Thompson Speedway crash during the 1967 season. Dixon was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2004. As for Empire Raceway, it was a ¼-mile paved affair located near Troy, which closed at the conclusion of the 1961 season to make-way for development of a shopping plaza. MORE>> |
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07/22/09: More Weekend Warriors (New England-Style)… Rhode Islander Fred DeSarro was one of the truly-gifted racers of his era. Seen here following a victory in the Sonny Koszella “Woodchopper Special” he was a top New England Modified shoe for what seemed like eons. The racing media had a field day with the much-publicized “driver-switch” in 1971 when the great Bugs Stevens took the wheel of Koszella’s car, and Fred climbed aboard Bugs’ vacated Lenny Boehler “Ole’ Blue”. Truth-be-told, there were no hard-feelings. Fred and Bugs were great friends and remained-so until Fred’s death following a tragic 1978 Thompson Speedway crash. Both are members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, as are Boehler and Koszella. Few drivers of the much-heralded “Coupe Era” were more traveled than New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, Billy Harman. Growing-up in the shoreline community of New London, Ct. it was only natural for the speed-crazed young kid to get-involved with the happenings at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. After many successes in his backyard, Harmon took to the road, maintaining a hectic schedule that rewarded him accolades at venues from coast-to-coast. In later-years, “Little Bill” centered his efforts closer-to-home again, experiencing several triumphs at local tracks in this car, the “Coventry Racing Enterprises” entry. MORE>> |
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07/08/09: Vintage Thoughts On A Holiday Weekend…. Captured here at Stafford in an absolutely classic-looking coupe during the early days of his career is Ed Flemke Jr. With a father like NEAR Hall of Famer the late, great “Steady Eddie”, this youngster had some mighty-big shoes to fill, and thus-far, he’s done a darned good job of carrying-on the family racing heritage. A veteran of the NASCAR Modified Tour, Flemke Jr. won the title in 2002 after years of coming close. Much like his late father, Ed Jr. is viewed by many as a steady-shoe, utilizing experience to his advantage when required While following what looked to be a wreck-in-the-making, Flemke wisely used his head (and saved his equipment), in averting disaster when the leaders tangled on the last-lap at this years New England 100 at New Hampshire, finishing a fine-second to Donnie Lia. Few did more-with-less than Ernie Gahan did during his twenty-eight year career as one of the nation’s top Modified drivers. Virtually a one-man show for a good part of his career, the winner of the 1966 NASCAR National Modified Championship started racing in the 1940’s at New Hampshire’s old Dover Speedway. Well-before the days of the much-heralded “Eastern Bandits” he won over three-hundred features on a well-traveled road that stretched from his home state of Maine, to the coast of Florida. A multi-time NASCAR Grand National (now the Nextel Series), starter, his resume also includes two top-10 finishes, one in the Daytona 500. MORE>> |
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07/01/09: Varied Assortment Part III….. Pictured here is the late Russ McLean, the 1969 Sportsman-Modified champion at the much-missed UNITED-sanctioned Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Mass. Fondly-recalled as a very popular racer amongst both fans and competitors. His lone feature victory occurred on the evening of April 17, 1971 in the car seen here. Utilizing a dose of tongue-in-cheek humor during what was perhaps a less politically-correct era, note that McLean’s sanitary little Coupe was christened “The Other Woman”. Few drivers got-around more than my old friend, New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, “Wild Bill” Slater. In addition to being a master at the most notable of Modified haunts, he also excelled on the high-banks of the NASCAR super-speedways. He’s seen here taking a break for a cold drink during one of his yearly Daytona sojourns. Note the absence of a fire suit and the rudimentary safety appointments on Bill’s Chevrolet. The cars were truly closer to stock back-then, and were more than a handful to navigate at the speeds these guys were eclipsing. MORE>> |
