Connecticut’s Plainville Stadium Remembered at 5th Annual Reunion
BERLIN, CT — The gates where locked for the final time over three decades-ago. The place remained unceremoniously silent for a period of time before Dame Progress finally intervened & claimed another pound of flesh from Connecticut’s stock car racing landscape.
Sadly, these days it’s a fate that’s becoming a stark reality for many of our nations short tracks.
The reasons surrounding the demise of Joe Tinty’s little oval of asphalt known as Plainville Stadium are irrelevant now. What’s not is the fact that the track that meant so-much to people was gone in what seemed like blink-of-an-eye.
Plainville launched the careers of many of the sport’s best, and it provided a destination for generations of fans & racers who called the place home every summer Saturday evening for years.
Last weekend, the legends surrounding the old girl were revived again thanks to a dedicated group that refuses to let the memories fade at the Fifth-Annual Plainville Stadium Reunion.
Was it a success? You bet.
Throughout the day, a steady-stream of fans of the former oval converged on the Berlin Fairgrounds to meet the drivers that were a staple of the excitement that was Plainville Stadium. Along with a host of admired track regulars, the place was full of New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame members. There was a huge selection of historical artifacts that included everything from antique race cars to a large photo selection from former official track photographer, Phil Hoyt. Renowned racing photog Steve Kennedy, who got his start at the Stadium as a youngster was present to record the day’s activities, as-was Taftville, Connecticut’s Rene Dugas, long a fixture on the region’s racing photography scene.
Media personalities included award-winning racing journalist and New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer member Pete Zanardi as well as the brothers Danko, Gary and Brian. It was Gary who manned the microphone keeping fans abreast of the day’s activities.
“This is just one of those “feel-good” events, and proves that Plainville Stadium plays a very-significant role in Connecticut racing history” stated Zanardi. “Looking-around, it’s hard to comprehend just how-many feature victories are represented here today. It’s great that the history of the track is being recognized. It seems as-if just about racer in our region competed there at one time or another. A number of drivers that became the most-accomplished racers in New England got their starts at Plainville.”
Also on the slate were races sanctioned by the Nutmeg Kart Club on the club’s high-banked clay oval located on the grounds of the show and always a popular segment of the show.
Dave Alkas, Stadium “King” and also a member of the prestigious New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, the much-accomplished Don Moon, and Gary Bienkowsky of the of the Nutmeg Kart Club are among the primary organizers of the event every year.
“This has again turned-out great,” stated Alkas. “To think that after all-these years Plainville Stadium is so fondly-recalled, is almost an emotional experience for those of-us that called it home. Back-then, we were kind of known as a track that was sort-of a rough-place to race with boisterous fans and kind of a rowdy reputation. Today, it proves that a lot of people miss Plainville Stadium. It really was a great track and a fun place to be a part-of. I know I miss it a great-deal,” he said.
Sources: Dave Dykes/NEAR PR