News

Although the attached photo looks as if it might have been taken in the 1960s, in fact it is quite current. The shot is of Jim Martel’s garage and the car is the Billy Murphy #8 which Jim is restoring. The car is owned by NEMS Museum Board Members Pete vonSneidern and Dick Berggren and is being restored by Martel. It won dozens of feature events and was driven by more than a dozen brave men during the golden age of supermodifi

The Maine Vintage Race Car Association’s representative, Beech Ridge Speedway promoter Andy Cusack, presented the Racing History Preservation Group with a $1,000 donation in support of the Group’s planned motorsports museum. Shown receiving the check is Dick Berggren, the Group’s president who said the Maine Vintage’s support of the project is thoroughly appreciated.

Please welcome new members Harry Johnson Jr., Ken Schena (a former NESMRA supermodified driver), Russ and Darlene Nutting (Russ is a NEAR Hall of Fame member), Ric Mariscal (who is already a Board member), Bucky Swiniarski, Lloyd Hutchins Jr (also a Board member), Paul Zampieri, Ron Bouchard (a NEAR Hall of Fame member and a RHPG Board member who joined at the Platinum level), Dave Coutermarsh (a member of the Maine Hall of Fame), and Marvin Galarneau all of whom joined in April.

Lime Rock Park is holding a car show on Railroad Street in Great Barrington MA on Thursday night May 3 from 5 to 9. The show will include race cars, customs, hot rods and other forms of vehicles including Skip Matczak’s Crown 7 Sprint Car. The Crown 7 will be on display with North East Motor Sports Museum board member Mark Hann who will be there to answer all of your questions about the new museum and invite you to become a member.

Valenti Auto Mall of Mystic CT will be holding a car show Saturday May 5 from 10 to 3 at the dealerships’ 72 Jerry Browne Road location. On display will be the modifieds from the Valenti Modified Racing Series along with other race cars, customs and show cars. North East Motor Sports Museum board member Mark Hann will be there with Skip Matczak’s Crown 7 Sprint Car. Stop by and see the car and Mark who can answer your questions about the new museum and tell you how you can join the museum as a member.

We gratefully acknowledge New Hampshire’s Skip Ambrose for his contribution to the Museum of his collection of Stock Car Racing and Speedway Illustrated magazines. Our library is in need of more such contributions of racing magazines.

The Gavin Couper cut-down was a popular attraction at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway Open House on April 7. The car headlined the North East Motor Sports Museum exhibit at the event and, as you can see, drew a crowd.

Visit representatives of the new North East Motor Sports Museum at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway FANtasy Drive and Open House on Saturday, April 7, 9am-4pm. Get a close-up look at the cut-down driven by Gavin Couper in the 1960s, a car with so much power that it spun the rear tires the entire length of the straightaway.

In mid-March, Skip Matczak brought his vintage sprint car to the Maratta Auto Show in Hartford to help spread the word on the new Northeast motorsports museum that will be built at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The effort to create a museum that will capture the history of motorsports in the Northeast is progressing well. To date, nearly 70 people have contributed time, money or both to the effort. Paid members have come from all segments of the motorsports community. They include retired and active track operators, TV personalities you see every weekend covering NASCAR, championship winning car owners, sponsors, active and retired drivers, a magazine publisher...

On the coldest day of the winter, as the temperature was stuck in single digits on January 15, 2012, a strong turnout of board members and supporters of the North East Motor Sports Museum convened at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway to plan 2012 activity. They came from all over New England while others joined by conference call from outside the six-state area to participate in discussions focused on fund raising, membership development and artifact acquisition.

The Racing History Preservation Group is now accepting donations of trophies, helmets, driving uniforms, photography, posters, scrapbooks, video footage, magazines, racing newspapers and anything else that is a part of racing in the North East portion of the United States. Reach us at NEMSmuseum@gmail.com to arrange for pick-up or delivery. Tax benefits can accrue to those making donations to our non-profit program.