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06/24/09: Waterford Vets Worthy of Mention, Dirt Track Stormers, & Racing from “Across the Pond”…. Pictured here celebrating his first-ever victory at the 1/3-miler known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl on September 7, 1974 is a young Mark LaJeunesse. It was future champion Jerry Pearl that he’d out-dueled to the checkers in one of the seasons more hotly-contested features. Starting his career as a kid in the Quarter Midgets, LaJeunesse jumped right-into the Modifieds upon returning from armed forces service in Vietnam during the early-seventies. Though his first ride was an updated ex-Freddie Doolittle creation, subsequent machines were all self-designed and exquisitely hand-crafted at the team’s modest shop in Norwich, CT. Chief-wrench on the family team was father Al (kneeling, third-from-left), who’d been working on race cars for decades, most notably the ride of family relative and famed Waterford shoe, “Dirty Dick” Beaureguard. LaJeunesse called Waterford home for three-decades, scoring the United Stock Car Racing Club’s 1975 Sportsman-Modified title, and nearly twenty feature victories including the 2000 Budweiser Modified Nationals. Another son of the “Rose City” won that night too, as “Big Mike” Daigneault annexed the Sportsman Sedan main event. LaJeunesse and Daigneault are but two of a large group of great drivers from nearby Norwich that called the Speedbowl home for many years. MORE>> |
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06/17/09: This Week, It’s “A Little Bit Of Everything…..” This guy is a Hall of Fame member of the following; The New York Stock Car Association, Fonda Speedway, Dirt Motorsports, Eastern Press Association, and of course, was a 2002 inductee of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. He’s also a member of Daytona's Living Legends of Auto Racing – no minor accolade. Pictured here during a coupe-era outing in his signature # 33, the career of the much-celebrated Bill Wimble began during the early-fifties in New York State. The winner of the 1960 NASCAR National Sportsman Championship, like many of his contemporaries he maintained a super-hectic schedule. During 1967-alone, Wimble competed every weekend at three New York tracks, Utica-Rome, Albany-Saratoga, and Fonda. Amazingly-enough, he was crowned track champion at all of them! Also a force to be reckoned-with in Connecticut, Wimble was particularly-successful on the former dirt-surface of the Stafford Springs Motor Speedway. MORE>> |
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06/10/09: Hudsons, Non-Fords, and a Speedbowl Legend… We begin this week’s column with an ancient image of a car manufactured by a company that was once a major-player in the world of stock car racing both locally, and in the big leagues. The late Hudson Motor Company produced some of the most popular automobiles in America, and was particularly successful in the early days of NASCAR with their “Fabulous Hudson Hornet”. This shot captures one of Hudson’s products closer to home at the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl of the fifties. The driver is the great Benny Derosier and the car was owned by Chester, Connecticut’s Barney Tiezzi. Barney’s son Joe later carried-on the family tradition becoming one of our region’s top drivers. Note the license plate & light on the roof-post, an indication that the car may have been flat-towed. Back-then, trailers were considered a luxury for some teams. The late “Moneybags” Moe Gherzi was one of the guys defined our sport during its infancy. Already an established star when this shot was captured in the lens of Shany Lorenzent, he was one of the most-prolific winners in early “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl action. MORE>> |
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06/03/09: Cut-Downs, Daredevils, and “Dirty Dick”….. We open this week’s edition of RTT with a classic “cut-down” era Speedbowl image of Sparky Belmont. As one of the premier racers of his time, Belmont (real name Michael Belmonti), was a winner and huge crowd-draw at New England venues such as Riverside Park, Waterford, West Haven, and the track where he experienced his greatest degree of success, Joe Tinty’s Plainville Stadium. Starting his career during the post-war Midget racing boom, he soon found his niche in the stock cars. It was after winning a 100-lap contest at Plainville in 1969 that Sparky suffered a fatal heart-attack, thus ending the life and career of one of our region’s most colorful early competitors. Think today’s Ted Christopher is aggressive? This guy would make him look like a choirboy! Dick Beaureguard (AKA “Dirty Dick”), was one of the real heavies in early competition at what was then-known as the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl. Seen here behind the controls of one of the premier rides of the day, the Condgon #76, he was known as a “no-holds-barred” driver, the kind of guy that struck-fear into the minds of even the most seasoned of his fellow racers. MORE>> |
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05/27/09: And Yet More Images From The Past….. The late Harvey Vallencourt was a pioneer on the New England Modified circuit that became an unfortunate statistic in a sport that can sometimes reveal a cruel side. Starting his career at the old West Haven Speedway, Harvey was known as a proficient chauffer enjoying many successes over the years. Sustaining severe head-injuries in a seemingly minor crash at Plainville Stadium in the mid-seventies, he was confined to a hospital bed for almost a decade before his passing from injuries received in the accident. The popular Vallencourt is seen here with starter Billy Dunn after a Plainville triumph decades-ago. Another driver that experienced early success at the old West Haven Speedway was this guy, the late Pete Brockett Sr. Spending over three-decades behind the controls of a Modified, his later efforts were centered-on the “New London-Waterford” Speedbowl where he also became a winner. His ride known as “Brockett’s Rocket”, Pete was always a crowd-favorite at the joint known as the “shoreline oval”. MORE>> |
