riverside park agawam racing

After the Wall Street crash drove Riverside Park into foreclosure, one of New Englands first drive-in theaters opened on the property in 1937. North Riverside Park Mall, Broadview Village Square Shopping Center, Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, St. Joseph High School, Oakbrook Center and Yorktown Center. Western Mass. racing fans remember Riverside Park Speedway - WWLP by ScottKo in RacingIn News, TRACK INFO UPDATE? EAST WINDSOR, Conn. The legacy of Riverside Park Speedway lives on. SRW Winternationals Weekend now a Qualifying race for ALL Classes! Ted Chalmers, a 35 year racing veteran, wrote his name in the history books as the first ever champion in that division. and the Exposition Fairgrounds in West Springfield, Mass. Moore, the Busch North Series all-time Pole winner, has yet to display his qualifying expertise thus far in 1998. 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 Gallup's Grove before that). It was quite a ride for Fiore, who got into ownership in 1969, when he put $300 into a car purchased by a friend. Check out these great suggestions. As Berggren recalled, Riverside had an inspired business plan: Getting inside the park was free, you only paid admission for individual rides or to enter the speedway. much I appreciate everything you and your staff did for our group. To capitalize on the nation's new attraction to auto racing following World War II, park owner Edward J. Carroll demolished the dance hall that had burned down in 1948. I came from a little track, Plainville Stadium in Connecticut, a quarter mile, Ruggiero remembered. Before 1900, most visitors reached the park by steamboat. Again, thank you for your professionalism and management of K1 Speed in Sacramento. Meet. Riverside Park in Agawam, Massachusetts began as a trolley park in 1840. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement. Route 322 Detour Update. While Riverside Park Speedway is gone, local racing fans do have plenty of options to see live racing. The facility is fabulous - lots of space to spread out, clean and well maintained, and the . We paid qualifying heat money. In a joint announcement, track owner Dennis Fleury and series president Jack Bateman, the principals responsible for the inaugural event, advise the 1st annual Ricky Miller Memorial 100, presented by New England Outdoor Furnaces, will be held on Sunday afternoon Sept.28th as part of the Twin State Speedway Fall Challenge, a two day event. 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. YOUR PARTY AND CELEBRATE West Virginia International Speedway. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. And just that quickly, the track was gone, along with a significant chunk of New Englands stock car history. "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carlys 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! 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. Bobby Dragon of Milton, Vt. won the first NASCAR Busch North Series event at Riverside Park Speedway on August 29, 1988. 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. Riverside Park Speedway - Facebook Gary worked for many years at Germano Auto Sales before owning Garys Service Center in Agawam, which he sold two years ago. We never pushed the back gate because you didnt go in through the back gate.. 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. The great Reggie Ruggiero closed the books with 98 modified feature wins, about a quarter of his career total, leading all drivers. 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. 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. 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. WE MAKE IT EASY TO PLAN 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}42217.7N 723642.96W / 42.038250N 72.6119333W / 42.038250; -72.6119333. . BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON Created with Sketch. Postcard Pre-Owned $16.50 Was: $22.00 25% off or Best Offer +$4.50 shipping Sponsored Discussion. Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam drew in racing fans from throughout the Northeast for about 50 years. WITH FRIENDS! I was doing things to the very best of my ability.. Born in Ludlow to Read more Barbara (Cimino) Stefanik Passes at 69 By admin December 21, 2012 Riverside Park Speedway In both cases, few could argue with the results. It was exactly what youd hope to have in an announcer. "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carly's 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Riverside Park Speedway memories abound at . If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, MA - RacingIn.com NOTE: ANY RACE DATES POSTED ON THIS PROFILE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON WEATHER, TRACK CONDITIONS, AND MANY OTHER THINGS. The teams decision to forgo any changes paid great dividends as the Pontiac Grand Prix ran fast and consistent on long runs throughout the evening. Sign Up For The PRI eNewsletter to get the latest in racing industry news, special events, new product information and more directly to your inbox. 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. Auto Racing Research Assoc. 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. 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). He was currently employed at Boardwalk Auto Sales in South Windsor, CT. While the focus of the auto racing world will be on Daytona Beach, Florida this weekend, there is plenty of racing heritage here in western Massachusetts. 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. It needed help to survive. BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON, KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI. Vintage photos: Riverside Park in Agawam - masslive.com The Riverside Park track expanded every time Carroll repaved it, first to an almost-quarter with a little banking. - hosted events on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, making it possible for some of Riverside Park's early stars to race in the area almost every night of the week. We will definitely be back in the future. NEAR To Host Riverside Park Speedway ReunionPerformance Racing Industry 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. With his good history at the Sacramento Mile, his eyes are set on the May 13th race for another win. 