riverside park agawam racing
He resided in West Springfield and, He was an avid race car fan, a member of NASCAR. The 79-year-old Agawam, MA native began his career at the old. 1960's. The drivers are as listed: #12 Skip Barna, #111 Ronnie Mayer,#2x Charlie Brayton, #20 Jack Lecuyer, #98 Ray Sharron, #83 Al Jansing. He was an avid race car fan, a member of NASCAR. The spectacles lasted until the late 1970s, with Krebs leading all multiple winners with six triumphs. In both cases, few could argue with the results. The United Stock Car Racing Club events drew 6,000-8,000 fans every Saturday night. Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! Check out these great suggestions. THE (Riverside) ROLLAWAY, Agawam, Massachusetts Blunk, Bill RIP 1924-2003 Oaks Park Skating Rink, Portland, Oregon Viking Roller Rink, Astoria, Oregon (1960's) . navigation, search. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. MattWiernasz is an auto racing journalist and photographer himself, and has fond memories of watching the races at Riverside. It was more like an adventure.. Jocko Sr. won 31 feature races and multiple championships at Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Mass., and won the track's biggest event, the Riverside 500. I was just a kid and my favorite was Art Rousseau out of Keene, N.H.. Riverside Park. Things were getting very stagnant at Riverside, so they decided to introduce the pro stocks as the lead division, Dodge explained, adding that the modified seemed a better fit at larger tracks than within Riversides confines. After a rowdy drivers' strike, it became clear that UNITED could no longer hold its own at Riverside Park, and that organization cleared the path for another popular organization to take charge of the track. Our staff cant stop talking about how much fun we had, and they keep asking when we are going to do it again!! Just a heads up, there is a Riverside Park Speedway sponsored car show at Agawam Rotary Club on October 26th, if you're a New Englander like myself. You knew Rene Charland was the bad guy and Buddy Krebs was a good guy. The Park was what got me noticed everywhere. The speedway was closed, and razed, after Polverari copped the final modified feature in 1999. TikTok Link. The theory was that an entertainer doesnt pay to walk on stage, he explained. When Riverside closed, Eddy Carroll III, the founders grandson, owned four consecutive pro stock championships. For $1.25 admission, you got to watch battles pitting Moe Moneybags Gherzi against Charland, driving a decidedly non-villainous coupe adorned with pink polka dots. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Bay Area Modifieds bringing IMCA Racing back to Emerald Coast Wisconsin. They were great with the teens and kept things moving along at a comfortable pace. Henry J. Perkins. I went in there and changed practically everything they did, and thats when Ed Carroll Jr. asked me to become the director of auto racing. In no way deterred, Carroll simply brought in stock cars for Riverside Parks first full season in 1949. Some of Riverside Park's local stars during the early and mid 1970's included S.J. We never pushed the back gate because you didnt go in through the back gate.. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. and the Exposition Fairgrounds in West Springfield, Mass. We were there last Wednesday, with 25 teenagers, and they all If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Fiore shared stories of how his team would often struggle to get back home after races they had won, since most payouts were made by check and no banks were open late at night. You have set the bar pretty high, and the fun factor is off the charts!! The first full season of stock car racing was 1949. International sports car racing starPhil Walters, who raced modifieds and midgets under the name "Ted Tappett", won the season championship. Before I had my license, my dad would drive me to the races and the big deal on my birthday was when I would have my friends over to the house for my moms spaghetti and meatballs, and then wed go to Riverside Park and cheer for our favorites, Berggren said. RIVERSIDE PARK STADIUM STOCK CAR RACING Agawam MA Admission Ticket 1.25 +.25 tax Pre-Owned $25.00 or Best Offer Free 4 day shipping Sponsored Enjoying The Day At Riverside Park, Agawam, Massachusetts, Posted VTG. Park owner Edward J. Carroll demolished the dance hall that had burned down that year and in its place rose a 1/5 mile nearly flat paved oval track. Looking for something special to get your mom for Mothers Day? BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON, KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI. He was born in West Spring-field, son of the late John and Mafalda Mich-novetz and graduated from West Springfield High School Class of 1962. The first top-5 finish for the Tic-Tac Pontiac Grand Prix team pushed Moore, the 1995 Busch Grand National North Series champion, up 14 spots to 13th in the championship point battle, a mere 88 points out of the top spot.For the 2nd consecutive week Moore was unable to crack the top-10 in qualifying, this evening he was 16th fastest among the 30-car field. Agawam, MA Racing on a tight track for 150 laps with 25 veteran competitors