Gene Bergin, one of the initial inductees into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998, is currently confined to the Flagler Pines nursing home following some medical issues. According to Gene’s son he is extremely depressed and is hoping cards from his many friends and fans will help cheer him up. Cards will reach Gene at: Gene Bergin, Flagler Pines, 300 South Lemon St., Bunnell, Florida 32110.
Gene Bergin was one of the most versatile drivers in New England auto racing history, having driven Modifieds, Midgets, Sprint cars, Indy cars, and Grand National cars in his career.
Bergin first started racing in the early 50′s at the Riverside Park Speedway collecting many feature event wins and the 1962 Modified track championship.
He then in 1964 moved on to the Stafford Motor Speedway winning several features on the still dirt surface driving Sharkey Gaudiosi’s #44, and also holds the distinction of being one of only two drivers to win a feature event on both the dirt and asphalt surfaces at Stafford, ( The other being Ernie Gahan).
Continue reading ‘Hall of Famer Gene Bergin Hospitalized’
Carmine Charles Benincaso Jr., age 74, died on June 1st, 2010 at Norwalk Hospital with his family by his side. A lifetime resident of Norwalk, he was born on February 14, 1936 to the late Carmine Benincaso Sr. and Mary Cocchia Benincaso.
He went on to serve in both the Army and the Active Reserve from 1961-1962 and worked at Gardella Transportation and the Italian Center of Stamford.
He also was an active member of Southern New York Racing Assoc. team located in Danbury and raced with the New England Antique Racers.
Continue reading ‘Danbury Racearena Standout Carmine Benincaso Passes At 74′
Milldale, CT — Since 1998, the New England Antique Racers (NEAR), has inducted over-100 individuals into its prestigious New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. The time has come for NEAR to start focusing on it’s next class of inductees, and the club is seeking input from those interested in making an impact on 2011 selections.
“As-always, we’re looking for input from the New England racing community to help aid in the lengthy selection process that we embark-on yearly,” states NEAR’s Bruce Cohen. “It won’t be-long, and the Selection Committee will begin a series of communications that will ultimately result in the choice of individuals included in the HOF class of 2011. It’s important for the racing community to know that while there’s an established-criteria followed regarding eligibility, anyone interested in casting a vote for someone who’s notably contributed to our sport in a historical-sense can certainly do-so. Every vote counts.”
For those wishing to contact Cohen directly with nominations, he may be reached at modman181@comcast.net.
Continue reading ‘NEAR Seeking Nominations For 2011 New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame’
Richard Burgess – DURHAM – Richard “Moon” Burgess, 81, of Durham, beloved husband of Rita Dolores Corradino; father, grandfather, and friend, passed into the loving arms of heaven on Wednesday, March 17, 2010, surrounded by family.
Born Dec. 15, 1928 in a speeding ambulance in Meriden, he was the son of Dorothy and Frances Burgess. A standout stock car driver in the 40′s and 50′s, Moon was inducted into the Riverside Park Speedway Hall of Fame in 1999 and the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2003. He retired from racing to marry and raise a family, and went on to own and operate Valley Auto Supply in Plantsville, until his retirement in 1989.
Visit Guest Book
Continue reading ‘Richard “Moon” Burgess Passes at 81′
Durham, CT — Pioneering New England stock car racer Richard “Moon” Burgess passed-away on Wednesday, March 17 after suffering a serious stroke earlier in the month.
Burgess started his career in the midgets during the 1940’s, switching to stock cars later in the decade. He competed with success at virtually every track in the region including Thompson, Waterford, Plainville, Riverside Park, Kingston, Candlelight Stadium, Cherry Park, West Haven, and others,
Teamed with car owner Joe Fontana, Burgess experienced his greatest degree of success while behind the controls of the potent “Flying Eagle” #1 coupe.
He retired from the sport in 1953 after a relatively brief but spectacular career in which he won over 200 races including 63 feature events in addition to a track championship.
Continue reading ‘New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame Member Richard “Moon” Burgess Passes-Away’
Literally hundreds of victories and dozens of championships are represented in the New England Auto Racer’s Hall of Fame “Class of 2010.” The 13th annual celebration takes place on Sunday Jan 31 at the LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT.
The deadline to purchase tickets for this traditionally sold-out event is January 16. Please visit the NEAR website at www.near1.com for information on reserving your tickets.
Drivers Geoff Bodine, Mike Murphy, George Savory and Pete Fiandaca, car owners Billy Simons, Bob Garbarino and Vic Miller, contributor Frank Ferrara will be inducted. NEAR Veterans Committee inductees are the late race official Archie Blackadar, open-cockpit star, the late Chuck Arnold, and pioneering car-builder Marty Harty.
Continue reading ‘Ticket Purchase Deadline For NEAR Hall Of Fame Induction Approaching Quickly’
Maine Resident Was The 1966 National Champion
Daytona Beach, FL — Ernie Gahan, the 1966 NASCAR Modified national champion, passed away Thursday night at his home in Cranberry Isles, Maine at the age of 83.