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. 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. A team rich in winning was, as he said, cash poor.. Riverside Park Speedway Demolition Derby & Figure 8 Racing Agawam Mass has 514 members. Galons excited monologue kept fans filling Riverside Parks 7,200 bleacher seats, creating a cast of white hats and villains that variously included Bill Greco, Dick Dixon and Danny Gallulo. Others inducted in the ceremony at La Renaissance were 1950s legend Moe Moneybags Gherzi, 1960s Riverside star Jerry The Springfield Rifle Humiston, Eastern Mass. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. 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. 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 bleacher seating surrounding the track was also removed to make way for the 6,200 chair back seats. Western Mass. 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. NASCAR replaced the Tattersalls in 1973, following what future promoter Ben Dodge described as a drivers strike. Looking for something special to get your mom for Mothers Day? Five-time track champion Bob Polverari won the final race, after which participants started digging up pieces of the track asphalt for souvenirs. Imagine, instead, a speedway that shared its real estate with an amusement park, giving it a constant stream of potential fans, plus a picturesque location between towering rides and a lazily flowing river. You have set the bar pretty high, and the fun factor is off the charts!! 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. He was part of a championship crew with Barry Kuhnel, Bill Pelley and Bob Polverari in the 80s and 90s. 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. The winner of the first NASCAR-sanctioned event was Bob Polverari. 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. Jocko Maggiacomo - Wikipedia It would grow to attract the Northeast's best drivers. 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. A / V Equipped Rooms, Franchise Info| Partner Program|Corporate Partnerships|Fundraisers & Donations|Contact|Employees, 2023 K1Speed Inc. All rights reserved. Next, widening and steepening the corners to a full quarter-mile. Again, thank you for your professionalism and management of K1 Speed in Sacramento. Everything was perfect and from the bottom 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. 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. FEEL FREE TO LET US KNOW! by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Fans of Fast Name Their Favorite Track of 2014 We had sponsorship for every race. Legendary Riverside Park - SPEED SPORT Matts father, Mark Wiernasz was a track announcer there, in addition to working for decades as our assignment manager here at 22News. Did you miss Kyle Buschs dramatic win at Talladega, or Brandon Overtons $50,000 triumph? 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 We always seemed hampered by a breakdown in communication, Fiore, of Agawam, said in his acceptance speech. Do you remember Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam? - YouTube He resided in West Springfield and, He was an avid race car fan, a member of NASCAR. [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. The facility is fabulous lots of space to spread out, clean Riverside Park Speedway ("The Park") was built in 1948. He simply says the owners decided to go in a different direction, which ultimately proved to be selling out. Use THIS BUTTON to share this track's profile with your friends! Rights Managed (RM) original photography 1983 David Allio. The first full season of "modified" stock car racing was 1949. Rene Charland - AKA "The Champ" - won three NASCAR national Modified titles in the 1960s. The pit area was alongside theConnecticut River with large Grandstands being built on the hill leading from the amusement park down to the race track. A local entrepreneur named Ed Carroll began a family dynasty at Riverside Park by buying it in 1939. ", 2023 K1Speed Inc. All rights reserved. Riverside Park Speedway memories never die - masslive.com Stock Car Racing Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut and Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire are just some of the local options within driving distance. 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. His sons then managed the park and speedway while becoming active in racing themselves, with a new crew of helpers. I was never on a banked track, racing with that caliber of drivers before. 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. Agawam, MA Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. West Virginia Motor Speedway. Looking for Riverside Park Speedway Photos - YankeeRacer.com The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Matt Wiernasz is an auto racing journalist and photographer himself, and has fond memories . Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts . They were great with the teens and kept things moving along at a comfortable pace. NASCAR North Tour Race Recaps. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing began sanctioning events at Riverside Park Speedway in 1976. Auto racing legend Rene Charland, of Agawam, dies at 84. Evonsion, Bob Polverari, Reggie Ruggiero and others. Invaders that raced at "The Park" seeking NASCAR National Modified Championship points included Richie Evans, Jerry Cook, Geoff Bodine, Jim Spencer, John Blewitt Jr and "Captain Sizzle" Mark Malcuit from Ohio, some would go on to become champions in several of NASCAR's top series. 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. In no way deterred, Carroll simply brought in stock cars for Riverside Parks first full season in 1949. Facebook Link Of those six, two will never be more closely linked to one another than the driver-owner combination of Reggie Ruggiero and Mario Fiore. 