HALL-OF-FAMERS AT SPEEDBOWL AUGUST 9th & 10th
 
A Daytona 500 winner, a Talladega 500 winner and an Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year head the list of attendees for Waterford Speedbowl’s Nostalgia Weekend Aug. 9-10.

Pete Hamilton, Ron Bouchard and Dennis Zimmerman will be part of an impressive group of New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame members on hand for the two-day weekend. Many will take part in a special “Hall of Fame” exhibition race on Sunday. Because of previous commitments Ron Bouchard will only be in attendance for the Saturday autograph session.


Bugs Stevens getting ready for action at NHIS July 30, 2003.  Bugs will again be behind the wheel of the #1 at Waterford Speedbowl's Nostalgia Weekend.
Others expected are former National Champions Bugs Stevens, Rene Charland, Bill Wimble and Ernie Gahan. The list also includes Gene Bergin, Hully Bunn, Moon Burgess, Don LaJoie, Chick Stockwell, Leo Cleary, Billy Greco, Dave Humphrey, Ron Narducci, George Summers, Ray Miller and Dick Watson.

The Speedbowl will have a limited number of programs available with a photo of each Hall of Famer for the autograph session.

The traditional “Heroes of the Bowl” event will be part of Saturday night’s NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series. The “Heroes” race, which puts now-retired racers in Sportsman division cars for one more shot at glory, has become a season highlight at the ‘Bowl.


Denny Zimmerman at Indianapolis Speedway in 1971.

Sunday gives way to the antique and classic racecars of the Atlantic Coast Old Times (ACOT), New England Antique Racers (NEAR) and Senior Tour Antique Racers (STAR), the cars actually turning laps on the three-eighths oval. The exhibition race will put Hall of Famers in antique racers, many of the combinations actually reliving history.

The antique cars and Hall of Famers will be part of Saturday’s program as well with a still show and an autograph session. There will be abundant photograph opportunities as well. NEAR official and event organizer Tom Ormsby calls it “maybe the greatest collection of New England auto racing history ever assembled in one place. People have been looking forward to this for months.”

NEAR and the Speedbowl are working together on the project.

“We’ve got people making history on Saturday night and, at the same time, were celebrating those who have already wrote it,” says Speedbowl promoter Terry Eames. “The people coming have amassed an astonishing list of successes.”

The success of Hamilton, Zimmerman and Bouchard is often viewed as the high water marks of New England’s battle to reach national recognition in auto racing. It came on the heels of the works of the lists of Gahan, Charland, Stevens, Bergin etc.

Starting with Dave Humphrey, the first champion back in 1951, many of the Hall of Famers expected on Nostalgia Weekend were very successful at the Speedbowl. Watson, a 2003 honoree, was a major force at the ‘Bowl in the 1950s and 60s. Bouchard, Stevens, Charland, Bergin, LaJoie, Greco, Narducci, Summers and Miller included Waterford successes in their resumes.

Admission for both days is $13.00 with $4.00 for children 6 to 14. Saturday Tickets are good for FREE Sunday admission.  Sunday only admission is $5.00.  NEAR is also sponsoring a cookout under the Speedbowl’s tent for the Hall of Famers at approx. 4:00 P.M. and the public is invited. Those that want to attend the cookout will be charged $5.00 at the tent.