In the grandstands, loyalties to different drivers became fierce, where one sat in the stands was determined by what driver one was rooting for. A local entrepreneur named Ed Carroll began a family dynasty at Riverside Park by buying it in 1939. Ed Carroll died in 1979. We were there last Wednesday, with 25 teenagers, and they all My last year, 1996, the paid attendance in the grandstand was 143,000 people. Youtube Link There will be a host of Riverside events throughout EXPO, including autograph sessions. NEAR To Host Riverside Park Speedway Reunion, Candidates Named for 2024-25 IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship, Trackhouse Announces Ownership Of NC Karting Motorplex. The Park was what got me noticed everywhere. 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. While Riverside Park Speedway is gone, local racing fans do have plenty of options to see live racing. It was quite a ride for Fiore, who got into ownership in 1969, when he put $300 into a car purchased by a friend. This page is not available in other languages. Route 322 Detour Update. WWLP-22News 57.9K subscribers Subscribe 2.9K views 4 years ago Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam drew in racing fans from throughout the. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). A team rich in winning was, as he said, cash poor.. 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. Photo courtesy of John Mahoney, USAC. Veteran NASCAR driver and current spotter Tim Fedewa joined this weeks episode of Fast Car 2 NASCAR with Mike Wallace to talk more about his current role. Wisconsin. Other tracks in the area - Century Stadium in Springfield, Mass. Gary worked for many years at Germano Auto Sales before owning Garys Service Center in Agawam, which he sold two years ago. He resided in West Springfield and Agawam all his life. 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. View NASCAR North Tour driver stats at this track. Racing-reference.info is part of the NASCAR Digital Media Network. The picnic grove was repurposed as an amusement park and opened its first roller coaster in 1912. We had bigger numbers on a Saturday than the amusement park did. [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. Riverside Park Speedway Formerly Known As: Riverside Park Stadium.250 mi./0.402 km. Riverside Park Speedway Demolition Derby & Figure 8 Racing Agawam Mass has 514 members. 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. 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. You grabbed food from the concessions and stopped by Shany Lorenzets photo booth before heading inside. Party Rooms and Catering Available, Adults and Teens 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). Rt 305, 307 and 322 streets will detour due to an event in Forest Park. 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. 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. (Republican file photo) Staff-Shot 20 / 28 Republican file photo Vintage photos:. It was a great experience., SPEEDSPORT.com is a part of the NASCAR Digital Media Network, The cars line up for the Riverside 500. 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. It would grow to attract the Northeast's best drivers. Check out these great suggestions. 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). 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. David Allio | Racing Photography Archives, Original motorsports photos from historic archives by David Allio, Riverside Park Speedway | Agawam Massachusetts 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. and the Exposition Fairgrounds in West Springfield, Mass. Twitter Link 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. Drivers such as Ted Tappet, Benny Germano, Jocko Maggiacomo, Jerry Humiston, Ed Flemke and Buddy Krebs were the drivers to beat throughout the 1950s. NOTE: ANY RACE DATES POSTED ON THIS PROFILE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON WEATHER, TRACK CONDITIONS, AND MANY OTHER THINGS. History. He is a member of the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame . 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. The Rollaway, Riverside Park, Agawam, Massachusetts Babb's, Congamond Lakes, W Suffield, Connecticut Clark, Bill One of them was future FOX Sports broadcaster Mike Joy, who announced at Riverside while still in college. (Dick Berggren photo), The Motorsports Authority - Copyright 2014-2023 - Turn 3 Media, LLC All Rights Reserved. This one is Riverside Park, Agawam, Ma. 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. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Bay Area Modifieds bringing IMCA Racing back to Emerald Coast 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. 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. Thank you, K1 Speed!!!! . You knew Rene Charland was the bad guy and Buddy Krebs was a good guy. The winner of the first NASCAR-sanctioned event was Bob Polverari. Auto racing legend Rene Charland, of Agawam, dies at 84. He resided in West Springfield and, He was an avid race car fan, a member of NASCAR. 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. I had my own groove, right on the bottom. Jerry Marquis and ageless Bob Polverari emerged as big winners in the 1990s, with Polverari taking five titles aboard the Bill Pelly No. 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. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. With his good history at the Sacramento Mile, his eyes are set on the May 13th race for another win. The 1998 Riverside Park Modified Champion was Jimmy Broderick, Driving the Pruchnik Motorsports #42 Modified owned By Denis Pruchnik. 44 Modified, much like Martin was fired four times as Steinbrenners New York Yankees manager. The 79-year-old Agawam, MA native began his career at the old. 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 popular competitor, a one time Florida racer and crew chief for noted car owner/builder Mario Fiore, would also win the last Whelen Modified Tour race at the famed Riverside Park Speedway, Agawam, MA., and claim that tracks final championship for the modified division prior to its 1999 closing. Paved Oval located in Agawam, MA: Track Status: Razed (Opened: 1948 --- Closed: 1999) TOURING SERIES & MAJOR EVENTS ; Date Sanction 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. 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. 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. Enter your email address to subscribe to this album and receive free notifications of new posts by email. West Virginia International Speedway. The park was shuttered during the Great Depression, but was reopened by Edward Carroll in 1940. 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. Moore, the Busch North Series all-time Pole winner, has yet to display his qualifying expertise thus far in 1998. The track closed in 1999 to make. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, BMARA RACERS HELP EACH OTHER We had sponsorship for every race. The Carroll family added a speedway, brought in musical acts and added many new rides in the decades that followed. In its place he built a 1/5th mile oval speedway track featuring grand stand seating. 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. He started his interest in racing with Leo Matte at Riverside Park with the likes of George Lombardo, Ed Patnode and Labbee Brothers Racing.

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