Posted on 19620809 20180608 author flemke categories gene bergin, other, photos gene bergin. Jan 31, 2017 longtime modified racing legend leo cleary passed tuesday in florida cleary, a veteran of 44 years of competition in the northeast, was 88 years old. Class of 2017 announced for the riverside park speedway hall. The modified winner was staffords own george janoski, who had used a. The class of 2017 will feature reggie ruggiero, the alltime winningest driver. Lebanon valley classics photo frankie schneider lambertville, nj. This 8 x 10 print is the m6 coupe of modified driver gene bergin. In the sixties, judkins 37 ford coupe dominated the track with drivers jerry wheeler, tony mordino, billy harmon, mario fats caruso, rene charland, gene bergin, kenny shoemaker and legendary driver ed flemke. Gene bergin after a modified stock car win in the early 1960s.
Rene charlands extraordinary career spanned 35 years starting with his first race at riverside park in 1949 and ended at fonda speedway in 1984. Felton is a graduate of the university of north carolina and served in the united states marine corps usmc. Longtime modified racing legend leo cleary passed tuesday in florida cleary, a veteran of 44 years of competition in the northeast, was 88 years old. Class of 2017 announced for the riverside park speedway hall of fame. Gorneau judkins, died on thursday, october 25, 2018, at apple rehab center in middletown, ct after a lengthy illness. Nascar racing drag racing auto racing old race cars vintage race car modified cars indy cars car and driver cool cars the car was restored by harold seaman close friend of charlies and ricky jarzombeck charlies brother who owns all of charlies cars. Myracenews from weekly short track racing to nascar cup.
Bergin first started racing in the early 50s at the riverside park speedway collecting many feature event wins and the 1962 modified track championship. According to the new england antique racers, cleary won 14 track championships over a varied group of divisions in his six decades of competition, which included stints at all three. The new england auto racers hall of fame was established in 1998 by the new england antique racers. Jerry was a race car driver is a song by the american funk metal band primus.
Gene bergin another of those hir catamount stadium. Gene bergin after a modified stock car win in the early 1960. Get the best deals on vintage car racing art prints when you shop the largest online selection at. Coming from where i did, in vermont, i did not chance to ever actually be at atrack where gene bergin performed. 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. Feb 11, 20 gene bergin v8 powered circle track corvair bodied modified.
It is constructed simply as an internet information source. Click on the site to see gene bergins career results at that track glossary. Gene is in the sprint car, probably dick dixon in the m6. Gene bergin legends of nascar statistics, drivers, crews. Robert judkins obituary meriden, ct hartford courant. The new england auto racers hall of fame is a hall of fame for racingrelated people in the new england region of the united states. Brian is the son of former race car driver ashton cox and has been driving since he was 2 years old. Mario fats caruso, rene charland, gene bergin, kenny shoemaker and legendary driver ed flemke. It was released as the first single from their 1991 album sailing the seas of cheese and reached number 23 on the u. Rene charland drove this 3 car at utica rome speedway. Daytona 500 winner pete hamilton said of gene he is one of the greatest race car drivers that ive ever known. In the sixties, judkins 37 ford coupe dominated the track with drivers jerry wheeler, tony mordino, billy harmon, mario fats caruso, rene charland, gene bergin, kenny shoemaker and legendary.
Similar to the cars at the pioneering quebec track, bouvrette speedway in st. Under the sanction of the united stock car racing club, gene bergin, ed patnode, danny galullo, billy greco and others emerged as contenders, krebs and greco piled up victories. Kopecs favorite memory was winning his first modified race at the park. It was driven to wins by buddy krebs and gene bergin. Saturday night legends 8x10 vintage race car print m6.
Riverside park speedway stock car racing wiki fandom. Bugs stevens dominated new england mods during his era. Another great sanborn driver, gary iulg was the man to beat in dirt racing during the mid 1970s. Mikes career as a dirttrack sportsman and modified driver was creditable but it was his charismatic personality that is most fondly remembered today. Old race cars dirt track nascar racing vintage racing pavement paint colors. Gene bergin is a former nascar driver from enfield, ct. For now, you will be able to access and search the database through the portal on your right. Gary was also a very accomplished driver on asphalt as well. Hello, welcome to the third turns driver database, a simple way to list and query information about any driver we have on our site. Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. Over time, we will continue to look for new and exciting ways. New england antique racers near website 293 photos.
