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. We paid qualifying heat money. much I appreciate everything you and your staff did for our group. Agawam, MA Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. The facility is fabulous - lots of space to spread out, clean and well maintained, and the . - 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. legend Roland Pappy Lapierre Sr., car and engine builder Jim Jorgenson, 1987 Busch North Series champion Joey Kid Kourafas and Irene Venditti, widow of Seekonk Speedway founder D. Anthony Venditti. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, BMARA RACERS HELP EACH OTHER He started his interest in racing with Leo Matte at Riverside Park with the likes of George Lombardo, Ed Patnode and Labbee Brothers Racing. This would have been around 1984. He started his interest in racing with Leo Matte at. 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. Jocko Jr., followed a different path, racing sportscars with the SCCA. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut and Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire are just some of the local options within driving distance. Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam drew in racing fans from throughout the Northeast for about 50 years. 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. Pennsboro Speedway. 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. First, let me tell you how 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. His sons then managed the park and speedway while becoming active in racing themselves, with a new crew of helpers. 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 New England Antique Racers will host a 15-year reunion of the anniversary of the closing of the old Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Massachusetts. The picnic grove was repurposed as an amusement park and opened its first roller coaster in 1912. 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). . [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. Following the park's 1999 season, Premier Parks, Inc. made several major changes that directly affected the speedway. A team rich in winning was, as he said, cash poor.. Beckley Speedway USA. The track's final reconfiguration and repaving to15 degree banking would be added in the mid 1980s. 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. 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. We are going to have an extremely hard time getting our team to agree to anything else but K1 Speed for our future events. FEEL FREE TO LET US KNOW! TikTok Link. It needed help to survive. Rene Charland - AKA "The Champ" - won three NASCAR national Modified titles in the 1960s. 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. "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carlys 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! Agawam, MA This event marks the tenth annual appearance of the NASCAR Busch North Series at Riverside Park Speedway. What a year as we transition onto dirt racing! 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. BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON, KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI. 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. Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts . 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. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, TRACK INFO UPDATE? Do you remember Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam? 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. Created with Sketch. Ruggiero told a story that some knew, but others didnt, about a decision that might have changed the face of NASCAR history. 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. Evonsion, Bob Polverari, Reggie Ruggiero and others. The park was shuttered during the Great Depression, but was reopened by Edward Carroll in 1940. 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. 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. 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. 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. When amusement park giant Six Flags took over Riverside Park in Agawam, one of the first steps it took was eliminating a local icon - the famed quarter-mile speedway. Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! 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. SRW Winternationals Weekend now a Qualifying race for ALL Classes! The fans streamed, literally, straight from the rides to the bleachers. We Thank You Very Much for making this Carlys 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. SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Born in Ludlow to Read more Barbara (Cimino) Stefanik Passes at 69 By admin December 21, 2012 Riverside Park Speedway 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. 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. of my heart, thank you! 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. 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. 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. 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 Other tracks in the area - Century Stadium in Springfield, Mass. 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. Dodge is credited with improving the payout to Riversides racers during the same time when the year-round profitability of amusement rides was increasingly threatening the future of auto racing. Miller, a Twin State (Claremont Speedway) standout for many years before moving on to the Whelen Modified Tour and the NASCAR Busch Series died at the age of 34. Stock Car Racing Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. navigation, search. EAST WINDSOR, Conn. - The legacy of Riverside Park Speedway lives on. Ed Carroll died in 1979. 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. He was currently employed at Boardwalk Auto Sales in South Windsor, CT. Gary worked for many years at Germano Auto Sales before owning Garys Service Center in Agawam, which he sold two years ago. 