can sometimes be an unmistakable comparison to a championship boxing match, toe-to-toe for 15 rounds. Stock Car Racing Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. He is a member of the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame . The track closed in 1999 to make. Under the sanction of the UNITED Stock Car Racing Club, Gene Bergin, Ed Patnode, Danny Galullo, Billy Greco and others emerged as contenders, Krebs and Greco piled up victories. He declined, citing his growing family, and the seat was offered to an up-and-comer from Missouri named Rusty Wallace. All rights reserved (About Us). Courchesne, Shawn (June 17, 1999) "Final Lap for Riverside Speedway", Last edited on 30 December 2022, at 17:44, Riverside International Speedway (West Memphis, Arkansas), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Riverside_Park_Speedway&oldid=1130538742, This page was last edited on 30 December 2022, at 17:44. FEEL FREE TO LET US KNOW! Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Everything was perfect and from the bottom It was largely used for picknicking and steamboat excursions along the Connecticut R. S Sharon DiAmore 1k followers More information Riverside Park, Agawam, MA - History With Photos - YouTube Chicopee Riverside Park Golden Oldies Service Trip Amusement Parks Back In The Day My last year, 1996, the paid attendance in the grandstand was 143,000 people. The 1998 Riverside Park Modified Champion was Jimmy Broderick, Driving the Pruchnik Motorsports #42 Modified owned By Denis Pruchnik. With his good history at the Sacramento Mile, his eyes are set on the May 13th race for another win. This one is Riverside Park, Agawam, Ma. Sprintcarstats. I wouldnt be surprised if you see us renting your facility in the future. 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Moore, the Busch North Series all-time Pole winner, has yet to display his qualifying expertise thus far in 1998. Bay Area Modifieds bringing IMCA Racing back to Emerald Coast, Rivalry Renewed: Lanigan & Richards Set To Face Off In 2015 As Richards Returns To Full-Time World of Outlaws Competition, Track Promoters Get FREE Promotion with RacingIn.com's Track Directory and Race Dates Page, Interest in Grassroots Racing Grows 40% in 2014 With Great Opportunities Ahead in 2015, Fans of Fast Name Their Favorite Track of 2014. Riverside Rides Again will feature fascinating displays dedicated to the proud history of Riverside, complete with race cars from every era, photos, videos, memorabilia and many of the people who raced there. To tell us about track being opened or closed, re-named, or anything else, please, If you know this track to still be in operation or under a different name, please. We were there last Wednesday, with 25 teenagers, and they all had a wonderful time. (Dick Berggren photo), The Motorsports Authority - Copyright 2014-2023 - Turn 3 Media, LLC All Rights Reserved. KGM Video has been the leader in Racing Video Productions since 1981 and has a vast library of videos from 1980's, 1990's to the Present, plus Vintage Videos dating to the 1950's.KGM Video has produced videos of racing action at the Riverside Park Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway, Thompson Speedway and others. The picnic grove was repurposed as an amusement park and opened its first roller coaster in 1912. We Thank You Very Much for making this Carlys He stated to me that the race track was no longer holding its own. In 1948, he tore down a bandstand on the property and laid out a flat, fifth-mile oval, just in time to see the midget craze peter out post-war. Sun, 01/30/2022 . The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Ed Carroll died in 1979. Postcard Pre-Owned $16.50 Was: $22.00 25% off or Best Offer +$4.50 shipping Sponsored The reunion will be held on Aug. 31 at the Polish Club in Agawam. much I appreciate everything you and your staff did for our group. Agawam, MA Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. David Allio | Racing Photography Archives, Original motorsports photos from historic archives by David Allio, Riverside Park Speedway | Agawam Massachusetts Do you remember Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam? He was currently employed at Boardwalk Auto Sales in South Windsor, CT. Route 322 Detour Update. Riverside Park Speedway was built in 1948 at Riverside Park, now the site of Six Flags New England. We had sponsorship for every race. Riverside Park Speedway Demolition Derby & Figure 8 Racing Agawam Mass has 514 members. We always seemed hampered by a breakdown in communication, Fiore, of Agawam, said in his acceptance speech. Veteran drivers like 5 time Riverside Park Speedway Track Champion Bob Polverari and Riversides All Time winningest driver John ("Reggie"/"The Reg") Ruggiero continued to earn wins and championships throughout the decade. Six of the eight people inducted Sunday into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fames class of 2012 had some sort of ties to the old track in Agawam, which closed in 1999. This scenario was played out Saturday evening at Riverside Park Speedway, where Kelly Moore put on a superb display of racing enroute to a 2nd place finish. It would grow to attract the Northeast's best drivers. The