riverside park agawam racing

by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Track Promoters Get FREE Promotion with RacingIn.com's Track Directory and Race Dates Page Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. Jerry Marquis and ageless Bob Polverari emerged as big winners in the 1990s, with Polverari taking five titles aboard the Bill Pelly No. WWLP-22News 57.9K subscribers Subscribe 2.9K views 4 years ago Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam drew in racing fans from throughout the. Route 322 Detour Update. First, let me tell you how The theory was that an entertainer doesnt pay to walk on stage, he explained. Auto racing legend Rene Charland, of Agawam, dies at 84. 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. Jackson County Speedway. It was quite a ride for Fiore, who got into ownership in 1969, when he put $300 into a car purchased by a friend. WE MAKE IT EASY TO PLAN TikTok Link. 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. 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. Ruggiero had four separate stints driving Fiores No. 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. We carry brands such as Parker, Enerpac, NoShok, Daman, Hiwin, UR Robot, Robotiq, Schunk, Rechner Sensors, SICK sensors, Weidmuller, Dixon and many more! 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. 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. The drivers were characterized by maybe the best short-track announcer Ive ever heard, a guy named Tom Galon. 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. Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts . Again, thank you for your professionalism and management of K1 Speed in Sacramento. SITE DESIGN BY. In the grandstands, loyalties to different drivers became fierce, where one sat in the stands was determined by what driver one was rooting for. We never pushed the back gate because you didnt go in through the back gate.. 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. Rights Managed (RM) original photography 1983 David Allio. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Later years were with Tom Rosati, Rene Charland, Bob Polverari, Reggie Ruggerio and Jerry Marquis. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The Riverside Park track expanded every time Carroll repaved it, first to an almost-quarter with a little banking. He resided in West Springfield and, He was an avid race car fan, a member of NASCAR. With a track championship for the late Richie Evans, named in 1998 as one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers of all time. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Fans of Fast Name Their Favorite Track of 2014 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Stock Car Racing Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. We had bigger numbers on a Saturday than the amusement park did. He was part of a championship crew with Barry Kuhnel, Bill Pelley and Bob Polverari in the 80s and 90s. and well maintained, and the staff was so nice and very helpful and Created with Sketch. The track's final reconfiguration and repaving to15 degree banking would be added in the mid 1980s. 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. Reigning AFT Singles champion Kody Kopp is trying to hit a grand slam this season. THE (Riverside) ROLLAWAY, Agawam, Massachusetts Blunk, Bill RIP 1924-2003 Oaks Park Skating Rink, Portland, Oregon Viking Roller Rink, Astoria, Oregon (1960's) . He started his interest in racing with Leo Matte at Riverside Park with the likes of George Lombardo, Ed Patnode and Labbee Brothers Racing. 01001 (413) 786-3876. had a wonderful time. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Bay Area Modifieds bringing IMCA Racing back to Emerald Coast "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carlys 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! 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). 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.. I was just a kid and my favorite was Art Rousseau out of Keene, N.H.. by ScottKo in Profile Tips For Users, SRW Winternationals Weekend now a Qualifying race for ALL Classes! The spectacles lasted until the late 1970s, with Krebs leading all multiple winners with six triumphs. 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. 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. Again, thank you for your professionalism and management of K1 Speed in Sacramento. 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. SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. Joys assistant was Dodge, who took over as promoter in 1982. 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. 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. A team rich in winning was, as he said, cash poor.. 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. 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. He declined, citing his growing family, and the seat was offered to an up-and-comer from Missouri named Rusty Wallace. 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. EAST WINDSOR, Conn. The legacy of Riverside Park Speedway lives on. Five-time track champion Bob Polverari won the final race, after which participants started digging up pieces of the track asphalt for souvenirs. The natural athlete, Gene Bergin, was another star. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. NEAR To Host Riverside Park Speedway Reunion, Candidates Named for 2024-25 IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship, Trackhouse Announces Ownership Of NC Karting Motorplex. In 1983, he was offered a ride in what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series. SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. All rights reserved (About Us). Jocko Jr., followed a different path, racing sportscars with the SCCA. NASCAR adopted the tour-type format and Riverside was a regular stop for 200-lap modified mains. Sun, 01/30/2022 . 