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. Riverside was a fifth back then. The 1960s were popular years for stock car racing at Riverside Park. Spawned by the popularity of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the Teddy Bear Pools Truck division proved to be an instant success in 1998. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Riverside Park Speedway Agawam, MA. . West Virginia International Speedway. Some of Riverside Park's local stars during the early and mid 1970's included S.J. 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. The Park was what got me noticed everywhere. My last year, 1996, the paid attendance in the grandstand was 143,000 people. 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. 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 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. Galex Fox, left, and Dave Darland, right. 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. 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. I was just a kid and my favorite was Art Rousseau out of Keene, N.H.. 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. 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). Party Rooms and Catering Available, Adults and Teens 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. 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). 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. Race Date . In no way deterred, Carroll simply brought in stock cars for Riverside Parks first full season in 1949. NOTE: ANY RACE DATES POSTED ON THIS PROFILE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON WEATHER, TRACK CONDITIONS, AND MANY OTHER THINGS. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, Top Tips For Online Race Track Promotion Meet. He was part of a championship crew with Barry Kuhnel, Bill Pelley and Bob Polverari in the 80s and 90s. accommodating. The Rollaway, Riverside Park, Agawam, Massachusetts Babb's, Congamond Lakes, W Suffield, Connecticut Clark, Bill Adults and Juniors 48 and Up, Junior Birthday Parties 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). Rt 305, 307 and 322 streets will detour due to an event in Forest Park. . 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. This one is Riverside Park, Agawam, Ma. Ted Chalmers, a 35 year racing veteran, wrote his name in the history books as the first ever champion in that division. Paved Oval located in Agawam, MA: Track Status: Razed (Opened: 1948 --- Closed: 1999) TOURING SERIES & MAJOR EVENTS ; Date Sanction It was quite a ride for Fiore, who got into ownership in 1969, when he put $300 into a car purchased by a friend. Five-time track champion Bob Polverari won the final race, after which participants started digging up pieces of the track asphalt for souvenirs. WITH FRIENDS! I wouldnt be surprised if you see us renting your facility in the future. by ScottKo in Profile Tips For Users, Interest in Grassroots Racing Grows 40% in 2014 With Great Opportunities Ahead in 2015 Many stars of racing exelled at Riverside Park in the 1980s, including the 2000 NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour Champion and Busch North Series star Jerry Marquis, 7 time NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour Champion, 4 time NASCAR Busch North Series Champion and 1999 Craftsman Truck Series rookie "Mighty" Mike Stefanik and Featherlite Modified Tour and NASCAR Busch Series star "Magic Shoes" Mike McLaughlin. Before 1900, most visitors reached the park by steamboat. 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. I came from a little track, Plainville Stadium in Connecticut, a quarter mile, Ruggiero remembered. 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. racing fans remember Riverside Park Speedway WWLP-22News 58.1K subscribers 12 2.4K views 4 years ago While the Daytona 500 took place in Florida Sunday, racing fans in western. Photo courtesy of John Mahoney, USAC. Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts. BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON It was exactly what youd hope to have in an announcer. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. David Allio | Racing Photography Archives, Original motorsports photos from historic archives by David Allio, Riverside Park Speedway | Agawam Massachusetts Riverside Park Speedway Demolition Derby & Figure 8 Racing Agawam Mass has 514 members. and well maintained, and the staff was so nice and very helpful and 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. THE (Riverside) ROLLAWAY, Agawam, Massachusetts Blunk, Bill RIP 1924-2003 Oaks Park Skating Rink, Portland, Oregon Viking Roller Rink, Astoria, Oregon (1960's) . MattWiernasz is an auto racing journalist and photographer himself, and has fond memories of watching the races at Riverside. I was doing things to the very best of my ability.. Riverside Park Speedway Formerly Known As: Riverside Park Stadium.250 mi./0.402 km. Sun, 01/30/2022 . We never pushed the back gate because you didnt go in through the back gate.. But it's been 15 years since Riverside Park Speedway disappeared from the Southern New England Racing landscape. Rene Charland - AKA "The Champ" - won three NASCAR national Modified titles in the 1960s. He declined, citing his growing family, and the seat was offered to an up-and-comer from Missouri named Rusty Wallace. We always seemed hampered by a breakdown in communication, Fiore, of Agawam, said in his acceptance speech. SITE DESIGN BY. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. NASCAR replaced the Tattersalls in 1973, following what future promoter Ben Dodge described as a drivers strike. 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. Riverside, both the amusement park and speedway, was an institution in its community. Sprintcarstats. 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. 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. 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. With his good history at the Sacramento Mile, his eyes are set on the May 13th race for another win. In the grandstands, loyalties to different drivers became fierce, where one sat in the stands was determined by what driver one was rooting for.
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