first top-5 finish for the Tic-Tac Pontiac Grand Prix team pushed Moore, the 1995 Busch Grand National North Series champion, up 14 spots to 13th in the championship point battle, a mere 88 points out of the top spot. The Carroll family added a speedway, brought in musical acts and added many new rides in the decades that followed. In 1983, he was offered a ride in what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The bleacher seating surrounding the track was also removed to make way for the 6,200 chair back seats. The Riverside Park track expanded every time Carroll repaved it, first to an almost-quarter with a little banking. Race Date . I was doing things to the very best of my ability.. Its been a long journey to get here to the NEAR Hall of Fame, said Fiore, who had been selling race photographs at Riverside while studying at Western New England College. That place was just so exciting and so dramatic, Dr. Dick Berggren, a longtime attendee and recipient of the NASCAR Hall of Fames Squier-Hall Award, remembered. Riverside Park Speedway was a 1/4-mile oval paved race track, located at the present site of Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts, one mile north of the MassachusettsConnecticut state line. Auto racing legend Rene Charland, of Agawam, dies at 84. Drivers such as Ted Tappet, Benny Germano, Jocko Maggiacomo, Jerry Humiston, Ed Flemke and Buddy Krebs were the drivers to beat throughout the 1950s. As Riverside Park Speedway joined NASCAR to celebrate the past 50 years of auto racing in 1998, a new division was rolled out onto the Speedway. Following the park's 1999 season, Premier Parks, Inc. made several major changes that directly affected the speedway. NOTE: ANY RACE DATES POSTED ON THIS PROFILE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON WEATHER, TRACK CONDITIONS, AND MANY OTHER THINGS. [1] In 2000 when the park re-opened as Six Flags New England, the race track was demolished and the DC Universe themed area (including the roller coaster Superman The Ride) was built in its place. EAST WINDSOR, Conn. The legacy of Riverside Park Speedway lives on. Kanawha Valley Dragway. . Later years were with Tom Rosati, Rene Charland, Bob Polverari, Reggie Ruggerio and Jerry Marquis. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, TRACK INFO UPDATE? SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. Joys assistant was Dodge, who took over as promoter in 1982. History. Bobby Dragon of Milton, Vt. won the first NASCAR Busch North Series event at Riverside Park Speedway on August 29, 1988. Triad Technologies is an industrial distributor and value added provider. Park owner Edward J. Carroll demolished the dance hall that had burned down that year and in its place rose a 1/5 mile nearly flat paved oval track. Riverside Park Speedway was one of the most successful short tracks in America between 1992 and 1996. Riverside Park Speedway | Agawam Massachusetts. Again, thank you for your professionalism and management of K1 Speed in Sacramento. best birthday ever!!! Riverside Park Speedway memories abound at . Thank you, K1 Speed!!!! It could trace its roots to just after the Civil War, when Gallup's Grove opened as a picnic area in Agawam, nearly across the Connecticut River from the industrial city of Springfield, Mass. Second place finisher Chuck Bown of Portland, Ore. now drives on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series while third place finisher Dale Shaw of Center Conway, N.H. recently moved to the NASCAR Busch Series. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Rivalry Renewed: Lanigan & Richards Set To Face Off In 2015 As Richards Returns To Full-Time World of Outlaws Competition The track's last decade, the 1990s, saw more racing stars earn their stripes on the high banks at Riverside Park, including Marquis, who captured 3 consecutive modified championships from 1991 to 1993, Featherlite Modified Series stars Dan Avery and Chris Kopec and NASCAR Winston/Nextel Cup star Steve Park. He is eighth on the track's all-time win list. While the Daytona 500 took place in Florida Sunday, racing fans in western Massachusetts remembered when racing took place on a much shorter track in Agawam at the Riverside Park Speedway. Photo courtesy of John Mahoney, USAC. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. The drivers were characterized by maybe the best short-track announcer Ive ever heard, a guy named Tom Galon. He was born in West Spring-field, son of the late John and Mafalda Mich-novetz and graduated from West Springfield High School Class of 1962. Rene Charland, affectionately known to many racing fans simply as The Champ could use some well-wishes from his fans. Enter your email address to subscribe to this album and receive free notifications of new posts by email. We had bigger numbers on a Saturday than the amusement park did. by ScottKo in Profile Tips For Users, Interest in Grassroots Racing Grows 40% in 2014 With Great Opportunities Ahead in 2015 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Galex Fox, left, and Dave Darland, right. North Riverside Park Mall, Broadview Village Square Shopping Center, Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, St. Joseph High School, Oakbrook Center and