Art Barry to Retire
Hall of Famer Art Barry confirmed to YankeeRacer.com his retirement at the end of the season.
“That’s it for me,” Barry said. “I’m gonna call it quits after this year. I’m planning on running, I don’t know, eight or 10 races this year and then I’m gonna call it quits and give it to my grandson. I’d like to, but the money’s getting so tight and can’t get any help really to do things. I think there’s a time for everything.”
Barry’s schedule will include the five NorthEast Race Cars Tri-Track Open Modified Series races: Monadnock Speedway June 11, Seekonk Speedway June 29, Star Speedway July 30, and New London-Waterford (CT) Speedbowl on August 25 and October 23.
He is also considering some Valenti Modified Racing Series events.
“I’d like to run a few here or there maybe Stafford or Thompson something. … I’m planning on running a couple of those. I’ve done very well at Monadnock and I kind of would like to go back there this year and Seekonk is another one I’d like to probably catch if I could.”
“We’re gonna be competitive, absolutely. If I can’t go out there and feel like I can win, I’m not going.”
“I’ve got a car I can win tomorrow with and that’s what I’m planning on doing. and hopefully to win one before I quit.”
Barry is still passionate for a sport where he used to watch his father race before he could get into the pits.
“I love the sport and it’s kind of like rehab for me to come out in the shop and work on the car. I think it’s very rewarding when you got a guy like Justin (Bonsignore), who gives it a 110 percent when you go out there . And I just enjoy it and it if wasn’t for the fact I was getting as old as I am and had the money, I’d keep on doing it. But there’s a time for everything and I think it’s time for me just to hang it up for awhile and enjoy it.”
Barry’s original car number was 909 after State Fire Marshal Andrew Mosley’s badge number. Mosley was a “real good friend” of his father. The number changed to 09 when NASCAR made him change to double digits.
The No. 21 was his father’s number. His father raced in the Claiming Car division at New London-Waterford. He also competed at two defunct tracks Lonsdale (RI) Sports Arena and the Rhode Island State Fairgrounds in Kingston.
Barry built his first car in 1952, but he was too young to get into the pits. He let others run the car for him.
Barry originally ran New London-Waterford before moving to Thompson, which joined NASCAR.
“That’s where the most headway started, you know, and then I just kept moving on to different racetracks and really enjoyed it.”
One of his early successes came with Bobby Santos.
“We were pretty tough. We won a lot of races together. The chemistry was good between us. Actually, he was one of the drivers I respect very, very much.”
“I’m really proud that some of the guys that drove for me ended up moving on to bigger and better things. I shouldn’t say better ’cause modified is the best, but quite a few of my drivers went south and got into cup driving and, you know, that’s very rewarding to a car owner. I never was a person to go out there to blow my horn because I did good. I just wanted to do good. I’m a very competitive person.”
Barry has conquered some of the biggest events in Modified racing: the Spring Sizzler, the Thompson 300, and races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Martinsville (VA) Speedway.
“Those races stick out the most because at that time they were the most prestigious. It wasn’t always the winning of the races I enjoyed. Like I won the king Richard award, which meant a whole lot to me , but winning Martinsville 3-4 times it was pretty rewarding.”
Barry has a grandfather clock given to Martinsville winners. When Brett Bodine won, he gave Barry his grandfather clock.
“When they had all the big auto shows, they used to give out grandmother’s clocks for that. I won that too, so I’m pretty proud of that.”
Barry is the only owner to win multiple championships in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the Valenti Modified Racing Series. His VMRS titles came with Jon McKennedy and Justin Bonsignore.
“Winning the NASCAR championship was definitely the big thing in my career with (Mike) Stefanik. But to win ’em both in both series, I don’t think too many people have done that. It’s really rewarding.”
Barry built Spearpoint Auto in Preston, Connecticut. Barry was building his own race cars and developed a race car chassis business, SPAFCO.
“I felt I could build a racecar that was as good as anything out there. So we bought it and built those and then we named it SPAFCO because Spearpoint Auto Fabrication Company.”I think that the main thing was to earn the trust of people and people would trust me whatever I did they were welcome to it. I’ve opened my books many, many, many times and even today my son is the same way. we strive on making people at least as many as you can and it’s a tough business. It’s a very competitive business, but he’s doing very well with it, and to carry the name on is really important.”
1983 saw the end of George Summers’ storied career. The Upton, MA native won the penultimate race of his career at Oxford Plains (ME) Speedway. Summers ended his 31-year career with a dominant performance in the World Series at Thompson (CT) Speedway Motorsports Park. He bested Bob Polverari and Richie Evans in the 40-lap feature.
“It’s like a storybook ending with George Summers to go out and win the last two races that you drove and he was planning on retiring. That was his last race and to win that, it was just priceless.”
Mike Stefanik captured back to back championships in 2001-02 giving the longtime campaigner his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour crown. In 48 races together, Stefanik won six times, with 24 top fives, and 37 top tens from 2001-03.
“E
very time you went to the racetrack with Mike Stefanik, you learned something. He was an excellent teacher I want to say and there was always something new that you learned every race and he’s a pretty respectable driver, I’ll tell you that. I enjoyed working with him.”
The familiar red that Barry ran for many years was one he created himself. It was a Lincoln color mixed with “American LaFrance fire engine red.” The car during his final season will be red once again.
Barry has another project once he’s retired. The car he won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships with is in a shed. He wants to restore the car before running it as an antique with his grandson, Tyler Barry.
Tyler will be running a Bandolero at New London (CT) Waterford Speedbowl this season before moving to SK Lights.
“We’re putting one together for him now… He’s already practiced with it and done very good, so we’re rebuilding that for him.”
“We hope to get him out there practicing in one of these Modifieds shortly. We’ve gotta get him another year under his belt here but we’ve got him playing around with ’em out in the yard as it is. He drives ’em and so I’m kind of looking forward to that.”
Sources: Nicholas Teto/YankeeRacer.com
Photos
Paul Fohlin
Crystal Snape
Nicholas Teto