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. The arrival of NASCAR established Riverside as one of NASCARs big three modified speedways in New England, along with Stafford and Thompson in Connecticut. It was a great experience., SPEEDSPORT.com is a part of the NASCAR Digital Media Network, The cars line up for the Riverside 500. I had my own groove, right on the bottom. Triad Technologies is an industrial distributor and value added provider. I was never on a banked track, racing with that caliber of drivers before. Agawam, MA Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. Enter your email address to subscribe to this album and receive free notifications of new posts by email. Riverside Park. You have set the bar pretty high, and the fun factor is off the charts!! by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, BMARA RACERS HELP EACH OTHER 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. Beckley Speedway USA. They were great with the teens and kept things moving along at a comfortable pace. Galex Fox, left, and Dave Darland, right. Riverside Park Speedway Agawam, MA. We will definitely be back in the future. The 1980s arrived! If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. In no way deterred, Carroll simply brought in stock cars for Riverside Parks first full season in 1949. We Thank You Very Much for making this Carlys by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, Top Tips For Online Race Track Promotion Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! Race Date . It would grow to attract the Northeast's best drivers. 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. That was when midgets raced seven nights a week in New England. We paid qualifying heat money. 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. Birthdays, Mitvahs, Bachelor(ette), Team Building, Catered Lunches Check out these great suggestions. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. YOUR PARTY AND CELEBRATE 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. Gary worked for many years at Germano Auto Sales before owning Garys Service Center in Agawam, which he sold two years ago. But it's been 15 years since Riverside Park Speedway disappeared from the Southern New England Racing landscape. Riverside Park in Agawam, Massachusetts began as a trolley park in 1840. 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. 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. Our qualifying has been just terrible, Moore admitted. He resided in West Springfield and Agawam all his life. He started his interest in racing with Leo Matte at. Evonsion, Bob Polverari, Reggie Ruggiero and others. The fans streamed, literally, straight from the rides to the bleachers. Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut and Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire are just some of the local options within driving distance. Our staff cant stop talking about how much fun we had, and they keep asking when we are going to do it again!! ", "We had what I would call one of the most successful team events at K1 Speed Austin just last night. Riverside Park Speedway | Agawam Massachusetts. Youtube Link Riverside Park Speedway was built in 1948 at Riverside Park, now the site of Six Flags New England. 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). 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. Following the park's 1999 season, Premier Parks, Inc. made several major changes that directly affected the speedway. The winner of the first NASCAR-sanctioned event was Bob Polverari. 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. "Riverside Park was like Daytona to me," Reggie Ruggiero recalled. 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. He simply says the owners decided to go in a different direction, which ultimately proved to be selling out. In its place laid out a flat 1/5-mile oval track, pit area and grandstand alongside the Connecticut River. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In its place he built a 1/5th mile oval speedway track featuring grand stand seating. . Others inducted in the ceremony at La Renaissance were 1950s legend Moe Moneybags Gherzi, 1960s Riverside star Jerry The Springfield Rifle Humiston, Eastern Mass. He is eighth on the track's all-time win list. West Virginia Motor Speedway. Other tracks in the area - Century Stadium in Springfield, Mass. Racing-reference.info is part of the NASCAR Digital Media Network. NASCAR replaced the Tattersalls in 1973, following what future promoter Ben Dodge described as a drivers strike. It was exactly what youd hope to have in an announcer. Riverside Park Speedway memories abound at . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). 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 . View source. much I appreciate everything you and your staff did for our group. Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts. The speedway was closed, and razed, after Polverari copped the final modified feature in 1999. The Rollaway, Riverside Park, Agawam, Massachusetts Babb's, Congamond Lakes, W Suffield, Connecticut Clark, Bill 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. In addition to that, the purses were increased. 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. "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carly's 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! My last year, 1996, the paid attendance in the grandstand was 143,000 people. . You grabbed food from the concessions and stopped by Shany Lorenzets photo booth before heading inside. Everything was perfect and from the bottom 711. The Carroll family added a speedway, brought in musical acts and added many new rides in the decades that followed. 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. Riverside Park Speedway Demolition Derby & Figure 8 Racing Agawam Mass has 514 members. Private group 6,043 Members. I came from a little track, Plainville Stadium in Connecticut, a quarter mile, Ruggiero remembered. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. History By Decade Riverside Park Speedway ("The Park") was built in 1948. 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.
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