Gahan, originally from Dover, N.H., got his start in auto racing at his hometown track – Dover Speedway – in 1948 after serving more than two years as an Army military policeman in Germany following Word War II. After getting his start at Dover, Gahan competed in the NASCAR Sportsman division until 1965, when he moved over to Modifieds.
Gahan compiled 6,560 points during his 1966 run to the title to distance himself from runner-up Bugs Stevens and third place Ray Hendrick. Driving a 1936 Chevrolet coupe, Gahan won 15 of the 71 races he entered that season, but led Hendrick by just 48 points heading into the season finale in Atlanta, Ga. Hendrick was caught up in an early race accident and Gahan crossed the line 10th to earn the crown.
Continue reading ‘Modified Champion Gahan Passes’
Published at November 13, 2009
in NEAR.
Photographers Howie and Mary Hodge, mainstays on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series, are the winners of the New England Antique Racers Jack Ratta Memorial Media Award. The Hodges will accept the award at the 14th annual New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame induction banquet Sunday, Jan. 31 at LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT.
The Hodges, who have been recording New England racing history for 30 years, will share the limelight with 12 new members of the Hall of Fame. Howie started snapping pictures “seriously” in 1979. Mary joined him three years later.
Continue reading ‘NEAR Honors Hodges With Ratta Award’
Published at November 8, 2009
in NEAR.
Pioneer car builder Marty Harty, the late race official Archie Blackadar and the late Chuck Arnold, a driver with much open-cockpit success, have been added to the New England Auto Racing’s Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010 by the organization’s Veterans Committee.
The trio will join eight previously selected nominees at the 14th annual Induction Banquet on Sunday, Jan. 31 at LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT. Ticket forms will be on the NEAR website (www.near1.com) in the near future.
The three veterans will be inducted along with the previously selected drivers Geoff Bodine, the late Mike Murphy, George Savary and Pete Fiandaca, car owner/builders Billy Simons, Bob Garbarino and Vic Miller and contributor extraordinaire Frank Ferrara.
Continue reading ‘NEAR Hall of Fame Adds Harty, Blackadar, Arnold’
Hundreds of victories and dozens of championships are represented in the New England Auto Racer’s Hall of Fame “Class of 2010.”
Drivers Geoff Bodine, Mike Murphy, George Savory and Pete Fiandaca, car owners Billy Simons, Bob Garbarino and Vic Miller and contributor Frank Ferrara will be inducted at the 13th annual induction banquet on Sunday, Jan 30, 2010 at the LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT.
Still to be announced are the inductees from the Veterans Committee and the Jack Ratta Memorial (media) winner.
Continue reading ‘NEAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010′
Published at September 1, 2009
in NEAR.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the annual auto show originally slated for this Saturday September 5th and hosted by Ron Bouchard’s Auto Store at 300 Lunenburg St. in Fitchburg, Massachusetts has been cancelled.
The news was relayed to NEAR President Doug Farrow early Monday morning by Bouchard’s Auto Store staff member Marlin Knight.
Continue reading ‘Ron Bouchard’s Auto Show Cancelled’
Fans of Milton, VT racer Beaver Dragon recently got a chance to meet and spend time with one of their auto racing heroes at a hometown greet and book signing on Saturday August 8th at Four Seasons Real Estate in Milton, VT. Beaver and many of his friends, including Short track historian, webmaster of catamountstadium.com and “To Beat the Beaver” author Bill Ladabouche, enjoyed meeting fans and racers. Several race cars were on display. Beaver was thrilled to meet so many fans and sign so many autographs and copies of his new book. Fans enjoyed the up-close looks at race cars of past and present along with food and drink.
Published at August 9, 2009
in NEAR.
On Saturday September 5th, Ron Bouchard’s Auto Store at 300 Lunenburg St. in Fitchburg. Massachusetts will again be the site of one of the regions premier auto shows.
Bouchard, a former New England Modified racing standout as well as the winner of the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Talladega 500, has hosted the event for several years.
Himself a member of the prestigious New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, many of Bouchard’s fellow inductees are expected to be in attendance. For the racing-fan, it’s a golden opportunity to meet and greet some of the personalities that helped build the sport of short-track racing in our region.
As-always several vintage race cars will be on display, representing the “golden era’ of oval-track racing in New England. A cook-out will complement the day’s festivities.
Continue reading ‘Ron Bouchard’s Auto Show Slated For September 5′
Coastal 181 is proud to announce the upcoming release of the much-anticipated autobiography of Bill Wimble, one of the most respected figures in American racing.
The two-time NASCAR National Sportsman Champion spins tales of his incredible journey from a New York dairy farm near the Canadian border to the short tracks and superspeedways along the East Coast, to his honored career as an entrepreneur in New York and Florida.
I’LL NEVER BE LAST AGAIN is an American success story, full of poignant messages for all of us.