I may build a coupe this car is 40 inchs long powered by a 23cc weed wacker engine. Under the sanction of the united stock car racing club, gene bergin. Rich mosher, a current vintage race car owner, would visit the homestead. Hamke late model chassis 1964 chevy nova race car update. Riverside park speedway hall of fame class of 2017 announced. Gene was one of the drivers to be honored with all star league memebership. Car owner, bob judkins, brought his famous 2x to riverside park speedway. Bob frazier photo ladabouche collection when i think of denis, this is the car that comes to mind. An insurance adjuster by trade, leo worked five days a week. His younger brother, marc is also a racing driver and is currently a test driver for the scuderia ferrari formula one team. This man didnt drive a modified, he manhandled it and squeezed every ounce of power and bite he could out of his race car.
Saturday night legends 8x10 vintage race car print m6 modified. Flagman steve grant started the boston louie from the track, kicking into gear the memories of several old timers. Gene bergin after a modified stock car win in the early. Vintage modifieds online store new merchandise for 2007. In this wreck, gene bergins life was saved by sharkeys pioneering the. Vintage modified stock car merchandise of the northeast modified stock cars from the 50s to the 80s. Eugene gene michael bergin, 78, of palm coast, passed away sunday morning, february 27, 2011. May 24, 2019 in the sixties, judkins 37 ford coupe dominated the track with drivers jerry wheeler, tony mordino, billy harmon, mario fats caruso, rene charland, gene bergin, kenny shoemaker and legendary driver ed flemke. After finishing second to ed in a 100lap race at thompson speedway, outstanding driver gene bergin smiled and said, the race could not have been won by a nicer competitor. Modified racing pioneer and legendary team owner bob judkins. February th at new smyrna speedway if anyone is interested in attending divers, owners and fans, please let me know, and i will get you any info you need.
Agawam, ma rene charland, whose career began and ended on dirt, with an amazing stint on asphalt in between, is a 1996 inductee into the dirt motorsports hall of fame and and an initial inductee into the near hall of fame. Posted on 19600708 20160817 author flemke categories gene bergin, jocko maggiacomo, other, photos. The car will not be entirely restored, as the body panels will remain as they were when the car came off the track. Jordi gene guerrero born 5 december 1970 is a racing driver who competed in the world touring car championship between 2005 and 2010. Most folks dont know he was an all state football player and all state in baseball in connecticut as well as a great race car driver. He won the 1995 riverside park speedway modified championship. Ladabouche collection gater racing news photos this is one of the most familiar photos in northeastern stock car racing the godfrey wentzel sedans running, nose to tail, in one of the all star league shows. Get the best deals on vintage car racing art prints when. The following numbers are a summary of the more detailed information available in the career details further below on the page. My all time northeast modified top 12 sign in to follow this. Fifty years ago in 1962 dick beauregard recorded his third modified feature win at the new londonwaterford speedbowl. He had drivers such as ed flemke sr, gene bergin, art fats caruso and jerry marquis drive for him and with much success. He raced with ease on either dirt or asphalt often running alternate nights on different surfaces with the same car.
Ted christopher was the last predominately modified driver to win a nema feature. Click on the site to see gene bergin s career results at that track. Rene charland, gene bergin, ron bouchard, brett bodine, reggie. He was an avid race car driver and one of the most winning racers of his era, finding. May 11, 2012 sixty years ago in 1952 rain prevailed at the new londonwaterford speedbowl. Touring car championship grandam series american le mans series x1r pro cup series nascar southeast series nascar midwest series nascar southwest series nascar northwest series asa national tour fia formula two series whelen southern modified tour exhibition unclassified races. Courtesy of pascal cote one of denis earliest cars. Gene bergin v8 powered circle track corvair bodied modified. Gene bergin gene bergin gene bergin gene bergin gene bergin. Discussion in the hokey ass message board started by john56h, apr 11. Gene also holds the honor of being the first modified track champion on the asphalt surface at stafford when he drove beebe zalinskis m6 to the 1967 crown. May 05, 2008 gene bergin won everywhere in new england. Fifty five years ago in 1957 don collins was the 50 lap april championship winner at the new londonwaterford speedbowl. Bergin, a native of enfield, ct, had a 29year career racing modifieds throughout the northeastern united states.
He was the 1962 modified champion at riverside park speedway in agawam, ma, and the 1967 modified champion at stafford. Fred desarro if bugs or bergin didnt win he probably did. Heres a pic of him,myself and ed ortiz at the modified racers reunion at new smyrna speedway a few years ago. Starting 29th in the massive seventycar field, bergin completed 308 of the 364 laps in route to a 36th place finish. A junkyard in berlin, connecticut provided a pinto body and judkins mounted it onto the new chassis. My all time northeast modified top 12 page 2 bob hilbert. See more ideas about race cars, old race cars and racing. Old race cars, vintage race car, car makes, drag cars, car and driver.
