TikTok Link. It would grow to attract the Northeast's best drivers. And just that quickly, the track was gone, along with a significant chunk of New Englands stock car history. Riverside Park Speedway memories abound at . The 1998 Riverside Park Modified Champion was Jimmy Broderick, Driving the Pruchnik Motorsports #42 Modified owned By Denis Pruchnik. When amusement park giant Six Flags took over Riverside Park in Agawam, one of the first steps it took was eliminating a local icon - the famed quarter-mile speedway. Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. The track's last decade, the 1990s, saw more racing stars earn their stripes on the high banks at Riverside Park, including Marquis, who captured 3 consecutive modified championships from 1991 to 1993, Featherlite Modified Series stars Dan Avery and Chris Kopec and NASCAR Winston/Nextel Cup star Steve Park. Jocko Jr., followed a different path, racing sportscars with the SCCA. Sprintcarstats. It was a great experience., SPEEDSPORT.com is a part of the NASCAR Digital Media Network, The cars line up for the Riverside 500. Courchesne, Shawn (June 17, 1999) "Final Lap for Riverside Speedway", Last edited on 30 December 2022, at 17:44, Riverside International Speedway (West Memphis, Arkansas), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Riverside_Park_Speedway&oldid=1130538742, This page was last edited on 30 December 2022, at 17:44. I think I just ran the car too hard and Im very fortunate that I didnt end up in the qualifying race. Moore and his team checked everything on the car after qualifying to ensure that nothing was wrong with the chassis setup. The 1999 season featured the NAPA Modifieds as the NASCAR Winston Racing Series feature division, along with the Serv-U Auto Supply Pro Stocks, Teddy Bear Pools Trucks, Sportsman, Super Stocks and Figure 8's. Do you remember Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. From seventhto secondTO THE LEAD Dale Nottestad is our featured driver on this weeks Fight For The Flag for his rebound performance at the Big 8 Late Model Spring Classic at Rockford Speedway. Joys assistant was Dodge, who took over as promoter in 1982. However, both men chose to set aside their differences on their special day. Enter your email address to subscribe to this album and receive free notifications of new posts by email. Riverside Park. - Gallery - Ron Wetzler | racersreunion.com Organists - Forgotten Roller Rinks of the Past (Republican file photo) Staff-Shot 20 / 28 Republican file photo Vintage photos:. had a wonderful time. He is a member of the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame . The New England Antique Racers will host a 15-year reunion of the anniversary of the closing of the old Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Massachusetts. Park owner Edward J. Carroll demolished the dance hall that had burned down that year and in its place rose a 1/5 mile nearly flat paved oval track. After the Wall Street crash drove Riverside Park into foreclosure, one of New Englands first drive-in theaters opened on the property in 1937. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). He was born in West Spring-field, son of the late John and Mafalda Mich-novetz and graduated from West Springfield High School Class of 1962. Race Date . The Rocky Hill, Conn, driver was a crowd favorite at the old Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, where he won three track championships (1979, 1984, 1988) and a record 93 feature races over 23. In 1983, he was offered a ride in what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Adults and Juniors 48 and Up, Junior Birthday Parties Riverside Park Speedway memories abound at . Remembering Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam - WWLP Photo courtesy of John Mahoney, USAC. Bobby Dragon of Milton, Vt. won the first NASCAR Busch North Series event at Riverside Park Speedway on August 29, 1988. Moore, the Busch North Series all-time Pole winner, has yet to display his qualifying expertise thus far in 1998. He resided in West Springfield and, He was an avid race car fan, a member of NASCAR. He stated to me that the race track was no longer holding its own. While Riverside Park Speedway is gone, local racing fans do have plenty of options to see live racing. Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! He simply says the owners decided to go in a different direction, which ultimately proved to be selling out. Route 322 Detour Update. A local entrepreneur named Ed Carroll began a family dynasty at Riverside Park by buying it in 1939. It was largely used for picknicking and steamboat excursions along the Connecticut R. S Sharon DiAmore 1k followers More information Riverside Park, Agawam, MA - History With Photos - YouTube Chicopee Riverside Park Golden Oldies Service Trip Amusement Parks Back In The Day I went in there and changed practically everything they did, and thats when Ed Carroll Jr. asked me to become the director of auto racing. . Riverside Park Speedway Demolition Derby & Figure 8 Racing Agawam Mass has 514 members. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing began sanctioning events at Riverside Park Speedway in 1976. Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts . Created with Sketch. Glossary Tweet. There will be a host of Riverside events throughout EXPO, including autograph sessions. The bleacher seating surrounding the track was also removed to make way for the 6,200 chair back seats. KGM Video has been the leader in Racing Video Productions since 1981 and has a vast library of videos from 1980's, 1990's to the Present, plus Vintage Videos dating to the 1950's.KGM Video has produced videos of racing action at the Riverside Park Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway, Thompson Speedway and others. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Western Mass. racing fans remember Riverside Park Speedway - WWLP Everything was perfect and from the bottom Agawam, MA Racing on a tight track for 150 laps with 25 veteran competitors can sometimes be an unmistakable comparison to a championship boxing match, toe-to-toe for 15 rounds. Riverside Park - YankeeRacer.com Due to this variability, ALWAYS check with the tracks DIRECTLY via their individual websites to confirm actual racing before you travel! Before 1900, most visitors reached the park by steamboat. It could trace its roots to just after the Civil War, when Gallup's Grove opened as a picnic area in Agawam, nearly across the Connecticut River from the industrial city of Springfield, Mass. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, TRACK INFO UPDATE? Before I had my license, my dad would drive me to the races and the big deal on my birthday was when I would have my friends over to the house for my moms spaghetti and meatballs, and then wed go to Riverside Park and cheer for our favorites, Berggren said. Park owner Edward J. Carroll demolished the dance hall that had burned down that year and in its place rose a 1/5 mile nearly flat paved oval track. Riverside Parks stock car era essentially existed in three phases, the first promoted by Harvey Tattersall, senior and junior, through their United Stock Car Racing Club that sanctioned tracks across New England and New York through the 1960s. We Thank You Very Much for making this Carlys All rights reserved (About Us). Private group 6,043 Members. SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. Six of the eight people inducted Sunday into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame's class of 2012 had some sort of ties. Agawam, MA This event marks the tenth annual appearance of the NASCAR Busch North Series at Riverside Park Speedway. by KyleBrinkmannRacing in KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI, Top Tips For Online Race Track Promotion SRW Winternationals Weekend now a Qualifying race for ALL Classes! KGM RACING VIDEOS - Tripod The track closed in 1999 to make. Riverside Park Speedway was a 1/4-mile oval paved race track, located at the present site of Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts, one mile north of the Massachusetts - Connecticut state line. It needed help to survive. Our qualifying has been just terrible, Moore admitted. It was like going from a Volkswagen to a Cadillac; Riverside Park was like Daytona to me. The first full season of "modified" stock car racing was 1949. Riverside Park in Agawam, Massachusetts began as a trolley park in 1840. The teams decision to forgo any changes paid great dividends as the Pontiac Grand Prix ran fast and consistent on long runs throughout the evening. MattWiernasz is an auto racing journalist and photographer himself, and has fond memories of watching the races at Riverside. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. I think I just ran the, NASCAR Busch North: New England Ford Dealers 125 Notes, Kelly Moore Earns 2nd Place Finish at Riverside Park Speedway. For the 2nd consecutive week Moore was unable to crack the top-10 in qualifying, this evening he was 16th fastest among the 30-car field. The facility is fabulous lots of space to spread out, clean Another exciting development in 1997 was the acquisition of the park by Oklahoma-based Premier Parks, Inc., parent company of Six Flags, the world's largest regional theme park company. 01001 (413) 786-3876. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}42217.7N 723642.96W / 42.038250N 72.6119333W / 42.038250; -72.6119333. A / V Equipped Rooms, Franchise Info| Partner Program|Corporate Partnerships|Fundraisers & Donations|Contact|Employees, 2023 K1Speed Inc. All rights reserved. Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam drew in racing fans from throughout the Northeast for about 50 years. There was no back gate fee. Its been a long journey to get here to the NEAR Hall of Fame, said Fiore, who had been selling race photographs at Riverside while studying at Western New England College. The great Reggie Ruggiero closed the books with 98 modified feature wins, about a quarter of his career total, leading all drivers. American Legion Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Christian County Fairgrounds dirtkartoval, Christian County Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Clark County Speedway dirtmotocrosstrack, Decatur Macon County Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Edwards County Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Lincoln Trail Motosports dirtmotocrosstracks, Macoupin County Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Schuyler County Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Montgomery County Fairgrounds motorsportstrack, Northern Kentucky Fairgrounds demolitionderbytrack, Northern Kentucky Fairgrounds dirtpulltrack, Powell Co Lions Club Park dirtpulltrack, Deseret Peak Complex dirtoutdoormotocross, Rocky Mountain Raceways dirtoutdoormotocross, Russell Co Fairgrounds dirtdemolitionderbyoval, Va-Ky District Fair dirtoutdoormotocross, Virginia Motorsports MuseumandHallofFame. The facility is fabulous - lots of space to spread out, clean and well maintained, and the . The track's final reconfiguration and repaving to15 degree banking would be added in the mid 1980s. Things were getting very stagnant at Riverside, so they decided to introduce the pro stocks as the lead division, Dodge explained, adding that the modified seemed a better fit at larger tracks than within Riversides confines. Agawam, MA Gary J. Michnovetz, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday. Stock Car Racing Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. View source. With a track championship for the late Richie Evans, named in 1998 as one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers of all time. Riverside Park Speedway - David Allio | Racing Photography Archives You have set the bar pretty high, and the fun factor is off the charts!! They had a BLAST! (Dick Berggren photo), The Motorsports Authority - Copyright 2014-2023 - Turn 3 Media, LLC All Rights Reserved. We always seemed hampered by a breakdown in communication, Fiore, of Agawam, said in his acceptance speech. May 16, 1983 - Agawam - A newly-constructed Riverside Park roller coaster is shown from a nearby potato Farm. Party Rooms and Catering Available, Adults and Teens He resided in West Springfield and Agawam all his life. by ScottKo in RacingIn News, Fans of Fast Name Their Favorite Track of 2014 Sun, 01/30/2022 . We were there last Wednesday, with 25 teenagers, and they all had a wonderful time. Auto racing legend Rene Charland, of Agawam, dies at 84. BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON, KyleBrinkmanRacing, a racer from Elkhorn, WI. It was exactly what youd hope to have in an announcer. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Reigning AFT Singles champion Kody Kopp is trying to hit a grand slam this season. Riverside, both the amusement park and speedway, was an institution in its community. riverside park speedway - masslive.com Postcard Pre-Owned $16.50 Was: $22.00 25% off or Best Offer +$4.50 shipping Sponsored This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Second place finisher Chuck Bown of Portland, Ore. now drives on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series while third place finisher Dale Shaw of Center Conway, N.H. recently moved to the NASCAR Busch Series. I was just a kid and my favorite was Art Rousseau out of Keene, N.H.. The Rollaway, Riverside Park, Agawam, Massachusetts Babb's, Congamond Lakes, W Suffield, Connecticut Clark, Bill Western Mass. Galex Fox, left, and Dave Darland, right. Riverside Park. The first full season of stock car racing was 1949. International sports car racing starPhil Walters, who raced modifieds and midgets under the name "Ted Tappett", won the season championship. Facebook Link While the Daytona 500 took place in Florida Sunday, racing fans in western Massachusetts remembered when racing took place on a much shorter track in Agawam at the Riverside Park Speedway. When Riverside closed, Eddy Carroll III, the founders grandson, owned four consecutive pro stock championships. "I would like to Thank You so much for making Carly's 17th birthday party GREAT!!!! Birthdays, Mitvahs, Bachelor(ette), Team Building, Catered Lunches Discussion. As Riverside Park Speedway joined NASCAR to celebrate the past 50 years of auto racing in 1998, a new division was rolled out onto the Speedway. West Virginia Motor Speedway. Did you miss a thrilling Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, or David Gravels Tri-City triumph? I came from a little track, Plainville Stadium in Connecticut, a quarter mile, Ruggiero remembered. Vintage photos: Riverside Park in Agawam - masslive.com Jocko Sr. won 31 feature races and multiple championships at Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Mass., and won the track's biggest event, the Riverside 500. Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut and Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire are just some of the local options within driving distance. Sign Up For The PRI eNewsletter to get the latest in racing industry news, special events, new product information and more directly to your inbox. This scenario was played out Saturday evening at Riverside Park Speedway, where Kelly Moore put on a superb display of racing enroute to a 2nd place finish. We were there last Wednesday, with 25 teenagers, and they all Matts father, Mark Wiernasz was a track announcer there, in addition to working for decades as our assignment manager here at 22News. Dodge is credited with improving the payout to Riversides racers during the same time when the year-round profitability of amusement rides was increasingly threatening the future of auto racing. (Mass Appeal) - Built in 1948, Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam was home to some of the most exciting local auto racing for more than 50 years before the track closed down in 1999. The arrival of NASCAR established Riverside as one of NASCARs big three modified speedways in New England, along with Stafford and Thompson in Connecticut. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement. The drivers were characterized by maybe the best short-track announcer Ive ever heard, a guy named Tom Galon. This scenario was played out Saturday evening at Riverside Park Speedway, where Kelly Moore put on a superb display of racing enroute to a 2nd place finish. Next, widening and steepening the corners to a full quarter-mile. Do you remember Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam? - YouTube In both cases, few could argue with the results. And for decades, Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Mass., was exactly that. Much of the coaster's second half (essentially everything north of, and including, the station and entrance queue), as well as more than half of the park's "D.C. Superhero Adventures" section, now sit on land once occupied by the track's racing surface. It could trace its roots to just after the Civil War, when Gallups Grove opened as a picnic area in Agawam, nearly across the Connecticut River from the industrial city of Springfield, Mass. SPEED SPORTs Alan Cavanna catches you up on that and more in this weeks edition of Sealed Under Pressure Spotlight presented by Cometic Gasket. After a rowdy drivers' strike, it became clear that UNITED could no longer hold its own at Riverside Park, and that organization cleared the path for another popular organization to take charge of the track. In 1948, he tore down a bandstand on the property and laid out a flat, fifth-mile oval, just in time to see the midget craze peter out post-war. TRACK INFO UPDATE? Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, MA - RacingIn.com We will definitely be back in the future. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Vintage photos: Riverside Park in Agawam - masslive.com Riverside Park Speedway ("The Park") was built in 1948. The Serv-U Auto Supply Pro Stocks were also a feature division in the NASCAR's Winston Shortrack Series in 1999. open to all that raced at riverside park speedway no matter what car-truck demo-enduro-figure 8 & 4 cylinder-strickly-late model-modified ya drove! History. BRINKMANN RECORDS BEST BMARA FINISH OF SEASON I was doing things to the very best of my ability.. riverside park speedway - masslive.com The park was shuttered during the Great Depression, but was reopened by Edward Carroll in 1940. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). Riverside Speedway was a NASCAR short track that was inside of Riverside Fun Park in Agawam, Massachusetts. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The 1980s arrived! 77 Peros Dr., Agawam, Mass. We had sponsorship for every race. Rights Managed (RM) original photography 1983 David Allio. Riverside Park Speedway | Agawam Massachusetts. The flathead-powered stock cars evolved into modifieds; Berggren recalls the great Eddie Flemke gunning down a field of overheads with his flathead during this period. He declined, citing his growing family, and the seat was offered to an up-and-comer from Missouri named Rusty Wallace. Our staff cant stop talking about how much fun we had, and they keep asking when we are going to do it again!! NASCAR replaced the Tattersalls in 1973, following what future promoter Ben Dodge described as a drivers strike. The speedway was closed, and razed, after Polverari copped the final modified feature in 1999. Did you miss Kyle Buschs dramatic win at Talladega, or Brandon Overtons $50,000 triumph? Five-time track champion Bob Polverari won the final race, after which participants started digging up pieces of the track asphalt for souvenirs. By the 1950s, modified stock cars had taken hold as the prevalent form of racing in the area, replacing the midgets as the featured division at Riverside Park Speedway. . Jackson County Speedway. The natural athlete, Gene Bergin, was another star. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. No Reservation Required Ruggiero told a story that some knew, but others didnt, about a decision that might have changed the face of NASCAR history. In no way deterred, Carroll simply brought in stock cars for Riverside Parks first full season in 1949. He was born in West Spring-field, son of the late John and Mafalda Mich-novetz and graduated from West Springfield High School Class of 1962. Tracks - Racing-Reference Meet. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Rene Charland, affectionately known to many racing fans simply as The Champ could use some well-wishes from his fans. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Rene Charland - AKA "The Champ" - won three NASCAR national Modified titles in the 1960s. 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