(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 park speedway - masslive.com I had my own groove, right on the bottom. 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. . by ScottKo in Profile Tips For Users, Interest in Grassroots Racing Grows 40% in 2014 With Great Opportunities Ahead in 2015 However, both men chose to set aside their differences on their special day. We are going to have an extremely hard time getting our team to agree to anything else but K1 Speed for our future events. It was exactly what youd hope to have in an announcer. Looking for Riverside Park Speedway Photos - YankeeRacer.com One of them was future FOX Sports broadcaster Mike Joy, who announced at Riverside while still in college. Reigning AFT Singles champion Kody Kopp is trying to hit a grand slam this season. 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. 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. Private group 6,043 Members. I was doing things to the very best of my ability.. I was just a kid and my favorite was Art Rousseau out of Keene, N.H.. 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. "Wow!!! 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. Race Date . 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 SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. He resided in West Springfield and Agawam all his life. Click on the race number to see the results of that race. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. . Indoor Kart Racing | K1 Speed 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. 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. EAST WINDSOR, Conn. The legacy of Riverside Park Speedway lives on. ", 2023 K1Speed Inc. All rights reserved. Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, MA - RacingIn.com Stock Car Racing Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. "Riverside Park was like Daytona to me," Reggie Ruggiero recalled. 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. Wisconsin. 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. There will be a host of Riverside events throughout EXPO, including autograph sessions. 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. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Bay Area Modifieds bringing IMCA Racing back to Emerald Coast David Allio | Racing Photography Archives, Original motorsports photos from historic archives by David Allio, Riverside Park Speedway | Agawam Massachusetts When intermission came, you hit your favorite rides, safe in the knowledge that Galon would call you back in plenty of time. best birthday ever!!! 77 Peros Dr., Agawam, Mass. Bobby Dragon of Milton, Vt. won the first NASCAR Busch North Series event at Riverside Park Speedway on August 29, 1988. We paid qualifying heat money. 44 Modified, much like Martin was fired four times as Steinbrenners New York Yankees manager. "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carly's 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! Riverside Park Speedway - Facebook Of those six, two will never be more closely linked to one another than the driver-owner combination of Reggie Ruggiero and Mario Fiore. Everything was perfect and from 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. 01001 (413) 786-3876. 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. Riverside Park Speedway | Agawam Massachusetts. The picnic grove was repurposed as an amusement park and opened its first roller coaster in 1912. We Thank You Very Much for making this Carlys We carry brands such as Parker, Enerpac, NoShok, Daman, Hiwin, UR Robot, Robotiq, Schunk, Rechner Sensors, SICK sensors, Weidmuller, Dixon and many more! 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. The speedway was closed, and razed, after Polverari copped the final modified feature in 1999. 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. 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. Western Mass. 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. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. Again, thank you for your professionalism and management of K1 Speed in Sacramento. Do you remember Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam? Do you remember Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam? - YouTube WE MAKE IT EASY TO PLAN In 1983, he was offered a ride in what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series. 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. 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. It was quite a ride for Fiore, who got into ownership in 1969, when he put $300 into a car purchased by a friend. 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. The drivers were characterized by maybe the best short-track announcer Ive ever heard, a guy named Tom Galon. Agawam, MA This event marks the tenth annual appearance of the NASCAR Busch North Series at Riverside Park Speedway. Vintage photos: Riverside Park in Agawam - masslive.com Born in Ludlow to Read more Barbara (Cimino) Stefanik Passes at 69 By admin December 21, 2012 Riverside Park Speedway He was currently employed at Boardwalk Auto Sales in South Windsor, CT. Use THIS BUTTON to share this track's profile with your friends! The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Riverside, both the amusement park and speedway, was an institution in its community. Riverside Park - YankeeRacer.com Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! Some of Riverside Park's local stars during the early and mid 1970's included S.J. I came from a little track, Plainville Stadium in Connecticut, a quarter mile, Ruggiero remembered. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, Top Tips For Online Race Track Promotion The track closed at the end of the 1999 season. Riverside Park Speedway memories abound at . I was never on a banked track, racing with that caliber of drivers before. Looking for something special to get your mom for Mothers Day? No Reservation Required 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). We always seemed hampered by a breakdown in communication, Fiore, of Agawam, said in his acceptance speech. 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.. 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. After the Wall Street crash drove Riverside Park into foreclosure, one of New Englands first drive-in theaters opened on the property in 1937. 