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Adults and Juniors 48 and Up, Junior Birthday Parties had a wonderful time. 44 Modified, much like Martin was fired four times as Steinbrenners New York Yankees manager. 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. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. Kanawha Valley Dragway. He started his interest in racing with Leo Matte at Riverside Park with the likes of George Lombardo, Ed Patnode and Labbee Brothers Racing. 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. However, both men chose to set aside their differences on their special day. 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 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. . Agawam, MA Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. We will definitely be back in the future. 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. (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. 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. History. Western Mass. The theory was that an entertainer doesnt pay to walk on stage, he explained. 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. 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. EAST WINDSOR, Conn. - The legacy of Riverside Park Speedway lives on. Joys assistant was Dodge, who took over as promoter in 1982. 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. 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. 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.. The Rollaway, Riverside Park, Agawam, Massachusetts Babb's, Congamond Lakes, W Suffield, Connecticut Clark, Bill He declined, citing his growing family, and the seat was offered to an up-and-comer from Missouri named Rusty Wallace. In its place laid out a flat 1/5-mile oval track, pit area and grandstand alongside the Connecticut River. Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, MA - RacingIn.com 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. He was currently employed at Boardwalk Auto Sales in South Windsor, CT. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! 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. All rights reserved (About Us). Tracks - Racing-Reference (Republican file photo) Staff-Shot 20 / 28 Republican file photo Vintage photos:. 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. 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. Evonsion, Bob Polverari, Reggie Ruggiero and others. Ruggiero told a story that some knew, but others didnt, about a decision that might have changed the face of NASCAR history. The speedway was closed, and razed, after Polverari copped the final modified feature in 1999. 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. Riverside Park. He is eighth on the track's all-time win list. THE (Riverside) ROLLAWAY, Agawam, Massachusetts Blunk, Bill RIP 1924-2003 Oaks Park Skating Rink, Portland, Oregon Viking Roller Rink, Astoria, Oregon (1960's) . - 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. The Serv-U Auto Supply Pro Stocks were also a feature division in the NASCAR's Winston Shortrack Series in 1999. Racing-reference.info is part of the NASCAR Digital Media Network. One unforgettable element of racing at Riverside was the annual 500-lap races for cars competing as two-car teams. He is a member of the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame . NASCAR replaced the Tattersalls in 1973, following what future promoter Ben Dodge described as a drivers strike. With a track championship for the late Richie Evans, named in 1998 as one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers of all time. 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. 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 Park Speedway - David Allio | Racing Photography Archives 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. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. of my heart, thank you! The reunion will be held on Aug. 31 at the Polish Club in Agawam. I was never on a banked track, racing with that caliber of drivers before. Matt Wiernasz is an auto racing journalist and photographer himself, and has fond memories . I had my own groove, right on the bottom. Racin' with Jason: Mario Fiore and Reggie Ruggiero - masslive The facility is fabulous - lots of space to spread out, clean and well maintained, and the . 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. Auto racing legend Rene Charland, of Agawam, dies at 84. 711. This would have been around 1984. YOUR PARTY AND CELEBRATE Stock Car Racing Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. The great Reggie Ruggiero closed the books with 98 modified feature wins, about a quarter of his career total, leading all drivers. New Detour. Triad Technologies is an industrial distributor and value added provider. Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! Galex Fox, left, and Dave Darland, right. It was quite a ride for Fiore, who got into ownership in 1969, when he put $300 into a car purchased by a friend. Our qualifying has been just terrible, Moore admitted. Our staff cant stop talking about how much fun we had, and they keep asking when we are going to do it again!! In addition to that, the purses were increased. Rights Managed (RM) original photography 1983 David Allio. KGM RACING VIDEOS - Tripod Home page [www.triadtechnologies.com] NASCAR North Tour Race Recaps. Born in Ludlow to Read more Barbara (Cimino) Stefanik Passes at 69 By admin December 21, 2012 Riverside Park Speedway 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. The 1960s were popular years for stock car racing at Riverside Park. SITE DESIGN BY. "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carlys 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! Sun, 01/30/2022 . [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 ("The Park") was built in 1948. We never pushed the back gate because you didnt go in through the back gate.. Auto Racing Research Assoc. 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. West Virginia Motor Speedway. It was exactly what youd hope to have in an announcer. Do you remember Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam? 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. EAST WINDSOR, Conn. The legacy of Riverside Park Speedway lives on. He was an avid race car fan, a member of NASCAR. I was just a kid and my favorite was Art Rousseau out of Keene, N.H.. Photo courtesy of John Mahoney, USAC. I was given two years to run the race track, produce a positive bottom line and show growth.. Legendary Riverside Park - SPEED SPORT "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carly's 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! It was like going from a Volkswagen to a Cadillac; Riverside Park was like Daytona to me. 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. Riverside Park Speedway - The Third Turn Five-time track champion Bob Polverari won the final race, after which participants started digging up pieces of the track asphalt for souvenirs. My last year, 1996, the paid attendance in the grandstand was 143,000 people. Riverside, both the amusement park and speedway, was an institution in its community. 