44 Modified, much like Martin was fired four times as Steinbrenners New York Yankees manager. 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). navigation, search. 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. Pennsboro Speedway. Ed Carroll died in 1979. Our qualifying has been just terrible, Moore admitted. (Dick Berggren photo), The Motorsports Authority - Copyright 2014-2023 - Turn 3 Media, LLC All Rights Reserved. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, Top Tips For Online Race Track Promotion 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). SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. We are going to have an extremely hard time getting our team to agree to anything else but K1 Speed for our future events. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In its place he built a 1/5th mile oval speedway track featuring grand stand seating. . 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. and well maintained, and the staff was so nice and very helpful and KGM RACING VIDEOS - Tripod Riverside Park. But it's been 15 years since Riverside Park Speedway disappeared from the Southern New England Racing landscape. Riverside Park Speedway was built in 1948 at Riverside Park, now the site of Six Flags New England. All rights reserved (About Us). Click on the race number to see the results of that race. The Rocky Hill, Conn, driver was a crowd favorite at the old Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, where he won three track championships (1979, 1984, 1988) and a record 93 feature races over 23. Racing-reference.info is part of the NASCAR Digital Media Network. Tracks - Racing-Reference Another exciting development in 1997 was the acquisition of the park by Oklahoma-based Premier Parks, Inc., parent company of Six Flags, the world's largest regional theme park company. In addition to that, the purses were increased. Triad Technologies is an industrial distributor and value added provider. Enter your email address to subscribe to this album and receive free notifications of new posts by email. Private group 6,043 Members. The 79-year-old Agawam, MA native began his career at the old. New Detour. No Reservation Required by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, What a year as we transition onto dirt racing! The United Stock Car Racing Club events drew 6,000-8,000 fans every Saturday night. Drivers such as Ted Tappet, Benny Germano, Jocko Maggiacomo, Jerry Humiston, Ed Flemke and Buddy Krebs were the drivers to beat throughout the 1950s. I was given two years to run the race track, produce a positive bottom line and show growth.. Riverside Park Speedway - Wikipedia Riverside Park - YankeeRacer.com 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. The 1970s were a decade of change for the facility, as physical and managerial changes were put into place that made the track what it was until its final season. The arrival of NASCAR established Riverside as one of NASCARs big three modified speedways in New England, along with Stafford and Thompson in Connecticut. Agawam, MA This event marks the tenth annual appearance of the NASCAR Busch North Series at Riverside Park Speedway. Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts. Despite the gathering fiscal clouds, the Dodge era at Riverside was spectacular, with Stan Greger, John Rosati and Mike Stefanik capturing track titles in the modifieds. It was more like an adventure.. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If there were two worms crawling out of a hole, he could turn it into a race that had you on the edge of your seat. 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. He stated to me that the race track was no longer holding its own. Our qualifying has been just terrible, Moore admitted. "Riverside Park was like Daytona to me," Reggie Ruggiero recalled. 77 Peros Dr., Agawam, Mass. You knew Rene Charland was the bad guy and Buddy Krebs was a good guy. 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. riverside park agawam for sale: Search Result | eBay Beckley Speedway USA. Riverside Park Speedway memories abound at . The Rollaway, Riverside Park, Agawam, Massachusetts Babb's, Congamond Lakes, W Suffield, Connecticut Clark, Bill Riverside Park Speedway - David Allio | Racing Photography Archives Remembering Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam - WWLP TRACK INFO UPDATE? He is eighth on the track's all-time win list. accommodating. open to all that raced at riverside park speedway no matter what car-truck demo-enduro-figure 8 & 4 cylinder-strickly-late model-modified ya drove! SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. Riverside Park Speedway Agawam, MA. I was just a kid and my favorite was Art Rousseau out of Keene, N.H.. Ruggiero told a story that some knew, but others didnt, about a decision that might have changed the face of NASCAR history. 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. 1948 - RIVERSIDE PARK SPEEDWAY To capitalize on the nations new found attraction to Auto Racing following the 2nd World War, Riverside Amusement Park owner Richard J Caroll demolished a dance hall in 1948. Rights Managed (RM) original photography 1983 David Allio. That was when midgets raced seven nights a week in New England. Riverside Park Speedway | Agawam Massachusetts. The fans streamed, literally, straight from the rides to the bleachers. In 1983, he was offered a ride in what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Western Mass. racing fans remember Riverside Park Speedway 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. Pace Bus - Route 322 riverside park speedway - masslive.com Jocko Jr., followed a different path, racing sportscars with the SCCA. Galex Fox, left, and Dave Darland, right. 711. History. First, let me tell you how 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.

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