1951

The New London-Waterford Speedbowl Opens

Dave Humphrey beats out Moe Gherzi for first ever Modified title

George Tichenor sets 1st time trial record during AAA Midget 100

United Stock Car Championship

• The initial construction of the New London Waterford Speedbowl began in 1950.  The land, a somewhat swampy 22 acres located on Rte 85 in Waterford, CT., was owned by a group of local businessman who comprised the original Board of Directors:  Anthony Albino, brothers Fred and Frank Benvenuti, William Hoffner, J. Lawrence Peters and Conrad Nassetta.  According to John Brouwer Jr's A Racing History of the New London Waterford Speedbowl, it took 40 men approximately 7 months to complete construction - a project, at the time, costing over $150,000.00.  The first event was held on Sunday April 15, 1951.  That night's feature winner was Bob Swift and the crowd was reported around 5,700 - far short of the 8,000 who showed up the week before to watch the first practice session (that highly anticipated exhibition caused a 3-hour traffic delay in all directions).  

• The original track was made of crushed blue stone.  Over the first 3 weeks of operation, attendance continually dwindled due to poor spectator visibility through the dust created from the track surface.  The owners promptly closed the track and re-opened on Tuesday May 15th with an asphalt racing surface.  Additionally, the track was also narrowed from 50' wide down to 35' - dimensions it still holds today.  The first asphalt feature winner was Stu Hellburg.  The only major track renovations since that time include the outside retaining walls implemented in 1968 and asphalt repaving prior to the 1988 season.  It's also worth noting that at some point around the year 2000, the Speedbowl re-measured the track by current NASCAR guidelines and has since been declared as a 3/8 mile oval - slightly longer than the previous 1/3 mile distinction it held the previous 50 years. 

• The weekly racing at the Waterford Speedbowl would be sanctioned by the United Stock Car Racing Club - at the time, a more prestigious organization than the upstart NASCAR.  John Whitehouse was announced as the Race Director on Thursday July 12th.  The retired driver was also the current treasurer for the United organization.  Other notable members of the track staff during the inaugural season included official starter Dick Jensen and grandstand announcer James McEnany.  Races were run on Sunday afternoons to start and end the season, but primarily Wednesday and Saturday nights for the Sportsmen Stock class during the summer.  Modified Stock open competitions were scheduled throughout the season as well.  Main event features were 25 laps.  In late June, the Claiming Car division was introduced.  Only amateur drivers were eligible and their features were 12 laps in length.  Championship points were kept for both divisions:  the top 5 drivers in each division's feature event received points on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis.

• The first ever Modified/Sportsmen Champion was Dave Humphrey of Seekonk, MA.  Humphrey and fan favorite Moe Gherzi each won 7 features, with Humphrey winning the points title narrowly 215-213.  Humphrey's season also included the Modified title at his hometown Seekonk Speedway.  During the summer, Gherzi was injured in a midget race at another track and was briefly hospitalized.  The day he was released, he went to the Speedbowl that same night and promptly won the 25 lap feature.  The longest race of the year was a 50 lapper on Labor Day weekend won by "Wild" Bill Slater.  3-time winner Wes Kingsley won the 4th of July 50 lapper that was called after 35 due to rain.  Other notable feature winners in the first season included Don Collins, Ray Delisle and "Steady" Eddie Flemke.

• There were 3 midgets races held during the season.  The American Race Drivers Club (ARDC) midgets held 2 events - a rain shortened 15-lapper in June and a 35 lap show in July  - both won by the legendary Johnny Thomson.  In late October, the American Automobile Association (AAA) midgets held a 100 lap event won by Art Cross.  In qualifying for that event, George Tichenor set the first time trial lap record with a 17.920 second effort.  In September, a 100 lap Late Model (then called New Cars) event was won by Ray Bonneau.

• The Claiming Cars debuted on Wednesday June 27th.  Similar in concept to the late 60's Daredevil division or even today Super X-cars, the Claiming Cars were strictly stock cars with only the necessary safety components installed - no other modifications were allowed.  The division flourished as the season went on.  Jim Tourjee won the most features with 5 and Gordon "Chuck" Casey won the point title even though he did not win a feature event - the first of several over the track's history with that unique distinction.  Future track champions who won features in this amateur division included Bud Matter and Charlie Webster.

• The Speedbowl's initial season was quite different to the ground pounding thunder of today's weekly series.  The literature about this season reveal many spectacular crashes (many barrell roll and a couple end-over-end) yet there were no reports of competitors who were severely injured as a result of those accidents.  Lap times were recorded during green-to-checkered races only (overall time/# of laps) for the weekly divisions.  Average speeds for the headlining Sportsmen Stock class were approximately 55 miles per hour - roughly 20 mph slower than today's 4-cylinder Mini Stock division.