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05/20/09: More Tales From The “Good Old Days”... It’s Wednesday evening July 15, 1978 at Joe Tinty’s Plainville Stadium, and having a smoke while waiting for the night’s race card to unfold is second-generation driver Richie Galullo. The Stadium’s open-comp shows routinely drew stellar fields, and young Galullo was on the top of his game. The “cent sign” Vega one of the premier rides of the day. Nicky Porto’s career can be traced back to the heyday of the Tattersall racing dynasty known as UNITED – once the top sanctioning body in the Northeast. When Steve Kennedy shot this image, he was wheeling this ex-Tony Dadio Coupe at Plainville Stadium. Porto was one of the premier drivers of his era at the Stadium and was no-doubt a contender when captured on film here, June 29, 1977. Seen here at the Stadium is an interesting shot of a driver that unfortunately, is filed under the “Unknown” category. As Steve Kennedy notes, it looks suspiciously like a dirt car which would not have been uncommon in an era before such specialization in car construction. At Plainville, you never-knew who was going to pull into the pits for the open shows. This image was recorded in July of 1973, and if anyone knows the details, please feel-free to contact me! MORE>> |
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05/13/09: Yet Another Varied Assortment….. Few Modified drivers have had more of an impact on the local racing scene over the years than this fellow, New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, Bob Potter. Starting his career in the early-sixties at Waterford, the Taftville, Ct. native captured his first Modified checker in 1965 with an estimated 140 feature wins to follow along with multiple championships at Thompson, Stafford, and of-course, the Speedbowl. Never officially retired, Bob is seen here at the Bowl’ in June of 1979, a year in which he scored a convincing victory in the prestigious UNITED-sanctioned Waterford 200. Won by invader Marty Radewick and serving as the opening event for 1980, “Blast-Off” was a 100-lap Modified grind that drew a stellar field to the Speedbowl, and among those mixing it-up with the locals was the pride of Long Island, the late “Chargin’ Charlie” Jarzombek. Seen here in one of his familiar #1 machines, he was an infrequent visitor to the shoreline oval, but always ran well when he ventured-out to 1080 Hartford Road. Tragically, Charlie lost his life in a crash at Martinsville, VA. in the spring of 1987. He was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2004. MORE>> |
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05/06/09: With last week’s passing of New England Modified Great Billy Schulz, we loose yet another piece of the puzzle that represents the history of our sport. Schulz was one of the top-drivers at the much-missed Norwood Arena, and also excelled at many other regional venues including Seekonk Speedway, and Thompson Speedway. He was the founder and operator of Country Club Auto Body in Norton MA., running the business for 40 years until recently retiring. Billy is seen here celebrating a Norwood Arena win on July 5, 1969. Captured here in May of 1978 is Speedbowl Street Stock competitor Scott Porier. Driving for Jay Stuart (who later became a fine competitor in his own right), Porier scored three victories on his way to a second-place finish in the season standings, a scant 7-points behind titlist Ed Reed Sr. Started in 1977 by United’s Harvey Tattersall Jr., the Street Stocks were a wildly-popular division boasting full-fields and a slam-bang program. Not to be confused with today’s hybrid class, with the exception of safety features these things were truly-stock, boasting factory chassis and bias-ply 78-series passenger tires. MORE>> |
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04/29/09: Covering All The Bases….. Like so-many of the racers from his generation, the late Maynard Forrette saw no boundaries in the difference between running on dirt or asphalt. A big winner on both, he’s probably most fondly remembered for his stunning dirt-slingin’ drives on the daunting Syracuse Mile where during the later stages of his career, he often bested competitor’s half-his-age. A master mechanic and innovative car builder, Forrette also ran Northern Speed Supply, a haven for those racers seeking to get the most out of their equipment. This shot is believed to be from Utica-Rome. By the 1976 season when this shot was captured at Plainville Stadium, most New England Modified racers had bid-goodbye to the traditional stylings of the old coupes and coaches. At Joe Tinty’s ¼-miler however, they could still be captured in-action probably more than at any track in our region. That’s Fred Murtha in a neat little 3-window entry lining-up next to our friend, Larry Lafayette. According to our Webmaster Tom Ormsby who ran a lot of laps with Murtha, the car was a real-looker. MORE>> |
