The Sixth Annual Norwood Arena Reunion at Bezema Buick, Pontiac, GMC on Sunday, June 6, 2010
Norwood, MA — Since the Annual Norwood Arena Reunion started five years ago, the event has grown. Adding a street classic, muscle and antique car show complimented the gathering of race cars, drivers, car owners and officials. Last year’s superb weather resulted in a total of 105 combined race cars, street classic, muscle and antique race cars. Last year the addition of motorcycles resulted in some great looking bikes in attendance. Dash plaques went to the first 100 entries into the reunion and trophy was awarded to be best looking race car, street car and motorcycle. The Bezema family, owners of the dealership on the well known Auto Mile in Norwood, plan to continue on with this event every year on the first Sunday in June. The loss of patriarch Marty Bezema, Sr. last year didn’t put a damper on the festivities planned last June. “My father would have wanted this event to continue,” said Erik Bezema, the principal of the dealership.
With that said, fans attending this year’s event on Sunday, June 6, 2010 can look forward to a another large turnout of oval race cars, drag cars, classic street vehicles and motorcycles. Over the years memorabilia collectors and vendors have requested space. More turn out every year coming from all over New England to show and display their wares.
Other displays have included a slot car track, radio controlled race cars and fans displaying their collection of pictures, programs, tickets and news reports about the now shuttered Norwood Arena which closed in 1972. The track hosted midget, stockcars, sports cars and motorcycle racing on the oval. The adjacent paved parking lot was dubbed New England Dragway South as an eighth-mile drag strip that ran street drags all the way up to Fuel Dragsters, Funny Cars, Altereds and even Jet Cars. The latter caused quite a stir with neighbors and it was one factor, among many, that resulted in a bad decision by the stockholders to shut down the race plant and turn it into an industrial park.
The result of which saw the original stockholders lose their investment as the result of a foreclosure by the old Norfolk County Trust Co. to take possession of the property and sold it to a development group which turned the property into a vast industrial/office park which stands on the property to this day.
The vintage race cars of NEAR, STARS and ACOT are all expected to return to the 6th Annual Norwood Arena Reunion. An invitation to the Maine Vintage Car Racing Assn and the Wicked Good Vintage Racing Assn., also in Maine, was extended by the organizers of the Norwood Arena Reunion. The Norwood Arena event is also promoted year-round at various indoor and outdoor auto shows and cruise nights all over New England. Don Thomas, webmaster of NorwoodArena.com of the internet site plans to make his annual trip from California to southeastern MA.
Fans attending the event on Sunday, June 6, 2010 can look forward to meet some of the legendary Norwood Arena competitors, share memories, view memorabilia and talk racing. They can also take photos of race cars, hot rods, classic cars and motorcycles. The Bezema family who host the event every year will feed the attendees a free light lunch consisting of hamburgers and hotdogs. It begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. that day.
Bezema Buick, Pontiac, GMC is located at 402 Providence Hwy.(Rt. US 1), Norwood, MA
02062. For further information call the dealership at 781.769-4700 or the Norwood Arena Reunion Organizer at 781.784.7857. (END)