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. . navigation, search. by ScottKo in Profile Tips For Users, Interest in Grassroots Racing Grows 40% in 2014 With Great Opportunities Ahead in 2015 Check out these great suggestions. I had some AWESOME comments about your facility. We hope that this is just the first of many events we will have with K1 Speed. You knew Rene Charland was the bad guy and Buddy Krebs was a good guy. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. Jackson County Speedway. Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts. In the grandstands, loyalties to different drivers became fierce, where one sat in the stands was determined by what driver one was rooting for. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Twitter Link 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. 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. Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut and Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire are just some of the local options within driving distance. Henry J. Perkins. Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. 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 MAKE IT EASY TO PLAN 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. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, What a year as we transition onto dirt racing! Riverside Park in Agawam, Massachusetts began as a trolley park in 1840. You have set the bar pretty high, and the fun factor is off the charts!! The 79-year-old Agawam, MA native began his career at the old. 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. Spawned by the popularity of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the Teddy Bear Pools Truck division proved to be an instant success in 1998. In no way deterred, Carroll simply brought in stock cars for Riverside Parks first full season in 1949. It was a cant-miss business proposition, until amusement rides became more profitable than packed pits and stands. Indoor Kart Racing | K1 Speed In both cases, few could argue with the results. Western Mass. racing fans remember Riverside Park Speedway - WWLP History By Decade Riverside Park Speedway ("The Park") was built in 1948. 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. We Thank You Very Much for making this Carlys The 1998 Riverside Park Modified Champion was Jimmy Broderick, Driving the Pruchnik Motorsports #42 Modified owned By Denis Pruchnik. 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 fans streamed, literally, straight from the rides to the bleachers. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. . The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Of those six, two will never be more closely linked to one another than the driver-owner combination of Reggie Ruggiero and Mario Fiore. The picnic grove was repurposed as an amusement park and opened its first roller coaster in 1912. 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. They were great with the teens and kept things moving along at a comfortable pace. 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. Meet. Created with Sketch. Rene Charland - AKA "The Champ" - won three NASCAR national Modified titles in the 1960s. Internal Link . Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam drew in racing fans from throughout the Northeast for about 50 years. Did you miss a thrilling Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, or David Gravels Tri-City triumph? The facility was incredible, the staff was engaging, and our entire group had a blast! 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Riverside Park Speedway memories abound at . 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. 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. Ed Carroll died in 1979. Auto racing legend Rene Charland, of Agawam, dies at 84. NEAR To Host Riverside Park Speedway ReunionPerformance Racing Industry Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Wisconsin. 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. Agawam, MA This event marks the tenth annual appearance of the NASCAR Busch North Series at Riverside Park Speedway. Dodge streamlined the modified program, marketed the competitors and started an entry-level street stock division. Glossary Tweet. Riverside Park Speedway was one of the most successful short tracks in America between 1992 and 1996. 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 Park Speedway Demolition Derby & Figure 8 Racing Agawam Mass 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 memories never die - masslive.com Others inducted in the ceremony at La Renaissance were 1950s legend Moe Moneybags Gherzi, 1960s Riverside star Jerry The Springfield Rifle Humiston, Eastern Mass. Rene Charland, affectionately known to many racing fans simply as The Champ could use some well-wishes from his fans. NASCAR adopted the tour-type format and Riverside was a regular stop for 200-lap modified mains. View NASCAR North Tour driver stats at this track. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. While Riverside Park Speedway is gone, local racing fans do have plenty of options to see live racing. We had sponsorship for every race. 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. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Track Promoters Get FREE Promotion with RacingIn.com's Track Directory and Race Dates Page 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. The drivers were characterized by maybe the best short-track announcer Ive ever heard, a guy named Tom Galon. 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. "Wow!!! "Riverside Park was like Daytona to me," Reggie Ruggiero recalled. We always seemed hampered by a breakdown in communication, Fiore, of Agawam, said in his acceptance speech. 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. SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. Beckley Speedway USA. 01001 (413) 786-3876. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Bay Area Modifieds bringing IMCA Racing back to Emerald Coast Drivers such as Ted Tappet, Benny Germano, Jocko Maggiacomo, Jerry Humiston, Ed Flemke and Buddy Krebs were the drivers to beat throughout the 1950s. Next, widening and steepening the corners to a full quarter-mile. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). much I appreciate everything you and your staff did for our group. The Carroll family added a speedway, brought in musical acts and added many new rides in the decades that followed. Reigning AFT Singles champion Kody Kopp is trying to hit a grand slam this season. TikTok Link. Riverside was a fifth back then. . I wouldnt be surprised if you see us renting your facility in the future. NOTE: ANY RACE DATES POSTED ON THIS PROFILE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON WEATHER, TRACK CONDITIONS, AND MANY OTHER THINGS. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. It would grow to attract the Northeast's best drivers. Riverside Park Speedway - Wikipedia Did you miss Kyle Buschs dramatic win at Talladega, or Brandon Overtons $50,000 triumph? 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