Laquerre Buys Riverside Speedway at Auction
GROVETON, N.H. — Longtime racer Joey Laquerre made the winning bid during Saturday’s foreclosure auction for Riverside Speedway and is slated to become the new owner of the quarter-mile asphalt oval which has been in operation for 50 years.
The 71-year-old reportedly bid upwards of $70,000, which was the top bid received during the auction to sell off the speedway. The speedway property had been foreclosed upon after owner C.J. Robinson stopped making the mortgage payments due to non-payments by former speedway management, according to the Caledonian Record.
Laquerre, who captured his 45th career win at Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl this summer, is a respected and successful businessman who operates Laquerre’s Marine and Sports Center in East Montpelier, Vt.
“Racers want to race. I want to give them a place to race that doesn’t conflict with other tracks,” Laquerre said to journalist Steve Poulin. “I want to get along with everyone so that the racer that wants to race doesn’t have to feel that he or she is betraying any loyalties.”
Laquerre’s winning bid came just one week after tragedy stuck the family with the loss of Laquerre’s grandson, 17-year-old Joey M. Laquerre, in an ATV accident.
He reportedly had plans to make many safety improvements, which include enhancements to the frontstretch. He also has dubbed the speedway under a new name, claiming it to be “Grovetona Motor Speedway”.
Riverside Speedway will see its 50th season conclude on Saturday, November 8 with the three-times delayed Fall Brawl 200.
Sources: TJ Ingerson (Vermont Motorsports Magazine)