Impressive Cast Set for NEAR Fame Fete
An all-star cast will induct an equally impressive group of inductees at the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame Banquet Sunday Nov. 10 at the Lodge at Manelleys in South Windsor, CT. It is the 16th NEAR Hall of Fame class.
Steve Pellerin and Bruce Elder will be inducting fellow Maine natives Ralph Nason and Stan Meserve respectively. Open cockpit racing is well represented by Chris Romano and Dick Monahan who will honor multi-time Northeastern Midget Association champions Drew Fornoro and Billy Eldridge respectively.
Lew Boyd will bring forth Bob Sharp, arguably New England’s greatest road racer.
Modified racing will be well represented by award-winning writers Bones Bourcier and Peter Vander Veer who will induct, respectively, long-time car owner Ron Berndt and driver Brian Ross. Rob Stefanik will induct his father, the late Modified standout Bobby Stefanik.
Ticket ($45) information is available on the New England Antique Racers website – www.near1.org.
Elder, a one-time championship driver, and Pellerin, a former race mechanic, are vital cogs in the very successful Maine Vintage Race Car Association. Elder, the voice of Beech Ridge Speedway is also an accomplished writer as is Pellerin. A Portland fireman, Pellerin is a prolific model builder and has restored a fleet of vintage racers including one once driven by Elder.
Monahan, a one-time club president, and Romano have served NEMA on many levels. In addition to the presidency, Monahan has been NEMA’s public relations director, announcer, yearbook editor, statistics compiler and overall trouble solver and remains one of its top historians. Romano, a key contributor to the now lamented Trackside Magazine, has and continues to serve the sport with pen, microphone and now camera. He is one of a few non competitors to have won NEMA’s coveted Johnny Thomson Award.
A successful race driver, Boyd has and continues to make major contributions to the auto racing history scene as a writer and a principal at Coastal 181, the latter a publishing and book selling concern. A contributor to Speedway Illustrated magazine, Boyd, who also maintains an active website, has written or has been a contributor to several books.
Like the man he will induct, Bourcier got his racing feet wet at Plainville Stadium. With stops at Speedway Scene and Trackside, he has gone to become of the nation’s most recognized auto racing writers. Among his books are biographies of NEAR Hall of Famers Richie Evans, Ed Flemke and Bugs Stevens. A winner of countless writing awards, Bourcier is among the mainstays at Speedway Illustrated.
Tracing his auto racing experience back to the West Haven Speedway, Vander Veer has written for a number of daily newspapers over the past four decades including the Bridgeport Post, New Haven Register and the Norwich Bulletin as well as Trackside Magazine. A Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance McGinley Award winner, Vander Veer brings pure journalistic skills to his auto racing coverage.
Called “Little Bobby” by those who recall his dad, Rob Stefanik is thrilled to be part of the festivities that will also include his uncle, nine-time NASCAR touring champion Mike Stefanik. Rob works in the financial field in the Boston area.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEAR PR