Ten years ago. Moore, the Busch North Series all-time Pole winner, has yet to display his qualifying expertise thus far in 1998. 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). WITH FRIENDS! We had sponsorship for every race. The 79-year-old Agawam, MA native began his career at the old. Instagram Link "Wow!!! This page is not available in other languages. 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). 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. 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 Park Speedway Formerly Known As: Riverside Park Stadium.250 mi./0.402 km. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. 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. Other tracks in the area - Century Stadium in Springfield, Mass. YOUR PARTY AND CELEBRATE The facility was incredible, the staff was engaging, and our entire group had a blast! Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam drew in racing fans from throughout the Northeast for about 50 years. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing began sanctioning events at Riverside Park Speedway in 1976. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. by ScottKo in Profile Tips For Users, Interest in Grassroots Racing Grows 40% in 2014 With Great Opportunities Ahead in 2015 BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON 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. Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! 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. Courchesne, Shawn (June 17, 1999) "Final Lap for Riverside Speedway", Last edited on 30 December 2022, at 17:44, Riverside International Speedway (West Memphis, Arkansas), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Riverside_Park_Speedway&oldid=1130538742, This page was last edited on 30 December 2022, at 17:44. Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts. TikTok Link. Thank you, K1 Speed!!!! He declined, citing his growing family, and the seat was offered to an up-and-comer from Missouri named Rusty Wallace. Gary worked for many years at Germano Auto Sales before owning Garys Service Center in Agawam, which he sold two years ago. Our qualifying has been just terrible, Moore admitted. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. 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. |. He was currently employed at Boardwalk Auto Sales in South Windsor, CT. 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. 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. While Riverside Park Speedway is gone, local racing fans do have plenty of options to see live racing. We Thank You Very Much for making this Carlys by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Fans of Fast Name Their Favorite Track of 2014 Triad Technologies is an industrial distributor and value added provider. Sun, 01/30/2022 . Youtube Link 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. . We carry brands such as Parker, Enerpac, NoShok, Daman, Hiwin, UR Robot, Robotiq, Schunk, Rechner Sensors, SICK sensors, Weidmuller, Dixon and many more! All rights reserved (About Us). He simply says the owners decided to go in a different direction, which ultimately proved to be selling out. Before 1900, most visitors reached the park by steamboat. Joys assistant was Dodge, who took over as promoter in 1982. 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. Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut and Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire are just some of the local options within driving distance. The first full season of "modified" stock car racing was 1949. The great Reggie Ruggiero closed the books with 98 modified feature wins, about a quarter of his career total, leading all drivers. The United Stock Car Racing Club events drew 6,000-8,000 fans every Saturday night. Next, widening and steepening the corners to a full quarter-mile. David Allio | Racing Photography Archives, Original motorsports photos from historic archives by David Allio, Riverside Park Speedway | Agawam Massachusetts The 1960s were popular years for stock car racing at Riverside 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. 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. 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. NEAR To Host Riverside Park Speedway Reunion, Candidates Named for 2024-25 IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship, Trackhouse Announces Ownership Of NC Karting Motorplex. Five-time track champion Bob Polverari won the final race, after which participants started digging up pieces of the track asphalt for souvenirs. A team rich in winning was, as he said, cash poor.. . . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Rights Managed (RM) original photography 1983 David Allio. Adults and Juniors 48 and Up, Junior Birthday Parties Photo courtesy of John Mahoney, USAC. 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. Rene Charland, affectionately known to many racing fans simply as The Champ could use some well-wishes from his fans. The facility is fabulous lots of space to spread out, clean Jerry Marquis and ageless Bob Polverari emerged as big winners in the 1990s, with Polverari taking five titles aboard the Bill Pelly No. "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carly's 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! We had bigger numbers on a Saturday than the amusement park did. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Rivalry Renewed: Lanigan & Richards Set To Face Off In 2015 As Richards Returns To Full-Time World of Outlaws Competition Later years were with Tom Rosati, Rene Charland, Bob Polverari, Reggie Ruggerio and Jerry Marquis. Riverside, both the amusement park and speedway, was an institution in its community. 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. 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. 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 Park Speedway memories abound at . Route 322 Detour Update. In 1983, he was offered a ride in what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Our qualifying has been just terrible, Moore admitted. He resided in West Springfield and, He was an avid race car fan, a member of NASCAR. The 1998 Riverside Park Modified Champion was Jimmy Broderick, Driving the Pruchnik Motorsports #42 Modified owned By Denis Pruchnik. The reunion will be held on Aug. 31 at the Polish Club in Agawam. Again, thank you for your professionalism and management of K1 Speed in Sacramento. History By Decade Riverside Park Speedway ("The Park") was built in 1948. Matt Wiernasz is an auto racing journalist and photographer himself, and has fond memories . 