Yorktown Center. NASCAR adopted the tour-type format and Riverside was a regular stop for 200-lap modified mains. By the 1950s, modified stock cars had taken hold as the prevalent form of racing in the area, replacing the midgets as the featured division at Riverside Park Speedway. Facebook Link The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing began sanctioning events at Riverside Park Speedway in 1976. And just that quickly, the track was gone, along with a significant chunk of New Englands stock car history. This scenario was played out Saturday evening at Riverside Park Speedway, where Kelly Moore put on a superb display of racing enroute to a 2nd place finish. Riverside Park in Agawam was a gathering spot for fun as far back as the late 19th century when it was known as Riverside Grove (and Gallups Grove before that). Instagram Link After the Wall Street crash drove Riverside Park into foreclosure, one of New Englands first drive-in theaters opened on the property in 1937. Rene Charland - AKA "The Champ" - won three NASCAR national Modified titles in the 1960s. SRW Winternationals Weekend now a Qualifying race for ALL Classes! Discussion. I was never on a banked track, racing with that caliber of drivers before. View NASCAR North Tour driver stats at this track. EAST WINDSOR, Conn. - The legacy of Riverside Park Speedway lives on. . It could trace its roots to just after the Civil War, when Gallups Grove opened as a picnic area in Agawam, nearly across the Connecticut River from the industrial city of Springfield, Mass. YOUR PARTY AND CELEBRATE Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts. First, let me tell you how The winner of the first NASCAR-sanctioned event was Bob Polverari. Click on the race number to see the results of that race. Again, thank you for your professionalism and management of K1 Speed in Sacramento. Born in Ludlow to Read more Barbara (Cimino) Stefanik Passes at 69 By admin December 21, 2012 Riverside Park Speedway Moore, the Busch North Series all-time Pole winner, has yet to display his qualifying expertise thus far in 1998. The flathead-powered stock cars evolved into modifieds; Berggren recalls the great Eddie Flemke gunning down a field of overheads with his flathead during this period. By admin January 26, 2013 Riverside Park Speedway Charlie Jones, 1941 - 2013 Charles Ernest Jones, 71, lifelong Agawam resident, passed away Wednesday January 23rd at the VA Boston Healthcare in West Roxbury, MA. "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carlys 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! With a track championship for the late Richie Evans, named in 1998 as one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers of all time. There will be a host of Riverside events throughout EXPO, including autograph sessions. The natural athlete, Gene Bergin, was another star. He later was a crew member with Bill Pelley and Reggie Ruggerio before moving on to 44 racing with Jerry Marquis and Mari Fiore and was part of their National Modified Championship of 2000. From seventhto secondTO THE LEAD Dale Nottestad is our featured driver on this weeks Fight For The Flag for his rebound performance at the Big 8 Late Model Spring Classic at Rockford Speedway. Auto Racing Research Assoc. The facility is fabulous - lots of space to spread out, clean and well maintained, and the . Racing-reference.info is part of the NASCAR Digital Media Network. The 1999 season featured the NAPA Modifieds as the NASCAR Winston Racing Series feature division, along with the Serv-U Auto Supply Pro Stocks, Teddy Bear Pools Trucks, Sportsman, Super Stocks and Figure 8's. It needed help to survive. For all the victories the two had together at tracks from Riverside to Florida they were also, in a sense, New England racings version of Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner. Truex Jr. Ends 54-Race Winless Streak At Dover, WoO LMS Notes: $50,000 To Win In Wisconsin, More Than 60 Hours Of Indy Coverage On NBC Platforms, Perez Leads Red Bull One-Two In Azerbaijan. Ruggiero had four separate stints driving Fiores No. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Twitter Link A local entrepreneur named Ed Carroll began a family dynasty at Riverside Park by buying it in 1939. It was common to have up to 60 modifieds in the pits, all vying for spots in a 50-lap feature that started only 20 cars because the track was so small. The Carroll family sold out to the Six Flags chain in 1998, two years after Dodge departed and NASCARs Dave Deery became Riverside Parks final promoter. We paid qualifying heat money. Dodge, who still announces races and owns race cars, opted to take his leave, saying now that my reign at Riverside Park was such an important part of my life that I believed it was mine. His sons then managed the park and speedway while becoming active in racing themselves, with a new crew of helpers. This scenario was played out Saturday evening at Riverside Park Speedway, where Kelly Moore put on a superb display of racing enroute to a 2nd place finish. Rollie Jacobs (left), former public address announcer at Riverside Park Speedway, inducted legendary car owner Mario Fiore (right) into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame on Sunday in East Windsor, Conn. He started his interest in racing with Leo Matte at Riverside Park with the likes of George Lombardo, Ed Patnode and Labbee Brothers Racing. We will definitely be back in the future. Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, Jocko Maggiacomo has a new engine in his car! I cant think of any race track where the drivers exhibited themselves as well as they did at Riverside.. I think I just ran the, NASCAR Busch North: New England Ford Dealers 125 Notes, Kelly Moore Earns 2nd Place Finish at Riverside Park Speedway. Ted Chalmers, a 35 year racing veteran, wrote his name in the history books as the first ever champion in that division. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). ", 2023 K1Speed Inc. All rights reserved. West Virginia Motor Speedway. Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut and Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire are just some of the local options within driving distance. Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Our qualifying has been just terrible, Moore admitted. Six of the eight people inducted Sunday into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame's class of 2012 had some sort of ties. The tiny, flat confines forced drivers to bump and bang their way to the front, which often triggered fisticuffs in the pit area, jammed between the backstretch and the river. Riverside, both the amusement park and speedway, was an institution in its community. That was when midgets raced seven nights a week in New England. One of them was future FOX Sports broadcaster Mike Joy, who announced at Riverside while still in college. Use THIS BUTTON to share this track's profile with your friends! Henry J. Perkins transformed the picnic grove into an amusement park more than 100 years ago with the addition of mechanical rides like The Giant Dip, an early roller coaster. The 1960s were popular years for stock car racing at Riverside Park. ", "We had what I would call one of the most successful team events at K1 Speed Austin just last night. Riverside Park Speedway memories abound at . I think I just ran the car too hard and Im very fortunate that I didnt end up in the qualifying race. Moore and his team checked everything on the car after qualifying to ensure that nothing was wrong with the chassis setup. The 1980s arrived! BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON History By Decade Riverside Park Speedway ("The Park") was built in 1948. had a wonderful time. The company changed its own name to Six Flags, Inc., and rebranded the park Six Flags: New England for the opening of the 2000 season. 44 Modified, much like Martin was fired four times as Steinbrenners New York Yankees manager. In the grandstands, loyalties to different drivers became fierce, where one sat in the stands was determined by what driver one was rooting for. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement. "Wow!!! accommodating. Riverside Park Speedway was a 1/4-mile oval paved race track, located at the present site of Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts, one mile north of the Massachusetts - Connecticut state line. I came from a little track, Plainville Stadium in Connecticut, a quarter mile, Ruggiero remembered. Reigning AFT Singles champion Kody Kopp is trying to hit a grand slam this season. Berggren recalls seeing the same stock cars that dotted garages and gas stations in his hometown of Manchester, Conn., flailing away around Riversides diminutive oval. It was the place to be on Saturday nights, fans would come in and watch the modifieds, and theyd have their favorites to cheer for, said Matt Wiernasz. The fans streamed, literally, straight from the rides to the bleachers. It was a great experience., SPEEDSPORT.com is a part of the NASCAR Digital Media Network, The cars line up for the Riverside 500. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In the United States, speedways have been variously located next to junkyards, jammed next to suburban sprawl and occasionally plopped in the middle of their hometowns. The future international sports car star Phil Walters, still racing under his midget pseudonym of Ted Tappett, captured 14 of the 28 features, a record that still stood when Riverside finally closed. American Legion Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Christian County Fairgrounds dirtkartoval, Christian County Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Clark County Speedway dirtmotocrosstrack, Decatur Macon County Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Edwards County Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Lincoln Trail Motosports dirtmotocrosstracks, Macoupin County Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Schuyler County Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Montgomery County Fairgrounds motorsportstrack, Northern Kentucky Fairgrounds demolitionderbytrack, Northern Kentucky Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Powell Co Lions Club Park dirtpulltrack, Deseret Peak Complex dirtoutdoormotocross, Rocky Mountain Raceways dirtoutdoormotocross, Russell Co Fairgrounds dirtdemolitionderbyoval, Va-Ky District Fair dirtoutdoormotocross, Virginia Motorsports MuseumandHallofFame.