NEAR To Host Riverside Park Speedway Reunion, Candidates Named for 2024-25 IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship, Trackhouse Announces Ownership Of NC Karting Motorplex. New Detour. 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. The Serv-U Auto Supply Pro Stocks were also a feature division in the NASCAR's Winston Shortrack Series in 1999. 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. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Riverside Park. Riverside Park Speedway Agawam, MA. Jocko Jr., followed a different path, racing sportscars with the SCCA. History By Decade Riverside Park Speedway ("The Park") was built in 1948. The fans streamed, literally, straight from the rides to the bleachers. We never pushed the back gate because you didnt go in through the back gate.. 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. 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. The park was shuttered during the Great Depression, but was reopened by Edward Carroll in 1940. We will definitely be back in the future. 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. navigation, search. I was never on a banked track, racing with that caliber of drivers before. Everything was perfect and from the bottom Five-time track champion Bob Polverari won the final race, after which participants started digging up pieces of the track asphalt for souvenirs. The drivers were characterized by maybe the best short-track announcer Ive ever heard, a guy named Tom Galon. In its place laid out a flat 1/5-mile oval track, pit area and grandstand alongside the Connecticut River. Glossary Tweet. 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. 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. Check out these great suggestions. best birthday ever!!! West Virginia International Speedway. 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. NASCAR replaced the Tattersalls in 1973, following what future promoter Ben Dodge described as a drivers strike. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. In both cases, few could argue with the results. 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.. His sons then managed the park and speedway while becoming active in racing themselves, with a new crew of helpers. He was currently employed at Boardwalk Auto Sales in South Windsor, CT. When Riverside closed, Eddy Carroll III, the founders grandson, owned four consecutive pro stock championships. 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. Auto racing legend Rene Charland, of Agawam, dies at 84. All rights reserved (About Us). Birthdays, Mitvahs, Bachelor(ette), Team Building, Catered Lunches You have set the bar pretty high, and the fun factor is off the charts!! Riverside Parks stock car era essentially existed in three phases, the first promoted by Harvey Tattersall, senior and junior, through their United Stock Car Racing Club that sanctioned tracks across New England and New York through the 1960s. Matt Wiernasz is an auto racing journalist and photographer himself, and has fond memories . 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. SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. Race Date . He is eighth on the track's all-time win list. 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. 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. Thank you, K1 Speed!!!! He resided in West Springfield and, He was an avid race car fan, a member of NASCAR. Auto Racing Research Assoc. 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. 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. The arrival of NASCAR established Riverside as one of NASCARs big three modified speedways in New England, along with Stafford and Thompson in Connecticut. Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts. The 1980s arrived! Henry J. Perkins. 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. Looking for something special to get your mom for Mothers Day? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. 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. 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. Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam drew in racing fans from throughout the Northeast for about 50 years. . If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Track Promoters Get FREE Promotion with RacingIn.com's Track Directory and Race Dates Page History. 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. Twitter Link 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. 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. 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. 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. It was quite a ride for Fiore, who got into ownership in 1969, when he put $300 into a car purchased by a friend. The first full season of "modified" stock car racing was 1949. Rights Managed (RM) original photography 1983 David Allio. Did you miss a thrilling Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, or David Gravels Tri-City triumph? 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. It was more like an adventure.. We were there last Wednesday, with 25 teenagers, and they all had a wonderful time. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, What a year as we transition onto dirt racing! The facility is fabulous - lots of space to spread out, clean and well maintained, and the . It seems like just yesterday the laps were being turned for the last time in the shadow of the Thunderbolt roller coaster. - 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. Evonsion, Bob Polverari, Reggie Ruggiero and others. Riverside, both the amusement park and speedway, was an institution in its community. 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 United Stock Car Racing Club events drew 6,000-8,000 fans every Saturday night. When intermission came, you hit your favorite rides, safe in the knowledge that Galon would call you back in plenty of time. and the Exposition Fairgrounds in West Springfield, Mass. 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. 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. Riverside Park Speedway was built in 1948 at Riverside Park, now the site of Six Flags New England. 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. |. May 16, 1983 - Agawam - A newly-constructed Riverside Park roller coaster is shown from a nearby potato Farm. Did you miss Kyle Buschs dramatic win at Talladega, or Brandon Overtons $50,000 triumph? With his good history at the Sacramento Mile, his eyes are set on the May 13th race for another win. During this time Six Flags permanently closed the track to make way for a spectacular new roller coaster, Superman: Ride of Steel (was Bizarro from 2009-2015). Use THIS BUTTON to share this track's profile with your friends! It was a great experience., SPEEDSPORT.com is a part of the NASCAR Digital Media Network, The cars line up for the Riverside 500. SITE DESIGN BY. North Riverside Park Mall, Broadview Village Square Shopping Center, Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, St. Joseph High School, Oakbrook Center and Yorktown Center. The 1998 Riverside Park Modified Champion was Jimmy Broderick, Driving the Pruchnik Motorsports #42 Modified owned By Denis Pruchnik. 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. of my heart, thank you! A team rich in winning was, as he said, cash poor.. This would have been around 1984. Party Rooms and Catering Available, Adults and Teens "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carly's 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! 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!!!! To be chosen with one of my famous car owners, Mario, was unbelievable, said Ruggiero, who was elected in his first year on the ballot. 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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! ", "We had what I would call one of the most successful team events at K1 Speed Austin just last night. 77 Peros Dr., Agawam, Mass. Ruggiero, who drove for 19 different car owners in a career that began in the late 1960s, noted the special bond the two will have as driver and owner and as Hall of Famers. (Mass Appeal) - Built in 1948, Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam was home to some of the most exciting local auto racing for more than 50 years before the track closed down in 1999. Ted Chalmers, a 35 year racing veteran, wrote his name in the history books as the first ever champion in that division. The Riverside Park track expanded every time Carroll repaved it, first to an almost-quarter with a little banking. The Rollaway, Riverside Park, Agawam, Massachusetts Babb's, Congamond Lakes, W Suffield, Connecticut Clark, Bill WE MAKE IT EASY TO PLAN In no way deterred, Carroll simply brought in stock cars for Riverside Parks first full season in 1949. Triad Technologies is an industrial distributor and value added provider. 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. 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 I was given two years to run the race track, produce a positive bottom line and show growth.. Meet. Next, widening and steepening the corners to a full quarter-mile. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Some of Riverside Park's local stars during the early and mid 1970's included S.J. Jerry Marquis and ageless Bob Polverari emerged as big winners in the 1990s, with Polverari taking five titles aboard the Bill Pelly No. 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. . 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. The track closed at the end of the 1999 season. BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON, KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI. EAST WINDSOR, Conn. The legacy of Riverside Park Speedway lives on. SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket.
Yorkie Poo Bite Force,
Handsome Dark Haired Actors,
Silent Princess Botw Recipe,
Articles R