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04/22/09: Waterford, Riverside, Islip, Plainville, And More! The 1978 season at Waterford was one of the most successful campaigns in the tracks history, as Dick Williams of the Coastal Racing Association stepped-in to lease and promote the facility following a less-than-stellar multi-year run by Harvey Tattersall’s United Stock Car Racing Club. Pictured here in May of that year is veteran Modified campaigner Larry Lafayette. Starting his career in the early-60’s, the personable Lafayette was a fixture on the New England circuit for more than three-decades. He now resides in Port Charlotte, Florida. New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member Dave Alkas so-dominated the proceedings at his home track during the 70’s, trade-paper scribes began referring to him as “The King of Plainville Stadium”. Never an easy-place to conquer with its tight-turns and ultra-competitive fields, Alkas teamed with owner Roland Cyr to capture five championships and is the track’s all-time winner. This shot captures during the waning-years of The Stadium in July of 1978. MORE>> |
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04/19/09: Another Varied Slice Of Racin’ History…. The year is 1972 and that’s our webmaster, a young “Tommy” Ormsby taking the low-road to avoid a spinning Danny Gaudiosi in one of the famed Sharkey coupes. The venue of course, is the much-missed Plainville Stadium. Ormsby relates that the shot was captured shortly after a rebuild of his car, which was demolished following a trip through the wall and into the pits a few weeks-before. “We changed the color and number (it had formally been a blue # V-O), hoping that it would bring better luck. I’m pretty-sure this was an open-show, as I don’t recall any full-bodied cars like the Chevelle seen here running with us weekly, but it was 37 years ago.” stated Ormsby recently. In the background is the Plainville Drive-In screen and the Sunoco station on then Rt. 72 (now 372), and Crooked St. MORE>> |
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04/08/09: Spring Cleaning In The Archive Room…… Yeah, I know, we’ve ran shots of this car before (humor-me, it’s a personal favorite). It’s the early-seventies, and that’s Seabury Tripler flanking the Speedbowl’s infamous “Racin’ Rambler.” As reported here in an earlier column, Chuck Bowen, son of legendary fabricator Owen Bowen, is in the final stages of completing a replica of this car as a tribute to his late father. Owen worked his magic on the tinwork of an early-60s Rambler American to come-up with one of the most recognizable cars ever-ran at the shoreline oval. The list of legendary chauffeurs that wheeled Fred Beaber-owned checkerboard 716 creations is a lengthy affair. During one of the longest associations with Waterford of any car-owner in the track’s history, the victories came frequently. In this late-sixties image, Jerry Glaude had one of his rare off-nights, balling-up the front suspension on Freddie’s little coupe. MORE>> |
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04/01/09: More “Old Bowl” Plus a Snippet of Plainville Fenders…. As a close associate of the Gada clan, Rod Tulba began his Speedbowl career hustling Daredevil division entries around the shoreline oval. In later years he advanced to the Modifieds as captured in this image from August of 1978. Team members Paul Guigure (seated on right-front), and Steve Scovish (left), were also competitors in the Street Stock class. At the time, the track was owned by Harvey Tattersall Jr. of United fame, but had been leased to Dick Williams and his Coastal Racing League. Tulba returned to the track in later years as a winner in the “Heroes of The Bowl” events once held in conjunction with Nostalgia Weekend. MORE>> |
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03/25/09: Speedbowl Memories Sprinkled With A Few Hall Of Famers…. First on this week’s agenda is a shot of Billy “Gramps” Greco. A New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, he was an absolute master of the short oval, honing his skills at tight little joints like the late West Haven Speedway and the much-missed 1/5-miler at Riverside Park. A darling of the old Harvey Tattersall-led United circuit (once the most influential sanctioning group in New England), in later-years he also became a winner at the ultra-competitive Danbury Fair Racarena. He’s seen here at Riverside Park in his familiar # 43. Billy’s as popular today as he ever-was, and can really enlighten you on the history of the sport. If you get a chance to chat with him, please do! MORE>> |
