Riverside Park Speedway

First Massachusetts trackchasing visit – 1985.

My very first track to see in Massachusetts was visited back on Saturday night June 22, 1985.  We moved back to California in 1983.  Our vacation trip “east” had us staying in a different state for seven consecutive nights.  Our kids were 7, 9 and 11 at the time.  It was trips like this that were fun for the family and a great educational experience for our children.

Later in the week I would see racing, for the first time ever, in Vermont and then New Hampshire.  It was during the early and mid-80s that I was putting a press on seeing racing in all 50 states.  However, it wasn’t until 2001 that I saw racing in my 50th and final state, Rhode Island.

Racing is “big” in New England.  I don’t think there’s any track that races weekly that I have not seen in New England.  NE is a fun place to tour.  The scenery is unique and some of the most beautiful in the country.  At the same time the cost of hotels is among the highest of anywhere in the country.  My family and I had the opportunity to live in New England, (Ridgefield, Connecticut) for 15 months in 1979-80.  I did my share of racechasing during that brief time while living “back east”.

I didn’t begin writing my famous Trackchaser Reports until I had been to about 430 different tracks.  Therefore I don’t have too much memory of my visit to the Riverside Park Speedway, track #148.  However, I do remember (from my records) a few things.  Reggie Ruggiero in the #44 was the feature winner.  I also remember the track being located next to a huge amusement park.  

Wikipedia had this to say about the Riverside Park Speedway:

Riverside Park Speedway was a 1/4 mile oval race track, located inside of Riverside Amusement Park in Agawam, Massachusetts, one mile north of the Massachusetts/Connecticut state line.

To capitalize on the nation’s new attraction to auto racing following World War II, park owner Edward J. Carroll demolished a dance hall in 1948. In its place rose a flat 1/5 mile oval track, pit area and grandstand alongside the Connecticut River.  The first full season of “modified” stock car racing was 1949. International sports car racing star Phil Walters, who raced modifieds and midgets under the name “Ted Tappett”, won the season championship. The United Stock Car Racing Club events drew 6,000-8,000 fans every Saturday night.

Each summer’s signature event was the “Riverside 500”, a 500 lap “tag-team” race with 16 two-car teams. One car would pull into the infield pit area for service, and “tag” his teammate’s bumper to go out and replace him on the track.

The track was reconfigured twice over the years, ending up as a progressively banked 1/4 mile oval under NASCAR sanction. The track was used several times for rock concerts, notably Radio 104.1 WMRQ’s “Radio 104 Fest” and “The Big Day Off.”

The track closed at the end of the 1999 season.  In 2000 when the park re-opened as Six Flags New England the race track was gone, with the new DC Comics-themed amusement park in its place.

My 1985 racing season took me to so many famous tracks from that auto racing era.  The tracks I saw in a single year could be the LIFETIME totals of just about any racing fan and they would be more than satisfied.  How about this list of tracks to see in just one season.

Phoenix International Raceway (AZ)

East Bay Raceway (FL)

Devil’s Bowl Speedway (TX)

Ascot Park (CA)

North Wilkesboro Speedway (NC)

Santa Fe Speedway (IL)

Hawkeye Downs Speedway (IA)

I-70 Speedway (MO)

Thunder Road Speedbowl (VT)

Rockford Speedway (IL)

Peoria Speedway (IL)

Bonneville Raceway Park (UT)

Evergreen Speedway (WA)

Minnesota State Fair Speedway (MN)

Eldora Speedway (OH)

Mesa Marin Speedway (CA)

Mind you I was living in California at the time!  I was a racechaser back then not a trackchaser.

You might have remembrances about the Riverside Park Speedway.  If so, please feel free to share in the comments section below.  If you have any photos from back in the day, send them to me at Ranlay@yahoo.com.  I’ll try to include them here.