Driver gene bergin 1968 usac champ car series results. Anyone ever heard of saugerties speedway racersreunion. Fast go karts, fat man, vintage race car, car and driver, race cars, old school, cool cars. Legendary and revolutionary modified race team owner bob judkins, who fielded cars for a whos who list of the best modified drivers over decades. Stock cars, midgets, sprint cars on paved or dirt tracks, he was a natural. The kiwanis sponsored mills brothers three ring circus took up a large part of the facility in july. Might have been at the local race track feeling the thunder of the engines as the cars went by. He is a member of the hockey hall of fame and new england auto racing hall of fame. Gene bergin was also at the beginning of nascar, as he drove the first modified pinto racecar. He won several championships at various tracks and was inducted into the new england racing hall of fame in 1998. Whatever it was that created that love of cars, it never goes away. Legendary driver gene bergin passes karnac racing news.
Judkins started building modifieds in the early 1960s and over time he fielded for cars for a multitude of top drivers including ed. The chrome horn looking back a bit with phil smith. Class of 2017 announced for the riverside park speedway. Legendary and revolutionary modified race team owner bob judkins, who fielded cars for a whos who list of the best modified drivers over decades, passed away thursday in middletown. Tribute car to gene bergin, also driven by george tet in 1971. During that time it is estimated that he won over 700 races. The car variously had a roll cage, a roll bar, and nothing at all to protect the driver in a rollover. That is from a driver that ran against foyt, petty, allison, yarborough and others. Then in 1971, judkins introduced a new style of race car, hanging a ford pinto body on the famous 2x. Current racing series nascar cup series xfinity series gander outdoors truck series arca menards west series arca menards east series arca menards series pintys series whelen modified tour weekly racing series peak mexico series whelen euro series ntt indycar series indy lights series formula one series weathertech sportscar champ.
Starting 29th in the massive seventy car field, bergin completed 308 of the 364 laps in route to a 36th place finish. Gene bergin had the legendary judkins pinto up at devils bowl around 1970. He was the 1962 modified champion at riverside park speedway in agawam, ma, and the 1967 modified champion at stafford motor speedway in stafford springs, ct. I was at thompson the night dick dixon got killed but remember. Modified racing pioneer and legendary team owner bob. Gene snow was an american racing driver who pioneered funny cars in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, bringing innovations such as a direct drive system using multiple clutches when rivals were still using automatic transmissions based on those used in production models.
Oct 25, 2018 legendary and revolutionary modified race team owner bob judkins, who fielded cars for a whos who list of the best modified drivers over decades, passed away thursday in middletown. I never saw any driver get more out of a racecar than gene bergin could. I raced in the 60s with gene bergin and won my last championship with jerry marquis. He competed in two cup series events in his career.
He won the first sprint car main event he ever enteredthe rest is history. Saturday night legends 8x10 vintage race car print m6 modified gene bergin. Images and content made be used with email permission. In the grandstands, loyalties to different drivers became fierce, where one sat in the stands was determined by what driver one was rooting for. The 1998 riverside park modified champion was jimmy broderick, driving the. Click on the year to see the standings for that year.
Gene bergin powered circle track corvair bodied modified. In light of all the help that he gave to others, one of the nicknames given to ed was the professor. Leo cleary had the knack to out drive his race machine and will it to perform above and beyond. In the years of the stafford springs dirt era, new york drivers won only 7% of the. Opinions and other content are not necessarily those of editors, sponsors. People drivers drivers by state compare drivers driver.
Heres a pic of him,myself and ed ortiz at the modified racers reunion at. Acaq photo denis giroux quebec city, qc race driver. In the sixties, judkins 37 ford coupe dominated the track with drivers jerry wheeler, tony mordino, billy harmon, mario fats caruso, rene charland, gene bergin, kenny shoemaker and legendary driver. Seasons spanning over two years for example 2014 championships have their race results accounted for in the year the championship ends. Gene won the riverside park modified championship in this car. Nine year old brian cox was the pace car driver for the sportsman feature on august 3rd. The united stock car racing club events drew 6,0008,000 fans every saturday night. Whether it be in asphalt modifieds, super modifieds, sprint cars. Simons excavating would that be walt simons that raced waterford bomber division. Both came in 1956, when bergin debuted at darlington. Mar 01, 2011 gene bergin was one of the most versatile drivers in new england auto racing history, having driven modifieds, midgets, sprint cars, indy cars, and grand national cars in his career.