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03/18/09: The Late “Stub” Fadden at Catamount Along With More Bowl’ Memories…. This photo from the collection of the late (and much-missed), Danny Pardi captures Stanley “Stub” Fadden during year-ten of what was one of the most brilliant careers in all of New England auto racing. A member of the prestigious New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, among his accomplishments was championships at Thunder Road and Catamount Stadium in Vermont, and Mount Lauier, Quebec. “Stub” also scored a pair of “Milk Bowl” victories at Thunder Road. Though early record-keeping wasn’t what it is today, it’s estimated that he scored over 250-victories in a career that spanned three-decades. Here he’s seen in 1970 at “The Home of the Brave”, the late Catamount Stadium. As noted earlier, Fadden passed-away just last week at the age of 75. MORE>> |
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03/11/09: When Coupes Ruled In New England….: The shot is from the 1964 season. The driver is Wayne Wilkinson. The body was I think, a '35 Pontiac? The car was owned by Dave and Jesse Hill (Leo's brothers) and Deke Bromley. They ran about 3/4 of the season before it was destroyed after Lou Toro and Wayne had a shoving match that ended up with the #6 slamming hard into the pit gate bulkhead. Here’s a shot from 1965. This car was actually built right-after the crash with Toro, but was not completed until the start of the next season. That's Joe McNulty behind the wheel. Once-again, the owners were by Dave and Jesse Hill, along with Deke Bromley. At the conclusion of the season, Dave and Deke got out of the racing game but Jesse hung-around for a couple of more years with the car in the next picture. MORE>> |
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03/04/09: The “Racin’ Rambler” Makes A Return, And Other Vintage Topics: Chuck Bowen, son of celebrated Speedbowl car builder and driver the late Owen Bowen (see his profile in last week’s installment), contacted me recently to report that he’s in the process of replicating a car that was crafted by his father and driven to much Speedbowl success by the late “Wild Bill” Scrivener. Chuck had been searching for the “Racin’ Rambler” for quite some-time, and finally hit pay-dirt via placing an ad in the NEAR newsletter. The former owner had already started the project, so Chuck has a great canvas to work-with. It’s seen here in its present-state. His plans are to finish the car and campaign it with NEAR as a tribute to both his dad, and “Wild Bill” who scored his final Waterford career victory with the car on Easter Sunday of 1974. MORE>> |
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02/25/09: The Connecticut Valley Rocket Plus More Speedbowl Greats! “Wild Bill Slater” aka “The Connecticut Valley Rocket” was among the first drivers inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998, and for good reason. Starting his career in the early-50’s, few can claim more accomplishments in the sport. Multiple championships, a much-coveted Langhorne victory, and a long reign as one of Modified racings most-respected officials are all part of the Slater legacy. This Stafford shot is believed to be from 1968, a period in which Bill had assumed the V-8 racing operation from his former car owners, the famed duo of Vitari & Bombacci. MORE>> |
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02/12/09: A Couple of Dirt Track Legends and Some Speedbowl Greats…. This week it’s a mix-of-sorts, a combo of Speedbowl veterans along with a dash of those who plied their trade on the Northeastern dirt circuit. Enjoy! Another of the Speedbowl’s steady competitors from the Connecticut River Valley region, Tucker Reynolds Sr. ran this neat little Coupe in early-70’s action. Note the use of a street-rated tire on the left front wheel and the homemade headers – both hallmarks of an era when builders truly did it on their own, rather than relying on the thickness of their wallet. Reynolds’ son Tucker Jr. made quite a splash a few years-ago, developing into a winning and extremely popular SK driver. MORE>> |
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02/11/09: With the Waterford Speedbowl facing an uncertain future, this week we present an assortment of vintage images from the Eastern Connecticut third-miler known as “The Action Track”. Opening in the spring of 1951 with advance-publicity billing it “New London Speedway”, financial issues have made it a tough-go for the historically-rich speed plant in recent years. Hopefully, the gates will again swing- open in the spring to present shoreline fans with their fifty-ninth consecutive season of racing at the Bowl’. Early in 1976 former Sportsman division chauffer Paul “Hawk” Fugener debuted this rather unorthodox-looking American Motors AMX-bodied Modified. His second-season in the Bowl’s headlining division, Fugener’s rookie entry was a much-more conventional Coupe. That machine eventually ended-up in the hands of another competitor to be campaigned at the Danbury Fair Racarena under the banner of the Southern New York Racing Association. “Hawk” ran an abbreviated sophomore year, soon fading from the scene entirely. MORE>> |