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. Before 1900, most visitors reached the park by steamboat. He was an avid race car fan, a member of NASCAR. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement. 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. 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. Rights Managed (RM) original photography 1983 David Allio. 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. . Western Mass. racing fans remember Riverside Park Speedway THE (Riverside) ROLLAWAY, Agawam, Massachusetts Blunk, Bill RIP 1924-2003 Oaks Park Skating Rink, Portland, Oregon Viking Roller Rink, Astoria, Oregon (1960's) . Enter your email address to subscribe to this album and receive free notifications of new posts by email. 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. There was no back gate fee. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Check out these great suggestions. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing began sanctioning events at Riverside Park Speedway in 1976. Our staff cant stop talking about how much fun we had, and they keep asking when we are going to do it again!! 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). 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. (Republican file photo) Staff-Shot 20 / 28 Republican file photo Vintage photos:. 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 went in there and changed practically everything they did, and thats when Ed Carroll Jr. asked me to become the director of auto racing. 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. 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. View NASCAR North Tour driver stats at this track. Moore, the Busch North Series all-time Pole winner, has yet to display his qualifying expertise thus far in 1998. 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. Galex Fox, left, and Dave Darland, right. 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 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. A team rich in winning was, as he said, cash poor.. Racin' with Jason: Mario Fiore and Reggie Ruggiero - masslive Do you remember Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam? - WWLP In 1971 the track's configuration was changed to a bigger 1/4 mile oval, with slightly higher banking in the turns. RIVERSIDE PARK SPEEDWAY - speedwayandroadracehistory Our qualifying has been just terrible, Moore admitted. |. Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! Agawam, MA Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. The facility was incredible, the staff was engaging, and our entire group had a blast! Kanawha Valley Dragway. I had some AWESOME comments about your facility. 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 agawam for sale: Search Result | eBay Jocko Maggiacomo - Wikipedia In its place he built a 1/5th mile oval speedway track featuring grand stand seating. Next, widening and steepening the corners to a full quarter-mile. YOUR PARTY AND CELEBRATE We will definitely be back in the future. Youtube Link Riverside Park Speedway Demolition Derby & Figure 8 Racing Agawam Mass has 514 members. ", "We had what I would call one of the most successful team events at K1 Speed Austin just last night. The winner of the first NASCAR-sanctioned event was Bob Polverari. We hope that this is just the first of many events we will have with K1 Speed. 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. From seventhto secondTO THE LEAD Dale Nottestad is our featured driver on this weeks Fight For The Flag for his rebound performance at the Big 8 Late Model Spring Classic at Rockford Speedway. Ruggiero told a story that some knew, but others didnt, about a decision that might have changed the face of NASCAR history. He was part of a championship crew with Barry Kuhnel, Bill Pelley and Bob Polverari in the 80s and 90s. Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts . If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. In the grandstands, loyalties to different drivers became fierce, where one sat in the stands was determined by what driver one was rooting for. The first full season of "modified" stock car racing was 1949. Riverside Park Speedway - Wikipedia by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Track Promoters Get FREE Promotion with RacingIn.com's Track Directory and Race Dates Page NASCAR adopted the tour-type format and Riverside was a regular stop for 200-lap modified mains. Rene Charland, affectionately known to many racing fans simply as The Champ could use some well-wishes from his fans. Jocko Jr., followed a different path, racing sportscars with the SCCA. Legendary Riverside Park - SPEED SPORT Riverside Park Speedway - The Third Turn 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. Auto racing legend Rene Charland, of Agawam, dies at 84. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. - 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. And just that quickly, the track was gone, along with a significant chunk of New Englands stock car history. We had bigger numbers on a Saturday than the amusement park did. Riverside was a fifth back then. . Riverside Park, Agawam, MA - History With Photos 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. 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. Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. It seems like just yesterday the laps were being turned for the last time in the shadow of the Thunderbolt roller coaster. The Serv-U Auto Supply Pro Stocks were also a feature division in the NASCAR's Winston Shortrack Series in 1999. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. KGM RACING VIDEOS - Tripod You have set the bar pretty high, and the fun factor is off the charts!! While Riverside Park Speedway is gone, local racing fans do have plenty of options to see live racing. The park was shuttered during the Great Depression, but was reopened by Edward Carroll in 1940. The arrival of NASCAR established Riverside as one of NASCARs big three modified speedways in New England, along with Stafford and Thompson in Connecticut. Our qualifying has been just terrible, Moore admitted.
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