60'-70's Vintage Oval Track Modifieds

To be honest, I do not. It's all somewhat grayed. It's either 1978, 80, or 81 when it happened. I'm thinking 78, because it was a regular show. I don't believe she was with my father and I when we attended in the 80's because in 79 he promoted Claremont Speedway and after the year at Claremont it was mostly The Park for her.

If it was a top runner I would've probably remembered the name.

 

I, too, remember those weathered bleachers at Connecticut's much-missed Plainville Stadium. Watched lots of great races from there! Not too many years ago, I bumped into several old friends someplace, and we reminisced that we had all grown up watching the coupes and sedans at Plainville. Among the group were Nationwide series crew chief Clyde McLeod, writer Brian Danko, his radio-host brother Gary Danko, and Cup crewman Jeff Zarrella. And we could have added famed motorsports photographer Mike Adaskaveg. Between us, we had all been lucky enough to get to a lot of race tracks, but the unanimous concensus was that racing didn't get any better than those old 100-lap Plainville Opens, watching outsiders like Eddie Flemke, Ron and Ken Bouchard, Bob Santos, Bobby Bard, Ron Wyckoff, etc., take on locals like Dave Alkas, Jap Membrino, and talented kids like Stan Greger, Ronnie Rocco, and Reggie Ruggiero. God, I'm dating myself. Anyway, Plainville sure was a racy joint, especially for a tight, flat, paved quarter-mile bullring ... I saw Steady Eddie pass dozens of cars there, with absolutely none of that silly "rubbin' is racin'" nonsense. Great times!

 

Unfortunately I was late getting to experience Plainville Stadium, but you could put the racing there up against any of the racing I was fortunate enough to attend. Most memories of Plainville Stadium include Charlie J.

"silly rubbin is racin nonsense"... I couldn't agree more.

Steady Eddie and running away with the Stafford 200 driving with one hand on the wheel. Never seen a car look any smoother at Stafford.

 

Thanks for the link, GREAT PICTURES!!!!

 

Looking for a older modified roller turn key but prefer roller........Coupes Gremlins,vegas,pintos,falcons From about 1960 -late 70's. Please mrssage me. Thanks Tom

 

I do`nt know about the turn three wall but when you were in the pits standing between turn one and two you were alway ready to run.

 

Here a picture at Plainville I`m 16yr old in the grop pic I call (race or rumble) the driver Pat Pisitelle has the red jacket on. Three of us still kicking and live in Florida.

 

This car ran out of Slims Auto Body of New Haven, Ct Had a chrysler flathead six in it

 

hey guys loved the pix and stories,i have purchased a 80 tobias chassis and need alot of parts,any info on parts or bodies,vega gremlin or mustang would be a great help i am in dover pa.

 

Buddy of mine has a complete Mercury BobCat, same as Pinto, he wants to sell. Right now it's a roller. In a week or so it might be a pile of sheet metal. The now price is $350. After the work is all done, the price goes up.

Came across a Vega wagon Saturday. Had a V-6 in it. Wasn't real cheap, at $1,000 but price was negotable.

 

Hey guys, Just an early reminder that Craig's motorsports car show is coming up on Sept. 17,2011. He always has food & refreshments available.Willie41's dad is usually there.Can't make it this year myself. Hope to see pictures of it. Maybe the Utica-Rome 50th pace car will be there. Have fun.

 

Glad you enjoyed them!

 

Hi Frank,

We have a Bobcat too...picked it up for $150 last year. One of the "too many" projects, HA HA!

 

I ran my vintage coupe there Friday 7/26/11....22 vintage cars participated with the STAR vintage club. In comparison, the regular top division of small block dirt style modifieds had 10 cars, 7 latemodels, 6 street stocks, 6 four cylinders and 3 legends cars.

Beautiful facility....but not much interest from participants or fans. I believe half the problem was the change from dirt and half the problem is the management including constant rule changes.

With the right management I think the place could be very successful as there is a lot of population close by. Hope it doesn't close....we need all the tracks to survive because they sure aren't building new ones to replace the ones lost.

 

Who was your Dad?

I grew up at Claremont Speedway.. had a relative that raced a Modified (Dick Stevens #6) in the late 70's early 80's and my Dad worked on a Late Model around that same time.

 

Forgot to tell you guys that Craig's motorsports is in Oneida,NY. His address is 730 Lenox Ave.

 

Looks like a former West Haven Speedway car. They ran what was called 'Non-Ford' 6 cyl coupes for many years there before the track closed in 1966. Many of the cars that ran there moved on to Plainville Stadium or Riverside Park, in Agawam, MA.

 

Since we visited Syracuse recently, I am posting a New Jersey based driver, Carl "Fuzzy" Van Horn at speed entering the back straight in his Big Block Modified.

Original image shot by Jack Hedstrom

 

Your right but this car ran waterford first then Plainville till the the night of the strike/protest. The next week we went to the rock they told us do`nt even unload the car. They being Tattersall He had most of the northeast sooed up and could be as big as Nascar. those who knew him know. Then we made a deal with Lou Toro to drive at the rock as #0 Do`nt remember much of that night, close to the end of the season. Began to build a modified.

 

This is the diamond S modified ran a 409 + chevy

 

Diamond S with 409.......Can you please tell me drivers name, track, year record/success or any other info, etc?

My recent '36 chevy modified build incorporates a "W" block: previous HAMB search found only one modified driver (Carl Burris) that ran a succesfully ran a 348. Any mor pics or close up of engine would be appreciated.

 

Interesting timing on the Cam Gagliardi picture. He just passed away within the last 2 weeks or so. His son Kim was still racing Sprint cars up to a few years ago himself.

 

My Dad was Robert Echo (Bob). He promoted Claremont in 1979 and 1985. I remember Dick Stevens and his blue #6 Vega at Claremont. He and my father were good friends.

 

COOL Pic.

Looks like Lebanon Valley Speedway.

 

Boat anchor engines weren't too popular back then .

 

Wall Stadium, early sixties car, number Star 7, ran a 409 with good sucess, driver was Bob Howard.

64-66 Old Bridge, East Windsor and others, car number 87, drivers Bob Weisenmyer and Joe Kelly, ran I believe a 348, fairly competitive, may have won afew with Kelly on dirt.

 

some remaining shots I have on LI's Billy Park....

Bill #20 getting airborne again at Islip....also involved Fred Harbach in the x90, John Redding in the #41, that's the nose of Bill Deakin #36 under Harbach and the front of Charlie J's vega




Billy Park at it with Fred Harbach again at Islip...





Billy at Wall Stadium with some of the Jersey regulars: Charlie Kremer in the #77, Tony Hirschman in the #60 and Jerry Cranmer




Bill in contemplation....





Billy at speed at Pocono with the colorful cars of Gary Winters in the Frank Kelly #31 Mustang II and Ken Bouchard in Billy Corazzo's #12 vega




Billy in a dogfight with Jungle John Blewitt #76 at Islip...





Billy Park and John Blewitt again....





Billy in the pits with Richie Evans hauler behind him....





Billy is still going strong at Riverhead today (although this car is from a few years back)....