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02/04/09: Speedbowl Hot-Shoes Invade The Konk’: As the long-time staff photographer at Seekonk Motor Speedway, Johnny Mercury provided fans with timeless images from the track lovingly known as “The Cement Palace”. Captured here are some of his shots taken during one of the Konks’ great open shows of 1971. Of particular interest to historically-inclined Waterford Speedbowl fans is the amount of shoreline oval heavy-hitters that made the trek in hopes of grabbing some of D. Anthony Venditti’s generous purse. Seen here leading the pack in his trend-setting Pinto is the Speedbowl’s Seabury Tripler. This car arguably set the standard for the “modern-era” of Modifieds, pre-dating the Judkins #2X which is widely-acknowledged as the first-ever NASCAR-legal Pinto. MORE>> |
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01/28/09: Stacking Em’ Up At Danbury: It started like any other Saturday night at Connecticut’s storied Danbury Fair Racearena. A capacity crowd was present and a paddock area brimming with the flathead-powered Coupes & Coaches of the Southern New York Racing Association were ready to do-battle on the demanding third-mile oval. hroughout its acclaimed history, the Racearena was known for fierce competition amongst the members of its closed-club sanctioning body. The joint is also recalled for some bone-jarring crashes, and the evening of August 11, 1962 provided patrons with motorized mayhem of the extreme variety. Following a lap-5 restart, leader Bill Adams lost a wheel heading into the front-chute triggering a crash that claimed a staggering fourteen of his fellow competitors. MORE>> |
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01/21/09: When the New London-Waterford Speedbowl opened to the public in 1951, the racing surface consisted of a crushed bluestone concoction that was trucked-in from the Millstone Point area of town. Contrary to what’s been written, the track was never comprised of clay or dirt. In short-order, pavement took the place of the dusty original surface. This image captures what was known as the “Sand Safety Strip” that was in-place until the 1960’s. It was originally devised as a safety feature to help slow-down errant racers before decent into the infamous railroad-tie wall. Unfortunately, ever-increasing speeds over the years had just the opposite-effect. Once a competitor got a wheel into the “sand”, it almost always yielded disastrous results. MORE>> |
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01/14/09: When the late Bobby Santos joined-forces with Preston, CT. car owner Art Barry, it was pure Modified Magic. Captured here in one Barry’s famous “Stump Jumper” Coupes during the much-heralded big-block era, the formidable duo won from coast-to-coast. Some years-ago, Barry noted that his former driver was particularly successful at the divisions Northern haunts, once annexing 7 features-in-a-row at New Hampshire’s Claremont and Monadnock Speedways. This particular car had a long, successful life after leaving the Barry shops. It served as a winning platform for both the late Ed Yerrington Sr. and later Mark LaJeunesse, the latter earning his first of many Speedbowl triumphs with the little Coupe in September of 1974. Master car-builder Barry joins his friend and former chauffer as a member of the New England Auto Racing Hall Of Fame later this month on January 25th. See www.near1.com for details on this year’s HOF inductions. MORE>> |
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01/07/09: Connecticut’s West Haven Speedway-West Haven Speedway (AKA ”Savin Rock” for its close proximity to amusement park of the same name), started life in 1935 as a 1/5-mile dirt oval. The track was constructed within the confines of Donovan Field, a baseball coliseum named in honor of “Wild Bill” Donovan, a popular early manager of the New York Yankees. The following season saw the track paved, continuing in that configuration until the gates closed during the war-years. During its formative era, West Haven was celebrated as a top venue for the wildly-popular Midgets, once the “Road to Indy” for any driver aspiring to advance to the big-leagues of racing. Open cockpit Maestros such as Bill Schindler, Johnny Thomson, Ted Tappet, and the Brothers Rice, George and Johnny, bought capacity crowds to the track located close to the warm sea breezes of the Connecticut shore. MORE>> |
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01/04/09: Eddie Bunnell garnered the 1966 Bomber championship at what was then-known as the “New London-Waterford Speedbowl”. Active until the mid-1980’s he became a proficient Modified shoe, recording many fine finishes during his tenure in the Bowl’s headlining division. This rather rare image catches him at-speed in a car that’s probably unfamiliar to most Waterford fans (at least in this livery). Known for fielding their own cars, on this occasion in 1980 the Bunnell team utilized one of the # 110 coupes made famous a few years earlier by Bob Potter. The car is presently restored back to its original state and campaigned on the NEAR vintage circuit. MORE>> |
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