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. But it's been 15 years since Riverside Park Speedway disappeared from the Southern New England Racing landscape. 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. We are going to have an extremely hard time getting our team to agree to anything else but K1 Speed for our future events. 77 Peros Dr., Agawam, Mass. 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. The Carroll family added a speedway, brought in musical acts and added many new rides in the decades that followed. 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. WE MAKE IT EASY TO PLAN In both cases, few could argue with the results. This would have been around 1984. New Detour. And just that quickly, the track was gone, along with a significant chunk of New Englands stock car history. 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). There will be a host of Riverside events throughout EXPO, including autograph sessions. In its place he built a 1/5th mile oval speedway track featuring grand stand seating. Riverside Park Speedway was one of the most successful short tracks in America between 1992 and 1996. Ruggiero had four separate stints driving Fiores No. The Serv-U Auto Supply Pro Stocks were also a feature division in the NASCAR's Winston Shortrack Series in 1999. 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. We were there last Wednesday, with 25 teenagers, and they all Dodge streamlined the modified program, marketed the competitors and started an entry-level street stock division. Following the park's 1999 season, Premier Parks, Inc. made several major changes that directly affected the speedway. The Rollaway, Riverside Park, Agawam, Massachusetts Babb's, Congamond Lakes, W Suffield, Connecticut Clark, Bill open to all that raced at riverside park speedway no matter what car-truck demo-enduro-figure 8 & 4 cylinder-strickly-late model-modified ya drove! of my heart, thank you! by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Track Promoters Get FREE Promotion with RacingIn.com's Track Directory and Race Dates Page Discussion. Sprintcarstats. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. 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. - 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. One unforgettable element of racing at Riverside was the annual 500-lap races for cars competing as two-car teams. Auto Racing Research Assoc. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Did you miss a thrilling Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, or David Gravels Tri-City triumph? Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam drew in racing fans from throughout the Northeast for about 50 years. Paved Oval located in Agawam, MA: Track Status: Razed (Opened: 1948 --- Closed: 1999) TOURING SERIES & MAJOR EVENTS ; Date Sanction We will definitely be back in the future. Jackson County Speedway. He is a member of the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame . 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. ", 2023 K1Speed Inc. All rights reserved. We hope that this is just the first of many events we will have with K1 Speed. Internal Link . They had a BLAST! by ScottKo in Profile Tips For Users, SRW Winternationals Weekend now a Qualifying race for ALL Classes! With a track championship for the late Richie Evans, named in 1998 as one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers of all time. 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. 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. First, let me tell you how 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). much I appreciate everything you and your staff did for our group. Riverside Park. 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. 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. Race Date . 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. It was a cant-miss business proposition, until amusement rides became more profitable than packed pits and stands. West Virginia Motor Speedway. Reigning AFT Singles champion Kody Kopp is trying to hit a grand slam this season. The theory was that an entertainer doesnt pay to walk on stage, he explained. 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 pit area was alongside theConnecticut River with large Grandstands being built on the hill leading from the amusement park down to the race track. The 1980s arrived! 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. 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). Riverside Park Speedway Agawam, MA. 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. 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. It was like going from a Volkswagen to a Cadillac; Riverside Park was like Daytona to me. Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. 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. The facility is fabulous - lots of space to spread out, clean and well maintained, and the . Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. May 16, 1983 - Agawam - A newly-constructed Riverside Park roller coaster is shown from a nearby potato Farm. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Bay Area Modifieds bringing IMCA Racing back to Emerald Coast I had my own groove, right on the bottom. We always seemed hampered by a breakdown in communication, Fiore, of Agawam, said in his acceptance speech. Riverside Park Speedway was built in 1948 at Riverside Park, now the site of Six Flags New England. However, both men chose to set aside their differences on their special day. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The track closed at the end of the 1999 season. West Virginia International Speedway. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, What a year as we transition onto dirt racing! Meet. 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. 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. Ted Chalmers, a 35 year racing veteran, wrote his name in the history books as the first ever champion in that division. 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. There was no back gate fee. Riverside Park Speedway Demolition Derby & Figure 8 Racing Agawam Mass has 514 members. 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