Built Bear Ridge Speedway & Championship Car Owner
BRADFORD — George Judson Barber, 96, died Wednesday, April 2, 2008, at Grafton County Nursing Home in North Haverhill, N.H.
He was born in Williamstown, Mass., on Sept. 2, 1911, the son of George and Ida (Haley) Barber. He attended the University of Akron, in Ohio. He served in the United States Navy during World War II, as a 2nd class machinist mate.
George married his wife Wanda Shumway on June 16, 1942. Wanda died on Dec. 29, 1973. He built the Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford and operated it from 1968 to 1973. He won many trophies and prizes for his famous car numbers #46 and #47. He also owned and operated Bradford Auto Supply for many years.
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Norwood, MA — Drivers, car owners, crewman and fans are expected to converge on Bezema Buick, Pontiac, GMC on Sunday, June 1 on the Auto Mile for the fourth annual event. The Bezema dealership is just one mile north of the long shuttered famed quarter-mile speedway that created racing legends such as drivers Bill Slater, Ernie Gahan, Bugs Stevens, Leo Cleary and five decade car owner Joe Brady. All were on hand at the recent New England Antique Auto Racers Hall of Fame Banquet and indicated their attendance on June 1. In fact all are members of the NEAR HOF.
Antique racecars from NEAR, STARS and even a few from ACOT are expected to be on hand that day. Plus, all racecars are welcome to the Annual Norwood Arena Reunion. Also, street antiques, muscle cars and classics will be part of the show. Dash plaques will be given out to racecars, street antiques, muscle cars and classics. There will also be a trophy for the best racecar and street machine awarded by peers.
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New England Auto Racer Hall of Fame member Vic Bombacci, co-owner of V8, passed away Feburary 2 at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT. He was 78.
Bombacci and Bob Vitari, boyhood friends in Essex, CT, brought a race car to the Waterford Speedbowl in 1958. With driver Bill Slater, they won the Speedbowl championship in 1959 in the car soon known as the Connecticut Valley Rocket.
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Rene Charland, affectionately known to many racing fans simply as “The Champ” could use some well-wishes from his fans. The 79-year-old Agawam, MA native began his career at the old…
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NEAR Banquet Tickets on Sale
The annual New England Antique Racers Hall of Fame Banquet is slated to take place on Sunday, January 27th at the LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT. Tickets can be ordered by downloading the order form from the NEAR web site. The Class of 2008 includes car owners, drivers and members of the media. Dave Alkas, Dave Darveau, Dick Bathchelder, the late Howie Brown are all a part of the class. Car owners Joe Brady and the late Mike Scrivani, Sr. along with the multi-talented Dick Berggren and writer Pete Zanardi will also be inducted at the NEAR banquet in January. Veterans committee choices were to Johnny Gammell, George Lombardo, and Fred Luchesi.
Oktoberfest Date Set for Lee USA Speedway
The 3/8-mile Lee USA Speedway has finalized the date for its annual Oktoberfest season finale. The date for Oktoberfest is the weekend of October 4th and 5th, 2008. The popular True Value Modified Racing Series will hold their penultimate race at Lee USA. Along with the regular variety of open competition races for Late Models and Strictly Stocks that welcome drivers from similar tracks like Seekonk or Twin State. Drivers with home tracks as far away as Unity, Maine and Waterford, CT were among the winners last fall.
A quick look at the local racing docket for that weekend presents a conflict as the Waterford Speedbowl hosts its finale with the NEMA Midgets, Allison Legacy North cars, and the All Star Race Trucks joining the card with their regular divisions.
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He had maybe the quickest wit I’ve ever experienced. Danny Pardi, who died Friday, leaves behind a host of “Pardi isms.”
And, nobody got to the heart of the matter quicker than Danny. His observations and decisions were direct and almost always uncomplicated. He did not tolerate excessiveness.
He brought those qualities not only to his sport but to his relationships as well. Speaking personally, he was a loyal friend; I never believed for one second that he wouldn’t once again respond to a call for help. He was always there for me and I witnessed him being there for others as well many times.
Update:
Calling Hours: Wed., Jan 2: 4-8PM at D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 30 Carter St., E. Hartford, CT
Funeral: Thurs., Jan 3, 11AM – D’Esopo Funeral Chapel
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Asking Mike Scrivani Jr. to come up with a No. 1 memory of his dad is both unfair and impossible. The Northeastern Midget Association president has a host of fond memories of the bigger-than-life character remembered as “Iron Mike.”
It is fair to say there are hundreds of stories about the late Mike Scrivani who will be inducted into the New England Antique Racers (NEAR) Hall of Fame Sunday, January 27th at the LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT.
A charter member of NEMA (Jerry Russo drove his car in the club’s first-ever race at Seekonk on May 30, 1953), Scrivani’s auto racing connections went back to the Sprint Cars of the late 1930s. Although he was also successful in Modified racing, “his heart was always with the Midgets and Sprints,” reports Mike Jr.
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A trio of “big winners” from the 1950s and 60s – Connecticut’s George Lombardo, Rhode Island’s Fred Luchesi and Vermont’s Johnny Gammell – have joined the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame Class of 2008. The trio, representing hundreds of victories, was selected by the Veterans Committee.They join drivers Dave Alkas, Dave Darveau, Dick Batchelder and the late Howie Brown, car owners Joe Brady and the late Mike Scrivani Sr., the multi-talented Dr. Dick Berggren and writer Pete Zanardi. The entire class will be inducted at the LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT on Sunday, January 27th.
Ticket forms for the 11th annual NEAR Hall of Fame banquet will be available on the New England Antique Racers website (www.near1.com) in the near future.
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Daniel J. Gaudiana, 85, of Wethersfield beloved husband for 61 years of Mary (Durkin) Gaudiana, died, Tuesday (October 9, 2007) at his home. He was born in Hartford son of the late Joseph A. Gaudiana, Sr. and Lucy (Toce) Gaudiana and had lived in Wethersfield since 1969.
Dan worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 25 years, retiring in 1968 and more recently, for The State of CT retiring in 1978. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII, he saw action in the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters, and he was a four star veteran, a life member of DAV, VFW Post # 2138, American Legion Post 0200, a member of Postal Union # 86. Dan owned several stock cars for racing including # 999 and he was one of the founders and board member, and former Treasurer of NEAR Auto Club.
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NEAR’s annual movie party will be held on Saturday November 10, 2007 at the Dante Club. The location is across from the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds at 1198 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA. Advance tickets are available for only $15 if ordered before November 2nd. Tickets at the door are available for $20. It features a hot and cold buffet and a cash bar. The money goes to help fund the 2008 Hall of Fame banquet.
For more info, go to NEAR1.com
Sources: Pete Newsham/NEAR PR
Four drivers, two car owners and two media members make up the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame Class of 2008.
Drivers Dave Alkas, Dave Darveau, Dick Batcholder and the late Howie Brown, car owners Joe Brady and the late Mike Scrivani Sr., the multi-talented Dr. Dick Berggren and writer Pete Zanardi will be inducted at the LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT on Sunday, January 27th.
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