Ollie Silva Memorial Mid-Summer Classic at Lee Speedway
LEE, NH — Each year the Lee USA Speedway honors the legacy of perhaps the greatest super modified drivers of all times, the great Ollie Siva. This Friday night August 9 Lee USA and Haffner’s Oil and Gasoline present the 13th Annual Ollie Silva Memorial Mid-Summer Classic for the big block ISMA supermodifieds. For over 80 years Haffner’s has distributed the “Best quality petroleum products at the lowest prices” throughout the Merrimack Valley. Currently Haffner’s has 18 convenient locations to serve you.
Ollie Silva was a towering figure in the early days of super modified racing. In his black “Big O,” the Haverhill, MA driver dominated Pines and Hudson Speedways in the early 1960’s and later NESMRA action at Lee and Star speedways. On the road with NESMRA, he won races at tracks from Nova Scotia to Florida, and even as far away as California. He was an inspiration to an entire generation of local racing enthusiasts. He also was a force in early area modified action. At Star speedway, he often would emerge victorious in both feature events on the same night to the applause of his legions of fans.
He won the first three Star Classic events and numerous NESMRA championships against many of the best drivers in the country. A modified crash at the Monadnock Speedway abruptly cut his career short in August of 1978. However he had accumulated enough points prior to the crash to claim his final NESMRA crown.
The annual 75 lap ISMA Mid-Summer Classic at Lee USA is a lasting memorial to a legendary figure that many super modified fans still hold in awe. Several of his restored cars and a mobile hall of fame full of his personal items will be on display.
The race is one that current ISMA super modified stars hold in high regard. Six time ISMA Champion Chris Perley is the series’ driver with the most wins at 69. His five wins in the Ollie Silva Memorial Classic are among his most treasured. However he and his teammate Lou Cicconi in the Vic Miller machines have only been able to score one win apiece so far this season and hope to turn things around as they return to their home track, the Lee USA Speedway.
The hot hand this summer is that of Ontario Canada’s Mike Litchy. Litchy has won three straight ISMA events over the summer including Stafford,CT, Oswego,NY, and Sandusky, OH until a blown engine put him out of last Sunday’s event in Sandusky and relegated him to runner-up status in the point standings. The defending ISMA Champion needs a victory at Lee USA to regain the points lead and successfully defend his title.
Other local favorites include former Lee USA Small Block Supermodified Champions Eddie Witkum Jr. and Dan Bowes, Justin Belfiore, Jamie Timmons, and two time Valenti Modified Champion Jon McKennedy. McKennedy won this race last year and has put his modified ride on the back burner to run down the ISMA title this year. Currently he sits fifth in points and hopes for a repeat win in the Ollie Silva Mid-Summer Classic.
This Friday night will be a bonanza for open wheel racing fans. The popular NEMA Lites will be returning for a 20 lap feature event. On a previous appearance Lee USA’s Jake Stergious won the NEMA Lite event, then went on to win the small block super modified feature in the same night, the highlight of his racing career.
The Bensons Hardware Small Block Supers will also be in action Friday night. Last Friday night everyone was cheering for Sparky MacIver who finally appeared to be on his way to his first win of the season. Sparky was second fastest qualifier for the “Money Bags Race.” He was a close second in two of the three 25 laps segments. He was tied for second in the final standings, and for some reason Sparky couldn’t catch the break he needed to put together that first win.
Sparky had it together last Friday night and had a straightaway lead half way through the event. But the caution came out on lap 18, and Maciver found himself in a side by side dual with Ryan Gath. Gath finally wrestled the lead from Maciver and went on to win his second feature event. Sparky fell to third behind Tommy Tombarello and was visibly disappointed.
“We’ll get this thing figured out sooner or later,” he determinately stated while being presented with the third place trophy. No doubt he will.
The David’s Race Cars and Components Hobby Stocks will also be part of Friday night’s show. Last Friday night was their big 50 lapper and Jim Pieseczny went on to win his third feature race of the year. And as he reminded everyone, he was also the division’s 3rd Quarter Champion after wresting the award from his season-long nemesis Patrick Tanguay. Pieseczny was on cruise control for most of the race however, as the real battle was for second. Late in the event Jim Shorey and Paul Palin crashed while engaged in a bruising struggle for second leaving the runner-up spot to new-comer Dennis Dumas, who had a few new dents and scatches in his new ride, but was ecstatic with his second place trophy in his very first race.
It’s Official. The rumored mega Ironman Race is on for the Oktoberfest Weekend October 11th thru 13th. The race will be run in two 25 lap segments. Each driver will draw for heat positions. Heat races will determine the starting line-up for the first segment. The field will be inverted for the second segment with a combined point system determining the overall Ironman Super Series Race Winner.
A whopping $1,000 will go to the overall Ironman Super Series Race Winner and the tallest trophy of Oktoberfest Weekend. The total purse for the event is nearly $4,000, ABSOLUTELY THE LARGEST PAYOFF EVER OFFERED ANYWHERE for an entry-level division race.
Lee USA Speedway is stepping up in an effort to super-charge this low-buck path into the racing game. Some of the greatest names in the sport got their start in similarly modest racing venues and some of the best action in short track racing can be found in the more rough and tumble divisions. It is imperative for the future of this sport to get more people on the track, and even more people in the stands.
Racing this Friday will get underway at 7PM.
Sources: Lee USA Speedway PR