News

On Sunday, April 7, RHPG president Dick Berggren will be the keynote speaker at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing’s spring Open House dedication of its library in memory of Chris Economaki. The museum, located on 100 Baltimore Rd., York Springs, PA, is one of the finest short track properties in the world. It showcases engines, cars, helmets, trophies, theatre and other one-of-a-kind memorabilia in an educational atmosphere.

When folks find a relatively intact old race car, it’s called a “barn find.” How about this one as a barn find, a vintage and authentic Roman chariot! If you saw the movie Ben Hur, you know that chariot races were among the very first oval track events in human history.

The Racing History Preservation Group is grateful to Ted Parker for his donation of photographs, trophies, and the uniform he wore when racing his V-6 supermodified in the 1980s. Also included in the gift was the helmet he wore during those years as well as the 1983 Champions jacket he was awarded.

On March 2 and 3, Board members of the Racing History Preservation Group including (left to right) Mark Hann, Al Novotnik, Ray Boissoneau and Pete vonSneidern shared the story of the proposed North East Motor Sports Museum with the big crowds that attended the Frank Marrata owned Racearama show at the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds.

Anyone who wonders about the popularity of the vintage racing movement should have been in Daytona on Saturday, Feb 16. For the first time in decades, the town allowed race cars to run on the old beach-road course.

We extend our gratitude to Treva Merrill, widow of Carl Merrill, who has donated her late husband’s auto racing memorabilia to the North East Motor Sports Museum. Included in her gift are her husband’s official’s jackets and NASCAR Official’s cards, Norwood Arena pay-off sheets, photographs, programs, Illustrated Speedway News roto covers and Merrill’s award plaques.

We have found a few automotive museums you may not be aware of and we’ll use our Facebook page to let you know about them. The photo that runs with this copy is from the Owl’s Head’s Transportation Museum in Maine and it’s a worthwhile place to visit.

On Saturday, January 12, 2013, the Board of Directors and Members of the Racing History Preservation Group (RHPG) packed the Thompson Speedway Clubhouse for the Group’s annual Open Meeting.

Paul Aldrich has been unanimously voted in to become a member of the Racing History Preservation Group Board of Directors. His interest in vintage restoration goes back more than 50 years when he began collecting old speed equipment.

We gratefully acknowledge the gift of eleven trophies won by the late NEAR Hall of Fame Member Gordon Ross. His wife, Ginny von der Lieth, donated the trophies, three of which are shown here, which were won at Waterford Speed Bowl, Thompson, Riverside and the Eastern States Exposition half-mile. All date back to the 1950s.

Hearing that an upstate New York junkyard had several old race cars sitting out in the weather, Museum directors Mark Hann and Dick Berggren drove out to see. And, sure enough, five of vintage stock cars sit there out in the open in various states of rust. Although they didn’t find anything of importance for the North East Motor Sports Museum, what they saw was another example of why the Museum is important.

The Board of Directors of the Racing History Preservation Group met at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA on October 23. The group has agreement with New Hampshire Motor Speedway to partner in a new building which will house a museum covering the history of Northeast motorsports.