Continue reading ‘Coastal 181 Publishers New Book on Racing Legend Bill Wimble Being Released In July’
To Beat The Beaver by Bill Ladabouche
BOOK PRICES:
Vermont Resident – $24.00 [Includes 6% sales tax]
Vermont Resident – $29.83 [includes sales tax and shipping]
Non– Resident – $28.45 [includes shipping]
Canadian Orders – $34.00 [includes shipping]
Questions please email: Imadragn@together.net
For orders by mail: send a check or money order to:
To Beat the Beaver
7 Algonquin Reef Road
Milton, VT 05468
Continue reading ‘Beaver Dragon Book Now Available’
Norwood, MA — A combination car show comprised of vintage race cars, street legal antique, classic and muscle cars was one of the many highlights of the Fifth Annual Norwood Arena Reunion held at the Bezema Buick, Pontiac, GMC dealership on the Auto Mile in Norwood last Sunday afternoon. In addition to restored Modified stockcars on display there were also cut downs forerunner of the Super Modified cars as well as a Super-Modified, Late Model and a few drag machines. Besides hosting stockcar action on Saturday nights, the defunct Norwood Arena held eighth-mile drag races adjacent to the 1/4 mile oval on Friday nights.
Among those notables that attended the show last Sunday were former NASCAR Chief Steward Carl Merrill. Among the drivers were Daryl Stampfl, Jack Malone, Don McCullough, Midget Hall of Famer Dave Humphrey, Lew Boyd, multiple Norwood Arena track champion Bill Slater, Leo Cleary, Joey Kourafas, Jeff Horn, Lenny Cleaves, George Savary, George Summers and Bugs Stevens among others. Also present was car owner Joe Brady who is still fielding Modified mounts for drivers on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Also coming out for the annual bash was Demo King Anderson who started his smashing career at Norwood and is still at it various Demo Derbies in New England.
Continue reading ‘Over 100 Vehicles, Former and Current Drivers as well as Race Fans Turned Out for the 5th Annual Norwood Arena Reuion at Bezema Buick, Pontiac, GMC last Saturday’
Marvin Rifchin, owner of the former M&H Tire in Watertown, passed away Tuesday at the age of 94. A grave side service will be held in Sharon, MA at 12:45 p.m. Friday June 5th at the Sharon Memorial Park, (park is located at 50 Beach St.). Marvin, a 1999 inductee into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame, started in racing after WWII as the owner of midgets. Later on he got involved in stock cars. His cars raced at many area tracks, including Thompson and Waterford. He won championships at Seekonk and Stafford. The last race car he owned was the #7 pinto bodied modified, driven by Ron Bouchard in the years before Bouchard moved south to become the 1981 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year.
But it was not as a car owner that Marvin is remembered but as a builder of racing tires. It was very difficult to get racing tires for local cars on the 40′s so Marvin formed M&H Tires, and provided all types of racing tires, until closing his doors in 1986.
Continue reading ‘Hall of Famer Marvin Rifchin Passes At Age 94′
NEAR is invited to the Bear Ridge Speedway. See dirt track racing at its finest, in Bradford, VT. Directions are listed below. Owner/Promoter CV Elms has invited NEAR in for parade laps and trackside interviews with NEAR members as the celebration of the Northeastern Reunion continues at the “Home of the Coupes”. Don’t miss out on the fun. CV Elm’s dad, Chuck, owned the #6 convertible that was driven to many wins at Northeastern by NEAR Hall of Famers Stub Fadden and John Gammell. Meet and greet John, Harold “Hard Luck” Hanaford, and the rest of the Northeastern gang as the fun continues Saturday night, July 18th, at the Bear Ridge Speedway, right off Rt 91, in Bradford, VT.
Directions: Heading north on Interstate 91 take exit 16 at the end of the ramp, take a left to South Road, then to Kidder Road. heading south take exit 16 at the end of the ramp, take a right to South Road, to Kidder Road then on to the track.
http://www.catamountstadium.com/northeastern_speedway.htm
Sources: NEAR PR
Dick Mills of West Haven, Ct. was killed when his vehicle struck a Moose early Sunday on Interstate 95 in Vermont while returning from the True Value Modified Series race at Thunder Road Speedway. Dick was at the Thunder Road Speedway helping out on Shelly Perry’s True Value Modified Series Modified.
Dick was a fixture at Waterford Speedbowl and other area tracks helping out Ed Gertsch and many other drivers in the area. One of the nicest guys around the track, Dick started out as a crew member while in his teens in the 60′s helping out “Wild Bill” Greco and Johnny Cambino at the old West Haven and Riverside Park Speedways. Dick and Billy Greco have remained close friends over the years. Dick was also a long time member of the New England Antique Racers (NEAR).
Continue reading ‘Dick Mills Killed in Vermont Accident’
Published at April 4, 2009
in NEAR.
The process whereby an individual earns entry into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame has begun. It begins with the nominating form that is now available on the New England Antique Racer’s website www.near1.com.
The 12th NEAR Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be Sunday Jan. 29, 2010 at the LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT.
All nominations – last year there were over 100 – are presented to the “selection committee” which reduces the number to 16. Eight “inductees” are then selected by a vote that includes both the selection committee and members of the Hall of Fame. The selection committee will meet in May. The selection committee consists of some of the most respected racing historians and journalists in New England.
Continue reading ‘NEAR Hall of Fame Process Begins’
