Barber, Moody, Bourcier NEAR HoF Presenters
Skip Barber, a five-time national champion sports car racer and the present owner/operator of Lime Rock Park, heads up an impressive list of presenters at the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame Induction Banquet Sunday Jan. 25 at LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT.
A one-time Formula 1 competitor, Barber is the perfect choice to induct Northeast Connecticut neighbor John Fitch. A racer of international acclaim, Fitch’s accomplishments also include design work on the original Lime Rock.
Harvard educated, Barber’s resume includes success in Formula Ford, Formula 5000 and GT cars. His driver’s school is among the best in the world.
Other inductors include John McCarthy (Bob Bahre), George Summers (Art Barry), Bones Boucier (Rollie Lindblad), Dave Moody (Tom Curley), Lew Boyd (Paul Richardson), Cho Lee (Bobby Dragon) and Tommy Elliman (the late Jim McConnell).
McCarthy and Summers are Hall of Famers. The Bahre-McCarthy association began when both were car owners in the Northeastern Midget Association. McCarthy went on to serve as NEMA president and later was a consultant at Bahre’s New Hampshire International Speedway
Summers won his final start, one of a hundred-plus victories, in a Barry car. He is one of many Hall of Famers to drive for Barry.
Moody, an award winning writer and announcer and a nationally known radio personality, has a long history with Curley as well. Moody is the announcer at Curley’s much heralded Thunder Road Speedway in Barre, VT.
Boucier is arguably the premier auto racing writer in the country, his walls filled with awards. The long-time contributor to Stock Car and Speedway Illustrated is well versed on Lindblad’s revolutionary affects on New England racing.
Like Bourcier, Boyd is no stranger to induction speeches. A writer and publisher (Coastal 181), Boyd, a long-time competitor, brings a unique view to the sport. He and Richardson are Northern Massachusetts neighbors and close friends.
Lee, an accomplished historian and researcher, and Elliman, a long-time announcer at Beech Ridge Speedway, have long been strong supporters for their respective areas. They are appropriate choices for Maine’s McConnell and Vermont’s Bobby Dragon.
The late Bert Brooks, the late Bertha Small and Hanaford will be inducted as well, the latter three choices of the Veterans Committee.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEAR PR